sandals shoes

Sandal season is on the horizon and that means you only have a few weeks to get those toes in bare it all beach shape. The best way to start is to get in the habit of giving your feet the attention they deserver. A at home pedicure is a terrific way to help your feet greet the sun. Here’s how you can pamper your toes at home and have them ready for sandals in no time.

• Step 1: Cut, File, and Clean

  Before cutting or filing your nails make sure to remove all old nail polish. Using a quality toe nail clipper, clip your nails straight across so that they even with the tip of your toe but not extending over it. Avoid clipping the edges of your nails as is can result in painful ingrown toenails later on. After clipping your nails use an Emory board to file them. Do so in a single direction, rounding them at the corners.

  Hint: Emory boards and nail files have two sides. One side is courser and is for shaping your nails while the other is finer and works to smooth nails.

• Step 2: Warm Foot Soak

  Fill a large basin or bowl with warm water making sure to account for the water your feet will displace. Add some bath salts, Epsom salt, or essential oils to your water. You can also add about a third or a quarter cup of milk to the warm water to help loosen dry, dead skin. Grab a magazine or the remote and soak your feet for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how dry, calloused, or cracked they are.

• Step 3: Trim Cuticles

  To trim your cuticles first apply a cuticle remover or softener to each toe nail concentrating on the base. Leave on for about a minute and the push the cuticle away from the nail using a gentle circular motion. Only remove skin that is in actually on top of the nail, removing anything else will be painful.

• Step 4: Exfoliate

  Get rid of dead skin and soften healthy skin by exfoliating. Use a scrub made specifically for feet or you can use a pumice stone to achieve the same effect. Pay particular the areas of your foot that experience the most wear. That would be the balls of your feet, your heel, and around your toes, particularly the pinkie and the big toe.

• Step 5: Moisturize

  The work you just did could be basically a waste of time if you don’t moisturize. Look for a moisturizing cream made specifically to meet the needs of your feet. Don’t stop at your toes, work the moisturizers up your legs.

• Step 6: Prime for Polish

  After applying lotion and oils to your feet and toes you need to remove some of the oil from your nails in order for the polish to adhere. To do this use a cotton swab to wipe the nail and cuticle area with acetone nail polish remover. Follow this with a thin clear base coat.

• Step 7: Apply Polish

  After allowing the base coat to dry add a coat of nail polish in the color you have chosen. Generally you will want to use three even strokes to create a smooth and even appearance.

• Step 8: Apply Top Coat

  After waiting a few minutes for your color coat to dry apply a top coat to prevent chipping and extend wear time. Allow your nails at least thirty minutes to draw before subjecting them to any activity that will smudge, dent, or otherwise damage your sandal ready toes.

• Step 9: After Care

  It’s tempting to start showing your new feet right after you’re pedicure is finished but until it’s sandal time, keep them protect with quality cotton socks to help them maintain moisture and stay silky smooth.

Take care of your toes with great products from Hue. Hue specializes in ladies legwear including socks, tights, and leggings at Hue.

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