Pedicure of summer!

Nail it:

Your nails take a beating in summer. Make sure you care for them properly and they'll look positively gorgeous.
In the buff:
Hard skin builds up quickly on your feet in summer because they're more exposed than in winter. Using a pumice stone every night in the bath or shower will prevent your heels from cracking and needing more drastic action. After using a pumice stone on stubborn areas, rub over your feet with an exfoliator and apply a nourishing foot treatment cream to keep skin soft. Bright nails look lovely in summer, but if you can't maintain them, rather use a buffing kit that makes nails look pretty with minimal effort. Buffing also removes the orange stain that nail polish leaves behind after it has oxidised on the nail plate.



Go for bright:
As soon as summer sandals come out of your cupboard, so should pretty nail polish, at least on your toes. Make sure that your nails are well prepared by smoothing any ridges with a buffing kit or a ridge filler. Keep toenails short to prevent the tips from chipping and apply a topcoat every two to three days to protect the colour. Fast-drying formulations tend to chip more quickly than regular nail polish, so if you plan on walking barefoot on the beach, take the time initially to apply a regular nail polish rather than having to redo the whole process because it's chipped so quickly.
A quick fix:
No time to resuscitate scruffy nails? The press-on kits give you beautiful nails in a flash. The best are the press-on French-manicured toenails; your toenails don't suffer close scrutiny, so you can get away with falsies more easily. Clean your toenails with regular nail-polish remover to remove any trace of oil on the nail plate before you apply the stick-ons so that they'll stay put. They can also be painted over should you prefer a different finish.