Items used in this post : Clinique Pop Matte Lipcolor in “Ruby Pop” // Bauble Bar tassel earrings // it cosmetics Bye Bye undereye concealer in “medium”  //  Tarte Marajuca lip exfoliant // Colgate Optic White Whitening Rinse

“A SMILE is the best makeup a girl can wear.”

So much truth in that popular quote.  EVERYONE looks better when they smile!!

There are definitely some tricks and tweaks you can make to your lip and teeth routine to accentuate your smile more! After I give you a few of my personal fave tips, then I will fill you in on another installment of my Invisalign treatment with Gray Orthodontics in my quest for straighter teeth!!  (Go directly to bottom of post if you want to read about this update.)

Here are my favorite and EASY tips for how to improve any smile…

1. Your smile is the star so why not wear a lipstick shade that puts it on display?? I love a bold lip color as you all know, so go for a shade with a hint of red or pink to it so that it is a contrast to any yellowness in your teeth. Browns and orange based shades should totally be avoided in this case because they accentuate dingy teeth. Yuck. My new bright ruby red fave lip color is from Clinique’s new Pop Matte line, “Ruby Pop.”  The finish of these lipsticks is awesome and velvety and non-drying.
2. But first, make sure you exfoliate your lips before applying any bright lip color. Because there is nothing more distracting from a pretty smile than flaky dry crusty lips!! Tarte makes a great one but you can also DIY one at home with coconut oil and sugar mixed in a small container and used nightly applied with a dry toothbrush.
3. Use concealer to even your skin tone around your lips. A lot of people think concealer is just for under the eyes or to cover blemishes, but when used around the perimeter of the mouth, it accentuates  your lip line PLUS it helps to keep that bold lip from bleeding all over your face!  Dust on a translucent pressed powder over the concealer to set it and your lipstick if you are okay with a matte finish. I used this it Cosmetics concealer and applied it with a small concealer brush.
4. Accessorize around your face with fun and colorful earrings!  I love the bright long tassel earrings currently in style so they are the perfect way to add contrast and fun to your bright and bold lipstick! Your ears are pretty close to your smile so they pair well together 🙂
5. Eat foods that naturally whiten your teeth, such as high fiber natural scrubbing foods like raw broccoli or surprising red strawberries that contain a natural malic acid that acts as an astringent for your enamel. Read about other foods to eat for pearly whites here on Redbookmag.com.
6. In addition to eating right, you can also help that smile along by adding a whitening mouth rinse into your brushing routine. I have come to love this Colgate one  and be sure to brush, floss, then rinse with this mouthwash so it can get into the clean grooves of your teeth! I use this stuff twice a day and it has worked like a charm.  And no, this is post is in no way sponsored with Colgate –  just truly love it. I pop in my Invisalign trays right after doing this because I feel like it locks in the whitening rinse!

My Invisalign Update.

I’m 4 months into my treatment and all is still going well!! My visits have been every 6 weeks and switching out my trays every 2 weeks at home.  Each visit has lasted maybe 15 minutes where Dr. Gray has checked my progress and to see if the new trays he gives me at the appointment fit correctly.  Easy peasy.  I included this close up of me wearing my trays for you to check out if you have been curious how they look when worn.

However my last appointment things went a bit differently.  He informed me that he had to “strip” in between certain teeth to make room for them to move where he wanted them to…if that makes sense to you! I was a bit worried when I heard the word “stripping” because it just sounded painful!!  However, it was more like sanding or filing with a nail file in between the teeth as you can see below these little tiny saws.  It sounded weird, but did not hurt one bit.

I went home with my new sets of trays and will be back at the office in another 6 weeks.  I am definitely seeing my front two teeth straightening up nicely so we are on the road to the smile I had back as a kid after braces!  But this process has been a piece of cake compared to the braces I had back 26 years ago!!

If you’d like to visit my past two posts about my Invisalign journey, check them out HERE and HERE.

If you are looking for an orthodontist in the Atlanta/Athens/Snellville/Monroe Georgia area, I highly recommend Gray Orthodontics practice.  You can find them here, GrayOrthodontics.com.

(Please note, my results so far are my own and not everyone will have the same response to this treatment. Results are unique to the individual and severity of shifted teeth. Consult your dentist to see if you’re a candidate!)