At Home Teeth Whitening: Does it Work?

Growing up i’ve always been so self-conscious about my teeth, between having a gap comparable to Michael Strahan, wearing braces for 6 years and then Invisalign’s for a year as an adult I finally had straight teeth. Then, my next focus was whitening them. After years of staining from coffee, wine and even braces, I wanted a fresh start and a bright white smile. I’ve tried Crest Whitening strips multiple times, the at home concoction of baking soda and peroxide, and finally a gel from glo science. For the most part, I saw a very small difference with each of these things, I’d get a slightly whiter smile, but my stains were still there and my teeth seemed to go right back to the way they were before.

I even considered getting my teeth professionally whitened to finally achieve the glowing smile I wanted but cost and tooth sensitivity kept holding me back. Somehow, at perfect timing Smile Brilliant read my mind and reached out to collaborate and needless to say, I was so excited!

Here’s a little background info on Smile Brilliant:

Smile Brilliant is an at home teeth whitening method that uses custom trays to ensure every angle of the tooth receives and even and consistent amount of whitening coverage from their professional whitening gel.

First Step: Impressions

My whitening kit came so quickly, and I couldn’t wait to get started. The package includes 2 impression trays along with 3 sets of base and catalyst material just in case you need to re-do one of your impressions. I brushed my teeth, mixed the catalyst and base material together, then placed the material on the impression trays and slowly pressed the material and trays over my top teeth to make my first mold. I repeated the same steps for my bottom molds as well. After having a bad experience with making at home impressions I was nervous as to how these would come out but Smile Brilliant’s impression process was so easy and they thoroughly explained step by step to ensure you receive the results you need to move forward with the process. I mailed my impressions back to the lab and within a week I received my trays that perfectly wrapped around my teeth! I was truly impressed with how easy this was!

Second Step: Whiten

The impression trays came with a whitening gel and a desensitizing gel to put on your teeth after you’re done whitening for the night. The desensitizing gel helps to combat tooth sensitivity during this process which I was so thankful for! Each night for about 7 days I whitened my teeth for 20-30 mins by placing the whitening gel in the trays and then once the time passed I brushed my teeth, desensitized for another 20 mins and went to bed.

The Results:

After about 3-4 days I started noticing my stains were slowly disappearing and my teeth were literally glowing white. Because my teeth are sensitive I took a day break in between sessions and used the desensitizing gel a little longer which in turn helped so much! I was never in any sort of pain and hot and cold foods did not bother me. I’ve never experienced such great results from an at home whitening process. Better yet, I barely used one syringe out of the 3 provided. I have plenty of leftover gel needed for when my teeth need whitening again and I can always purchase more on their site! Overall, I am so happy with the outcome Smile Brilliant has provided and friends and family are now starting to comment on how bright my teeth are!

GIVEAWAY

Not only do I get to experience this awesome at home whitening kit, one of you will too! I've teamed up with smile brilliant to give one lucky winner their very own kit (valued at $149). To enter this giveaway head to this link: www.smilebrilliant.com/g/victoriaarost

I need a-least 25 people to enter, so if you're on the fence enter anyway! It could be you winning the kit! If you'd like to just place your order now, I have a 15% off discount code for you to use as well :) 

Use: victoriaarost15 to get your discount!

Professional Teeth Whitening

Holiday Outfits for Every Occasion

By now, i’m sure you have festive events filling up your calendar. Between the office party, family gatherings and the holidays you need to start planning your outfits asap! Today, I created your go-to list of outfit ideas for every party you might attend this season.

First up: Office Holiday Party

Every year i’m caught somewhere in between formal and festive when trying to throw an outfit together for my upcoming holiday office party. You don’t want to dress how you would every other day, and on the other hand you want to be festive and look polished which can be hard to navigate. I rounded up my favorite festive yet appropriate looks for the office below in hopes to give you some direction on what to wear!

Wrap Dress - $41 | Festive Black Jumpsuit - $50 | Tie Waist Pants -$41 & Top - $30

As soon as I saw this golden velvet wrap dress on Dynamite’s site, I knew I had to have it for the upcoming holidays. This ribbed fabric is so comfortable and features a moderate v neck, sash-tie waist, and an appropriate length perfect for both work or play! Bonus: The golden velvet fabric gives off a slight festive glow that’s not too over the top and won’t make you feel like you overdressed for the occasion.

Casual Holiday Outfits:

If you’re looking for something a little more casual but still want to look nice, my go to outfit would be jeans, booties and a festive top. I found an emerald green bodysuit at Forever 21 over the weekend that I styled with a blazer for an appropriate festive family party look.

Holiday Outfits for at Home:

Another holiday where I dress up just to sit on the couch with my family, anyone else? This year I’m going for something a little more practical like a cozy sweater dress and over-the-knee boots. You’ll still look nice for the holidays while feeling like you put on your favorite sweatshirt! Plus, tons of room for when you overeat :)

I hope this post took a little bit of that “what do I wear” stress away and if you have any questions or want me to hunt down a certain look for you, just send me a message!

Thanks for reading!

-Tori :)

Victoria's Secret Christmas Pjs

I don’t know what it is with us girls and Christmas pjs but we love them and most of us will get a new pair every year. Maybe it’s because matching pjs make a great photo opp? (sorry to all the bfs out there). Or because it feels like Christmas day every time you wake up in them? Whatever your reasoning might be, I’ve rounded up my favorite sets from Victoria's Secret below!

