Posts

beauty at every age and stage of life

Keep It Classy 2015 Recap

mellBella's comfy bed

 

 

March 6th & 7th filled our Charleston Boudoir Studio with some amazing women. One bride got her bridesmaids together to each do a boudoir photo shoot with us on the same day… So they all got their hair and makeup done by PaperDolls,  hung out together to encourage each other, had a fun private photo session with us, and then went out on the town looking and feeling fabulous. It was the perfect Girl’s Day!

Some of our other ladies had seen us at our Bridal Show booth, and they had finally got the nerve up to do a boudoir photo shoot with us. We were so humbled with the stories all the ladies shared with us from celebrating weight loss to celebrating a new start. Thank you for your trust. We can’t wait for you to see a glimmer of all that inner beauty you have shining through in your photos.

Also, our new Vegas Set made it’s debut… think Hot Pink and Lights! Don’t worry if you missed out on this event… we have our last spring boudoir photo event coming up Friday, April 3rd– Spring Break mellBella Style. Check out the details HERE. You know want to.

Until next time…. make it sexy!

Mell Bell and Wanda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

black and white garter belt

Spring Break mellBella Style 2015

Did you miss out on our Keep It Classy Boudoir Event in March. By popular demand, our next Charleston Boudoir Day is Friday, April 3rd– Spring Break mellBella Style 2015.  A mellBella Boudoir Day Event is like no other experience. We clear our schedules and do nothing but beautiful boudoir sessions all day long. As always, your boudoir photo shoot is private.

Our Bombshell Beauty Package is $200 ($216 with tax) and includes:

– An hour pampering by our expert hair and makeup artist from PaperDolls
– An hour Private photoshoot in the mellBella Studio
– Private consultation & viewing session
– Champagne, little bites and sweet treats
– Access to the mellBella Closet

Ask about our specials for military, our Richard Bell Photography brides, and return Bella Beauties. Limited space available!

Contact us at info@mellbella.com to pay your deposit and reserve your session.

What to Wear for Your Boudoir Shoot- Bits of Lace

That age old decision of what to wear just got more complicated as you are now looking for some specific items for your private boudoir photography session with mellBella. Luckily in Charleston, we have a great locally owned an operated fine lingerie store– Bits of Lace.

They not only carry bras, underwear, lingerie, and sleepwear. They also have a sweet bridal lingerie section for all your brides to be. Bits of Lace is known for being Bra Fit Specialists and have been in Charleston since 1976. We have quite a few options in our mellBella Closet from here, but you should definitely check them out either on King Street, Mount Pleasant, or even online. Those ladies will make sure that you have quality, exquisite lingerie that fits you perfectly.

A few of our favorite things that you can find there are:

Hanky Panky Lace Tank Chemise Black

Hanky Panky Lace Tank Chemise Black

This  Lace Tank Chemise   from Hanky Panky comes in a variety of colors and looks great on all body types. Pair it with a great fitting bra and the cute and comfortable Hank Panky Signature Lace Original Thong or get a more vintage look with their Signature Lace Retro Thong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 prima-donna-twist-love-me-tender-demi-padded-bra

Prima Donna Twist Love Me Tender Demi

 

We love all the fabrics and color options that the Prima Donna line gives you. This sultry plum and black demi is on sale now. What’s your favorite color? Do you prefer lace, polka dots, stripes, etc? Beautiful bras in all sizes, and yes, some even in nursing bras!!! Pick your favorite for your photo session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

marie-jo-jane-fiesta-red

Marie Jo Jane Fiesta Red

And, don’t forget to bring some bright colors for your boudoir photo shoot. You don’t have to be stuck with a thong or granny panties. We love the texture and details of these from Marie Jo. Avoid the horrible G-strings and go for something more comfortable and feminine.

Keep checking back for more suggestions on what to wear or check out our mellBella Boudoir Photography Pinterest Board.

Make it sexy, Ladies!

 

just a tshirt

Mell Bell’s Boudoir Journey

Hey Everyone,

Wanda inspired me to share my boudoir journey with you. I was a tomboy growing up… proud of being a girl and showing that I could do anything a boy could. There’s even a newspaper article from when I was five stating that I wanted to be a “craft girl” instead of a craftsman. I’m the shortie in the front with the huge cheesey grin.

