After a long day at work or running around after your little ones, what could use more pampering than your feet? If you don't have time to run down to the salon for a quick foot pick-me-up, head down to your local drugstore and get a pedicure kit. Pedicure kits feature all the basics and are great starter pedi-systems. Kits are sold at retailers such as Target and Walgreens, or you can even purchase online for roughly $30.
A decent pedicure at the salon should cost about the same and let's face it. It's great to be pampered and let someone else do the work. I'd recommend going in for a little YOU time at least once a month, but if you can't get down to the salon here's a few helpful pointers to get the most out of your pedicure products.
Soak
Soak your foot in warm water to your liking for three to ten minutes. You can either add a handful of your favorite salts or you can opt for lavender and olive oil. Tip: When searching for "bath salts" online, you may encounter quite a bit of information regarding bath salts as an abused substance. Instead, hop on Amazon.com or any other major online retailer to skip the drama.
Exfoliate
Pat your feet dry with a towel. Use a dry foot file or pumice stone to remove dead skin cells on your feet. You can also use olive oil and sea salt as a scrub. The Body Shop sells a Peppermint Cooling Pumice Foot Scrub for $14 that just may be a great combo of the two. Pay close attention to rough or dry areas. This task should take about three minutes to complete.
Trim and File
In approximately four minutes, you should be able to trim or file your nails straight across. If clipping, use a straight edged clipper. Use three separate cuts on each nail as clipping the whole nail at once can result in clipping too close to the skin. Smooth out the edges with a fine grit nail filer. Crystal nail files can be bought at almost any drug store for about $3. OPI's crystal nail file can be purchased online for about $4.50.
Moisturize
Use a rich, oil-based cream on your entire foot. Give extra attention to problems areas like your heels and pad of your foot. For this portion of your pedicure, enlist the help of your other half. It'll just take a minute!
Polish and Dry
Almost done! Soak a cotton ball or pad in polish remover and clean off the foot cream from each of your toe nails. Apply a base coat, two coats of your favorite nail color, and a chip-resistant top coat. Wait at least fifteen minutes and remember to wear open toed shoes! It can take at least two hours for your painted piggies to completely dry, but you can speed up the process by using a quick dry solution. OPI polishes are fantastic, but at the very least I'd recommend purchasing the OPI Drip Dry Lacquer Drying Drops for $24. Time saver!
Now that you've completed all the "steps" above, it's time for the final task in our pedicure process. SHOE SHOPPING! Enjoy!
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