How to do a perfect DIY pedicure

When’s the last time you paid for a pedicure? What with the unfortunate combination of peep-toe boots being in fashion and a recession going on, more and more of us are opting for a home pedicure over going to a salon. Professional pedicures usually cost about £20, and since most of us have a lot of the items you need for one at home, or can buy it all for under £10, it seems a bit silly to waste your money. It’s also a relaxing way to spend forty-five minutes – especially since you get a foot soak out of it.

Although you might not be planning to bare your toes in public much until the party season, it’s always nice to get out of bed in the morning and admire your own feet. So here are some essential tips for a successful DIY pedicure. Follow these steps for feet to be proud of, even if you won’t be showing them off during the day.

Tip 1: Make sure you get rid of any nail varnish left over from the summer holidays.
You need to start with a clean foot, so use a cotton wool pad soaked in nail polish remover and clean off all leftover polish really thoroughly.

Tip 2: Have a nice relaxing foot soak.
Fill up a bowl with warm water and some essential oil, like lavender or peppermint. You can soak your feet for just five minutes, but if you’ve had a long day, you’ll probably want to leave them in there for more like half an hour. The more hard skin there is on your feet, the longer you’ll need to soak them for.

Tip 3: Use cuticle oil, one foot at a time.
Take one of your feet out of the water, dry it off and cut the nails straight across with clippers. Then massage in some cuticle oil, pushing back your cuticles with a wooden cuticle stick (to get rid of any dead skin stuck to your nail). Put that foot back in the water, and do the same to the other foot.

Tip 4: Scrub away at the dead skin.
Use exfoliator, concentrating on the bits of your feet that have the most callouses. (Not pleasant, I know.) Then, after you’ve rinsed off all the little scratchy bits of exfoliator, use a foot file to get rid of any stubborn areas of hard skin. Make sure you file in one direction, like when you file your nails, and don’t scrub too hard – we know you hate that dead skin, but if your foot goes red you’re doing it wrong.

Tip 5: Apologise to your feet for all the exfoliating by massaging them with foot cream.
Try one that’s intensively moisturising. If you really want to treat your feet, use a foot mask beforehand.

Tip 6: Add some festive nail polish.
Before painting your nails, go over them again with nail varnish remover to get rid of any oils leftover from the footbath. Then apply a basecoat, two coats of polish, and a topcoat (use toe separators if you want). Go for a dark nail varnish shade, like black, navy blue, grey or burgundy for toenails that go with everything, or try a brighter shade of pink or orange if you’re planning on wearing a lot of black this winter.

Tip 7: Don’t put your shoes on straight away.
Remember to let the varnish fully dry before getting dressed! Or you could end up with socks that are stuck to your toenails.

Tip 8: Enjoy your new, beautiful feet.
To keep your varnish looking as fresh as possible, you can apply a coating of clear varnish every three days (although this is optional). Most salons recommend having a pedicure once a month, and once you’ve got everything you need for a DIY pedicure, there’s nothing stopping you from doing it that often at home, too.