Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous “Fun Stuff”’ Category:
I bought a tube of a Colgate whitening toothpaste, hoping that it would polish my dull teeth back to a bright white after I’ve been having breakfasts of blueberries and yogurt for weeks now, in an effort to eat healthier. I’ve also added in a lot of other teeth staining foods and drinks as of late, and my teeth, although they are still a shade of white, are definitely showing a bit of the dulling and staining effects of the foods and drinks I’ve been choosing.
So this Colgate Simply White toothpaste that is supposed to dramatically brighten and whiten teeth pretty quickly according to the advertisement looked like a genuine bargain at two for five bucks at Giant Eagle, undoubtedly a promotional price to get the newer teeth whitening product off the ground. I only bought one tube though, just in case I didn’t like it or my teeth were made too sensitive by using it, which has been known to happen with my finicky teeth.
The problem with a lot of the whitening products is that they do create teeth sensitivity. While I can say this Colgate Simply White doesn’t promote sensitivity, it doesn’t really seem to be doing much of a job at whitening or getting the stains out after about one week of use. And, I’m not sure what the deal is with the tube, but it’s built so that it comes out of two chambers, one if a blue gel and the other is a white paste, which I think is the “whitening” part of the concoction.
Problem is, I’m not sure if I got a defective tube or not, but hardly any of the white paste comes out and all I get is a big glob of the blue gel pretty much. This might mean I’m totally missing out on the whitening action of the paste, but every time I squeeze it’s barely any paste.
I’m hoping that as the tube dwindles in size, the paste will come out naturally more on its own and I will get more whitening action. As for right now, Colgate Simply White seems to be just an ordinary toothpaste, it does not appear to be whitening my teeth any more than any other run of the mill “whitening” toothpaste. My money’s on the treatments at this point, like Crest White Strips or the trays – you just have to be really careful with the trays because they do create a sensitivity sometimes in those with sensitive teeth or gums.
This is not really a beauty product, per se, but it is a whitening toothpaste that is all natural and organic which also happens to be really good for sensitive gums and gums that may have a disease or have issues, such as mine (I have receding gums and have had them operated on several times). I bought it at a local grocery store to where I work, which carries a lot of the more of the less known brands and also a lot of the organic and natural lines, for a premium, of course.
It is a natural toothpaste, as I said, and it’s so natural in fact, that it comes out a light brown color. Admittedly not the most appetizing or appealing color, but if something has no artificial colorings, then that is how it’s bound to look. There is no sodium laureth or lauryl sulfate, which has gotten tons of negative press for being corosive to the skin, hair, and mouth, so it doesn’t froth up like other toothpastes do, which may throw some people off.
As far as whitening, I can’t say that I’ve seen a huge difference. I’m still an advocate of whitening treatments for the purposed of whitening, as I don’t believe that a toothpaste itself can whiten to most people’s liking. I love the toothpaste though because my mouth does not seem to dry out as easily since I’ve been using it, and my gums indeed are not as sensitive. The taste of the paste could be better, but I’m not complaining too bad as I think some regular toothpastes are a little too flavored for my taste.
One of my favorite stores to shop for my professional clothes – clothes that I have to wear in the law office where I work (yes, I have to dress in business attire, which I’m none too happy about, but sometimes it feels good to look nice!) is New York and Company, formerly known as Lerner, at least when I was a teenager and a young twenty-something.
I noticed the last time I was in the store, buying massive quantities of clothes while they were deeply discounted for the Christmas holiday, something I like to splurge on every year since it’s a great opportunity, I noticed that they had (what I think is) a new line of beauty products called City Beauty. It looked sort of like the Gap’s beauty and toiletries line, with extremely colorful, simply labeled bottles of creams, lotions, scents and lip balms and glosses.
In other words, your standard run of the mill fare that all the clothing outlets seem to be trying to get a piece of. I also noticed Victoria’s Secret has dramatically expanded their beauty line the last time I was in there. Problem is, does this stuff every really sell? I don’t know anyone who buys it really, and I’ve never heard anyone rave about a primarily clothing related store’s beauty line.
