Well, I put it off long enough, but in the last couple of weeks I finally put the plan into motion… I made the appointment to get my braces. And yesterday, I got the upper set put in (my lower teeth are not so unruly, so they get to wait a bit before being reined in). I am unfortunately not a candidate for Invisalign, but I did get clear braces, so as you can see from the above picture, they’re not nearly as obtrusive as the old-school silver ones we’re all so familiar with. And that’s a good thing, because I’ll be living with them for the next two years or so while I get these teeth straightened out.
Throughout the years, I’ve had a pretty complicated relationship with my smile. I used to hide my mouth a lot in photos, or avoid having my picture taken at all. Plenty of people have told me that I have a beautiful smile and I’m pretty the way I am, but in the back of my mind there was always the mocking words of all the kids who teased me, and even the adult who told my parents that my teenage self had a beautiful figure (complete with miming the curves I didn’t really have), but they should really do something about my teeth. Yes, this was said right in front of me. Yes, if I had a time machine, I’d go back and kick her in the shins.
And the truth is, while I’ve become more comfortable with my image and I know my friends mean it when they say I have a beautiful smile, I also know that if I want to work as a professional dancer, I’ll have an easier time getting gigs if I have straighter teeth. And as I’ve said before when discussing body love and self image, I don’t think there is anything wrong with loving your body but wanting to make the occasional improvement. Do I think I am beautiful? Oh yeah I do! But do I think I will be even MORE beautiful when I don’t have huge gaps between my teeth and a massive overbite? No question about it. So if you want to tell me that I am fine just the way I am/was, I will thank you for that, but this is still something that I want to do for myself.
And now: mini cosmetics review! When I posted the above photo on Facebook yesterday I got a ton of compliments on and questions about my lipstick. It’s Violet by Bite Beauty. I purchased it as part of this cute double-end mini, but you can also buy it as a full-sized product. I think the color looks great on me, it’s a nice example of 2014 Color of the Year Radiant Orchid, and I found the formula to be non-drying and easy to wear. It did get worn off when I ate dinner though. But over all, I think it’s a great product to check out if you like that bright lip look. I intend to wear it a lot.