If you paint your nails often, you know that one of the big draw backs is the slight discoloring it gives to your natural nail.  Not to worry, there’s a cure for that.  You probably have some left over Ginger Ale from your holiday parties.  Put it to good use by creating a nail soak.  Ginger Ale contains soluble salts that act as preservatives or emulsifiers.  These naturally bleach your nails.  Simply pour some Ginger Ale in a small bowl, and submerge your nails for 10 minutes twice a week.  Watch your nails naturally bleach right before your eyes.

Do you know a peep toe pump from a platform shoe?  Do you know a stiletto from a sling back?

Shoe Terminology 101:

The Stiletto:  Stilettos are long, thin, and super-high heels  found on boots and shoes.  Stiletto heels may vary in length, from 1 inch to  10 inches or more if a platform sole is used…however, we’ve come to think of stilettos as being extremely high, with a pencil-thin heel.

Peep toe:  Not quite an open toe, and not quite a closed toe heel, the peep toe offers just a glimpse of your toes and your pedicure (make sure to have one if you opt for the peep toe).    Since it’s not quite an open toe, many times you can pull the peep toe off in the corporate world.  It can be professional when done properly.

Sling backs, an ultra classic.  What makes them a sling backs?   It’s the strap around the heel that makes it a sling back.  Otherwise, this would be a platform pump.  The sling back is a super sexy option, and makes your legs look long and shapely.

The platform:  Almost no heel has gained as much popularity in the last five years as the platform heel.  Once a choice of exotic dancers everywhere, platforms hit the Hollywood scene, and crossed over into the luxury set.  Platforms are actually more comfortable than you might think.  The front base of the heel creates the illusion that your foot is arched far more than it is.

The Wedge:  So the 70s called and demanded to be relevant again.  And that’s exactly what happened.  We embraced the wedge heel again as if were were tree-hugging-hippies in 1976 and added our new millennium chic twist.  The results have been phenomenal, and the wedge is relevant again.

If you have access to sand, kick off your shoes and go walking in it.  Walking in sand is a great way to exfoliate the skin on your feet, making them baby soft (use a great moisturizer afterwards).  Walking in sand also helps strengthen your ankles and calves, making you super-sexy from the knees down.  What’s not to love about that? 

   Avoid looking like an oompa loompa  self tanning mistakes with proper application.  Exfoliation and moisturize porous areas, such as ankles and knees prior to self tanner application. 

If proper application fails you and you still end up with orange palms, knees, and ankles, these products are most helpful:

   Use exfoliating shower gloves to exfoliate and buff the skin.  These remove self tanner in hard to remove places, like feet and ankles. 

   A pedicure paddle works great to remove self tanner from palms and wrists. 

  I am so impressed with this body butter!   (http://supernaturalbotanicals.com/productspage.html)   My current obsession…Island Coconut.  Yesterday it was Pure Grapefruit.  It changes daily.  I love being able to pick from all four…actually, all nine.   Five of our new body butters are in clinical studies as we speak.   This body butter formula has been crafted to perfection.  When this body butter was in it’s inception stages, we put it to test in a clinical study of 30 women, (and some husbands, too), to rave reviews. 

Our new butters will include:  Hand Butter, Foot Butter, Baby Butter, Belly Butter (for pregnant bellies), and a Massage Butter.   All butters are completely natural, never tested on animals.  Supernatural Botanicals products are planet friendly and green.  

Look for our new butters in the near future.  You absolutely feel like you wake up with new skin.  It’s truly the best body butter I’ve ever used on my skin.   The consistency is perfection.  The essential oils are amazing to the olfactory system.  Deeply moisturizes with a non-greasy formula.  It’s perfect!  Check back soon to see the new Body Butters by Supernatural Botanicals www.SupernaturalBotanicals.com.

   Ever seen one of these at the drug store and wonder if they work?  I’m here to tell  you, they do!  This pedicure paddle, essentially a pumice stone on a stick, works great on dry skin on the feet.   Just smooth the stick over the bottom of wet feet in the shower to slough off rough skin.  Especially good on feet after a grueling workout in gym shoes.  Every shower should have one of these.  It’s an inexpensive way to keep your feet baby soft. 

Enter now for your chance to win a luxurious spa visit and spa products with Exhale Spa and Extra.   Click below for your chance to win.  Good luck spa sisters. 

       Don’t you just love a great pedicure?  It’s a feeling of self-indulging, the kind you don’t have to feel guilty about.  I love getting pedicures.  I constantly wear heels, so for me, pedicures are a must.  And if you wear sandals or heels, pedicures should be a must for you as well.  And even if your toes don’t see the light of day on a regular basis, you should still tend to them….if only out of the spirit of “girl” maintenance.  Someone usually sees your feet on a regular basis, and that someone is usually your husband or boyfriend.  You might think he’s not paying attention, and you might be right!  Maybe he doesn’t notice that you’ve changed your polish color from coral to candy apple red.  But what he will notice is toes that look unkempt, paint chipping, and a wife or girlfriend that’s looking like she’s lacking in the maintenance department.  ….don’t be that girl!

If you don’t have the time or finances to hit the spa on a regular basis, it’s easy to do at home.  I know that most of us don’t have spare time in our day, but most all of us watch at least a half hour of television each day, right?  Perfect opportunity to multi-task.   Grab your pedicure kit and get started. 

Get the look: 

1.  Remove any old polish existing on toenails. 

2.  Clip nails with a straight edge clipper.   Don’t dig down into the skin on the edges as this causes ingrown toenails.

3.  Start with a clear, thin coat of polish on each toenail. 

4.  Follow the clear coat by a great red polish.  Many years ago I heard Madonna say that “Red is the only color that works on toes.  I’d never have anything other than red!”  I agreed with her then, and agree with her now.  Red is so sexy and works with almost anything you are wearing.  It can be taken from a formal little black dress to a simple sun dress in the summer.  Red just works! 

5.  Follow with another coat of clear. 

That’s all there is to it.  Those are the stripped down basics of a pedicure.  There are many more ways to indulge, such as a foot soak (try Supernatural Botanicals Bolivian Bath Salts)

Regularly use a pumice stone or pumice board on soles of feet in the shower to keep feet baby soft.  Use moisturizer every day.  And if you are really lucky, you can have the husband or boyfriend give you a foot massage. 

If your feet take a beating after workouts, liberally apply Vaseline to feet followed by your socks during your workout.  It’s not as icky feeling as it may sound.  You can’t even feel the Vaseline, and your feet are super soft after a tough workout. 

Take the time for maintenance.  It makes the difference between blah and wow!  In honor of this pedicure post, I threw on a pair of my favorite heels and snapped this picture for you (nevermind the marks from the socks I was wearing prior to)  …..my point being, you don’t have to have gorgeous feet, necessarily, to get an overall gorgeous look!