So I guess my question is, why do these retail outlets keep trying to foray into the beauty market – why not just leave it up to the experts, like Sephora, or Mac, and other superior makeup lines or stores where you can get superior makeup and cosmetic products? The City Beauty line appears to be just a bath and body offering now, but this is the way that Victoria’s Secret started with their beauty line as well, so I bet if they even get modest interest in it, we’ll soon be seeing an expansion into self tanners, eye makeup, hair care products, lipsticks, lip plumping products and other actual cosmetic products.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining – nor have I tried any of these “retail clothing” lines of beauty products. I just wonder how saturated the market will be when women are bombarded with choices even when they shop for clothes now. Genius marketing, or fizzling fad? I guess time will tell!
Just wanted to take some time to wish everyone a safe, happy and wonderful holiday. No matter what it is you celebrate around this time of year, here’s to the continued health and well being of you and yours!
Hopefully there will be lots for us to talk about here at MyBeautySpace this coming new year in the world of hair care, cosmetics, cosmetic procedures, body care, self tanning and more. There always is, because thankfully it’s a booming industry that doesn’t seem to be slowing down or every going away!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!!
Many of us experience tooth darkening in our adult life due to coffee or tea drinking, smoking or just time itself. The yellowing and darkening of our teeth detracts from personal appearance and often people don’t smile as readily as they are self conscious of their teeth.
Teeth whitening systems vary in affordability and effectiveness. Professional teeth whitening treatments done by dentists are the most effective means of restoring the white gleam to your teeth. The estimated cost of this method of teeth whitening is $300.00 to $800.00.
Dentists use a light therapy together with hydrogen peroxide to lighten teeth signifigantly, up to 10 shades in about an hour. At the dentist’s office, you can purchase a bleaching kit custom fitted to your mouth to use for 1 to 2 hours per day or at night.
Over the counter teeth whitening products are affordable for the most part for the general public to purchase. One of the better home teeth whitening products if the Crest Whitestrips Premium at a cost of about $35.00. The Crest Whitestrips need to be worn for 30 minutes 2 times a day for one week and usually whiten your teeth about 3 shades.
The Go Smile Advanced Formula B1 sells for approximately $90.00 and is tubes of gel that come with a small brush. It is the most convenient home teeth whitening product as you can use it anywhere and you don’t have to remove the Go Smile.
The effectiveness of your teeth whitening option will depend on the amount of peroxide and the duration of time the product is on your teeth. Other choices in the teeth whitening products are pastes, chewing gums and liquids that you paint on your teeth.
Certainly, get your dental cleaning done regularly and try to avoid habits like smoking, drinking coffee and tea and other teeth staining beverages. Then try some of the teeth whitening systems that are available over the counter and see how they work for you. The home teeth whiteners are convenient and affordable today.
I recently started using a toothpaste that is supposed to help restore the enamel on your teeth from years of acid wear and tear. Believe it or not, enamel wear and not enough enamel on the teeth are very common problems, and most likely a big part of the reason our teeth get stained more easily and tend to look duller and be more sensitive to heats, cold, and sweets. I thought that I really needed to start to help replenishing the enamel on my teeth, because I did start to have the sensitivities described, and I also felt that my teeth were starting to look dull.
I have been an overzealous teeth-brusher ever since I can remember. I thought, well, I’m scrubbing really hard, so I’m doing a good, thorough job, and that’s what I should be doing. Turns out, I’ve been scrubbing too hard all these years, and not only does that hurt the enamel on your teeth by wearing it away faster than it should naturally, but brushing too hard can also contribute to gum recession.
