Yearly Archives: 2015
What’s in My Beauty Bag? Teeth Whitening

Have you noticed any differences in my outfit posts this month? It may be small, but I have lately noticed I am smiling way more with my teeth on full display in my photos. As an avid coffee and red wine drinker, my teeth take a stain beating on a daily basis. I love the look of pearly whites and have tried almost everything on the market! I have done whitening strips which never stay put, in-office dental whitening which I think is also a form of torture and is expensive, whitening mouth washes and toothpastes which didn’t last past a day or two, and drugstore whitening trays which were bulky and annoying. On top of that, I have sensitive teeth. After my in-office dental whitening, I was on a ibuprofen for like 3 days because of the pain. Whitening strips and trays start to affect my sensitivity too, and I usually end up calling it quits after a week. I seriously had like 3 boxes of half-used whitening strips in my bathroom. Eventually, I gave up on ever having beautiful white teeth. I loved my coffee and red wine just too much, and nothing worked to my satisfaction.

Enter Smile Brilliant. My sister uses super expensive whitening trays from her dentist. Her teeth look amazing, but if I have to choose between $500+ for whitening trays or going shopping, shopping always wins! Smile Brilliant offers the same whitening trays and gels for a fraction of the cost! You easily create your own trays which is really kind of fun. You combine the blue and white paste which is very reminiscent of playing with clay as a kid. Once the two turn a pretty light blue, you place in the tray and put the tray in your mouth. Ok this part is kind of uncomfortable/awkward. I have a small mouth, so trays are usually too big for me. These fit in pretty comfortably. The awkward part is just holding the tray still in your mouth for two minutes. I have issues standing still and doing nothing, this was hard for me. You do the process twice, once for bottom and once for top. Then let the trays dry overnight. I let mine dry for like 2 days to be sure. 🙂 Then mail them off in the pre-addressed envelope and wait for your new trays. Oh and they give you extra paste in case you mess up on one of your molds.

About a week or so later, your trays arrive back and are ready to use. The trays are clear and fit your entire mouth. I really liked this because all your teeth get to be whitened. I never understood why those whitening strips only did the front teeth. I mean what if I smile really big and my other teeth show.

A big seller on this product for me is that wonderful purple tube. That is the desensitizing gel. If you have sensitive teeth like me, I highly recommend adding on that gel to your kit. You put the gel in the trays after you whiten and leave on for about 15 minutes. I was able to whiten almost everyday and had very little sensitivity issues. I never had to take ibuprofen or wait a few days to let the sensitivity die down. Now I did have some mild sensitivity towards the end, especially when eating cold foods, but it reminded me of the sensitivity I used to have before I started using sensitive toothpastes. I believe this gel is a huge reason why I was able to do this system for the full two weeks.

Using the trays is pretty simple. You apply the whitening gel in the front portion of the trays and place on your teeth. Then leave them in for 30 minutes to up to 3 hours. The remove and rinse. (This is when I did the extra step of the desensitizing gel.) I started with the 30 minutes and eventually went up to 2 hours. I did my trays at night, so I usually only did 1 1/2 hours with the trays. When I first heard how long you had to keep them in, I was kind of concerned. I have things to do after all, remember that can’t sit still thing. But the trays are comfortable and stay put, so you sometimes kind of forget they are in. I usually would watch tv or write my blog posts and even clean house while I had the trays in. You can even talk without them falling out. I mean you sound like you have a retainer in, but you can talk. I did the process for just over two weeks. Some nights life got in the way and I skipped a night. Now that I have reached a nice color, I am going to just do the trays once a week for a few more weeks, and then probably go to once a month. I want to see if I can get them just a bit whiter, before I go to the once a month maintenance.

If you are looking for a great teeth whitening system, I would try this product. I liked the results and plan on continuing it for many years to come! Check out the Smile Brilliant website for more information and to read other customer reviews. If you decide you want to try out the system too, you can use promo code INVIOLET to save 5% off your order! If you have any questions about my experience, please feel free to email me or leave them in the comments.
This post is in partnership with Smile Brilliant. All opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Lady in Violet!
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Perfect Pencil Skirt








| DETAILS |
FOXCROFT Geo Watercolor Shirt | HALOGEN Pencil Skirt in Teal Ocean | CHARLES BY CHARLES DAVID Fox Nude Pump | GIGI NY All in One Bag | KENDRA SCOTT Elle Earrings in Slate | STELLA & DOT Pavé Chevron Ring, Rebel Pendant | ESSIE Nail Color in Bahama Mama | IT COSMETICS CC+ Lip Serum in Love | RAYBAN Mirrored Aviator Sunglasses
I might have a small obsession with the Halogen Seamed Pencil Skirt. I currently have 3 different colors of this skirt – black, dark pink, and this pretty new teal blue. I love the cut and fit of these skirts. Pencil skirts can be tricky sometimes depending on how they are cut. I have definitely tried on my fair share of bad ones. I personally do not care for skirts that are brought in too tight in the lower thigh/ knee area. I think it can sometimes over accentuate the hip area and make me look odd shaped. I like my skirts to be straight from hip to knee. I think it also looks more professional. Now if this was hot date night maybe then a skirt that has a bit more fit. The material on these is great too, because they don’t really need ironing. I wash and hang dry, and they are ready to go! They really are the perfect pencil skirt!! I’m sure over the next year I will be adding a couple more colors. I really want the camel colored one. I almost always buy my pencil skirts one size up. I tend to tuck blouses into my skirt. I want to have enough space to tuck in a blouse without the line showing through on the skirt. Another sizing note on this particular skirt, I am wearing a petite size and I’m 5’3. It hits just above the knee which is a great length for work.
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Transitional Tee










