*This is a collaborative post.
A natural smile lights up your face and should be your most valued accessory. No matter what you’re wearing or where you’re going, a spectacular smile is always your best feature. However, achieving the perfect look requires more than simply plastering on your widest grin. To master the art of maintaining a beautiful smile, take a look at these top tips now…
Practice makes perfect
Chances are that your natural smile is something other people are more familiar with than you are. While the selfie trend has made us more aware of how we look, our smile is one natural feature that’s hard to recreate in an artificial setting.
If you really want to hone your technique, be sure to practice your smile regularly. Although you may feel more than a little silly smiling at yourself in the mirror, it will help you to identify the best elements of your smile and capitalize on them.
When you take the time to assess your smile, you may find that you can make tiny modifications to make it even more powerful. For example, wetting your teeth before you smile makes them look a little shinier and brighter. Trying out your ‘best smile’ is a great way to make sure you’ve got the technique down and will ensure you’re always camera-ready.
Find the right lip shade
Your lipstick, gloss or stain has a major impact on your smile. A bold color will draw the eye, so be prepared for your smile to be your defining feature when you wear a vibrant shade. No matter what hue you go for, remember that the color will affect the appearance of your teeth.
Depending on your natural skin tone, you may suit warm or cool undertones best. When you wear the products with the right base, your natural features will be enhanced. An almost imperceptible difference in the shade of a lip gloss can suddenly make your skin glow and your teeth seem whiter. If you want to minimize staining on your teeth, try out blue and pink undertones in your lip color but steer clear of darker shades.
If your favorite lip gloss isn’t the best tone for your natural coloring – don’t despair! You’ll find brightening gloss can be added over any lipstick to alter the hue and complement your skin tone.
Work those muscles
It’s commonly said that it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown but, in reality, the difference might not be as great as you think. What we do know is that a staggering amount of muscles are engaged when you flash a smile.
Being aware of your musculature and how it’s affected by smiling can help you to achieve the perfect grin. As well as looking at your lips and mouth, evaluate the muscles surrounding your jaw, chin, neck and even your eyes. A natural smile will affect all of these areas and alter your appearance.
For the best results, maximize your smile without visibly engaging your muscles. For example, try maintaining a sliver of a gap between your top and bottom teeth when you’re smiling. This prevents your neck muscles from bulging and creates a better overall aesthetic.
Take a trip to the dentist
Of course, the best way to maintain a beautiful smile is to take care of your teeth and gums. With regular trips to the dentist, you can keep your teeth healthy and smile proudly whenever you get the opportunity. Not to mention that a healthy dose of General & Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry can do wonders for your confidence in smiling, which only makes your smile much more beautiful! Most dentists will offer cosmetic enhancements, and all you have to do is ask.
If you’re not completely happy with your smile, your dentist can also provide treatment advice and options. For covering minor gaps or eradicating severe staining, dental veneers might be your best option. Alternatively, misaligned teeth can be straightened using orthodontic treatment, such as fixed braces or retainers. If dental problems or trauma have left you with gaps in your smile, missing teeth can even be replaced with implants, bridges or a crown.
Plump up your pout
While cosmetic beauty treatments are one way to make your lips look fuller, there are some savvy at-home make-up techniques you can use to create a similar effect. Applying lip gloss or lipstick slightly outside of your natural lip line will instantly make your lips look fuller, for example. In addition, using lip liner to artificially increase the appearance of your lips will have the same effect.
Highlighting the area that immediately surrounds your lips is also a sure-fire way to make your smile seem fuller. Use a dedicated highlighter to achieve the look or simply grab your nearest tube of concealer to make your lips pop.
Focus on your eyes
When you want to achieve a beautiful smile, your thoughts immediately go to your teeth, gums, and lips. However, the appearance of your eyes also has a major impact on what your smile looks like. A genuine smile will reach the corners of eyes and be reflected in them, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that your eye make-up can affect your smile too.
Many make-up artists recommend wearing cooler tones on the eyes when you want to make your smile your best feature. Wearing greens, purples, and blues on the eyes deflects any yellow which may be present due to staining on the teeth. This handy trick is a great way to minimize the impact of light staining caused by drinking too much coffee or fruit juice, so it’s one that the majority of people can use.
Maintaining a Stunning Smile
Although a beautiful smile can be your best feature, many people feel self-conscious about their smile. In some cases, this is enough to prevent them from taking snaps with their friends, capturing a selfie or even smiling in public. With perseverance and these handy tips, however, you can gain confidence and grow to love your smile.
If you’re unhappy with your natural smile, be sure to seek advice. The latest treatments can rectify dental issues painlessly and efficiently, so it won’t be long until you can’t resist flashing your smile at everyone you see.
