Summer Ready Toes

May 31, 2011 by

It’s that time of the year when the sandals and flip-flops come out from storage and onto our feet.  With the weather heating up and our toes more exposed, no one wants to look like they still have winter feet. So, turn off that computer, and get yourself into the spa.  It is pedicure time!  While treating yourself to a pedicure at the salon is oh so nice, shelling out all of that money to keep your feet looking nice is actually avoidable.  Personally, I’d rather stay home and pamper myself there, and having an at-home pedicure is easier than many people may imagine.  There are a few tools that you will need, but thankfully they do not add up to a whole lot.  You probably have most of the at-home pedicure tools already under your bathroom sink.  So, if you are looking to have awesome summer toes, then follow these tips and tricks to get the complete look.

• Soak your feet in warm to hot water for about ten minutes.  If your feet don’t have a lot of calluses, then you can just simply use water.  However, if you feel like your calluses need some tough love, then grab a bottle of a callus smoother that you can put into the water.  You can typically find these calluses smoothing liquids at your local drug store.
• Slough off the dead skin and calluses with a foot file.  For pesky and hard to remove calluses, opt for a dual sided foot file that allows yours to use a grainier textured side first for tough to get rid of places, then flip it over for a less grainy side that will evenly smooth out the entire foot.  Make sure that your foot is still wet when filing, or dip the file into water as well so that you are not causing an irritation to your foot.
• After you feel like you have completely smoothed out your feet with the file, then dry them off with your towel, then it’s time to tackle the cuticles.  Use the end of your nail file to push back those cuticles, and then exfoliate with a nail brush.  Do not try to cut off your cuticles yourself, as this may result in some painful ingrown or worse.
• After your feet and rinsed and dries, then lather them up with a foot cream that is rich and luxurious.  Don’t stop just at your piggies though; take the lotion all the way up your calf muscle on each leg to add even more pampering.  Make sure to wipe the lotion off of your toenails prior to painting them.
• Now, let’s paint!  Using a paper towel, you can easily separate your toes for painting.  Take the paper towel and twist it into a long strand.  Weave the twisted paper towel in and out of each toe until they are separated.  For painting, you can use an all-in-one polish, or use one bottom coat, your color will be two coats, and then a top coat to finish it all off and seal in the color.
• If you happened to slip, then Q-tips are your best friend for editing mistakes.  Dip the end of a tip in polish remover and simply remove the spot.
• Make sure you give your feet ample enough time to dry before putting on shoes that are not open-toed.  A couple of hours should be sufficient.
• To find the perfect color for this summer, then stay away from dark and dreary colors.  Think bright and bold colors.  Oranges, corals, and bright pinks are perfect and so in for this summer season.

Follow all of the above tips to get perfect looking summer feetsies.  You’ll feel accomplished and pampered in knowing that you gave yourself the best at-home pedicure, and you saved some money too, so maybe you can go buy some sweet sandals to go with your stunning feet!