What do you notice first about people? Besides their brows. Okay, and their Dior slingbacks. Their smile is definitely up there, so here are some at-home ways to make yours the best it can be.
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1. Blaq Teeth Whitening Wand, $20, from pharmacies and beautycollective.co.nz
With activated charcoal and coconut oil, you’ll want this if you’re after a super-easy, natural, daily option that will tackle stains and impurities on the surface of your teeth without impacting the enamel. Click the wand a couple of times, then brush on a thin layer. Endure a minute making silly faces as you keep your lips off your teeth while it dries, avoid eating and drinking (yep, and kissing too) for 20 minutes and you’re good!
2. Colgate Optic White High Impact White Toothpaste, $11
In our view, this is the heavyweight champion of whitening toothpaste — because it actually works. It contains hydrogen peroxide, the whitening ingredient dentists use, and can make teeth visibly whiter by up to four shades after six weeks of twice-daily use. Unexpected benefits include making your punchy red lipstick look so much better next to those sparkling glacier- white chompers.
3. Lush Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster Mouthwash Tabs, $13 for 45g
Like teeny bath bombs in your mouth, these mouthwash tabs are a new sensation. Pop one in your mouth, and take a swig of water. Let it fizz up, swish, then spit. Just don’t go mistaking them for a mint, like someone at Miss FQ HQ did. Not a vibe.
4. Toothcrush brushes, $40 for a year’s subscription (12), from toothcrush.co.nz
Proving you can now get a subscription to just about everything, Toothcrush sends a new eco-friendly brush with cool coloured bristles direct to your door monthly or bi-monthly. The theory is that with wear and tear, bristles become less effective, so if you update yours regularly, you’ll be doing your mouth a favour.
Blaq Teeth Whitening Wand; Colgate Optic White High Impact White Toothpaste; Lush Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster Mouthwash Tabs; Toothcrush brushes
5. Warpaint Natural Teeth Whitener, $55, from ohnatural.co.nz
It’s messy as hell (you might have seen the inevitable black-tooth grin on Insta), but this charcoal powder is popular as it claims to absorb mouth-dwellers (that’s bad-breath bacteria!) polish teeth and strengthen gums.
6. Grin Charcoal-Infused Bamboo Toothbrush, $4
Charcoal is the winner here too; this time it’s been infused into the bristles of a sustainably sourced, biodegradable bamboo brush. Given the landfill created by the disposal of plastic brushes, that’s got to be a good thing.
7. Aesop Toothpaste, $19
Weirdly tasty, this spicy natural gem has an aniseed, spearmint and clove flavour and also contains wasabi! It’s not your standard toothpaste taste, but it leaves you fresh and the tube is chic AF.
Warpaint Natural Teeth Whitener; Grin Charcoal-Infused Bamboo Toothbrush; Aesop Toothpaste
