|
|
|
Beauty News
At
this time of year its worth taking a look at your
feet!
We all love our strappy sandals and Birkenstocks but
are our feet really up to scrutiny?
They're been stuck in socks, boots and trainers over
the winter and unless you were really good in the
spring and treated your feet, then now's the time
to start your foot pampering routine. Firstly hard,
rough skin never looks good so start with a rough
skin remover.
|
|
|
If
they're not too bad than a decent exfoliator
should be enough but don't be too impatient.
Don't scrub away until feet are sort, just do
it more often, each time you shower for instance.
If you have really stubborn hard skin build
up you'll need to buy a product designed particularly
for this purpose - there are plenty of good
ones on the market.
You should use a good quality moisturiser after
any type of skin removal but using a thick layer
of super-rich cream overnight will really make
a difference but you'll need to be persistent
and use it every night. Try O'Occitanes Shea
Butter Foot Cream which is really rich or anything
that contains cocoa butter.
If you can be bothered and don't mind a mess
you could try an oat foot scrub - just mix a
cupful of porridge oats with a tablespoon of
caster sugar and massage into wet feet over
a bowl until a thick paste is achieved. It is
messy but really does soften the skin marvelously.
Leave the paste on for 15 mins then rinse off,
pat dry and follow an oatmeal moisture cream
such as Aveeno - an excellent cream that is
suitable for all skin types including very sensitive.
|
|
|
Once you have the skin in good condition, its time
to pay attention to the nails. They will have benefited
from the repeated moisturisation as toe nails are
particularly prone to dehydration, causing hardening
of the nail.
Always trim toe-nails after bathing as they are prone
to snapping if you clip them when they are cold, causing
snagging and rough edges. Toe-nails really benefit
and can look lovely when treated with a buffing
system.
Always remember to buff gently as over-buffing causes
friction and can make nails quite sore. Easy does
it then follow with a coat of clear polish for a natural
look. It can be fun to use more daring colours on
the toe nails - vibrant fuscias look fab as does park
plum, but remember to wear a base coat to avoid staining
and always keep your colour tip-top.
|
 |
|
Nothing looks more unkempt than tatty, chipped nail
polish on toes as well as fingers so keep up with
the colour regularly. If you know you don't have time
to maintain a vibrant colour, then choose a more forgiving
pearly white or pink shade that will look really pretty
with white summer sandals or jewelled toe-posts.
If your toe nails are in poor condition, try a strengthening
from Pro-Strong or one of the OPI conditioning treatments.
Dig out that Foot Spa that's been lingering at the
back of the cupboard for months and use it! If you
add an aromatherapy bath product (Boots do a beautiful
range) it will really feel like an indulgence. Always
follow up with a foot cream and if you're prone to
hot, sweaty feet look out for ones that contain mint,
or a gel moisturizer that will hydrate without being
greasy (SBC do a fantastic range of gels that can
be mixed together to solve many problems).
Now that your feet are in tip-top condition show them
off. There are some beautiful jewelled sandals around
this season, or try a pretty ankle bracelet or even
have some nail art done on your toes to draw attention
to all the effort you've put in!
|
|
|
|
