Monday, April 1, 2013

DIY Pedicure

Who doesn't love a good pedicure? But man, getting those things done on a semi-regular basis can really add up. You don't need any fancy foot bath or anything like I have--a bucket, one of those plastic sink tubs, or the bathroom tub itself will work just fine for what you need. That being said, I will show you how I do my at home pedicures, which I try to do about every other week (if I am lucky!) Especially after wearing boots all winter long, I have a serious case of the "winter feet." Winter feet are pale and never see the light of day!

Materials:
-a towel
-basin for soaking feet in
-nail clippers
-nail file
-cuticle stick
-pumice stone
-nail brush
-foot lotion (mint is a good one!)
-foot soak (or a liquid soap of any kind)
-clear nail polish
-color nail polish
-toe separaters

1. Fill up a basin with warm water. Add a little bit of foot soak (the one I have is lavender). Let your feet soak for about 10 minutes.



2. Use the nail brush to gently brush your toe nails at the tip using a left to right motion.This is to remove any dirt from under the nails. Notice my red feet--that water was HOT (but that's how I like it!)


3. Use the pumice stone to scrub the dead skin off of the foot, focusing particularly on areas that are hard and calloused, like the heels, sides, and bottoms of the toes.


4. Generously apply a foot lotion and massage it into your skin from toe to heel. I use mint because mint tends to not only feel tingly and clean, but is also deodorizing, which is a fun bonus.


5. Use the cuticle stick to push the cuticles down on each nail. Gently trim the cuticles with a nail clippers, if needed.

6. Clip toenails if they are long, and file them. Make sure when you file that you don't use a back and forth motion, because doing that actually makes the nail raggedy. File in one direction only to smooth sharp corners.

7. Use toe separaters to separate toes for painting.


8. Apply a coat of clear nail polish or undercoat. Allow to dry thoroughly, at least 15 minutes. Do not apply the next coat if the nail is still wet or tacky.

9. Next, apply a coat of nail polish in the color of your choice. Allow to dry thoroughly, at least 15 minutes.


10. Apply a second coat of the nail polish. Allow to dry thoroughly, at least 15 minutes.

11. Finish by applying one more coat of clear nail polish, to prevent chips from happening. YOu can remove any paint on your skin using nail polish remover. I usually take a shower and gently scratch it off in the warm water with my fingernail.


12. Ta-da! Beautiful toes, beautiful feet. Now isn't that nice? Your feet (and wallet) thank you.

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