At Home Teeth Whitening: Does it Work?

There’s never a better time than now for teeth whitening, right?

I have made countless “emergency” trips to the store for a box of whitening strips for some upcoming event of my life, or simply because the lighting hit my smile just right so it resembled the half of a stick of Land O’ Lakes butter sitting in my fridge. Of course, this caused me to panic and think, “HOW HAS NOBODY TOLD ME I WAS SHOWCASING CORN NIBLETS AS MY TEETH?!”.  Yeah, pretty safe to assume we’ve all been there.

My History with Whitening Products

I have been through quite the arsenal of whitening products – from drugstore cheapies to expensive high-intensity custom trays from my dentist and everywhere in between. I’ve always strive to have a bright, white and beautiful smile and there were many times when I was younger that I would rather smize than show my teeth because I was too self-conscious. When Smile Brilliant reached out to me, I was instantly on board. This was a chance for me to truly test and take my time with a product and to experience the entire process before offering up a review, and I have to say: I’m quite impressed.

The Breakdown:

Smile Brilliant would fall into the upper echelon of whitening products in my opinion. Why?

–      Everything you need is sent to you in one kit

–    Clear, detailed instructions

–      Convenient and easy to use

–      Customization – molds are used to develop custom-made reusable whitening trays

–      Plenty of product

–      Non-irritating – a “desensitizing gel” is included in your kit

–      Results!

Where does it stand amongst competitors?

The last time I experienced truly efficient and noteworthy results was from my whitening products from my dentist. Unfortunately, I had to stop using them because my gums became overly sensitive. Smile Brilliant whitening gel has worked just as well without the burning or irritation I have experienced in the past! This is honestly my favorite thing about the product.

Using the custom whitening trays is easy, I usually just pop them in as I’m getting ready for the day and by the time I’m finished, my teeth are finished too! There’s no peeling a sticky strip off of your teeth or having a slimy film for a while, and because the trays are custom and reusable, you are more likely to get adequate and even coverage to each tooth and for the trays to effectively stay in place.

Results

The results? I think they speak for themselves! It is important to remember that whitening your teeth and keeping them white is an on-going process. Your teeth are constantly absorbing stains from coffee, tea, sauces etc., so it remains a constant battle to keep those pearly whites truly brilliant. This last round of whitening I have done with Smile Brilliant has given me a more noticeably bright smile and because of that I smile a little bigger!

Overall, I’m highly satisfied with my entire experience with the Smile Brilliant products and definitely recommend y’all give it a try and enter my giveaway!

GIVEAWAY:

Giveaway: www.smilebrilliant.com/g/stinamarina

Also, enjoy this store wide 15% off code! stinamarina15

 

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Pretty in….. Plaid?

I LOVE PLAID.

I also love flannel, but it’s too heavy of a fabric to sport in the Sunshine State 98% of the time.

If you are anything like me, you love plaid prints too, but have a rational fear of looking like a trendy lumberjack that just came out of aisle 6 at The Home Depot. A few tricks I use to combat such a nightmare include pairing the top with more feminine pieces and keeping at least one article of clothing a bit more form-fitting to keep from looking boxy and instead flattering my body. For instance, pairing a looser-fit top with some tighter jeans and/or heels or a pretty boot of some kind can really alter the whole dynamic of the look. Glamming your outfit up a little with some jewelry and accessories is another easy tactic to keeping you far from the “I’m looking for my misplaced axe…” look.

Plaid comes in so many patterns, color combinations and can be used on many different articles of clothing in all different seasons- there’s always something for everyone! Fall seems to be the prime time for plaid though, and with good reason; there’s a certain cozy, homey, warm feeling associated with plaid (at least in my humble opinion) that just pairs so perfectly with the Fall season.

I’ve linked just a few of my favorite things for this upcoming season- all numbers correspond to the numbered links and all of the looks are current to this season!

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9

What are some of your favorite plaid looks? How do you style them throughout the seasons? I’d love for you to share!

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