Beauty Confidence Boosters — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin”!

We all have a few insecurities related to our appearance — maybe our strands are beginning to thin, much to our dismay, or we now have yellow stains on our teeth as a result of years spent consuming vast amounts of caffeine. Luckily, there are a ton of beauty services, gadgets, and products that can address (and correct!) these issues that negatively affect our self-esteem — whether it’s crooked teeth, dark spots and uneven skin tone, thin eyebrows and stubby eyelashes, or crow’s feet — and, in the process, give us a much-needed confidence boost.

Today, I stopped by CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” to chat about some of women’s biggest beauty gripes and suggest some solutions that will deliver visible results and lead to more confidence. Read on for more details on the products and services discussed!

GET A STRAIGHTER SMILE WITH SMILEDIRECTCLUB!

Not only can a straight, beautiful, radiant smile give you an instant confidence boost, it can actually make you feel happier. After all, when you smile, your brain releases endorphins and serotonin that work to lift your mood. So, if you’re not smiling because you’re self-conscious about your teeth being a little crooked, it’s time to fix that so you can flash your pearly whites as often as possible!

SmileDirectClub is democratizing smiles, and they’ve devised a genius way to straighten teeth in the most discreet, convenient, and affordable manner. In fact, their treatments plans cost 60% less than other options and generally take about 6 months to complete. And here’s the kicker: the treatment doesn’t involve braces (no mouths full of metal here!) or constant visits to the orthodontist (a relief for people like me who spent countless hours at the orthodontist over the years).

How does it work? Well, if you live in an area that has a SmileShop (there’s one right here in Austin!), you can book a 3D scan there. Otherwise, you can log onto SmileDirectClub.com and order an at-home dental impressions kit. The kit comes with a return label so it’s easy to just follow the instructions and send back to the company. Once a dental professional examines your impressions, a treatment plan will be created. After that, invisible aligner kits will be mailed to your door every single month — no need for constant check-ups and in-office visits.

How neat is that? Once your treatment is complete, you have the option of buying a retainer to keep those teeth perfectly straight for years to come.

BRIGHTEN THOSE TEETH WITH THE ORALGEN NUPEARL 32X ADVANCE TEETH WHITENING SYSTEM

We all want pearly white smiles (I’m personally hoping to get my smile to rival that of The Bachelorette‘s Dean Unglert), but a lot of teeth whitening kits — especially those with hydrogen peroxide — can lead to increased tooth sensitivity and even gum irritation. In-office whitening treatments, meanwhile, are both time-consuming and costly.

The solution? Oralgen’s NuPearl 32X Advanced Teeth Whitening System ($59.95 at Oralgen.com), which was actually designed specifically for people with sensitive teeth. The system contains no peroxide, sulfates, gluten, artificial colors or flavors, and it feature a stain-lifting technology that will eliminate those stubborn surface stains (like the ones left behind by years of coffee guzzling) without damaging the enamel or causing any pain or discomfort. The kit is clinically proven to whiten teeth up to 8 shades in a single 7-day treatment cycle — and there’s no discomfort involved!

The system features a malleable tray that adapts to the contours of your mouth, the NuPearl brightening gel, a patented LED Brightening Light that makes the treatment all the more effective, a case in which to store your tray, and even a handy teeth whitening pen for on-the-go touch-ups. To use, you simply apply a thin layer of  the clear gel along the upper and lower arches of the tray, place the tray snugly inside your mouth, activate the LED light, and keep it in place for 20 minutes.

FIGHT THINNING HAIR WITH THE COLORPROOF BIOREPAIR-8 ANTI-AGING SCALP & HAIR SYSTEM

Thinning hair isn’t just a male issue — as many as 40% of American women say they grapple with thinning strands. Luckily, ColorProof recently unveiled its groundbreaking BioRepair-8 Anti-Aging Scalp & Hair System, a three-step system designed for women with aging, thinning, and color-treated hair. The kit pictured above features four products: the BioRepair-8 Anti-Thinning Shampoo ($44 at ColorProof.com), the BioRepair-8 Anti-Thinning Conditioner ($44 at ColorProof.com), the BioRepair-8 Stem Cell Scalp Serum ($38), and a Scalp Exfoliating Brush ($6). Customers can buy each product individually or invest in the BioRepair8 Anti-Aging Scalp & Hair System Kit shown here, which retails for $132 at ColorProof.com.

As with all ColorProof products, these are 100% vegan, cruelty-free and never tested on animals, plus they’re 100% free of sulfates, salts, gluten, and parabens.

The BioRepair-8 Anti-Thinning Shampoo contains AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) that gently remove sebum and dead skin cells, exfoliating the scalp and improving microcirculation. It also contains eight natural DHT blockers that neutralize this hormone (considered one of the main causes of hair loss), preventing follicle minimization. For best results, you can shampoo your strands and distribute the product using the Scalp Exfoliating Brush, making sure to work the formula into the scalp thoroughly.

The BioRepair-8 Anti-Thinning Conditioner, meanwhile, conditioner, meanwhile, contains an AG Stem Cell Complex, derived from apple and grape stem cells, that restores aging tissue along the scalp. It’s also packed with biotin and copper peptides that repair the tissue anchoring new hair growth, as well as proteins and phytonutrients to strengthen and thicken strands.

The final step in the system involves the BioRepair-8 Anti-Thinning Serum, which contains even higher concentrations fo the aforementioned AG Stem Cell complex, as well as other nutrients and peptides that work around the clock to deliver anti-thinning and age-repair effects.

