Pedicure Regime

 

I have a beauty sin to confess. *Hand over heart* I, Sunny from ACA, am atrociously lazy when it comes to painting my toenails. For me, the constant bending over is a gruelling experience and when the toenails need a trim and a new lick of paint, nine times out of ten I will pretending I didn't notice. Oops. This can go on for weeks on end, which then turn into months... you get the idea. It's time to get my toenails in shape with my once-in-a-blue-moon pedicure regime.

Prep.
I think the prep is just as, if not more important, than the polish itself. My constant boot wearing leaves my feet in a not-so-cute state most of the time so it's crucial to get on down with a foot treatment to get my tootsies in shape. I begin with a hot foot bath with a Body Shop Peppermint Foot Fizzies tablet popped into the water which soaks my feet and makes it easier for the next round of foot care. When the water begins to go cool, I deem it a long enough soak and get scrubbing with a foot file. I have a Manicare Foot File but any brand with do, and I like to scrub the heels, balls of the feet, and any other patches that need a little scrubbin'. 

Next, some TLC for my feet: a foot mask. I don't use any particular foot treatment- the Body Shop has an offering from their Hemp range, but I just stick to my favourite Hemp Hand Protecter. I slather this on generously and pop some socks on for a few hours while it socks in- cue two hour internet browsing sesh- and my feet feel darn soft after this step.

It's now time to get the old, chipped polish off. My nail polish remover of choice is the Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover as it's not too harsh but also doesn't require a back-breaking effort to remove the offending polish. 

Now for the tricky part- cutting. I have always struggled with the shape of my toenails. After countless painful ingrown toenails and three that have been completely removed on the operating table in a desperate attempt to solve the problem, I find my toenails a confusing place. However, I have learnt over the years that I need to keep them a bit longer to avoid nasty infections, so that's my plan of attack.

Polish.
A base coat is always essential for any manicure or pedicure, so on it goes. For my toenails, I prefer a base that is a little tackier so the polish really adheres to it for a long lasting pedi. The majority of the time I reach for the Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Base Coat as it is a little thicker which also protects from staining.

While any colour under the sun (almost) can work on the fingertips, in my opinion, it's harder to select shades that suit the toenails. I tend to avoid lighter shades as I feel they do not suit my pale feet and completely wash me out so I like to apply brights or darks. At the moment, I have been obsessed with bright turquoise green shades and the Cotton On Body Nail Enamel in Ocean Green leaves the pop of colour on the toes. Yes please.

Now, it wouldn't be a completed pedicure without a topcoat for longevity and shine, and the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Ati-Chip Top Coat does what it says on the tin, leaving my toenails chip free- giving me a reason to delay my pedi regime another week or two. Oops.

If I can bring myself to do it, so can you! Break out the file, polish, and foot bath and get painting for perfect tootsies this summer. Now do tell me, what's your favourite shade for your toes?