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Beauty And The Recession:A Mom's Teeth Whitening Trick

As part of a new series: "Beauty and the Recession" we examine consumer tips for cosmetics

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Alicia's discovery works wonders for consumers wanting whiter teeth without breaking the bank.

With the recession in full swing, many consumers are turning to the internet to take advantage of special trial offers allowing them to save hundreds of dollars. Alicia, an ordinary, modest mother of two, living near Gilroy, CA is one such consumer. Alicia recently discovered a clever way of combining two different teeth whitening product trials, -- a teeth whitening pen and a teeth whitening kit -- to get one full "super" whitening, comparable to what you might attain at a local dentist for $400 or more. Even more surprising, she used nothing but trial offers where she paid just a few dollars in shipping charges to try these products.

Alicia's story of how she wound up with yellow teeth sounds all too familiar to some:

Well, honestly, I did quite a few things that probably contributed to my dingy teeth. I can't start my day without a tall Latte from Starbucks. And I love a glass of red wine with dinner. I can't claim to have brushed my teeth twice a day every single day, but I honestly think I was pretty good. I never floss even though I know it's important. Finally, I'm embarrassed to say that I missed my dentist appointments for 7 years in a row. I'm sure if I got my teeth cleaned at the dentist regularly it would help. With 2 kids and a such a hectic schedule, who has time to go to the dentist?

About 6 months ago, I looked in the mirror one day and was just shocked at how bad my teeth had gotten. I brushed morning and night using the whitening tooth pastes. I also tried using whitening strips, but nothing worked. I called my dentist to get a quote on a teeth whitening and he said $750! That wasn't even covered by dental insurance.

I'm no doctor or medical expert, but I heard that the quality of the at home kits were improving to the point where they were the same as what dentists used. So I did some research online. I discovered that there were 2 types of at home kits: teeth whitening pens and teeth whitening kits. My idea was that I'd use the teeth whitening pen and the teeth whitening kit together. After all two is usually better than one. After looking around online, my husband helped me find a few special offers (and coupon codes) where you could try these products by only paying a few dollars for shipping. I was able to try both products for less than $5 in shipping charges.

Alicia found products that produced results which were as good as, if not better than what she expected from the dentist. Even better, because these teeth whitening companies are desperate for new customers in this recession, she was able to take advantage of trial offers.

But Alicia didn't stop there - after finding the special trial offers, Alicia made use of the kind of ingenuity many consumers have turned to during this recession, and also looked for special discount codes that reduced the total shipping to under $5 for both products.

Most clever, perhaps, is the fact that combining two different trial products, and using them one after another, allowed Alicia to get what could effectively be described as a "super whitening" without breaking the bank.

I was surprised by the results after the first 3 days – but once I saw my teeth after a week, I was totally blown away ... I knew I was onto something.

The trick is to use TWO trial products that compliment each other TOGETHER to give yourself a whitening that's better than you ever could have expected.

Thank you to Alicia for this week's consumer tip. Alicia has shared her discovery with thousands of people over the internet. If you're interested in using Alicia's trick, we've provided links and coupon code information below. Remember, to get results like Alicia's, you will want to use BOTH products together. The coupon codes reduce shipping costs to under $5 (as of June 27, 2009):

Step 1: Click here for Brite Teeth Pro (Only $2.49 s&h)

Step 2: Click here for Easy White (Only $1.83 s&h)

Would you like to share a consumer tip for next week? If so, please send us an email.