My 3 Best Amazon Purchases

Ordering from Amazon is way too easy and so fast, it's almost scary! The seconds it takes to order a few things off Amazon is so convenient yet so dangerous for the credit card LOL. I've ordered numerous things over the years from bachelorette party decor to snow gear and beauty products to phone chargers. But today I wanted to share the 3 items I use the most out of all of my great Amazon finds. Keep reading to find out what they are! 

Blue light Glasses 

I honestly can't remember why or how I thought to type "blue light glasses" into my Amazon search bar, but I did and I've used them everyday since. These $20 glasses protect your eyes from the blue light projected by your laptop or phone which can cause headaches, blurry vision and can strain your eyes. If you're like me and work on a computer all day, I would seriously consider spending the $20. These glasses have saved me from so many headaches and looking at my laptop all day has become much more tolerable. You can feel the ease on your eyes as soon as you slip these on! 

Heated Gloves

If it's below 70 degrees i'm most likely freezing (and lose all feeling in my fingers, thanks to raynaud's) but thankfully I'm well prepared this winter with my new heated gloves from Savior. These battery powered gloves have 3 settings; high, medium and low heat, which I was able to test out a few weeks ago at the 27 degree Notre Dame football game. For about 3 hours I left the gloves on medium heat which kept my hands perfectly warm during the game, then I turned them up to high heat around half time and they lasted about an hour after that. They should last about 6 hours on low heat. I highly recommended purchasing these gloves if you’re sensitive to the cold. They saved my hands and made 27 degree weather tolerable!

Neck Roller Ball

Long story short, I recently discovered I have 3 tension knots in my neck (caused by looking down at a phone or computer) and the only way to ease the stiffness and constant headaches was to rub them and try to work them out daily. With no one around to take on this task I immediately started searching for “neck rollers” on Amazon. Which lead me to discover the one item I now take with me everywhere I go; the Massage Roller Ball by Body Back Company. This roller ball goes on trips with me, in the car, sits next to me while I work and is on my nightstand so I can use it before bed. It works SO WELL, I immediately felt better after one use and now my entire family is using it! You just glide the ball across your tension spots and massage until you feel relief.

You can get 2 for $12 or one for $6.

Cyber Monday Sales 2018

Just a few Cyber Monday sales below that i've been shopping all day today, I hope this post helps get a few more people crossed off your gift list!

Abercrombie - 50% off your entire purchase.

American Eagle -50% off all sweaters

Bath and Body Works - 12.95 3-wick candles, 5.50 body care, and so much more!

Baublebar - 35% off site wide.

Crate and Barrel -20% off all full priced items.

Dynamite - 40% off everything

Express - 50% off everything

J. Crew - 40% off everything

J. Crew Factory - 60% off original prices with code ADD2CART

Loft - 50% off your entire order with code CYBER

Macy's- 20% off site wide with code CYBER

Nordstrom - Up to 60% on select styles site wide through cyber monday

Nordstrom Rack - 60% off cold weather items

Topshop - 50% off select items

Boyfriend Gift Guide

1. Lululemon Commission Pant Slim "Warpstreme 34"
These sweat-wicking pants are designed to look like chinos in disguise of slim fit, extremely comfortable sport-feeling pants. I really wish they made women's pants to feel and look this good! Your bf, brother, dad or husband will thank you after receiving these this Christmas!

2. MVMT Watches
I swear I get Ryan a new watch every year, but we both love them and they look so nice as a finishing touch to any outfit. MVMT is my go to site for men's watches because they have so many different styles, all at affordable prices! 

3. Patagonia Men's Better Sweater Fleece Vest

Last year I got Ryan his first Patagonia vest and it was a success! Even friends where asking where I got it for him. Their vest are so warm and look great when layered over simple long sleeve tees. Patagonia has great sales around cyber week/black Friday so keep your eyes peeled! 

4. Allbirds

I've never heard of Allbirds until Ryan brought them to my attention. Many of his friends have them and they all swear by their comfort! Plus they come in multiple colors and look great with any outfit.

5. The Tie Bar Box

This is one of my favorite gifts i've found this year. The Tie Bar has created boxes of matching ties, socks and pocket squares so your guy no longer needs to struggle while picking out his suit accessories. On top of the stylish choices, the prices are kept low and affordable!

6. Patagonia Pullover

This pullover looks to cozy not to include on the gift guide. It's warm, cozy and can be thrown on with a pair of jeans for a quick weekend outfit. This pullover comes in many styles and colors. 

7. Watch box

As I mentioned earlier, Ryan has a ton of watches. This personalized box is affordable and a great way to store watches rather than leaving them lying around on the dresser. 

8. Men's Uggs

I know for a fact most guys are jealous that we get to wear the coziest shoe ever made, thanks to Uggs. But did you know they have men's styles? Ugg gave men's Chukka boot style a facelift by making these boots warm and incredibly soft so now our guys can join in on the cozy shoe style too! 

Affordable Sweaters for Fall

Sweater weather is officially here, the news is even calling for a snowy mix on Thursday! However, I already got a taste of cold weather (27 degrees to be exact) from my trip to Chicago & South Bend, Indiana this weekend while I was visiting my bf at Notre Dame. And since i'm always cold i'm already living in knits and cozy sweaters back in NJ. So today I wanted to share my favorite, most affordable sweaters with you. I rounded up a bunch below, all under $50 and great quality. Enjoy! 

Big shout out to @cswangerphotography for always supporting me and snapping the best photos ever! Go give her a follow!