When it comes to teeth whitening, the mother of all teeth whitening — at least as far as Instagram is concerned — is Express Smile Atlanta (ESA). Go to their page and celebrities like Amber Rose, Kylie Jenner and even Teyana Taylor and hubby Iman Shumpert are packed like sardines, big-upping the product for making their teeth pearly white. At some point, it starts looking suspicious because we all know that stars get PAID to endorse products!
So honestly, while the celeb endorsements did peak my interest in the product, what tipped me over the edge was discovering that the owner of the company is a Black housewife from Atlanta named Ramona Griggie who started selling the product out of her kitchen and is now a multimillionaire. When it comes to housewives-turned-entrepreneurs it doesn’t get any realer than that!
So now I’m super curious to find out if this product really works or if it’s just the latest instagimmick? After all, teeth whitening made an estimated $11 billion in 2016 alone, according to statistics. Since there’s only one way to find out, I order a kit…
The Kit
Like anyone who doesn’t like to pay full price if I don’t have to, I go to the Instagram page and get a discount order code. With the discount, the kit cost me about $40. It came in the mail about 5 days after I ordered online. The kit is cute and looks simple enough. It’s got two syringes full of gel, two plastic molds for the upper and bottom teeth, and the infamous LED light holder that you see everyone posting with online. I try reading the instructions when I realize quickly that I HATE reading instructions! So I put on a youtube instructional video instead.
How to use it
I brush and dry my teeth like the video says, and place the two plastic teeth trays in boiling water to make the molds. After dipping them in the hot water for a couple of seconds, I place them in my mouth to make the molds, which is way easier than it sounds. Next, I use the syringe to insert about ½ of the gel into the molds, and I place them in my mouth, making sure to wipe away any excess gel from my gums with a rag. Last, I pop the cute little LED light into my mouth and wait.
10 minutes…
Can seem like a lifetime when you’ve got two little girls staring at you the whole time because they can’t wait to see the results! I’m wondering myself how this is going to go down because I’m feeling a slight tingle in my gums. But honestly, it’s nothing compared to the tingle-turned death-burn from getting my hair relaxed back in the day. When my time is up, I take everything out and rinse my mouth out with water.
The results…
First, my girls think my teeth look whiter, which is a great sign. As for me, I do see a difference. Not run-up-and-down-the-street-screaming-to-my-neighbors-that-I-found-a-miracle different, but enough for me to use it for the next 3 days, which is recommended. (Thankfully, it’s a quick and easy process) By the end of the third day, I’m convinced that Atlanta Express Smile Atlanta is a winner! My girls think my teeth look really white, which makes me wonder if they were the color of the sun to begin with, and my husband notices too. In fact, he even complimented my smile, which makes me want to smile even more, and continue to use the product. You know, just to see how far I can take this white teeth thing!
Future use
So now that I plan to use the product again, I’ll be going to the Instagram site to receive discount coupons on gel refills. The LED light and teeth molds can last for a year or longer.
If you want to find out more about Express Smile Atlanta Teeth Whitener visit the website or the Instagram page. Good luck!
Follow Erickka Sy Savané on Twitter, Instagram, and www.Erickkasysavane.com
