DEAR RISSA,
I want to bleach my teeth for my wedding. Do whitening toothpastes really work?
LEI
It’s no wonder you want whiter teeth for your wedding. Fact is, a great smile can instantly make you look younger. Yellow teeth stains not only make your smile appear dull and dingy, they also make you look older than you actually are.
Whitening toothpastes on the market can help brighten teeth after one brush, thanks to optical illusions — the blue tint in toothpastes cancels out yellow undertones of the teeth, making teeth appear whiter. The color of your lipstick can give the illusion of whiter teeth, too. Just like in toothpaste, lipsticks with blue undertones — colors like true red and berries — make teeth look whiter.
But if you want real long-term results, professional teeth whitening services with dental clinics are the best investment. This process is the most efficient. Bianca Gonzalez and JC Intal had their teeth whitened with Center for Advanced Dentistry (CAD, located at the Infinity Building in BGC Fort, tel. no. 478-9275) before their wedding. Professional teeth whitening with CAD is a quick, painless process, but results are instant yet long-lasting. And because whiter teeth are the quickest way to look younger, professionally bleaching your teeth will give you a youthful appearance even after years to come.
To care for your whiter teeth and prevent yellowing and teeth stains in the long run, it’s best to stay away from coffee, soda, tea, and red wine, which are the biggest culprits to teeth discoloration. If you can’t give these up, make it a habit to rinse with water or brush your teeth after eating and drinking teeth-staining culprits like these. Remember, good habits give good results.
RISSA
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Everyday bag for the multi-tasking woman
DEAR LUCY,
I know it is more ladylike to carry a small or medium-sized bag, but my things just won’t fit. In fact, I apply makeup in the car, I answer emails via my iPad, I am forever multi-tasking and I need so much stuff. Especially in traffic, I have to be able to spend my time productively still. It is so hard to edit my stuff! What to do?
NICOLE
I am never without my bag organizer. When I change bags, all I have to do is pull out my bag organizer from the bag I am currently using to the one I wish to use for the day. As for editing the stuff you need every day, I so get you. Especially because sometimes there are different functions to attend in the course of a day and there is no time to go home in between, you really have to plan well the night before such that all you need is loaded in the car.
How I cope with situations like this is by basically having a bigger bag that holds everything. As I move from one meeting or function to the next, I get from that big bag all I need at each given time. That way, I do not need to lug around a big bag overflowing with so many things!
LUCY
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Send e-mail to Lucy Torres-Gomez at ltg@pldtdsl.com. E-mail Rissa Trillo at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter @RissaMananquil.