 

5 year old Mell Bell

 

I wanted to be so many different things growing up– from being a flower picker to the first woman president. Vote for Mell Bell 2016!  I loved playing dress up, pretending, acting, and making people laugh. I would make faces, dance, and have imaginary conversations with myself in the mirror. Growing up, I struggled for years under verbal abuse in my home. Nothing was good enough.  I never really thought of myself as pretty or beautiful. I thought of myself as goofy, quirky, different, and at times, worthless.

In high school, I choose to go against the grain.  I chose to fight gender inequality at my small private school by gathering a group of girls to play in the male dominated chess tournament. I pleaded with the principal to upgrade the girls’ sports uniform from old faded t-shirts (the same for every sport) to jerseys like the boys that varied according to the sport. I bugged the principal to allow the girls to play one sport against another school at least once a year. The boys got to do this twice a year all ready. I was the only female in the computer programming class despite my male teacher trying to talk me out of it simply because I was a girl and that it was going to be difficult. Let the record show that the only girl in that “difficult” computer class got a high B for her grade.

For college, I started off at a local technical college and joined the co-ed soccer team. We didn’t have enough females, so we ended up playing in the men’s league. I was the only girl at most games. I then transferred to USC… Go Gamecocks! I became a Resident Advisor (RA) and worked with Freshman girls to help them with their first year of college. I met my husband, Nathan, at USC (and that’s a whole other story).

In my college years and soon after,  my jobs consisted of assisting young adult women struggling with weight, anorexia, abusive boyfriends, drugs, jealousy, depression, school, cleanliness,  etc. It’s hard being a girl, and so many people and things tell us we aren’t enough.

Fast forward to a few years later… I feel fat, tired, anxious, nervous, and not pretty at all. I get my hair and makeup done, and I start to relax. I change into some lingerie, and for the first time, Wanda photographs boudoir photos of me. I felt safe. I felt like I finally found something that was missing for a long time. I felt feminine, lovely, and beautiful. I was doing something special for my husband, BUT I was also doing something for myself. Now at least once or more every 2 years, I schedule another boudoir session to remind myself that there is true beauty at every age and every stage of life. If this girl can do it, any woman can.

Stay Sexy,

Mell Bell

 

 

guardians of the sexy tour 2

Coming Up in Guardians of the Sexy Tour

Come check out our studio, our photographers, our products, and……

enter for a chance to win a FREE mellBella Boudoir or PinUp Session!!!

Come see why Mell Bell and Wanda, the Guardians of the Sexy, are taking Boudoir Photography in Charleston to the next level. Check out our PinUp and Feminine sides too. You won’t be disappointed.

guardians of the sexy tour 2

 

subtle but sexy

Wanda’s Boudoir Journey

Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to get personal with this post and really share more about me.
We all have our own stories and journeys. And it really seems like your journey that leads you to doing a boudoir shoot is shaped very much by your past, as much as it is about your present life. Okay, so here goes.
My self esteem, for most of my life, was low, really low. I was molested at a young age, which caused me to have feelings of shame and guilt about my own body. As a child, I grew up in a very poor, verbally abusive home. I got picked on school for not having nice clothes and since we moved A LOT, I was always the new kid. As a teenager, I was thin and besides a major overbite (which I was always self conscious about), I got lots of attention for boys. My home life hadn’t improved, so I got into lots of bad things and made many, many bad choices. I did, however, choose a good boyfriend, Roy. My life changed forever when I got pregnant during my Junior year of high school. I gained 50 lbs, got stretch marks and all the other issues that comes with pregnancy. Roy and I got married at 17 years old.
My daughter was born four months before I turned 18. I have never regretted having my daughter, however, I have always felt like I missed out on growing into my adult body. I never got to be the “perfect” bodied 20 something year old that I could have been, had I not gone through pregnancy so young. Having stretch marks and a little poochy tummy at 18 didn’t help me feel any better about my body image.
Every four years for 12 years, I had a baby. Yes, at one point, I had a 12 year old, 8 year old, 4 year old and a newborn… all girls. After all of that, I  had my first shoot. Mell Bell photographed me. And I photographed her (she was 4 months pregnant with her daughter).
sexy silhouette
And… I loved it! I loved the photos of me. I loved the feeling of being photographed for my husband. Doing a shoot for my husband was like giving him another piece of me, a special piece that was just for him. It was something I chose and I could make it whatever I wanted it to be. I fell in love with boudoir photography. (Now I am gonna cry!) I fell in love for what it did for me and for what it does for the women we photograph. That’s why I am passionate about boudoir photography.
You got this!

Wanda