My eyes are peeled to find you the best giveaways around town. They’ve zeroed in on Go Smile’s Ultimate Winter Whites Contest. 26 amazing prizes are up for grabs! 1 person will win Fendi’s $1,460 white Bag Du Jour plus a teeth-whitening kit and 100% Pure body cream, 10 will win the kit and cream and 15 will win the teeth-whitening system (I love it!) and body scrub.To enter the contest, which ends on Jan. 27th, click here (there’s no purchase necessary). How’s that for a reason to flash a smile. Go Smile Giveaway: Win a Fendi bag and more!
My eyes are peeled to find you the best giveaways around town. They’ve zeroed in on Go Smile’s Ultimate Winter Whites Contest. 26 amazing prizes are up for grabs! 1 person will win Fendi’s $1,460 white Bag Du Jour plus a teeth-whitening kit and 100% Pure body cream, 10 will win the kit and cream and 15 will win the teeth-whitening system (I love it!) and body scrub.To enter the contest, which ends on Jan. 27th, click here (there’s no purchase necessary). How’s that for a reason to flash a smile. Comment (1)
Kookie Beauty Rituals: How far would you go for beauty?
While Jessica Simpson travels the globe to learn how other cultures define beauty for her new reality show Price of Beauty, set to air on VH1, I had some findings of my own during my honeymoon in Southeast Asia. The network execs aren’t calling to broadcast my research, but trust me, these are 3 of the most whacked-out definitions of beauty worth checking out. Let’s see if J. Simps can top this.1.Do you yearn for a good toe-sucking? (I hope not…unless it’s from your dog or you’re in Cambodia). In Siem Reap, getting your feet nibbled on is as common as a bag of hay. The “fish massage” is one of the most popular beauty treatments there. The streets of the night markets are dotted with tanks filled with tiny toothless fish. The fish gnaw away at the dead skin on your feet, which tickles a little, and after about 10 minutes of munching, you’re left with softer skin. 
3. Traveling in Chang Mai, I visited a hill tribe known as the long-neck tribe, or more formally, the Karen people. As you can see in the below pictures, the women and children love wearing jewelry. The catch? These metal neck rings feel more like 30-pound weights (it required two hands for me to hold one). With the help of my guide, I spoke to one of the tribe’s youngest members, a 4-year-old girl. Her mother had just put the neck ring on her daughter for the first time the day before. Usually the young girls put on the neck ring when they turn five so I asked why the early arrival. The little girl said she wanted to be as pretty as her mommy. The other women I spoke with said that women who wear these rings are the most beautiful. I also asked the oldest member of the village, a 50-something-year-old grandmother, if the stiff, heavy piece hurts. She smiled and said that it’s hard to turn her head and at times difficult to sleep (tho she didn’t mention that her neck would be too weak if she removed it). Even so, she was happy to wear the necklace as she, like the others, is clearly willing to pay the price for beauty.
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2. We spend so much money trying to achieve glistening, white teeth. Imagine a period when black chompers were the beauty ideal. To the hardcore smokers and coffee-drinkers out there, don’t get your hopes up just yet because in order for those stains to be considered beautiful you’ll have to revert back 50+ years in Vietnam when women used a combination of resin and alcohol to dye their teeth black. Even today, the older generation of Vietnamese women continue to chew the betel nut, which when mixed with saliva, creates a dark red/brown color that contributes to teeth staining. I met this woman, who was happily chewing on her betal nut, in the seaside village of Hoi An.3. Traveling in Chang Mai, I visited a hill tribe known as the long-neck tribe, or more formally, the Karen people. As you can see in the below pictures, the women and children love wearing jewelry. The catch? These metal neck rings feel more like 30-pound weights (it required two hands for me to hold one). With the help of my guide, I spoke to one of the tribe’s youngest members, a 4-year-old girl. Her mother had just put the neck ring on her daughter for the first time the day before. Usually the young girls put on the neck ring when they turn five so I asked why the early arrival. The little girl said she wanted to be as pretty as her mommy. The other women I spoke with said that women who wear these rings are the most beautiful. I also asked the oldest member of the village, a 50-something-year-old grandmother, if the stiff, heavy piece hurts. She smiled and said that it’s hard to turn her head and at times difficult to sleep (tho she didn’t mention that her neck would be too weak if she removed it). Even so, she was happy to wear the necklace as she, like the others, is clearly willing to pay the price for beauty.visiting with the little girl and grandmother
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Last Chance for Crest Giveaway!
Save yourself a trip to the drugstore. Today’s your last chance to enter the Crest product giveaway. Comment on the post for your chance to stock up on some fresh-breath staples.
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Word of the Week + Crest Giveaway!
