Tips for an easy, good-looking home pedicure

After a long winter of neglect, my feet needed a little attention. Clomping around in winter boots and shoes made my heels hard and cracked, and my toenails, well, they were just scary. So, last weekend I took the time to give myself a pedicure.

Pedicures are one of life's little pleasures. Nothing makes you feel more pampered and pretty than smooth feet and polished tootsies. Back in the day, I loved to go with my girlfriend and have the pros take care of my feet, but these days I do it myself and save the money. I consider myself all thumbs when it comes to these things, but if I can do it, you can do it.

Here's how I do it.

1. The tools. Lay out your toenail clippers (the big kind that cut straight across), an orange wood stick, a large emery board, nail block, a pumice stone and a towel. You will also need polish remover, cotton balls, base/top coat, and your polish. Get it all assembled now to save time. I also consider a fashion magazine part of the routine – for me, it completes the pampering, spa-like experience.

2. The soak. If you have polish on your nails, remove it first. I start by soaking my feet in nice, warm water with some great-smelling bubble bath or shower gel. If you have one of those cool foot massage thingys, I am jealous. I just sit on the bathroom counter and soak my feet in the sink. While you're soaking one foot, pumice the other (heels, toes and the soles of your feet), then switch. Next, while soaking one foot, clean under nails and push your cuticles back on the other, then switch. After that, sometimes I use a scrubbing cleanser to get my feet super-soft. Take as much time with the soak as you like. Rinse and dry your feet, then apply lotion.


3. The shape. This can be the trickiest part, it was for me, but if you try this a few times, you will get it down pat. Find a comfortable way to sit so that you can easily reach your toes. I sit on a dining chair with my feet on the floor and just bend over at the waist. This position makes it easy for me to spread my toes out, so I don't need any cotton between them.

To start to shape the nails, trim them straight across – I like mine fairly short. Then take the emery board and shape your nails. The rule of thumb is to shape the nail to mirror the shape of your cuticle. Take your time on this part, because the final appearance depends a lot on the shape of the nail. Take your orange wood stick or cuticle pusher and just go around each nail to make sure that the cuticle is pushed back and the nails are immaculate.

Once you get the shape like you like, take your nail block and buff. This helps the base coat and polish adhere, and it also takes off any ridges so you get a nice, smooth look. Using a cotton ball and some polish remover, clean off the nails and let them dry.

4. The polish. Here's my top tip for making a home pedicure look professional – use lighter colors. With the darker shades, mistakes are more obvious. I use a pretty gold/apricot polish from Ulta that is not too light but not too dark.

Believe it or not, I put on a pair of thong sandals to complete this step. That way I can still (carefully) walk around while it dries and not worry about it. Start with one base coat, then read an article in your magazine while it dries. Apply one coat of color and let it dry while you read another article. Apply a second coat and let dry. I ALWAYS apply two coats of color, even with the lighter shades. I believe it makes for a longer-lasting pedi. Finally, apply a top coat.

Here are a few more tips I have learned from experience. With basically four coats on your nails, it takes time for them to cure and harden. Plan to do your pedicure early in the day so you are not going to bed right after – you may end up with sheet marks! The same applies with socks and shoes.

5. The final result. That's it! With just a little effort and some patience, you can give yourself a good-looking home pedicure that rivals a professional job. And with the money you saved you can get yourself that cute pair of sandals to show off your tootsies!