FLOSS IT!

Flossing might quite possibly be the most unbeautiful beauty practice out there. But it's vital to maintaining healthy, strong teeth and a gorgeous smile.

Flossbox has created an amazing way to floss in fashion. It's a mirror and dental floss no larger than a credit card that fits in your tiniest of clutches with ease. The sexiest part is that you can customize the floss kit. Send in any logo or picture to flossbox.com and receive your very own, individualized flossing apparatus. How fun is that?! This makes a great gift -- especially for the tooth-conscious. OR a fabulous way to advertise your business, in lieu of business cards. That's my customized flossbox on the left. How chic is it?

And the mirror is amazing for reapplying makeup - perfect for on-the-go touch ups (who doesn't need a mirror throughout the day?!

You can also buy the standard mirror and floss kit at a multiple of stores including CVS or online at flossbox.com.

No excuses! FLOSS!

PRICE TAG: $3.49 / customized: $4.99

WEEKLY MUST-HAVE: Colgate's Wisp

How many times have you been out to dinner, noshing on a spinach dish, afterwards wishing for a toothbrush as you stare at mouth full of green remnants?

Well, wish no more.

I may be the last one to jump on this bandwagon, so if you're like me, allow me to introduce you to the most amazing new invention since travel-sized Aquaphor: Colgate Wisp -- toothbrushes on-the-go.

Here's how it works: The Wisp is small enough to carry in your purse and has a built-in freshening bead to the head of the toothbrush. Once you start brushing -- no need for water -- the bead bursts and the freshening liquid releases, like toothpaste for fresh, clean breath. No rinsing required! The opposite side of the head has a soft pick like a toothpick to reach in between hard to reach spaces -- to really clean that spinach from the cracks of your teeth!

I'm so obsessed, I use it instead of gum. The brushing on-the-go sensation is one of those things that you shouldn't do and that's why it's so thrilling to actually do. Although note to selves: better done in a bathroom stall or a car or taxi.

Wisp comes in 4 flavors: coolmint, cinnamint, spearmint and peppermint (my fave). 2 per package.


PRICE TAG: $2.59

Get Celebrity Pearly Whites At Home!

Have you ever had teeth envy? Drew Barrymore's got great teeth. So, too, does Jeniffer Aniston. Actually, most celebs have perfectly whitened teeth (save for some of those Brits - Amy Winehouse...) and there's a reason!

White teeth are eye-stopping gorge (some may even say "blinding"). That's why all of the celebs go to great lengths to get their pearly whites the perfect shade of white. And probably why there are dozens of companies formulating pastes and whiteners with the promise of a brighter smile. Of course, you can also book it to your dentist for the thousand dollar treatments, but since it's a recession and I'm on a budget, I wanted to find a way to get my very own set of celebrity pearly whites for as little money as possible.

My dear friend, the beautiful and very beauty savvy, Kate Towne, boasted about one of her all time favorite beauty products: The Rembrant Whitening Touch Up Pen. "I can literally be walking into a meeting put it on in the elevator and by the time I get in the room my teeth are two shades whiter," says Kate. She also filled me in on a little celeb secret: before walking the red carpet, the Rembrant Whitening Stick is where it's at!

With this in mind, and award season swooning (and so many great smiles strutting the red carpet), I decided it was time to give my teeth the Rembrandt VIP treatment. I started with the Rembrandt Whitening Strips. They're strips filled with bleaching gunk that you comfortably fit on the bottom and top teeth. You use it once a day for 30 minutes for 7 days. After just three days, I noticed a difference. After five, days my teeth were a good shade whiter. After seven, my teeth were a bit sensitive but white as snow! And at $23.99 for the kit, it's pretty affordable.

In the mornings and before bed, I brushed with Rembrandt's Whitening Intense Stain Toothpaste with Fluoride. The mint flavor is easy to swallow and the paste is formulated with "micro-polishing particles and stain-fighting ingredients that clean deeply and whiten." This is a great in-between to boost the whiteness - after drinking coffee, red wine, smoking (ew/ ugh!), but I'd be lying if I said it really worked to bleach my teeth. The kit is definitely better suited for that task. $7.50

But I've got to agree with Kate, the Whitening Touch-Up Pen is GENIUS (and my favorite whitening product ever!). It's portable, can be used virtually anywhere and anytime for a bright white touch up. It instantly bleaches the teeth about a 1/2 a shade whiter and it has a pleasant taste, so it's not obtrusive. The pen is so fun to use, it's become quite addictive! This is the best $14.00 that I've ever spent on my teeth!

Thanks to Kate for introducing me to the products and thanks to all of those celebrity pearly whites for inspiring me!

Clean Teeth All The Time

I'm OBSESSED with this new product... DentaBurst... an on-the-go tooth brush of sorts.
Here's what it is: Pre-packaged freshening teeth cleaners that freshen breath and remove the plaque!
They are SO fun and easy to use. I've been carrying the package around in my purse, handing them out to friends, and everyone agrees... this is an AMAZING product!

How to use:
Step One - Open package and remove the "finger." This is what has the toothpaste type substance on it.
Step Two - Put it on your finger and begin brushing.
Step Three - Throw it away when finished.

It's that easy!