Tooth care has always been a massive industry, a beautiful smile is a naturally endearing feature and people will pay good money to have a nice bright white set of teeth. Orthodontists have long been helping us with the shape of our smile. They use braces to help guide the teeth into an attractive formation, because when left to their own devices some people’s teeth can grow over the top of each other, at angles or with large gaps. While these problems are generally not a health issue, they are unsightly and in this day and age, our appearance matters.

Over the past few decades tooth care has moved up a gear, and now not only can we shape and move our teeth to improve our smile, but we can also tackle the second most unwanted feature, discoloration and stained teeth. Teeth Whitening as the industry is known, is increasingly affordable, and different methods to achieve a brilliant white smile have been developed, each with their pros and cons. Some are single treatments, some are courses of treatments that last weeks or months and involve continued home care afterward too.

Two of the less time consuming methods of improving your smile are whitening veneers and cosmetic dentistry bonding. Veneers come in two types. Porcelain veneers (the most common) and direct (also known as composite) veneers. Veneers are small strips of either porcelain or plastic (direct/composite veneers) that literally cover your teeth to cover and conceal any stains or discoloration. These are ideal for people with severe staining when bleaching will be ineffective. Veneers do not last forever and will need replacing in time, porcelain last longer which is why they are most common, as they last 10 to 15 years. Porcelain veneers will take a few trips to your dentist, as they will need to be molded to your teeth individually. Direct or composite veneers, being made of plastic can be made and applied by your dentist in a single visit. These veneers are cheaper but do not last as long, about 5 -7 years.

The other alternative, cosmetic dentistry bonding is a different way to improve the color of your teeth, but it also used when you want to reshape your teeth and fill gaps. Bonding is a composite resin which is injected onto and into the teeth, the advantage of bonding in this way is that it looks very natural when filing gaps between teeth, however the downside it that if you are a smoker the nicotine will quickly discolor the resin.

For a flawless look, many women are applying minerals to their skin. Because of this effort, women are experiencing healthier skin that glows. Mineral cosmetics are considered natural applications and once applied, the layer is automatically considered as natural by the skin. The loose powders in these mineral applications are allergenic and will not clog pore or cause blemishes, even after extended wear. Eye shadows made with minerals are naturally beautiful and protective to the skin surface. Women love wearing eye colors that are beautiful and especially those colors that make the skin look healthier and younger.

Makeup minerals are synergistic blends of minerals that come from the good Earth. Everytime a woman uses the eye colors of any sort and other mineral cosmetic foundations, the skin is left with a foundation that adheres to the face and is not absorbed into the pores. The perfect face only takes about 5 minutes to achieve and the perfect look last for hours at a time. While on, the natural minerals revitalize the skins surface, and the SPF 15 protection keeps harmful sunrays away, which helps stop the aging process before it starts. The SPF 15 ingredients in mineral based cosmetic products are chemical free and made from titanium dioxide and zinc oxide which are best for blocking UVA and UVB rays.

Mineral applications will provide a flawless finish that allows the skin to breathe. Since it is completely free of irritants, it helps people with allergies to look beautiful each and every day with no worries. The water resistant properties of mineral cosmetic products make it the perfect choice for wear in all climates. Swimmers and other athletes love wearing minerals on their skin because it is perspiration proof and water resistant.

The best makeup on earth is MAC makeup, hands down. Created in 1985 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo, MAC cosmetics were designed to hold up to the most grueling conditions. Ordinary drug store makeup doesn’t look good under bright lights, and most of it sweats off or wears off under normal circumstances anyway. The chemists who created MAC cosmetics, however, designed it to hold up to just about any challenge you can throw at it. It’s good for all ages, all races and all sexes, which later became the company’s motto.

MAC makeup is also a socially conscious brand. There are four social initiative problems that the company currently has in place: MAC Cruelty-Free Beauty, Back to MAC Recycling, MAC Kids Helping Kids and the MAC AIDS Fund. Even though MAC cosmetics was bought out by the Estee Lauder Companies in 1994 and the original founder Frank Angelo died in 1997, the MAC AIDS Fund has been continued by the new owners. The coolest thing about it is that every penny of the sale of the eight products under the Viva Glam name get donated to the charity. This has raised more than $86 million for the charity since 1994.

If you’re a makeup artist, you can get 40 percent off of the price of MAC makeup. Other beauty professionals can get a 30 percent discount. The brand is also extremely socially diverse. Spokespeople in the past have included everyone from RuPaul to Linda Evangelista. MAC Beauty Icons have included Liza Minnelli, Diana Ross, Raquel Welch and Catherine Deneuve. All in all, MAC makeup has done a lot for the industry as well as the community. They perfected makeup and are a great role model for other American companies. It can be said that part of their success is due to their acceptance of all things beautiful, and that’s something we can all stand behind.