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PEDICURE TIPS

HOW TO NAIL A DIY
HOME PEDICURE

PEDICURE TIPS

HOW TO NAIL A DIY
HOME PEDICURE

No pedicure appointment? No problem! These six easy steps are all it takes to whip feet and nails into sandal-ready shape

 

1 Using pedicure tools is a quick way to help your feet and toenails look their best – glass nail files, unlike emery boards, can be used in any direction without weakening nail tips (plus, they last ages). Remember, polish stays on a smooth surface longer, so use the file flat against nails to even out bumps or ridges, too.

2 Choose a fine foot file to buff away hard skin (concentrate on the heels and balls of your feet and the edges of your toes). An exfoliating salt scrub gets between toes – use on dry heels and soles to maximise its scrubbing power, then rinse off.

3 Skin on your feet is 12 times thicker than the rest of your body, so your regular moisturiser won’t cut it. Hotfoot it to supercharged foot treatments such as L’Occitane’s shea-butter foot cream, or try Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Cream, which smells like summer holidays.

4 Now the fun part: Nail polish (find our full range in store)! Wipe away any moisturiser residue from nails then apply a base coat (non-negotiable to prevent staining). If your first coat of nail varnish looks patchy, don’t stress – a second coat will even it out nicely. Noticed pesky bubbles in previous pedis? Instead of shaking the bottle to mix it, tip it upside down and roll between palms.

5 Shaky hands? Fix mistakes with this neat tip – after painting each toe, dip an angled make-up brush into nail polish remover and trace it around nails to clean up any polish that’s spread onto skin. Perfectly painted toes are the ideal complement to this season’s most-wanted sandals.

6 Instead of tip-toeing around, use Leighton Denny’s quick-drying miracle mist to seriously speed things up. To eke more mileage out of your DIY home pedi, keep Leighton Denny’s crystal top coat on standby – it glides on easily to leave a super-hard, protective shield. You’ll find Leighton Denny nail products in your local store.

Words: Dulcie Emerson

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