How I whiten my teeth: Crest Whitestrips and Colgate Optic White

For the longest time, I was really conscious of the color of my teeth. They weren't super yellow but they weren't exactly white, either. I inquired about teeth whitening at dental offices, and they quoted me between P10,000 to P18,000. My parents spent so much on braces and retainers when I was younger, so I really didn't feel like spending that much money on making them white, but also wanted to be able to show off the fruit of all those years of sitting in the dentist's chair. So I did some research and asked a few beauty YouTubers how they whiten their teeth, and the uniform answer was Crest Whitestrips.

You're supposed to use one box of these, which has 20 strips inside, every six months. With the first box, I definitely noticed a difference. I'm now on my second box and my teeth look bright but not unnaturally  white.

Here's my before and after:



The Before photo was taken with a flash at night, while the After photo was taken under fluorescent light. In other lighting my Before teeth looked even yellower, ugh. But the gauge is seeing how my teeth now are closer to the whites of my eyes than my teeth before. I keep reading that the "rule" for keeping teeth looking white but not scary is not to whiten them more than the whites of your eyes.


To maintain my teeth being bright, I use Colgate Optic White toothpaste. It's a more expensive Colgate variety but you only need the tiniest amount, so a tube lasts several months.

I did feel a little sensitivity on my teeth after maybe the first 15 strips, so for the last few strips I would just use them every other night. Of course, you don't need to use up the entire box if your teeth have already whitened to your satisfaction.

I'm much more confident now to wear red or other deep- or bright-colored lipsticks with whiter teeth. I definitely think you can pull off more pigmented lipstick shades when your teeth look nice and white.

I ordered my Crest Whitestrips through my aunt at first and then through a Cebu-based online seller, but they are available in Somera Ayala for I believe P2,500 per box. I highly recommend these if you're looking for a safe, easy and effective way to whiten your teeth at home.

Travel essentials: Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream, Kiehl's lip balm #1, Clinique and more

I'm all about moisturizing when I'm traveling!

* Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is a thick balm that really helps to soften dry skin. I put it on my heels and soles every night to keep my feet soft despite walking around all day and getting really dry on the plane. The Eight Hour Cream is a cult product which I was excited to pick up in-flight on Thai Airways. You don't need much at all, but my only complaint is the smell. Not to insult, but it really has that old-lady smell to it! That's part of the reason why I opted to wear this at night instead of in-flight, to avoid having the smell on my hands while on the plane.

* Kiehl's lip balm #1 in Pear is another purchase I made in-flight on Thai Airways (didn't have time to shop Duty Free on that trip!). This lip balm is another cult product that I've been meaning to try. It's very light and moisturizing on the lips but is a little glossier than stick balms. I love that it makes lips pillowy soft and doesn't feel icky or get clumpy - non-negotiables for me when it comes to lip balms. You also only need the tiniest amount for this.

* Clinique Deep Comfort hand and cuticle cream has been my favorite hand and foot cream for traveling. It also only needs a small amount to be effective, absorbs quickly and doesn't have a strong smell. I love it! I believe I got this as part of a Christmas gift from Rustan's last year.

* Clinique Moisture Surge face spray also saved my skin in-flight. My face tends to get really dry and uncomfortable, especially on the cheeks, when I'm on the plane. This gave me a refreshing boost without the trouble of having to wash my hands before reapplying moisturizer on my face. This was also a gift.

* I reviewed the Beauty Republic BB cream previously, and really put it to the test in Bangkok. Despite being on a 14-hour itinerary on most days, my skin hardly got oily. The discount code JOANNASENTME is still eligible on CarmenClaire.com in case you're interested to try this BB cream for yourself. Just to be clear, I don't get a percentage of the sales or anything like that; the discount is simply a treat for my lovely readers ;)

* Since I got a tester size of the Urban Decay Naked Skin BB cream, I tried it out in Cambodia. It has a nice consistency and is great for evening out the skin, but my face still got rather greasy. This product also has quite a strong smell to it.

* Body lotion is something I wear on a daily basis. I got this Johnson's baby lotion with milk and rice because I had already run out of my travel-size bottle of Vaseline lotion. I guess Johnson's baby lotion doesn't need much other info since we're all familiar with it. I do love the mild smell of this particular variety as it doesn't compete with my fragrance.

* The great thing about all these items is that they're all below 100ml and therefore airport-approved to hand-carry!