Easy At-Home Pedicure Tips, Because Nobody’s Got Time for the Nail Salon
Originally posted on April 25, 2016
Picture this: It’s 75 degrees out and the sun is shining. Hell yeah, you’re going to wear sandals! But first: your feet. If you’ve managed to keep them in sandal shape all winter long, congratulations! Seriously, you deserve some kind of award. But for the rest of us, here’s exactly how to get your feet ready to bare in public this spring-without blowing half your shoe-shopping budget at the nail salon.
Start in the shower
Your shower basically acts like a makeshift steam room, which helps soften the layers of dead skin on your feet-making it the perfect time to tackle that said dead skin. “When you’re in the shower, use an exfoliating scrub after washing your feet,” says celebrity manicurist Honey. If you’re suffering from serious calluses, celebrity manicurist (and founder of the eponymous nail brand) Deborah Lippmann suggests even stashing a foot file in the shower and using it to slough off dead skin twice a week. We’re fans of the SpaRitual Eco Foot File ($35, beauty.com). Once you’re out of the shower, follow up with a foot cream like Deborah Lippmann Steppin’ Out Foot Cream ($34,nordstrom.com). If you’re planning on polishing your toenails afterward, Honey recommends buffing a moisturizing oil such as Julep Essential Cuticle Oil ($18, julep.com) into your nails. “The oil acts like a moisturizer and treatment, and oil penetrates the skin more quickly than lotion,” she explains.
Step away from the clippers unless it’s really necessary
The thing about nail clippers is that they can double as a weapon. Okay, not really-but they can definitely hurt if you get enthusiastic. If you’re using one to trim your toenails, be careful not to cut them right where the dead nail begins. “Cutting toenails too short leads to a higher chance of developing an ingrown nail,” warns Honey. If you can get away with it, just work with a nail file instead and follow the natural shape of the toe. “Round, square, everyone’s toes are shaped differently,” she adds. Chances are, your nails aren’t even long enough to merit a clipper to begin with.
Go easy on the polish
Raise your hand if your “pedicure” usually consists of you haphazardly dabbing a dot of polish onto each toenail while you’re watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Great, so we’re in good company! “Most women make the mistake of trying to do thicker coats of polish so that they get the color as it appears in the bottle in a single application,” explains Lippmann. “But you end up over-polishing your nails, slowing down the entire application process and making the polish more prone to chipping.” Instead, use just three strokes per nail-at most-and do only two layers, waiting two minutes in between so each coat has a chance to dry. You’ll get longer wear out of it-plus, it’ll dry faster. For more smart nail polish moves, avoid these sneaky mistakes.
Maintain all that hard work
If you’re diligent about taking care of your feet, you won’t have to shell out for another pedicure the rest of the summer (you can if you want, of course, but DIY-ing it is an easy way to save money). Once a week, “apply cuticle oil all over the feet, apply foot cream, and then put on some socks,” says Lippmann. Wear it overnight and you’ll wake up to smoother, softer feet-no elbow grease (or last-minute trip to the salon) required.
Your worst-case-scenario backup plan
If you’re too tight on time to pull out all the stops with a pedicure, the fastest way to get your feet in good shape is to just buff the nails. “Skipping the polish saves time, but proper buffing will still give you a super-high-gloss finish,” explains Lippmann, who recommends the Smooth Operator 4-Way Buffer ($12, sephora.com) from her nail care line. Then go for sandals that won’t show your beaten-up soles. (A few of our favorites for spring, here!)
And in case you need to do your makeup quickly too, watch how to get a full look in only five minutes: