As a result of all this fantastic sunshine most parts of the UK have been enjoying lately, I have noticed a disturbing rise of two surprising words on Twitter: trotters and hooves. Yep, that's how women have been referring to their winter feet. Ladies! It doesn't have to be that way. You don't have to be the woman wearing biker boots as the only alternative to displaying heels so horrible and cracked they'd be the envy of any self respecting farm animal. Nor do you have to spend a fortune on pedicures and potions to get your tootsies in tip-top condition.
I have both a total loathing of a) horrible hard heels and b) spending money on pedicures. Living in Wales means I don't get about in flip-flops very often but I take pride in being able to bare my feet in public if necessary. Don't let the British summer take you by surprise. Follow these steps and your feet will be worth of baring in Clarks Scent Flower summer wedges all year round.
 |
| Clarks Scent Flower Coral Suede Wedges. Gorgeous, aren't they. |
1) Pumice
Every time you have a shower, give your feet a quick pumice. Focus on your heels and the ball of your foot just underneath your big toe. This is where skin tends to thicken the most but a quick rub with something like this will help stop that from happening. Rub the sides as well as the base of your feet, but don't go crazy - it's not supposed to hurt.
If you need something a little more robust than just a pumice, get yourself a PedEgg. They cost around a tenner and you can buy them where you get JML products (eg: Boots, Asda, and www.jmldirect.com). It looks scarily like a cheese grater and gently files off dead skin to leave your feet soft and smooth.
3) Moisturise
Regular moisturising is the key to keeping your skin soft. I just use my normal body moisturiser. At the moment it's E45 because I am currently Bzzing* it, so I have been given two bottles for free. I use the regular (white) E45 moisturiser at night because, while it feels nice and rich, it doesn't sink in that quickly. I use the purple (Nourish and Restore) version in the morning because it absorbs quickly and smells lovely. If my feet a really dry I'll slather them at night and put socks on when I go to bed. A bottle costs around £4.50 but a little goes a long way and since you can use it on your whole body it's good value.
4. Prepare and polish
Even if you don't wear polish on your toenails you should still keep them trimmed and tidy. I use cuticle clippers and a cotton bud dipped in vitamin E (or olive) oil to keep the cuticles neat and pushed back. I clip or file my nails straight across before polishing them the same way I do my nails (base coat, two coats of colour, top coat). While my fingernails are usually pretty conservative, I tend to go a bit brighter with my toenails. Hey, it's summer after all! Even though I rarely paint my toenails in winter, I still keep them pretty tidy because it's easier than starting from scratch when I want pretty toes.
That's it! Keeping your feet in good nick only takes a few minutes a day but it means you'll never be that woman beautifully dressed with fantastic shoes that is being completely let down by her trotters.
Now all I need to do is sort my winter-white legs and I'm ready to bare some skin.
*Being a BzzAgent means I get stuff for free to try every now and then, like the E45 cream. The words and review are entirely my own. Find out more about Bzzing at www.bzzagent.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment