It doesn't matter how rubbish I'm feeling, I will always be that girl who walks in the door with her head held high and a smile for everyone. I remember when I've been at the lowest points in my life and I could barely muster up a half-hearted attempt, the effect it had on those around me when they weren't greeted with a beaming smile was huge. We often don't realise the effect we have on other people without even realising, whether it's a kind word here, or a smile for a stranger you pass in the street. That smile, that personal contact could really make the difference for their day and in turn for your own. Back at university, when we were buried in revision for exams and could barely see the light at the end of the tunnel - my housemate told me how she used to make herself fake laugh when she felt pants, eventually fake laughing gets so ridiculous it leaves you in hysterics. So we used to do this to cheer ourselves up when we were getting frustrated with our books – it's such a stupid funny memory but the idea of "fake it until you make it" has really stuck with me. That idea that wallowing does no-one favours and by plastering a smile on your face even when you feel a bit rubbish can actually have a positive effect on your mindset.
Now this attitude is great, but not much good if you don't feel that confident with your smile. Teeth are a very personal thing and I know so many people who hate their smile because of a crooked bite or discolouration. I've always felt very lucky that actually my teeth are probably one of my best features, I've been blessed with pretty straight white teeth. But after years of backpacking, and a more recent love of indulging in coffee, red wine and the occasionally drunk toke on someone's cigarette – I was a bit concerned my teeth were losing their whiteness. It was one of those things I had never thought about before, but then as I started to notice the brightness of my smile had diminished I started to think about getting my teeth professionally cleaned or products to whiten them. I always use whitening toothpaste but to be honest it doesn't seem to do very much on it's own, if you are feeling like your smile could be a bit brighter then perhaps whitening strips would be perfect for you.
Whitewash Labs sent me a Nano Whitening kit to try out every night for two weeks and I've just finished the two week programme. So what do I think? Well to be honest, I wasn't sure at first. The first week of using them, I noticed no difference whatsoever, but in the last few days of using them, I've really started to notice a difference. My teeth look really fresh and clean, they don't have any yellowish discolouration and even the slight chip I have on one of my front teeth seems less noticeable than it was before! I was very impressed, not only with the result but also with how easy the strips were to use – nice and simple put the two strips on your upper and lower teeth, leave on for a hour then brush your teeth and remove any gel. You even get a special toothpaste, dental floss and mouthwash designed to enhance the effects of the strips. For £24.95 you get enough strips for two weeks which is plenty and will definitely show a real difference for your teeth, it's great value and something I would definitely do again in future.
Downsides of using the strips? Well I did find myself crazy dribbling the first time I used them – haha a lovely image, but once I was used to them that did go away. I did find I was having some seriously weird dreams about my teeth falling out but thankfully woke up to find that wasn't true. So really the downsides were pretty specific to me being a bit of a weirdo – to be honest I thought the strips were great for an at-home whitening kit with very little mess or fuss. They're easy to pop on in the evening while you're watching your fave programme and if you're on a diet, they're a great way to stop yourself snacking in the evenings as you actually can't eat while you're using them! They're simple and you do see a really great result after just two weeks. I can't really say how much whiter your teeth will get, because mine were pretty white to start with I think I would notice less of a difference and yet my teeth were noticeably whiter. Perhaps if you have even more discolouration you will notice a bigger difference. I would definitely recommend them if you want to improve on what you've got and feel more confident in your smile, but don't want to commit to a procedure. They would be great if you have a special occasion coming up like a wedding and you want to look your best, or if you just feel you want a bit of a top-up.
Like the sound of these? Click to find out more about the Nano Intensive Teeth Whitening Strips, or to order some of your own.
Have you tried the teeth whitening strips - what did you think? Do you love or hate your teeth? Would you try a whitening treatment?
