Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous “Fun Stuff”’ Category:
Every time I buy toothpaste, I always buy a whitening formula. So, needless to say, sincce toothpaste is something me and my husband use every day and night, we have bought quite a few teeth whitening toothpastes.
We also both drink coffee and tea, and I happen to also like juices and smoothies that use really dark berries like acai and blueberries, which also are known for staining the teeth.
This means that we both need a regular teeth whitening agent as well, because no matter how good your whitening toothpaste is, you still also need to do a good whitening gel or tray system, or whatever it is you happen to use to get your teeth white and to really periodically get a deep cleaning for those stains that accumulate every week or month.
The last whitening toothpaste I bought was one that is from a fairly new line of toothpaste and tooth care by Colgate called Pro Clinical. They have a few different kinds of Pro Clinical pastes, and one of them was for whitening. It’s not badly priced at about $4 for a tube of it.
It has a great taste, a very mild mint, and you can tell that it’s a great polisher because your teeth feel “squeaky clean” when you’re done scrubbing your teeth with it. I’ve been using the Colgate Pro Clinical for about a week now, and I do notice that my teeth look a bit brighter. I think that it will take a little while longer before I figure out if it is a significatn whitening agent.
Of course, it doesn’t help when I start drinking coffee and tea every morning again, and drinking my beloved fruit juices that are darkly colored. If you partake in these types of foods and beverages, it’s important to make sure you are using a high quality teeth whitener pretty much all the time.
Remember, white, bright teeth are an important part of maintaining that youthful appearance and brightening your whole face and smile. Studies have done on the things that make your face look older, and one of them shows that one of the biggest common denominators in older appearance in one’s face is darker, stained teeth.
This is a really cheap way to make sure you stay young and vibrant looking. And who doesn’t love having a great smile!?
I planned a wedding reception back in March of this year. I tried to keep calm and cool, but it wasn’t always easy when I saw how many details there were that had to be decided on, acted on, and ultimately executed. I’m not the best “party planner” as I tend to be a perfectionist, and tend to fret the smallest details that may not really have much impact on the end result.
What I did was make a list of exactly what I needed to accomplish, and what the reception banquet hall that we had booked would take care of. I also consulted a lot with the girl who was handling the reception details at the reception hall, which was also a hotel, and finalized all details with her. I had a great partner in her, because she really helped to ease my mind and offered guidance on some of the things that I wasn’t sure about.
It’s really important that you get a good, reliable source to be your contact when planning a wedding reception. They can help you all the mind boggling details, and offer important advice on the little things, like table decorations and dj choice.
Here’s a list of things to consider that you may not think about:
1.) Getting a DJ
2.) Invitations and RSVP letters
3.) Who’s going to do the toast?
4.) Table decorations
5.) Party favors – I went without these as I felt they were unnecessary
6.) Order of events and songs
7.) Menu at reception
8.) Full bar or select drinks?
9.) Organized dances and events during the reception
10.) How you’re going to do your hair and makeup of course, also how you’re going to get a manicure and pedicure – I did a do it yourself.
11.) Are you going to change out of your wedding gown?
I chew gum just about every day. I don’t chew it to whiten my teeth though, I really just chew it because it’s enjoyable, and because it freshens my breath better than just putting a mint in my mouth and calling it a day. I also like it because it keeps my mouth busy. I’m somewhat of a habitual snacker, and I like chewing on things, so for me, sugar free gum is the ultimate weapon against putting on weight because otherwise I’d probably be ten pounds heavier.
However, there are some great new teeth whitening chewing gums that are out on the market, and some people like to use them instead of regular chewing gum because they believe that it helps their teeth keep that white look, and helps to bar stains from happening to the teeth. I’ve tried Trident whitening gum, and I really liked the somewhat baking soda flavor (trust me, it’s not overpowering) it had, because it added freshness to my breath. Not just minty freshness, but I felt like it was actually “deodorizing” my mouth as well.
