'For years I was the queen of the closed mouth smile.'

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my teeth – I love that they can bite through my favourite snacks, but I hate the way they look.

I was lucky growing up. I never needed braces and I didn’t have to spend hours at the orthodontist – my chompers were pretty straight and relatively healthy.

But after way too many caffeinated beverages and not enough trips to the dentist, my teeth look well, just a little bit neglected.

Up until now my entire dental hygiene routine involved picking up whatever toothpaste was on special at the supermarket and not giving it a second thought. I'd brush my teeth twice a day, floss, and even splurge with the occasional mouthwash, but I never thought about my teeth and how they affected my confidence.

And they really did impact the way I thought about myself. I shied away from the camera and found myself worrying about them way too often.

Over the years I've tried whitening products, but they've always been really fussy and time-consuming and I've given up on them after a day or two.

So I just accepted that I would always have slightly yellow teeth and became the queen of the closed mouth smile.

But recently, I started a new beauty ritual. Much to my surprise, it's changing the way I think about my teeth.

I started using Colgate Optic White's High Impact White whitening toothpaste, along with Colgate Optic White's toothbrush with its own built-in whitening pen.

As soon as I began my new beauty ritual, I started feeling more confident about my teeth and now I actually want to smile more. I'm no longer cringing at the thought of my teeth, they're just there doing their teeth-like things and I don't have to think about them.

The best bit about my new little beauty ritual is that it's sooooo quick and easy. I just brush my teeth with Colgate Optic White toothpaste twice a day, and then apply the whitening gel, which comes in a nifty little pen that I can store in its toothbrush.

Even I - the least routine-orientated person in the world - can stick with that.

I know these products take some time to work, but after just a few weeks, I'm feeling more confident about my smile. Most importantly, I feel comforted knowing my handy little whitening pen is there whenever I need it.

My lifelong love/hate relationship with my teeth is now less about "hate" about more about the "love". That's something worth sticking to.

What's the secret beauty ritual in your life that gives you confidence? Tell us below (and we might try it out!).

This content was created with thanks to our brand partner Colgate Optic White®.