Shopaholic: Get sandal-ready with 12 of the best products for an at-home pedicure
There’s nothing like a fresh pedicure to prep your toes for the sun, but if you don’t have the time or budget to go to a salon, you can take care of your feet at home with the right tools. Here we ask the experts for 12 of the best products for a DIY pedicure ahead of sandal season.
1. Patchology PoshPeel Pedi Treatment, €12.50, selected pharmacies
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Patchology PoshPeel Pedi Cure, €12.50, selected pharmacies
Before you start your pedicure, you may want a stronger treatment to fight calluses and calluses. Chemical foot peels have become a viral hit in recent years, offering a short-term solution with remarkably long-lasting effects.
Fiona Keogh, director of Polished Nail & Beauty in Glasnevin, likes Patchology’s: a fabric-lined sock filled with botanical extracts and glycolic, salicylic, lactic and citric acids that work together to deeply exfoliate the surface of your feet and to make softer. To use, fasten the sock around your foot and wear for 60-90 minutes, then remove and rinse. “For five to seven days, the feet just shed all the dead skin, like snake skin,” explains Fiona, noting that she only uses it once a year. “So if you have an event or you’re going on holiday, use it two or even three weeks beforehand and it’ll just all come back.” It’s the least invasive way to get rid of really hard skin and your feet are so smooth afterwards.”
2. Revlon Pediprep Foot Spa, $39.99, boots
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Revlon Pediprep foot bath, €39.99, boots
“You can use any pool to soak your feet in, or if you want luxury, buy one of these foot spas,” says Hue Hoa Thai, owner of Iris Hand and Foot Spa in Portlaoise. The Accunode basin provides a bubbly massage, while the footrest and heel pad add extra comfort. It includes detachable attachments for a pumice stone and a mechanical roller for massaging the feet and comes with a pedicure kit with a nail brush, cuticle stick, toe separators, nail file and storage pouch.
3. dr Bronners 4-in-1 Peppermint Organic Pump Soap, 13.33 €, FeelUnique.com
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dr Bronner’s 4-in-1 Peppermint Organic Pump Soap, $13.33, FeelUnique.com
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Start your pedicure by soaking your feet in warm water. It relaxes and relieves tension and softens the skin on your feet and toes, making them easier to manage. Adding Epsom salts to the water can help, or Fiona likes this four-in-one product that can also be used to wash hands, face, body and even hair. “It’s a great value and works great as a foot bath,” she says. “Peppermint is one of the main ingredients that we would use across the board for pedicures. It relieves pain in the feet, improves blood circulation and can also help prevent nail infections.”
4. Microplane Colossal Foot File, €20.95, BeautyCoutureIreland.ie
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Microplane Colossal Foot File, €20.95, BeautyCoutureIreland.ie
After soaking your feet for 10-15 minutes, dry them thoroughly with a towel. The next step is to buff off the dead, dry skin. You can choose between manual or electric foot files. For a manual device, Emma Percival, nail technician and owner of No.29 Nail Lounge in Cabinteely, recommends the Microplane. “It’s soft and gentle, yet so effective,” she says, explaining that you should gently move the file back and forth to remove calluses. “Fluffing and removing dead skin is safe to do at home, but always be careful not to remove too much as this can damage your skin and leave you vulnerable to infection.”
5. Magnitone Well Heeled 2 Express Pedicure System, €33.95, LookFantastic.ie
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Magnitone Well Heeled 2 Express Pedicure System, €33.95, LookFantastic.ie
If you prefer an electric version, Emma calls Magnitone’s “a great option”. “It gently removes dry, hard skin to soften your feet. You can choose between two dome-shaped microcrystal rollers based on your needs,” she says. “It’s rechargeable and splashproof, meaning it can be used wet or dry, which also makes it very easy to clean.”
6. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Foot Magic Scrub, $6.49, boots
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Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Foot Magic Scrub, $6.49, boots
Emma notes that a foot scrub should be part of your regular beauty routine, not just with your pedicure. “It’ll really help keep calluses at bay and keep your feet soft and smooth,” she says, noting the Palmers scrub as her favorite. “There’s gentle exfoliation while shea and cocoa butters moisturize and nourish your feet. Massage this into your feet in circular motions, spend a little more time on the rough spots, then rinse and dry thoroughly.”
7. Green Angel Seaweed and Peppermint Foot Cream, €22, Kilkenny Shop
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Green Angel Algae and Peppermint Foot Cream, €22, Kilkenny Shop
Follow the exfoliation with a rich moisturizer. For an ultra-luxe treatment, Fiona loves this Irish brand’s foot cream. “It contains Irish seaweed and pure peppermint essential oils, there are no harsh ingredients, and it’s perfect for tired, aching feet,” she says.
8. Orange stick, €3.50, Hairspray.ie
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Orange wooden stick, €3.50, Hairspray.ie
The experts advise that trimming the cuticles should be left to the professionals, as improper trimming can injure the skin and risk infection.
However, it is important that you push back your cuticles. Naomi McGettrick, nail designer and owner of Beauty Mint in Galway City, suggests using an orange wooden stick after soaking your feet or whenever you get out of the shower. “Push back your cuticles if they’re soft,” she says. “The cuticles almost hold back the growth of your nails, so when you push them back they allow the nail to grow freely. Using the orange wooden stick takes some of the deadness out of the nail, giving you a smoother surface to work with when applying nail polish and no chipping or bleeding of nail polish on the back of the nail.
9. Toenail clippers, $2.49, boots
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Toenail clippers, $2.49, boots
When shaping your nails, Hue says you should avoid scissors and opt for nail clippers instead. “Use nail clippers to trim your toenails, but don’t cut them too short as this can lead to ingrown nails,” she warns.
10. Nail file, $1.49, boots
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Nail file, €1.49, boots
“After using the nail scissors, you can use a file to shape the nails,” says Hue. A straight shape is the safest way to prevent ingrown nails.
11. CND Stickey Base Coat, €25.95, BeautyCoutureIreland.ie and CND Vinylux polish, €11.95, Millies.ie
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CND Sticky Base Coat, €25.95, BeautyCoutureIreland.ie and CND Vinylux Polish, €11.95, Millies.ie
Naomi notes that a base coat is essential to protect your nails. “Always use base coats with any color because they stain your nails, so many polishes make you yellow. The Stickey Base Coat is really, really good and lasts a long time,” she says.
Fiona recommends the brand’s Vinylux range as the best nail polish. “A lot of people don’t like shellac on their nails so this one is absolutely ideal because it lasts a little longer than any of the regular nail polishes and dries in 10 seconds, so very fast too. ” She says.
12. CND Solar Oil, €16.95, selected pharmacies
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CND Solar Oil, €16.95, selected pharmacies
To finish the pedicure, after the nail polish has dried, apply a drop of cuticle oil to each nail and massage in. “My absolute favorite is the CND Solar Oil. It contains jojoba oil, a deeply penetrating natural oil that is excellent at moisturizing, and sweet almond oil, which softens and nourishes the nail and surrounding skin,” explains Emma. “Applying in a circular motion helps with blood flow and stimulates nail growth. Regular use of cuticle oil prevents dehydrated nails and cuticles, which in turn increases the longevity of your nail polish. It also smells absolutely divine.”
https://www.independent.ie/style/beauty/shopaholic-get-sandal-ready-with-12-of-the-best-products-for-an-at-home-pedicure-41640920.html Shopaholic: Get sandal-ready with 12 of the best products for an at-home pedicure