SMOOTH CROW’S FEET WITH THE DR. DENNIS GROSS SPECTRALITE EYE CARE PRO

As I mentioned on TV, my stance on wrinkles is simple: I don’t want them on my clothes, and I don’t want them on my face! That said, as the years roll by, I inevitably look in the mirror and find a few lines creeping up — particularly along the corners of my eyes and in between my brows. Luckily, Dr. Dennis Gross has harnesses the power of the light therapy treatments offered at his office in NYC and channeled them into a revolutionary at-home device.

The Dr. Dennis Gross Spectralite Eye Care Pro ($159 at Sephora.com) is the first FDA-cleared LED device for the eye area. The hands-free device, which even comes with a cord to keep it in place, utilizes 72 LED lights that emit four wavelengths of red light to penetrate deep within the dermis, increasing collagen production and smoothing crow’s feet and fine lines.

Each treatment is only 3 minutes long, and the device powers off automatically so it’s the epitome of convenience. In a 10-day clinical study, 97% of subjects showed visible improvement in fine lines and wrinkles. Talk about a vision of love!

TACKLE DARK SPOTS WITH NEOSTRATA’S ENLIGHTEN COLLECTION

Next, I addressed another issue that women say affects their self-esteem: dark spots and uneven skin tone. Whether they’re sun spots, acne marks, age spots, or dark patches left behind after pregnancy, we all tend to obsess about those clusters of melanin on our complexions. The NeoStrata Enlighten collection was designed to reduce the appearance of dark spots and age spots while brightening the skin and protecting it from future damage. All the products in the collection feature a patented NeoGlucosamine technology, a non-acid amino sugar technology that gently exfoliates the skin and encourages cellular turnover, thereby diminishing the appearance of dark spots.

I showcased three products from the collection: the NeoStrata Enlighten Ultra Brightening Cleanser ($36 at NeoStrata.com), a creamy cleanser that contains Alpine plant extracts to brighten and clarify the skin; the NeoStrata Enlighten Illuminating Serum ($78 at NeoStrata.com), a powerhouse treatment formulated with 12 active brighteners (among them licorice root extract, apple extract, yarrow extract, and mallow extract) that help to break up existent melanin clusters and reduce the appearance of existing dark spots while also safeguarding the skin against new instances of hyperpigmentation; and the NeoStrata Enlighten Skin Brightener SPF 25 ($65 at NeoStrata.com), which includes antioxidants like vitamin E and Chardonnay grape seed extract that prevent free radical damage and oxidative stress, all while offering protection against UV rays (one of the main causes of hyperpigmentation).

I’m particularly fond of the Enlighten Skin Brightener SPF 25, which helps to diminish the appearance of dark spots and brightens the skin while protecting against future damage. It contains antioxidants like Chardonnay grape seed extract and vitamin E to protect the skin against free radicals and, of course, it has SPF 25, which is key since UV rays are one of the primary causes of hyperpigmentation.

GET FULLER BROWS WITH THE TALIKA EYEBROW LIPOCILS EXPERT

For several years, celebrities like Cara Delevingne and Lily Collins have popularized strong and well-defined brows. In the ‘90s, however, really thin arches were all the rage, and many of us spent countless hours plucking away. If you were tweezed a bit too enthusiastically back in the day or you just have naturally thin brows, the Talika Eyebrow Lipocils Expert ($58 at Talika.com) is coming to your rescue.

This treatment contains 13 plant extracts and anti-aging peptides that stimulate hair growth — among them baobab leaf extract and horse chestnut. It also contains coleus forskohlii, a plant extract that boosts melanin production so as to intensify the natural color of your brow hairs. The easy-to-use treatment has a lightweight gel texture that helps to groom and define brows — all while stimulating growth.

ENJOY THICKER, LONGER, MORE VOLUMINOUS LASHES WITH THE TALIKA LIPOCILS PLATINIUM

Ask most women what makeup item they’d bring to a desert island, and they’d mention either lipstick or mascara. It seems we all want thick, luscious, long, voluminous, intense lashes that make Betty Boop’s fringe look positively wimpy. What if you could, in fact, enjoy thicker and longer fringe naturally — without having to apply faux lashes, fiber extensions, and multiple coats of mascara? That’s precisely the goal of the Talika Lipocils Platinium ($120 at Talika.com), a double serum designed for day and night use that works to make lashes denser, reinforce their natural pigmentation, and accentuate their curvature.

The Lipocils Platinium serums contain no hormone byproducts — only safe natural ingredients such as red clover, which awakens sleeping lashes and extends growth; adenosine, which reenergizes the skin cells along the lash line; and coleus forskohlii, which stimulates the natural coloring of lashes so as to give them more of an intense hue from root to tip.

But what makes this treatment so innovative is that it takes into account the circadian rhythms of eyelashes. As with our skin, lashes have their own biological rhythms, going through 3 different cycles in their lives. The first stage in the life of an eyelash is the Anagen phase, a 1-3 month period during which lashes grow. The second stage is the Catagen phase, a brief transitional period during which growth ceases. The third stage, known as the Telogen phase, lasts 4-9 months and is primarily a rest phase before that eyelash falls out and the cycle begins all over again. What the Lipocils Platinum Serum does, then, is extend the Anagen phase so that lashes grow for longer periods of time, while also shortening the rest phase. Each formula, then, takes into account the biological rhythms of eyelashes and works to influence their internal clock.

Not only are the serums’ formulas amazing, but the product’s packaging is incredibly convenient as each of the serum tubes contains its own brush applicator or bristle wand, and each tube has a concealed magnet along its inner edge that secures it to its partner. In other words, you can pull one of the serums apart from its “partner,” apply as indicated, then reattach it and tuck both tubes inside their unobtrusive stand.