Gross potatoes: [grohs puh-tey-tohs] adjectiveWhen disgusting seems too vanilla to describe the vileness of a situation, you’ll be happy to have gross potatoes in your vocabulary.Usage: Heid Montag’s lip synch, cat woman (right) 
and halitosis are all gross potatoes.Speaking of halitosis, did you know that everyone gets bad breath at least once a day and that 62% of Americans are concerned about bad breath? New technology has given us one less thing to worry about. The recently launched Scope Outlast mouthwash, Crest Extra White Plus Scope Outlast toothpaste and Oral-B Advantage Floss Picks Plus Scope Outlast flavor provide fresh breath longer. The addition of Scope will keep you in mint condition all night long should a kiss come your way when least expected. Finally, close talkers are off the hook, sort of. They’re still creepy but at least their breath won’t clear the room. A word to the food-obsessed: If you’re about to indulge in a delicious meal, refrain from using these products until after dessert. They leave you with a fresh-breath feeling that’s so intense, it can dominate your palette.
I’m giving away 5 Scope Outlast product bundles! Each bundle contains the mouthwash in two flavors (mint and peppermint), toothpaste and floss picks. Comment on this post by Nov. 12, and you’ll be entered to win.
and halitosis are all gross potatoes.Speaking of halitosis, did you know that everyone gets bad breath at least once a day and that 62% of Americans are concerned about bad breath? New technology has given us one less thing to worry about. The recently launched Scope Outlast mouthwash, Crest Extra White Plus Scope Outlast toothpaste and Oral-B Advantage Floss Picks Plus Scope Outlast flavor provide fresh breath longer. The addition of Scope will keep you in mint condition all night long should a kiss come your way when least expected. Finally, close talkers are off the hook, sort of. They’re still creepy but at least their breath won’t clear the room. A word to the food-obsessed: If you’re about to indulge in a delicious meal, refrain from using these products until after dessert. They leave you with a fresh-breath feeling that’s so intense, it can dominate your palette.I’m giving away 5 Scope Outlast product bundles! Each bundle contains the mouthwash in two flavors (mint and peppermint), toothpaste and floss picks. Comment on this post by Nov. 12, and you’ll be entered to win. Comment (8)
The Recessionista’s Guide to Whiter Teeth + Score Free Lipstick
When someone says to me, “You look sad,” I’d like to respond with, “Go suck an egg!” But, I restrain my id with all my might and appease the peanut gallery with a smile. It’s not that I’m not happy; I’m just not that girl who walks around with an ear-to-ear grin painted on her face 24/7. That’s not a bad thing—did you know that over time excessive facial expressions can make lines (like the parentheses that form around your mouth) more pronounced? 
That said, there are plenty of things that make me smile (my friend’s new baby, my upcoming wedding, So You Think You Can Dance finale, to name a few), and the best accessory to welcome these occasions are pearly whites. I enlisted NYC cosmetic dentist Dr. Debra Glassman, whose celeb clients include Jessica Simpson, Halle Berry and Jennifer Hudson, to share tricks on how to get brighter teeth for less.Chew On It Do like American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson and chew two pieces of her favorite Orbit White Bubblemint after meals, wine or soda. “The sugar-free gum’s texture helps to remove buildup on your teeth,” says Dr. Glassman.Pick Paste Use a whitening toothpaste such as Starbrite, a formula Dr. Glassman created that contains calcium peroxide to whiten teeth and xylitol, proven to prevent cavities and gum disease.
Fake It and Win It Blue-based lipstick shades, which typically fall in the pink and red families, create the illusion of whiter teeth. Two that fit the bill: Enbrightenment BriteSmile® Whitener & Tarte Lipgloss and Clinique Different Lipstick in Raspberry Glace.*THE BG IS GIVING AWAY 10 CLINIQUE LIPSTICKS IN RASPBERRY GLACE, A BEAUTIFUL BERRY TONE THAT FEELS LIKE SILK ON LIPS. To score this freebie, email me at info@thebeautygirl.com by August 21st and include your name, email and mailing address.Imbibe Wisely Cutting out coffee and red wine will certainly help, but the BG would never ask you to do something she’d never do herself. Rather, try drinking coffee with a straw, opt for white wine when possible or swish water around your mouth after drinking.An Apple A Day… Dark beverages aren’t the only bad influences. Dark fruits (like blueberries) and liquids used to flavor foods, such as soy sauce or pasta sauce, are culprits. Dr. Glassman’s rule to follow: “If a food can stain your carpet or T-shirt, it can stain your teeth too.” She says to use sauces sparingly, go lighter in general and bite into an apple instead. “Its crisp texture and light color act like a detergent on teeth, wiping away stains.”