I do notice when I chew it also, that my teeth kind of feel squeaky clean when I run my tongue over them. This is common after you whiten or polish your teeth too, because they are ultra clean and you can literally feel them squeak when you run your tongue over them. I can’t say I noticed much of a whitening, but I thought it would be good measure to pop one of these tooth whitening gums in your mouth after you drink a cup of coffee or tea.
Not only could it get rid of your coffee breath, but the polishers and bleachers could definitely help to remove stains before they happen. I think it could be terrific as a preventative measure against staining your teeth.
While whitening our teeth with a gentle teeth whitening gel, powder, or tray, or whatever it is we use, can definitely boost our confidence in our smile, there are some things that you want to be aware of. I love having white teeth. However, I am very careful not to over whiten my teeth. I use my gentle teeth whitening product only about once every two weeks on my teeth, and I am careful to pick out whitening toothpastes, and like to try to brush my teeth after coffee or other staining agents, but I do not go overboard.
I do notice here and there that my gums get a bit sensitive if the gel gets on them, and they sting a bit. Apparently you have to be careful with this. Why? Because apparently your whitening agent can contain some heavy oxidation agents.
Which means that it may whiten the teeth very effectively, but over time and with excessive use, you can actually wear away your tooth enamel, and also you can damage the soft tissue in you mouth – your gums. This can often be painful, and damaging the enamel on your teeth can take years to undo, or even may take some sophisticated dental treatments to restore it.
You can use Pronamel, the toothpaste that is supposed to help strengthen and fortify your tooth enamel if you are worried about this as well. Even better, you should use the most gentle teeth whiteners you can, so that you still get the teeth whitening you desire, but you’re not damaging the enamel or putting yourself in unnecessary pain.
I’ve always been a little worried about my enamel, so I do use Pronamel here and there, but it’s a product you can’t use for weeks on end anyways. I do feel like it sort of helps to build up a protective barrier that helps my enamel be preserved. If you are concerned, I’d highly recommend you buy this toothpaste to replace your current one and use it for a few weeks, or whatever the recommendations on the back say.
Over whitening your teeth has also been reported to cause excess sensitivity in the teeth and gums of it’s abusers, so this is another reason to be mindful that you are not over whitening your teeth. However, there are plenty of safe ways to whiten and fend off those brown/yellow stains that look so unsightly, so take heart!
I have my fair share of the juicy, delectable strawberry fruit in the summer, when they are at their ripest, juiciest and most flavorful. Of course, you can also use them in a variety of dishes in the summer, like strawberry shortcake, fruit cups, fruit salads, and of course jams and preserves, but in the winter they tend to taste grainy, hard and flavorless.
One thing you may not know about this delicious and nutritious fruit is, that beside the fact that it is actually an excellent anti inflammatory for things like pain and inflammation cause by arthritis, but strawberries are also a great teeth whitener.
You’d think logically that the opposite would be true, because of their color, and that they might stain the teeth, sort of like blueberries have been known to do, especially if they are in concentrated form, like in a jam of a pie, or a juice, but actually strawberries – and whole strawberries, not in juice or jam form or any other form where they are altered.
Apparently the malic acid in the strawberries is the culprit behind their dual purpose of whitening the teeth. It helps to remove the surface stains by basically eating away at them, but beware, you should never use this solution every day (rub your strawberries with teeth every day, that is), because the acid, when used too much, can actually start to wear away at the enamel on your teeth.
You may have heard this about people who eat lots of lemons or citrus, or favor lemon water every day, because the acids, although beneficial to your body, can actuall wear away at your teeth if they are exposed too much.
My favorite natural remedy for whitening the teeth is probably baking soda though. Although it’s not a dramatic teeth whitener, and you may need a more powerful, commercial teeth whitener to get extreme results if your teeth are very stained, you can definitely gain some benefit from using this daily with your toothpaste as a whitener and gentle polisher of your teeth.
Not only that, baking soda does a great job of getting rid of bad breath and keeping it fresher, longer, because baking soda is a known odor neutralizer. It’s also a dirt cheap teeth polisher and breath freshener, still only priced at under a buck for a container of it. Hey, it’s multi purpose too, you can use it for baking and cooking, and you can use it in your freezer and fridge to keep everything fresh tasting.
I decided that it would be fun to have a pair of colored contacts. I often will get bored with my look and just try something somewhat subtle in the looks department to shake things up a bit. What better way to shake it up than to change, tastefully and not too dramatically, your eye color for a day? So, I set about finding the best non prescription colored contacts that I could find, since I wanted to be able to use mine with my glasses, and since I’ve tried prescription colored contacts by Freshlook and Ciba vision, but quite frankly they just made me look oddly unnatural.
I came across the most natural contact lenses for dark brown eyes on Google, and many people said that the Waicons, although expensive, were both the most comfortable and that most realistic and pretty looking colored contacts you could get for darker brown eyes.
Often times those of us with darker colored eyes have a hard time finding colored contacts that actually change their color, but these Waicon tricolors are the best ones I’ve tried after trying a few US brands that ended up making me look like I was wearing costume lenses and had a bright, almost cartoonish hue to them that really wasn’t flattering at all unless that was the phony look you were going for.
With the Waicons, I noticed that they help set off my eyes a little more than if I was just wearing my normal makeup on my eyes with my regular ol’ brown eyes. I purchased them in both green and grey, and so far I think the grey are the prettiest and the ones that actually change my eye color a little more dramatically, but I do like the greens as well.
A lot of people who have tried the grey Waicons who have dark brown eyes agree with this as well, and I think the grey colored ones are the best seller for that reason. I believe that a few celebrities probably use these as well, although you can’t say for sure, but these are definitely something celebs would love because they change things up without looking obvious.
One of the celebrities who for sure wears colored contacts to change her brown eye color is Paris Hilton, who it is rumored wears a brand by CIBA vision to change her brown eyes to blue.
I’m a coffee drinker. Now, I don’t drink three cups a day or anything like that, but I do drink a cup about 5 days a week, sometimes less, sometimes more depending on the week, and how tired I am. I also tend to like foods and drinks that stain the teeth, such as darkly colored soda, teas, blueberries, dark cherries, you name it. If it’s dark, I love it! Well, that’s a good think by the way, because darkly and richly colored foods actually are usually higher in nutrients and powerful antioxidants. But I digress.
What’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander, so to speak, so me liking darkly and vibrantly colored foods and drinks isn’t in the best interest of keeping gleaming white teeth. Everyone wants whiter teeth. It seems time doesn’t go by without a new whitening product coming out. In fact, the Kardashian girls just released one that’s supposed to be pretty good from what I understand actually.
Whitening your teeth definitely adds a new dimension of beauty to your face. You don’t even realize it until your teeth are white, how much better your smile looks when they’re bright and white. You can over do it however, so don’t go over whitening your teeth either. I’ve seen some celebrities whose teeth look like they could glow in the dark, and that’s not what you’re going for (anyone recall a great Friends episode where Ross whitens his teeth to impress a girl, yeah, that’s what you want to avoid!)
So, find yourself a good teeth whitening kit or gel that’s gentle enough you can use it fairly often. You don’t want anything that wears the enamel away, so you can use it over and over again without it actually doing any damage to your precious teeth. I’m not a fan of the whitening strips. They tend to leave your teeth yellow in the crevaces they can’t reach, so get something that maybe uses a tray, or a formula that just sticks to the teeth pretty well and foams up that you can spit out in five or ten minutes. Also, you might benefit from a more expensive, polishing toothbrush that is geared toward whitening. They have them at Wal-mart and Target, just look for the ones that claim they help whiten teeth.
