Desi Diva

By Shweta Govindarajan

The Secret to a Brighter Smile - in a Box!
Plus, easy ways to change your look for spring

Q: I'm curious about teeth whitening – it seems to be really popular, but I wonder if it really works. I can't afford anything fancy, but what about the at-home versions?

A: If cigarettes didn’t exist and food and drink were colorless, unstained teeth would be ours. But that’s not reality, is it? Our guilty pleasures – coffee, cigarettes, wine, chocolate – may keep us happy, but over the years, they become responsible for how yellow and stained our teeth can get. Often, teeth become so discolored that even regular brushing doesn’t have any effect.

Now that the lightening and whitening rage has taken hold, drugstores are stocked with many products, varying in effectiveness, which you can use at home to change the color of your teeth. Because they’re sold over the counter, they won’t be as strong as what you’d get in a dentist’s office, and you might have to use them a couple of times over to get your desired effect. Still, they can get your teeth about two to three shades lighter.

At-home whitening tools range from specially formulated whitening toothpastes to bleaching agents that you apply to your teeth for a set number of hours. People often begin the process with whitening toothpastes, which are easy to find and generally inexpensive. They’re the weakest of the over-the-counter whitening systems and contain gentle polishing ingredients that can remove minor surface stains from your teeth. As long you don’t expect dramatic results, this is a reliable, cost-effective option.

Whitening gels are the next step up, starting at about $15 for two weeks’ worth of a gel containing peroxide, the key ingredient that not only whitens the surface of your teeth but within the teeth as well. Whitening strips are a little pricier, at around $30 for 14 strips worn twice a day for 30 minutes. Results can vary, but experts say the effects of both methods can last three to four months.

If you’re disappointed with the at-home treatments, consider talking to your dentist about custom bleaching trays that are molded to fit your individual teeth. It’s significantly more expensive, but the concentration of peroxide is higher, and you might get better, faster and more professional results.

According to the American Dental Association, tooth whitening is considered safe to use repeatedly, though some temporary sensitivity in the teeth can occur. One thing is for sure: If you're pregnant, your dentist will discourage you from undergoing the treatment because of the unknown effects of peroxide on pregnant women.

Unfortunately, teeth whitening is not permanent. If you continue to expose your teeth to stain-causing foods, your teeth will begin to yellow. Some dentists even recommend drinking coffee through a straw to prevent it from getting all over your teeth. A little weird, perhaps, but before anyone makes a joke, flash your pearly whites at them, and see who gets the last laugh.

Q: I have a drawer full of makeup that I hardly touch – I just seem to gravitate toward the same black eyeliner/berry lipstick ritual day after day. What can I do to vary my look?

A: We all have this problem – we know what looks good, so it’s hard for us to try new things. But the answer is deceptively simple: just don’t wear the same kind and amount of makeup all the time.

If you always wear eyeliner, think about going without it – or wearing less of it. Or, if you’re really brave, think about wearing a new color other than boring black, which can look harsh in the daytime. Plum, green or brown are all sexy and sophisticated choices, and look fabulous on South Asian skin. And don’t worry if you don’t have eyeliner pencils – shadows are easier to apply, and often look better. Your drugstore aisle offers plenty of color options, and Sephora carries its own pretty little single eye shadow shades for $9 each.

Lipstick is a lot easier to play around with, mostly because there’s an endless array to choose from. Skip the brown shades popular among South Asian women, and lighten things up this spring by dotting your lips with Benefit’s Benetint rose-colored stain for dewy, kissable lips. Or for a sexy look à la Marilyn Monroe, line and fill in your lips with Mac’s Mahogany lipliner and apply Mac lipstick in Dubonnet with a lip brush to control the amount. Top it off with a coat of Viva Glam V Lipglass and say goodbye to your humdrum makeup days for good.

Shweta Govindarajan is a congressional reporter who wouldn't mind teaching Capitol Hill a thing or two about undertones. In addition to feeding her Sephora addiction every chance she gets, Shweta writes about all things beauty for ABCDLady.

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