Miscelaney

Out of sight definitely shouldn’t mean out of mind when we are talking about our bare feet. Just because sandal season is nearly over doesn’t mean we should give up on maintaining polish-worthy piggies. As a matter of fact, an end-of-season pedi is usually just as necessary (if not more) than our inaugural springtime pedicure due to the serious summer beatdown our bare feet usually withstand. While a professional’s trained hand is optimal, there’s no reason you or I can’t do ourselves some foot-lovin justice.

Here’s a sure fire way to do-it-yourself and look just like you came out of the nail salon.

What you need:

• bowl big enough to soak your feet
• towel
• bath salts or foot scrub (optional, but lovely)
• instant cuticle cream remover (optional, but certainly makes life easier)
• pumice stone or foot file*
• non-acetone nail polish remover
• cotton balls
• toe nail clippers
• emery board
• foot lotion**
• tissue or foam toe separators
• base coat (optional)
• nail polish
• clear polish topcoat (can use as base coat as well if you prefer)
• glass of champagne (optional, but always nice and pamper-ish)

What do do:

Get your comfortable clothes on (I’d recommend pajama bottoms rolled up) and settle in on your couch, making room for a place for you to soak your feet in between your coffee table and the couch. Make sure you have everything close to you before you begin.

• Fill your bowl with warm water. Add foot salts or rub feet your foot scrub if available. Soak feet for about 15 minutes. Sip and savor champagne while you wait.
• Once you are finished soaking feet, take your foot file or pumice stone and file down dry, cracked heels and calluses on toes and under bottom of feet one-by-one while holding your foot over the bowl.
• Dry feet, rest them comfortably on the towel and one-by-one push cuticles down (with cuticle stick or with thumbnail). They should be soft enough after soaking, if not, soak them longer or use a cuticle cream (super easy,  apply and leave on for about 20 seconds and then remove cream by drying off which will simultaneously remove/dissolve overgrown cuticle area).
• Generously massage your foot lotion all over (foot cream options listed below).
• Use toenail clippers and trim nails straigh across. Use nail file to fine tune shape.
• Take your tissue or foam toe separators and wind them in between your toes.
• Apply your base coat (or clear coat). This well help prevent the color from the polish turn your toenails yellow.
• Once dry, add color polish.
• When dry, add top coat (or clear coat). The top coat gives you that “fresh pedicure shine” and protects you polish job longer.
• Let dry to touch (approximately 10 minutes). Polish off glass of champagne.
• Gently remove the tissue or foam toe separators.

Enjoy!

*I recommend the Red Clover foot file. It’s solid construction lasts for a long time and does a much better job than most foot files. Most professional nail salons use this file.

** There’s a lot of great foot lotions out there. Depending on your price point, options range from Freeman’s Peppermint & Plum foot lotion (available at most grocery and drug stores) to Aveda’s Foot Relief or InSpa’s Intensive Foot Resuce. Select something that works within your budget, is designed for the feet, and smells good to you. Most contain cooling essential oils and rich, moisturizing shea butter. It really does make a difference.

***For ongoing foot maitenance, I recommend Callex to manage those dry, cracked heels. Really works if used faithfully.