Tip-Top Toes: Your Guide To Summer Ready Feet

Posted by Styloko

We’ve been dabbling a little for the last month, but with July on its way in and the (hopeful) arrival of summer sun, it’s officially time: our toes are coming out!

Frankly, they’ve been stuffed in socks for far longer than is usually acceptable, and though we’re sure there’ll be a fair few days in the coming weeks where we’ll need to shove them back in, we reckon it’s high time they got some air (plus we have so many cute sandals to wear).

Trouble is, being bunched up in boots has left them more than a little unsightly. Chipped nails? Hard heels? Rough skin? Yep, we’ve got it all – and we know you have too. But don’t worry, we’ve devised a fool-proof plan to sexy, summer-ready feet. Follow our step-by-step below – just add some loving!

1. Remove dry skin
Despite the popular myth that damp feet make for a better buff, it’s not true. In fact, you run the risk of brushing away too much skin, which is neither fun nor fab. Instead, use a sturdy foot file (Bliss’s above is made from diamond dust!) to buff away dry, dead skin – concentrate on the hardened areas like the heels and balls of your feet, but be careful not to get too carried away.

2. Soak
Add a couple of drops of revitalising foot soak to warm water and dunk your feet for a good 10 minutes – they deserve it, after all. We love the Body Shop’s peppermint revival foot soak with effervescent salts for the ultimate soothing submerge. Top tip: throw in a few stones or marbles and roll your feet over them for a great mini massage!

3. Exfoliate
Scrub away any remaining dead skin with an exfoliator – it’ll freshen up new skin cells, too. Nails Inc’s Eaton exfoliator is sugar-based, so it’s especially effective at removing dry bits while still feeling kind to your feet. Rinse off after a quick massage.

4. Cuticles
Pat feet dry and gently push back your cuticles with a cuticle stick – avoid cutting them if you can (you’ll always end up nipping a bit too much off).

5. Trim toenails
Invest in a pair of precision nail scissors to trim your toenails. The trick to avoiding niggly ingrowns is to cut nails straight, not rounded, so carefully cut nails across in short snips for better control. Smooth any jagged edges with a nail file.

6. Apply lotion
Time to rehydrate! Apply a soothing foot lotion to pack your pieds with ample moisture and calm down any aches. Pick one with menthol or peppermint if you can – it’ll leave a fresh, tingly sensation that tired toes will love. Origins’ Reinventing the Heel cream is a fave of ours.

7. Paint toe nails
And for the grande finale – a pretty splash of paint. Remove any excess oils from your nails with a dab of polish remover and cotton wool, and apply a clear base coat to protect and prepare. Now pick your shade. You can go for neutral or bright – any colour goes this season – but nothing beats a bright, punchy orange-coral (it’s classic, still feels super fresh and looks amazing with a tan).

Et voila! Fancy feet in a flash.

Above: 1. Bliss classic big buffer, £40, Harrods 2. Peppermint reviving foot soak, £7, The Body Shop 3. Nails Inc Eaton exfoliator, £11, House of Fraser 4. Boots Essentials manicure sticks, £1, Boots 5. Alida Beauty Heroes manicure scissors, £10, House of Fraser 6. Origins Reinventing the Heel mega moisture, £20, Selfridges 7. Dior Vernis nail lacquer in Aloha, £14, Debenhams.