I dread Summer. Not because it's bathing suit season, not because I'm afraid of eating too much at the many outdoor get-togethers I will attend. No, I dread summer because I have to bare my feet.
Ever since I was a young girl I have unfortunately been the victim of ingrown and short, nearly non-existent toenails. I'm not really sure who to blame for my toe misfortune, but I definitely wish I had gorgeous feet and perfectly paintable toenails.
I have never fully enjoyed a pedicure because I have always been ashamed of my toenails and thought the technician would laugh at me. I feel like I can only go get a pedicure after weeks of preparation. Isn't that odd? Preparing feet for a pedicure--it just doesnt make sense.
This year I decided to embrace my not-so-perfect feet and enjoy the summer. I despise wearing closed-toe shoes in the summer and thought it was high time I let my tootsies breath. If you find yourself in the same boat as me, be ashamed of your toes no longer! There are three easy things you can do to take full advantage of summer sandal season:
So you don't have perfect toenails, who cares? Take some time to give yourself an at home pedicure or mini-spa treatment. Clean up the skin on your feet and toes with a pumice stone, get some cuticle softener (at drugstores everywhere), gently push back your cuticles carefully, and apply some foot moisturizer. Once you've prepped your feet you can pick out a fun shade of nail polish and get started. The trend this summer is to use ocean-inspired colors like blues, greens, and turquoise shades. Pick something that suits you, or pick a shade you'd normally not use like yellow, orange, or bright pink--there is no wrong shade! Be sure to apply a basecoat to ensure the polish goes on smoothly (pick a basecoat that doubles as a topcoat to prevent chipping and prolong the life of the pedicure). After letting the polish dry take a look at your handy work and admire your fabulous feet!
Did you know that you can buy fake toenails as easily as fake fingernails? I was made aware of them while on vacation in North Caroline. A friend of mine has teeny tiny feet and equally small toenails so she opts to apply fake toenails. I didn't think twice about them until I was planning a trip to Las Vegas and I knew I would be wearing only flip flops on the trip. I decided to give them a try, to my surprise they were so easy to put on, didnt pop off, and looked professional! I tried Kiss Everlasting French Glue On Toenails. I got so many compliments on them. Who knew? They were probably the best $6 investment I've made in a long time. In the package you get an emery board to prepare your toenails and file down the artificial nails, nail glue, and 24 artificial nails. I was able to put on two full sets of toenails using one package of $6 nails--that's a great deal, I don't care who you ask! I had such great results that I intend to buy them again. (and again...)They come in a variety of styles including a few variations on the traditional french manicure, solid colors, and also come with some cute stick on flowers or crystals. I went with the traditional french manicure and loved them! Give them a try, it truly is a great way to experience perfect toenails inexpensively.
If you, like me, have fallen victim to an ingrown toenail or fungus, do not attempt to apply fake toenails! I cannot stress that enough! Do not try and cover a fungus up, go see a doctor to get proper treatment. In the case of ingrown toenails, if you have removed them yourself before and feel comfortable doing so, I highly recommend soaking your foot in a bath of warm water and epsom salts before attempting to remove the ingrown nail. This will soften the skin around the toenail and make it easier to pull out the nail. Do not dig around looking for the ingrown nail with tweezers--doing so is dangerous and painful. If you are unable to remove the nail yourself go see see a doctor! It's better to get things taken care of professionally than to cause more damage or possibly cause an infection. Taking care of toenail problems will not only bring you reliefe of pain and unsightly yellowing of the nail, it will also ensure a successful sandal season!
It is very important to take care of your toenails. Summer is such a great time to let your toes breath. Even if you choose to do nothing to your feet, take my advice and let them see the light of day and bask in the sunlight, (not too much, remember to apply sunscreen if they will be exposed for long periods of time) besides, a nice flip flop or sandal tan line is cute!
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