By treating your feet carefully and also properly at least once a week, it can not only work out a much cheaper option but is also more efficent that sitting in crowded salons with no air conditioning in 33 degree heat.
If your anything like me you'll spend most of your weekends and at least 3 days of the week running around like a headless hoofer on every errand possible, therefore it' really is essential your feet get some type of care.
Once a week I make sure my feet undertake a pedicure, even if its just soaking them in an babyoil and water combo for 10 minutes, but for you lovely ladies (and men!) who are abit lost on the 'how do you do it' idea I've decided to show you how I 'go about' my pedicure each week , Gok Wan spec's ready? Kettle on?...okay let's go..
Firstly you'll probably need the following:
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The Body Shop Nail buffer- £2 - I've tried a variety of nail buffers, the most expensive being around £40 , but after buying this one I have never gone back, its by far the best one I've ever used!.
Johnsons Baby Oil - £1.50 - £3.99 - If its good enough for baby's skin it's good enough for mine!, this suits a variety of skin types, and if like me you prefer unscented oils is better than even some of the most expensive body oils!.
Boots Exfoliant file - £2.50 - This isn't one of the best foot files I've ever tried, it's probably better if you dont have extremely dry heels, however it leaves your skin amazingly soft!.
Tesco Nail Polish Remover- £2.19 - I've tried a number of varnish removers, but I've found this one to be fabulously good for the price! ( Hooray for budget polish removers!)
Marks and Spencer 'Shocking Raspberry bath salts - £2.00 - I bought these to use in the bath but I find them easier to use when soaking my feet due to the crystals being slightly smaller than normal, These come in a variety of colours and smell wonderful!. ( And feel rather nice on your skin too! )
John Lewis Wooden 'Natural' Nail Brush- £4.99 - I don't spend alot on nail brushes, but this one was definately worth the pricetag!, It has natural bristles so doesn't hurt when brushing, brushes thoroughly and I'm definately going to be buying one of these again!.
Superdrug Nail File - £2.99 pack of 5 - I'm an absaloutely huge fan of superdrug and quite frankly I can't leave the shop without buying something, These nail files are quite bendy when your using them, but they file well without splitting the nail , bargain!.
Firstly you'll need to start by removing any old nail polish from your toenails, this can be done by blotting a cottonwool pad with nail polish remover and gently rubbing at the surface of your nails.
After trying out numerous foot spa's I decided to call it quits and go back to tradition with the ole basic bowl of warm water , I always find it easier to soak my feet during the evening, as I know I probably won't be darting off somewhere in an abrupt hurry, plus the best programme's are always on!, I'll then pour a generous ( although not too generous unless your planning on slipping around for the rest of the evening) amount of baby oil in with warm water and add a few scoops of bath salt's into the bowl, (Do excuse my rather bluntness! ..my bad! ) these should gradually start to dissolve and the various amount left over is a great exfoliant for all the tricky hard to get to places' on the undersides of your feet!. Now you can 'dunk' as they say with great enthusiam, your tootsies into the bowl and soak for around 5-10 minutes! :)
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| Be sure to keep a clean towel next to to bowl to avoid any overspill! |
You'll then need a nail brush to scuff away any dirt around the toenails and toes, These are commonly avaliable with 2 sides consisting of a 'soft thick bristled side' and a 'harder bristled thin side' ...I find wooden brushes with natural bristles are much more efficent and effective as they tend to be more gentle on the skin whilst doing a better job at the same time. The 'soft thick bristled side ' should be used to gently scuff around the toe and toenail area whilst the 'harder thin bristled side' should be used around the heel ,ends,and ball of the foot.
Once done, your feet can then be lifted onto a towel, and lightly dried, you can begin to gentle file the heels of your feet using the footfile, for this you may need to concentrate on the areas that are mainly used the most, ( woohoo for soft feet!) such as the balls of your feet and the edges of your heels. ( dryness tends to be more common here! ) , Once you've done this smother in an optional moisturiser, this will 'lock in the moisture within your skin.
''The key to healthy nails is strength and structure'' if your toe nail's are long/broken or uneven, use a nail clipper to straighten out the edges , and shape with a file, the best and most commonly advised nail shape is straight across, as shaping a curve will cause the nail to grow wider ,result? = ingrown toenails.
Sticking to a natural straight edge will not only look better, but will be more beneficial or your nail growth.
Once shapened, gently buff the surface of your nail with a nail buffer, these have two sides, one with 2 different colours ( these are used seperately) and one colour on the other. The nail should be buffed with the roughest textured colour, then softened with the other colour, the full length colour can be used to file off any left over nail and polished to a natural shine.Buffing removes the old worn out nail coating and reveals a fresh new coat underneath, this should only be done every 3 -4 weeks, overbuffing can weaken the nail and cause it to break easily and become flimsy.
Now for the good bit! (Although not always so much if your male! sorry guys! :]) paint each nail with a clear basecoat (this protects the nail from being stained by the varnish ) and once dry you can apply your chosen 'Couleur' to your nails.
Hope this has eased your situation!
Toodaloo moofoo!
x
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