Since Spring is around the corner here in South Africa, we celebrate it in the 1st of September, its time for sandals and open toed shoes and nothing is worse than a beautiful pair of shoes ruined by unkept feel and nails. So, in getting ready for the wonderful Spring and Summer months here is how to give yourself the ultimate at home pedicure.
What you'll need:
- a footspa (if you are lucky enough to have one) or a large bucket or tuperware container
- a towel
- a nail brush and pumice stone
- an exfoliator
- a foot mask
- a rich body lotion or foot cream
- a refreshing spray
- cuticle oil
- an orange stick
- toe dividers
- cotton wool
- ear buds
- nail polish remover
- top and base coat
- the nail polish colour of your choice
First of all it very important to get comfy and view it as giving yourself a treat. I suggest putting on your favourite TV show, movie or DVD box set series. Make sure to gather all your supplies and set everything up before you hunker down to start the process.
- Fill the footspa or bucket with warm water and make sure that it is big enough to fit both your feet in at the same time. Fold the towel in half and put it down next to the tub and make sure you have somewhere you put your feet up.
- To start put both feet into the water and soak for 2-5mins till the soles of your feet are have softened.
- Next, dry your feet of slight on the towel. Transfer the towel to the table or surface that you are going to put your feet up on. Coat, one foot at a time in the foot mask and put them up on the towel. This will help to soften the hardened skin on places the heel even more and put your feet up will help with circulation.
- Leave on for 5mins. This will give you a change to sit back and relax.
- When the time is up put your feet back into the water and gentle rince of the mask and pat your feet dry.
- Next, squeeze an almond size amount of foot exfoliatir onto the palm of your hand and rub in circular motions all over your feet. Both top and bottom. Then take the pumice stone and work over the particularly rough and areas. Then use the nail brush to clean any and all dirty from the tops and under the toenails. Rinse of and pat dry.
- Next take a generous amount of lotion and slather all over your feet and put them up to soak in all the moisture.
- So now that you have rubbed and scrubbed your feet its time to focus on your toenails. Start by swiping each nail with some nail polish remover to get rid of any lotion.
- Next rub cuticle oil at the base of all of your toe nails. Take your orange stick and gently push back your cuticles. You don't have to do this step but I personally think that it makes the pedicure look more professional and polished.
- Next either put cotton wool between your toes or use toe dividers. Make sure that the cuticle oil has been absorbed before applying your base coat.
- Start with a base coat of clear polish. Apply in three strokes, starting in the middle of the nail and then then one on each side. Be careful not to get polish on the skin surrounding the toes. If you do simple take an ear bud soaked in acetone and remove it.
- Once the base coat is dry its time to paint on your chosen colour polish. Apply in the same manner using three stokes starting in the center. Apply one coat, wait for it to dry and then apply another. Two coats are necessary to give areally clean and polished look at and to build color and fill in any mistakes.
- Really fun things to do are to paint your nails a single color and then use different colours to paint small dots, flowers or patterns ontop for a really fun pedicure.
- Once you have completed painting and it has dried completely, its time to apply the top coat or bonder which bonds all the layers of polish together and protects your pedi from getting scrached or chippping.
- Lastly make sure that any polish that got onto the surrounding skin is cleaned up with a soak earbud and once your top coat is completely dry you are ready to rock all that fabulous summer footwear!
Have an inspirational day
*eLLa*
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