Home Pedicure: 10 Steps to Tip Top Toes

Our products may be amazing but they can only look as good as the foot they adorn. To make your feet look their best by giving yourself a pedicure.

1. Using nail polish remover, take off any old polish. To avoid all the rubbing, hold a cotton ball soaked with remover on your nail for 10 seconds and then wipe. This helps loosen the polish and it comes off much easier.

2. Trim and file your nails to the desired shape and length. Try to file in one direction at a time, it helps prevent splitting.

3. Soak feet in some warm sudsy water for a few minutes to soften the cuticles. Adding some nice aromatherapy oils or using a scented soap makes the experience even better! If you're giving yourself a pedicure, try an exfoliating scrub to get rid of any callouses.

Aromatherapy products, soaps and skin care products for your pedicure can be found in salons, health food stores, herb shops, various specialty shops, grocery stores and beauty supply stores.

Try adding your favorite bubble bath to the warm water or dropping some scented herbs or petals into it.

4. Clean nails with a nail brush to remove any dirt.

5. Put on some good cuticle softener/remover and let sit for a few minutes. (Follow the directions on your cuticle product of choice.)

6. Use the tip of an orange stick (available in most drug stores and beauty supply stores) covered in cotton to GENTLY push back the cuticles. Now, when we say gently, we mean it! If it hurts, you're doing it wrong! Remember, you aren't supposed to be cutting your cuticles either.

7. Now massage some moisturizer into your feet and let it soak in. This would be a good time for some cuticle oil as well.

8. Before you go to polish you need to wash your feet or the polish won't adhere properly. Some nail technicians will moisten a cotton ball with polish remover or alcohol and just rub the surface of the nail. This removes excess oils that may keep the nail polish from sticking.

9. Apply a base coat and let dry.

10. Now apply 2 coats of polish (not too thick!). Let each coat dry for at least 4 minutes in between.

Now you're done! Remember to allow ample drying time or you'll end up messing up your hard work and having to start over again. Once the polish is dry, it's time to apply decals or put on your diamond toe ring from footcandy.