At Home Mani and Pedis

                                                           

Usually around this time of the year we are doing our big Craft Fair prep but with COVID, that is not happening this year.

Instead, we have been finding lots of things to do around the house. I’ve been giving myself pedicures and manicures so I thought I’d share with you my steps for some at home mani/pedis and some of my favourite products and colours to use.

For my pedicures I always like to do a nice foot soak the day before. Before I soak, I actually like to use a good foot file and scrap away all of the dead skin on my heels, side of the foot, and side and under the big toe. My favourite file is a wooden “dry” use one that I get at the Body Shop.

Then I clean up my toe nails and cut and shape them and take off an old polish.

After, I like to get a bucket and fill it with warm water and then add about ½ cup of Epsom salts and soak away for about 15 minutes or until the water gets cool. I like Dr. Teals Lavender Epsom salts the best.

I dry my feet and massage them with some lotion (Vaseline Cracked Heel lotion) and put on some socks and then go to bed.

The next day I paint. I’m usually a soft and simple person when it comes to colours. Essie is my favourite brand. My all time favourite for toes and finger nails is Ballet Slippers! I’m also a fan of Essie's Muchi Muchi, Buy Me A Cameo, Go Ginza, Berry Naughty and Heather Hustle, Sand Storm, and Racing Rose by Sally Hansen. I actually use Sally Hansen Quick Dry or Sally Hansen Diamond Coat as my base. 

I need to use toe separators when I paint so put those on and then start to paint. Depending on the colour, I usually do three coats as I choose lighter colours. I finish it all off with Essie’s Speed Setter top coat. It really works and sets things so fast.

Now for the fingers. I like to shape and cut the day before and buff away any bad stuff. Then I will use Essie’s Apricot Cuticle Oil and Eucerin, Glysomed, or Gold Bond hand lotion. I like to massage it into the dry skin on my hands. They are so dry now with all the sanitizer and hand washing.

I basically do my base coat, then three layers of polish leaving about 2 minutes in between. I finish it all off with the speed setter coat and then I’m done. I am still cautious with this speed setter coat but I feel less likely that any smudging will happen when I use this. A tip, make sure you take the top coat and paint it horizontally over the end of your finger nails; that will prevent chipping at the ends.