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All the latest news from the world of beauty |
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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.
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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 past 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.
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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 marvelous 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.
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If you're 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!
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