Trust me, white teeth do get noticed. Even your dentist will notice if you’re using a good, quality whitening product. And keep up with it. Don’t do it once and then expect the results to stay. Keeping your teeth white is like keeping cellulite away, you’ve gotta have a good maintenance program, and good products to get the job done.
There’s something about healthy looking fingernails that are nicely cleaned and filed to finish off a well groomed and polished appearance. There are some useful tips and information to keep your fingernails healthy and attractive.
One of the most common complaints about our fingernails is that they are prone to splitting and breaking easily. The most common cause of split fingernails is constant and repetitive contact with water from dishwashing, housework or tub baths.
Another contributing factor to split fingernails is frequent use of nail polish remover. Generally speaking, split fingernails are rarely caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Certain prevention measures can be taken to minimize the occurence of split fingernails. When washing dishes or doing any other housework where your hands will be immersed in water, use a pair of rubber gloves with a cotton lining.
Don’t take long tub baths or use a hot tub or whirlpool for extended periods of time. Limit the use of nail polish remover to two times a month or less. If your nail polish chips, just retouch it in between nail polish removals. When you must use nail polish remover, use the type that does not contain acetone.
After you wash your hands, apply a moisturizing lotion not only to your hands but to your fingernails too. Do not get your fingernails manicured too often. Trim your fingernails and file them to reduce rough edges that can catch on fabrics and increase the chance of splitting. If you round the tips to a gentle curve, this will minimize splitting. If you have a fingernail split, you can repair it with either a nail glue or clear nail polish.
Acrylic nails used in manicures, most of the time, do not harm the natural nails. However, if there is a gap between your natural nail and the acrylic nail from it being bumped or jarred, there could be a hazard. This can create a problem as it sets up a warm, moist environment between the natural nail and the acrylic nail. In this environment, either bacteria or fungi can grow readily.
Another problem that can occur with acrylic nails is from them being left in place for too long or from a salon that uses unsanitary tools for the application. Either of these factors can cause an infection which will require the attention of a dermatologist. To prevent any potential problems with acrylic nails, avoid wearing them for too long, remove or replace them if they loosen and go only to a reputable salon that is licensed.
Well, I’ll say it again, I love Plus White whitening toothpaste. It’s dirt cheap, you can get it pretty much anywhere – the grocery store, the pharmacy, target, wal-mart. It also works pretty well. I’m sure it’s not as good as some of those premium teeth whitening products out there today, but it does the job, and it has a nice flavor. The only thing I’m unsure of with Plus White teeth whitening toothpastes is how easy it is on the enamel, and that does worry me sometimes, so I try to only use it about every other tube of toothpaste. It keeps my teeth pretty white even when I’m on a coffee and tea drinking spree, and even though I have blackberries and blueberries every single morning for breakfast, so I can’t complain!
I always think it’s fun to buy my mom and sister at least one gift that’ll be a nice little pick me up for them, and that usually ends up being somewhere in the beauty and self improvement category, since those are two categories where we tend to skimp when we’re feeling a little pinched financially.
When I buy beauty products for any of the women in my life, I always try to buy things that they wouldn’t necessarily get for themselves, maybe a nice expensive moisturizer or some sort of skin serum that feels like dynamite and makes you look amazing, but costs a little more than you normally like to spend.
Or another example which is actually what I got my mom and sister this year (one for one, one for the other) are things like the microdermabrasion home kits, and a nice chemical peel home based kit that can be done in the comfort of your own abode, without the cost and hassle of paying an arm and a leg and leaving your house. Another fun gift might be a good teeth whitening kit. Teeth whitening at home has become immensely popular, especially since coffe and tea are hugely successful drinks here in the US, and we Americans like to eat and drink very staining foods and drinks, so our teeth do suffer for that.
Perfumes are a really popular gift also. Women also tend to put this purchase on a back shelf when they’re watching their money, as many are now due to the current recession we find ourselves in. Another good one might be gift certificates to beauty websites or a Sephora store, where someone can go and pick out their beauty favorites on their own, and get exactly what they want.
Older Posts »
