Pretty feet are a year-round must!
While a chipped manicure may hurt you in the board room, a bad pedicure, or lack thereof, is more likely to hinder you in the bedroom.
After all, there’s nothing sexy about funky feet, especially when cooler weather hits, skin dries up, and said feet start scratching the sheets as you slip between them.
Here’s my go to guide for keeping your toes oh-so-pretty no matter the season.
At Home Maintenance
Between spa pedicures, maintain pretty feet with exfoliation and hydration.
Skip the scary at-home razors (you know the kind most salons aren’t even supposed to be using) and opt instead for Microplane’s Foot File; $14.95 and up at microplane.com. This best in class implement banishes dead skin with aplomb, without risking serious injury at the hands of razor blades and too sharp edges.
I recommend the XL Pro ($24.95), because cartridges can be replaced, making this tool an investment that will smooth skin for years. Ladies, this is the best tool I’ve found for removing dead skin at home, but be sure to use it on DRY skin, not after — or in– the bath or shower.
Keep feet hydrated by applying a rich cream at bedtime, every night, and donning socks to seal in the moisture. While you can purchase special pedicure socks that work well, if done nightly, plain old gym socks should do the trick.
While some beauty insiders swear by using Desitin (yup, the baby butt cream) on feet, I prefer Theraplex FT Exfoliating Foot Emollient Callus Treatment, an ultra-rich product specifically designed to treat callused feet ($21 at theraplex.com). One of the reasons this product really works is that the ingredients include Salicylic Acid, meaning that while moisturizing your feet this product also helps banish dead skin.
Top 5 Polish Tips
Whether polishing up between professional visits or opting for DIY pedicures, here’s my list of five tips you’ll need to get the job done.
1) Swipe soon-to-be polished nails with polish remover to banish excess oils before applying lacquer.
2) If polish separates in the bottle, roll the bottle between the palms of your hands to mix the lacquer without causing bubbles.
3) Correct polish blemishes with an oh-so-handy manicure mistake eraser; I like the “Erase” pen from 5 Second Nail, sold for about $6 at CVS.
4) To dry nails quickly when you have places to go – or if, like me, you’re just impatient – aim a blow dryer set on cool at toe nails for about 30 seconds and then apply cuticle oil. BE sure to hold the dryer at least 6 inches away from toes so that polish doesn’t bubble.
5) To remove dark polish, use an acetone polish remover. Acetone-free removers are gentler to nails but won’t do as thorough of a job at removing richly hued lacquers.
What’s your secret to keeping winter skin pretty?
Keep livin’ the pretty life by subscribing to my blog via email or RSS. Plus, be amongst the first to know about weekly features + deals on Mani Monday and giveaways on Freebie Friday.
