At-Home Pedicure Products

[me in O.P.I by Sephora Nail Colour in Hi Def]

It’s flip flop season! OK it’s unfair of me to write that because, well, in south Florida, EVERY season is flip flop season... But that makes it all the more important to take care of your tootsies!

I’ll be honest, I have gross feet. At least according to some people I know. Other people think they look like... feet! And feet are kinda gross to begin with, right? Well, not if I can help it.

I have been making more of an effort lately to have cute feet. I blame it on my first pedicure experience: I had just moved to Florida and I decided to, for the first time in my life, get a pedicure. Well, apparently my feet resembled something like a rotting carcass because you should have seen the horror on that poor woman’s face when she was scrubbing away at my heels. It was a mixture of fear, disgust and fury all in one little facial expression [In my defense, I had just moved to Florida 2 days before in the middle of the harsh NY winter and Manhattan is a pedestrian city = lots of walking! Plus, as a broke kid working 2 jobs, I just didn’t have money or time for a mani / pedi mmkay?] She then reprimanded me in her accented English by yelling “What happen to you feet! Why they look like this!” Embarrassing, yes - after all she did shame me for having nasty hooves, but you know what? She helped me see the light. So to that I say thank you, petite, angry woman at the nail salon. It is because of you that I never let my feet see the light of day without scrubbing, buffing and putting copious amounts of baby oil on them so the gleam as if they have been blessed by the baby Jesus himself.

If you’re like me and want to save yourself some embarrassment by going to the nail salon, try these at-home foot care products that helped make my puppies less cringe inducing:

Pumice Rock
I prefer a pumice rock to foot files because they seem to smooth stubborn, cracked, dry heels better. To me, files are more for calluses and can sometimes rip the skin on your heels which doesn’t make the peeled skin go away any faster, it just makes it more noticeable, but the rocks are good for this. They remove the air bubbles without leaving too much excess skin behind and they’re good for the whole foot and the sides. Plus, they last forever (1+ years if you care for them well or aren't grossed out by having one for that long).

Freeman’s BareFoot Creamy Pumice Foot Scrub
I like that this one is affordable, has a yummy scent and is purple! I know, being purple is not a valid enough reason to recommend something, but what can I say! I love purple! Anyway, back to the scrub: It’s less abrasive than some other scrubs I’ve tried, but it still has those little beads that exfoliate nicely. But if you need a heavy duty scrub session on a budget, I’d use this with a pumice rock, not just on its own. If you just want a nice daily scrub to help keep your foot situation from getting out of control, this stuff is great!   

Earth Therapeutics Foot Repair Balm
I’m still trying to coax my boyfriend into adopting “foot massage Sundays” with me but so far he’s not biting. I still have hope that it will catch on. This cream is a very important ingredient for foot massages. Though not as thick as the True Blue Spa’s Shea Butter foot creme, it still makes your feet feel nourished, smooth and less ugly looking. The only thing I’ll warn about is that it can tend to flake when using it. You might notice a few beads of cream forming on your hand when massaging it in. If you don’t care about that, then I recommend checking it out!

 

True Blue Spa’s The Model Pedicure
By far my favorite pedicure kit because it has all the tools you’d need for about $25: It has a pumice rock, a nail file, clippers, a base coat / top coat polish, a foot scrub and a really thick Shea butter cream for your feet that has saved me a number of times. It also includes other things like that piece of squiggly foam you put in between your toes so you don’t ruin your nails when painting them, plus other items that I can’t remember at the moment. It’s got about everything you need to do your nails and toes at home and the kit lasts a long time. I’ve been on the same kit for about 2+ years (I realize that this may be considered gross, but I don't care).
  
Fun, Summery Nail Polish
China Glaze, OPI and Sally Hansen all have really fun summer colors. If you can’t find any of those brands near you, look for bright colors like blues, corals and my new obsession, yellows! Also recommended, E.L.F., Revlon and Sinful Colors.
[photo source: Beauty Product Junkie wearing O.P.I.'s The It Color]