| DETAILS |
RUTHIE GRACE c/o Wilson Top | DSTLD Skinny Jeans | SOLE SOCIETY Wynn Pumps | HENRI BENDEL c/o West 57th Satchel | KENDRA SCOTT Grady Bracelet, Alex Earrings in Cobalt, Harlie Necklace | BAUBLEBAR Slim Bangle [SIMILAR], Pave Links Bracelet [SIMILAR] | RAYBAN Original Aviator Sunglasses | ESSIE Nail Color in Bahama Mama | IT COSMETICS CC+ Lip Serum in Love
Happy Monday!! Hope everyone had a great weekend!! I had a fun spa day and received my first ever facial. I’m also now officially addicted to them too! Even though it is only Monday, I am already looking forward to this coming weekend because it’s my birthday weekend!!!! I have been filling my birthday wish list this year with more season transitional pieces.
I’m kind of obsessed with this top from Ruthie Grace Boutique. I love the various shades of dark blue, pink and purple in it. It is definitely a great transitional tee! For an end of summer look, I went with white denim and nude pumps, but this top looks perfect paired with the boots and black skinny jeans from my last post. I love tops with side slits like this one, because on hot summer days I can wear it with shorts and easily tuck the front portion into the shorts. And ya’ll this top with my black leather jacket, amazing!! I love versatile pieces that cannot only be worn in multiple outfits, but in all seasons too! It makes me probably a little too excited when I find a piece like this.
Ruthie Grace Boutique has some amazing transitional pieces available right now and some great end of summer outfit staples too! You can shop their boutique straight from your Instagram account too!! Learn more about shopping their Instagram here, and then head on over to their account to start shopping!! I love this idea because it’s like secret shopping. You can tell the hubs you are just scrolling on Instagram, but really you are buildng your new fall wardrobe! I love it!
This post is sponsored by Ruthie Grace Boutique. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Lady in Violet!
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Farmers Market Outfit + GIVEAWAY









| DETAILS |
KIT & ACE c/o Keefer Tee | DL1961 c/o Emma Power Legging Jeans | LUCKY BRAND Heloisse Boot | MY KIND OF LOVELY c/o Totes Adorbs Tote | KENDRA SCOTT Grady Bracelet, c/o Everly Long Necklace | BAUBLEBAR Slim Bangle [SIMILAR] | GORJANA Chloe Large Studs | RAYBAN Original Aviator Sunglasses | IT COSMETICS CC+ Lip Serum in Love | ESSIE Nail Color in Bahama Mama
Despite the teeny tiny cold front that hit Texas yesterday, it’s still too hot for these gorgeous boots. But after staring at them for the past month, dying to wear them, I decided to style them for a little pre-fall blog post. I usually buy one or two pairs of boots every year, and this year I wanted a cognac brown casual boot that I could wear with jeans and dresses. Because I am short, I almost always head to a store to buy tall boots. I wanted this pair to hit that sweet spot below the knee but above mid-calf. I’m definitely predicting these boots will be on major repeat for fall and winter, so get ready for some fun outfit ideas with these beauties including this perfect Farmers Market outfit! Once the weather cools off, one of my favorite Saturday morning activities is to head to our local farmers market. Our market is held in a large uneven parking lot, so these boots will be perfect to trek through and check out the different farm booths! I’m planning on continuing my love affair with jean leggings this fall! This pair from DL1961 are so comfy, and they fit perfect inside boots. Bonus, use promo code KAREN30 to receive 30% off your entire order thru the end of August!!
Farmer’s Market Tip- bring your own bag! While most of our booths have bags for what you purchase, it is so much easier to carry everything in one bag that you can toss on your shoulder. I love this cute canvas tote from My Kind of Lovely. The handle is soft leather which makes it really comfortable on the shoulder. My Kind of Lovely is more than just cute bags with a fabulous clothes and jewelry collection too. I love their dresses! You can receive 15% off your entire purchase with code LADYINVIOLET through September 30th! They are also going to give one of you a $50 gift card to shop!! Check out the Rafflecopter below to enter! The giveaway will run for one week and the winner will be announced Monday August 31st! Good Luck!
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