Receding gums happens to also be a problem of mine that’s required two oral surgeries to repair so far, and will require more in the future (unfortunately, because to be honest gum surgery is one of the most unpleasant experiences I’ve ever had!) The Pronamel toothpaste is supposed to be used for no longer than 4 week periods at a time per the labeling, although I’m not sure why, and is said to help protect against acid wear and tear (we all eat acidy foods, including coffee and some highly acidic foods like tomatoes and some fruits, vinegars and other acid based foods), and also to help replenish your enamel.
Now, I’m not sure how a toothpaste can actually help to replenish the enamel that’s worn off, but every time I used this stuff, I feel like my teeth are stronger. They are squeaky clean every time you finish brushing, so much so that you can actually hear and feel the toothbrush squeaking against your teeth, so it does feel like it’s doing something, perhaps coating the teeth in a protective layer?
Overall, I like Pronamel toothpaste so far, and will continue to use it for as long as the label indicates. I will probably use it periodically for the rest of my life, to help protect my teeth against further enamel erosion.
I finally broke down and bought the lip plumper “Two Faced Lip Injection” at Sephora a few weeks ago while I was out shopping with a friend. I had wanted to try this lip plumper for a while, but was torn on whether to purchase a new, unknown quantity to myself, or go with the old familiar of Lip Fusion since both are offered at the store. Being the eternal experimentalist, and because it was also less expensive than Lip Fusion, I decided to take the plunge and try Two Faced Lip Injection.
I had also received a free sample of the stuff, and wanted to try the extra strength version of the lip plumper because I did enjoy the sample I was given. The extra strength version works pretty well. I can’t speak for the regular version fo Two Faced, but it is cheaper than the “super” version of the product. I wonder why it’s extra strength though, I often think this is just a marketing ploy to charge additional money for a product without adding extra ingredients sometimes, but for this it was the only one I knew worked, so I purchased it.
I like the product in a nutshell. I don’t find that it leaves my lips very moisturized though like some other lip plumpers I’ve reviewed, but it does give more of an automatic plump to the lips I noticed. It is very shiny, and tastes a tad bit like cinnamon, but has more of a cherry flavor or some other nondescript taste to it that is reminiscent of the roll on lip glosses of yesteryear. My other complaint is that the moisture is extremely short lived, and the stuff does come off fairly easily, so it has to be reapplied often, or you need to apply a coat of some extremely emollient lip balm after it has dried and sunk in.
Same as with other lip plumpers, you have to make sure your lips are completely dry and free of debris when you apply Two Faced Lip Injection lip plumper to your lips or it will not work to it’s maximum benefit. You also probably will gain a bit of benefit and more plumping power if you widen your lips and make a big smile when you apply it, so it gets in all those little crevices and plumps them out.
I do really like the shiny, glossy and sheer look of Two Faced, but it just doesn’t last long enough in the moisture department. Not sure if I’d purchase it again, as I am more into the lip plumpers that also work as a conditioner and moisturizer, and this one falls short on that. Great as a natural way to instantly plump the lips though….
I just happened to be flipping through channels the other day, and a movie that I actually didn’t have much desire to see, “The Devil Wears Prada” was on, so I got sucked into it and watched it all the way through. It was actually a pretty decent movie, and now I kind of like that actress Anne Hathaway. She’s very pretty, not in a totally conventional way, but she seems very likeable and down to earth (sometimes you can tell, even when someone is acting), so she really carried the movie.
The movie is based on a novel about an overbearing, egotistical Editor-in-Chief of the most influential magazine in fashion, called “Runway”. The villainous Miranda is played well by veteran actress Meryl Streep, who carries the performance of a career obsessed, shallow and many times mean editor in chief who care only about impressions and looks, rather than people’s feelings. She is surrounded by Yes People all of the time, and hires a fish out of water, played by Anne Hathaway, who happens to have no sense of style but wins her over by telling her she’s smart, learns fast, and will get the job done.
As the movie goes on, the inevitable happens, and the normally unfashionable, sweats and a tshirt Anne Hathaway makes a transition to a very stylish fashion queen, to the pleasure of her coworkers and Miranda, but to the dismay of her long time boyfriend and down to earth friends who could care less about couture and more about the things that really matter in life. Ok, so it’s a bit cliche, but it’s a fun movie!
You can probably guess where the movie goes. Anne must choose between her boyfriend and friends and her new high fashion career, full of makeup and cosmetic freebies, expensive watches and purses, and fashion freebees, albeit with a steep price of having no life, and her old life where she was happy just to eat bagels and cream cheese for breakfast and watch movies and eat grilled cheese sandwiches in her sweats.
Oh, one gripe. Anne is supposed to be a “big” (for the fashion world) size six in the movie, but she doesn’t look much bigger than a two, especially considering the camera adds ten pounds. And, oh, she does look like a model, so the part about her being an ugly duckling is a bit farfetched when you see her dressed to the nines with her mile long, pencil thin legs in a dress, but oh well, it’s a movie, what do I want?
There is nothing as flattering to a person’s appearance as a clean, white smile with sparkling teeth shining through it. Due to factors such as time itself, coffee drinking, and assorted vices like smoking, often teeth become darkened and discolored. Bleaching and whitening agents can be used to try to restore the white color, but sometimes these alone are not enough to get rid of unsightly discolorations. One solution to the discolorations or worn or misshapened teeth that mar your smile is the use of Cerinate Lumineers from your dentist. Cerinate Lumineers are as thin as a contact lens and can be done without grinding or shaving your teeth prior to application.
Despite being as thin as a contact lens, Lumineers by Cerinate are tough and strong. Lumineers are made of a patented Cerinate porcelain and have been clinically tested to show they should last up to 20 years. One of the biggest reasons people have been hesitant to get veneers for their teeth is the prospect of having their own teeth painfully ground down.
Since there is no grinding down of your teeth, the process is reversible with Cerinate Lumineers. On the average, Lumineers can give you a custom made smile with two to three visits to the dentist. For your first visit, the dentist makes an impression for fitting the Lumineers. With the second visit, your dentist fits and bonds the Lumineers over your own teeth.
For maintenance of your Lumineers, you should still do oral hygiene as usual, but use a low abrasion toothpaste. With Lumineers, you may still eat or drink your favorite foods as usual, but make sure you visit your dentist every 6 months. For longevity of Lumineers, you can ask your dentist about a 5 year warranty plan where they’ll be replaced at no charge if there would be a problem.
Summertime lets us be a little more free with how we style ourselves, and also in the adornments we wear on our body. Think about it. You’re tanner, you’re usually in better shape, and you look great in different types of fun jewelry. People think of summertime as not only a time to let loose and have some fun cooking out, swimming, hiking, camping and having fun with friends, but also as a time to let our hair down, literally and figuratively, and our summer style reflects this.
There is a particular website (see links) that sells a lot of these unique and high quality pieces that are for people to wear for various body piercings, and just a fun way to wear a unique and beautiful piece of unique body jewelry like barbells, nose jewelry, toe rings (a cute favorite of mine – especially fun to wear on the beach), and edgier pieces as well.
Whatever your taste, silver and gold body jewelry (gold is making a huge comeback by the way!) is a great way to express this fun summer side, just as a new makeup or new pair of sandals does, only you can accessorize one piece of body jewelry such as a gold navel ring with tons of different outfits and looks, from casual daytime looks to more provocative night time styles.
When it comes to allergies, gold is great too, because pure gold is hypoallergenic, and is one of the only metals that people with sensitive ears and other piercings report does not bother them at all. In fact, I’m one of them. The only thing I can wear is pure gold, and it really is worth, well, it’s weight in gold!
Another piercing that is still in style and seems to be hanging around fashionably is belly piercing. You can also find some adorable and chic gold belly rings that are versatile as well as comfortable and hypoallergenic. This can all play up your carefree summer style, and sure, even attract some flirty attention your way when you’re out and about with friends, or just make you feel prettier for your significant other.
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