Want faster results? Try at-home whitening options like Crest Whitestrips, which take 14 days. Dr. Glassman says to make sure the strips fully cover your teeth and fit properly otherwise you could end up with horizontal stripes. Go Smile’s 7-day whitening kit is really convenient, especially if you’re always go, go, go, because you essentially color on the formula. Finally, there’s the Zoom! Take-Home Whitening System, which is the at-home version of the pro treatment. It’s pretty expensive at about $350, is only available at the dentist’s office and will make your teeth six shades brighter in 3 nights. For this process, the dentist makes trays that fit your mouth, and then you fill them with a gel and wear the trays for about 6 hours a day.If you want dramatic results without the responsibility of doing it yourself, then the professional Zoom! whitening treatment is worth the splurge at $500. The system gets your teeth an average of 8 shades whiter and you can break it up into 3 15-minute sessions or one 45-minute visit. A new set of pearly whites may take the place of those Jimmy Choos you were eying, but at least your new white teeth will never go out of style.
That said, there are plenty of things that make me smile (my friend’s new baby, my upcoming wedding, So You Think You Can Dance finale, to name a few), and the best accessory to welcome these occasions are pearly whites. I enlisted NYC cosmetic dentist Dr. Debra Glassman, whose celeb clients include Jessica Simpson, Halle Berry and Jennifer Hudson, to share tricks on how to get brighter teeth for less.Chew On It Do like American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson and chew two pieces of her favorite Orbit White Bubblemint after meals, wine or soda. “The sugar-free gum’s texture helps to remove buildup on your teeth,” says Dr. Glassman.Pick Paste Use a whitening toothpaste such as Starbrite, a formula Dr. Glassman created that contains calcium peroxide to whiten teeth and xylitol, proven to prevent cavities and gum disease.Fake It and Win It Blue-based lipstick shades, which typically fall in the pink and red families, create the illusion of whiter teeth. Two that fit the bill: Enbrightenment BriteSmile® Whitener & Tarte Lipgloss and Clinique Different Lipstick in Raspberry Glace.*THE BG IS GIVING AWAY 10 CLINIQUE LIPSTICKS IN RASPBERRY GLACE, A BEAUTIFUL BERRY TONE THAT FEELS LIKE SILK ON LIPS. To score this freebie, email me at info@thebeautygirl.com by August 21st and include your name, email and mailing address.Imbibe Wisely Cutting out coffee and red wine will certainly help, but the BG would never ask you to do something she’d never do herself. Rather, try drinking coffee with a straw, opt for white wine when possible or swish water around your mouth after drinking.An Apple A Day… Dark beverages aren’t the only bad influences. Dark fruits (like blueberries) and liquids used to flavor foods, such as soy sauce or pasta sauce, are culprits. Dr. Glassman’s rule to follow: “If a food can stain your carpet or T-shirt, it can stain your teeth too.” She says to use sauces sparingly, go lighter in general and bite into an apple instead. “Its crisp texture and light color act like a detergent on teeth, wiping away stains.”Want faster results? Try at-home whitening options like Crest Whitestrips, which take 14 days. Dr. Glassman says to make sure the strips fully cover your teeth and fit properly otherwise you could end up with horizontal stripes. Go Smile’s 7-day whitening kit is really convenient, especially if you’re always go, go, go, because you essentially color on the formula. Finally, there’s the Zoom! Take-Home Whitening System, which is the at-home version of the pro treatment. It’s pretty expensive at about $350, is only available at the dentist’s office and will make your teeth six shades brighter in 3 nights. For this process, the dentist makes trays that fit your mouth, and then you fill them with a gel and wear the trays for about 6 hours a day.If you want dramatic results without the responsibility of doing it yourself, then the professional Zoom! whitening treatment is worth the splurge at $500. The system gets your teeth an average of 8 shades whiter and you can break it up into 3 15-minute sessions or one 45-minute visit. A new set of pearly whites may take the place of those Jimmy Choos you were eying, but at least your new white teeth will never go out of style. Comment (3)
Nicole Pearl, The Beauty Girl, has written for national publications including Allure, Cosmo, Marie Claire, Self, In Style, Seventeen, and more. She appears as a beauty and style expert on TV for shows like TODAY, Windy City LIVE, and more. She's covered NYC and LA Fashion Weeks, has been a guest speaker for corporations, hosts events and offers services. The Beauty Girl blog is Nicole's exclusive insider notebook, sharing her V.I.P. access to the latest in beauty. Welcome! Still curious about Nicole? Click here.
To book this beauty expert for parties, events, TV segments, media tours, personal consultations and appearances, email info@thebeautygirl.com
