Warm, Aromatherapy Soak
Start by filling the tub or water basin with warm (not hot) water to soak your feet in. Add your favorite aromatherapy oils or bath salts for added revelation. You can also create your own mixture using kitchen basics such as peppermint oil and milk. Or if you’re short on time, you can skip the soaking, a plan your pedicure for immediately following a bath or shower. The key is to soften your skin so that it’s easier to exfoliate.
Out with the Old
While the water is filling up, remove any old nail polish from your toes. Alcohol- and acetone-free removers are often less drying to your skin and nails but any old nail polish remover will do.
Next up, take ten minutes to allow your feet to soak. Grab a good book and a tasty beverage, put on your favorite album and take this time to relax.
Exfoliate
After a good soak it’s time to exfoliate. Start by massaging a quarter-sized amount of foot scrub into your feet, starting at the heels and working up to the toes and ankles. Next take a wet pumice stone and lightly scrape the bottoms of your feel in a back-and-forth motion. Be gentle. The point is to remove dead skin and smooth down any callouses, not to scrape the feet until they’re raw.
Trim, Moisturize and Start the Base Coat
Now that your feet are feeling fresh it’s time to turn to the nails. Trim your toe nails straight across, smooth the edges with an emery board and gently push back your cuticles with an orange wood stick.
Before you paint your toes, take a quarter-sized dollop of moisturizer and work it into your feet in a circular motion. Grab a base coat, top coat, and vibrant, fun nail polish color and use toe separators to prepare your canvas.
Tip: weaving a rolled up paper-towel between your toes is a great inexpensive alternative to purchasing foam toe separators.
Choose Your Color and Top It Off
Once your base coat has been applied and dried, start applying the colored polish at the center of each nail out towards the tip followed by an additional stroke on either side until each nail is covered. Allow about five minutes for the first coat to dry before apply an additional coat if necessary. Help prevent chipping by finishing off with a top coat. Use an orange wood stick dipped in nail polish remover to fix any mistakes and remove any excess polish.
Allow the polish to dry & voila – happy feet!
Bio: Beth Smedinghoff is a content writer for Socks4Life where she blogs about the latest fashion and beauty trends. Her favorite winter trend is pairing women’s knee socks and boots but secretly can’t wait to show off her new pedicure. When she’s not blogging, she’s always trying out new DIY fashion and beauty tips.
