Beauty / Chappal Chic: At Home Beauty Tips For Fabulous Feet

Chappal Chic: At Home Beauty Tips For Fabulous Feet

Beauty Aug 13, 2019

by Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

Whether it’s for summer soirees or winter weddings, we always have a reason (and a season) to wear sandals. Whether they be strappy stilettos or fabulous flats, the need to keep our feet looking fierce is a concern year-round. This summer is all about the sexy chappal but as it draws to a close … how do we transition our feet into fall’s tender tootsies? Read on to find out some key at home beauty tips or fabulous feet!

Summer is a tough season for beauty. We are on full display and we want to look our best but who wants to spend their time grooming? At the start of the season we perform pedicures with military discipline but as the days became humid, let’s face it, that discipline melted like kulfi.

Now, as I look down at my fully battered and completely worn feet, I lament that I did not treat them with respect. The dry heels look exceptionally white against my darkened skin, and my nails are far from a perfect “10”. Even though my chappals are being returned to their boxes, I do not want ever to be referred to as “hammer toes”… so what can we do to resurrect our feet from the sand dunes of summer?

ACE THE BASE

Remove your nail polish using a gentle, acetone-free nail polish remover such as Vitry Extra-Mild Polish Remover because during the summer, the nail plates (commonly referred to as the nails) are likely to have been exposed to damaging UV rays and injured during bouts of increased activity. The intensity of environment has likely weakened the nails, so they must be treated gently from heel to toe. I use a regular cotton pad to wipe them until the varnish is removed.

**At Home Beauty Tips For Fabulous Feet: Vitry Extra-Mild Polish Remover.** Photo Credit: www.vitry.com

GET IN SHAPE

I shape my nails using a high-grade file such as Butter London Banana File. The concave shape makes it easy to hold against the nail, and the grade is tough enough to file down the nail but not so much as to induce micro tears. The trick is to shape the nails by filing in one direction, because a back-and-forth motion can leave nails ragged. A strong unidirectional stroke files the nail gently and reduces friction in the delicate area.

LIFTING THE DEAD

Apply a cuticle removal product such as Butter London Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator around the edge of the nail. This type of product loosens the white dead skin that clings to rims of the nails.

Remove the hardened skin on the heels, toes and arches. There are several methods and I confirm that the at-home foot shaver is awful! Initially, it feels amazing as you watch your dead skin get shaved off like parmigiano. However if you cut slightly too much, your feet will bleed profusely, and it is difficult to walk for a few days. Foot beauty is important but not that important!

I found two methods that are considerably less risky and still produce smooth results. I love using the Revlon Pedi-Expert™ on my dry feet. I usually stroke it slowly to-and-fro on all over, adding a few extra strokes on my heels. I am always equal parts disgusted and fascinated, as I empty the compartment that catches the dead skin – there is so much!I then use my Vitry Electric Foot Rasp to smooth out the feet. The machine is an electronic foot rasp, in which the rasps are shaped like rollers, which you glide over the areas where the surface is rough. The rollers turn quickly so it flattens out bumps like a Zamboni and leaves a perfect surface.

SLIPPERY WHEN WET

Fill in a tub with warm water and add in a few drops of a relaxing essential oil such as lavender. Remember that essential oils should always have their Latin name printed on the label because this is a signal that it is a true oil that has not been mixed with synthetic fragrances. I suggest adding several droplets of the Aveda Lavender Essential Oil + Base to the tub because it is designed to be applied directly to the skin. Remember that some types of oils need to be applied using a base oil, otherwise your skin will be irritated. Let your feet soak in the water and while they are immersed, start to remove the loosened dead skin, using an orange wood stick. The trick is to trace the rims of your nails to remove the loosened dead skin. The trick is to remove the dead skin with tiny, quick pushes so that you lift it without traumatizing the nail.

FINAL SAW DOWN

Remove one foot from the bath and dry it. Afterwards, take a scoop of a grainy exfoliator such as Clarins Tonic Body Polisher with Essential Oils and massage it into the top of the foot using broad circles. I like this product because the grains are a mixture of sugar and sea salt, which dissolve upon contact with water which prevents the drain from being clogged. Moreover, these grains are gentler on the skin than crushed apricot shells which drag and cause micro tears. Once you are done massaging one foot, return it to the tub, and then repeat the massage on the other foot.

Always rinse your feet with cool water, making sure to massage between the toes to remove the oils. One the feet are thoroughly washed, pat them dry with a towel.

HYDRATE TO HEAVEN

Use a rich foot cream such as Arbonne Botaniques Coconut Body Butter which uses shea butter and coconut oil to hydrate the skin. I take a healthy dollop of the body butter and baste a foot with same. I then massage the top side of the foot as I did in sixth step and for the underside, I form a fist with the opposite hand, and knead it. I also press the body butter into each toe by using the pointer finger and thumb of the opposite hand to press it in from the base to nail tip. The three types of massage return vigour to the feet.

PEDICURE TIPS

I prepare the nails for a pedicure by using a preparatory product such as OPI Chip Skip to dry the surface so that subsequent coats of product will adhere properly.

I apply a strengthening base coat to reinforce the nails. As I mentioned in the first step, the nails have endured a lot over the course of a summer, and a product such as Butter London Horse Power™ Nail Rescue Basecoat helps because its combination of Horsetail Extract, Biotin, Vitamin B and Calcium, restore the nails’ strength. After waiting two minutes, I then apply two coats of my varnish.

I seal my pedicure with a UV-protectant top coat such as Butter London Hardwear™ Shine UV Topcoat. Remember, even though the nails are tougher than the skin, they are vulnerable to UV damage and weaken with repeated exposure to the sun. Fall is still around the corner so for as long as your feet are exposed to the sun, protect the nails.

**At Home Beauty Tips For Fabulous Feet. Butter London Hardwear™ Shine UV Topcoat.** Photo Credit: www.butterlondon.ca

SOLE-FUL THOUGHTS

Our feet connect us to the Earth and propel us to our dreams. They deserve as much respect and tenderness as or face and neck. The above 10 steps, repeated at least twice a month as fall’s chill sets in will give your feet life from now through September and beyond!

Main Image Photo Credit: www.nailpro.com

Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

Author

Meena (@meenalaregina) always loved the idea of exploring the non-conventional idea of beauty. Having grown up as a pimply chubby teenager, she wanted to see the change in the world that best reflected your uniqueness as well. Her well-received collection of blogs where she tries on various beauty p...

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Chappal Chic: At Home Beauty Tips For Fabulous Feet

by Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

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