Treats for your summer feet from Sally Hansen, Sephora, Upper Canada Soap and Broadway Nails!

I don't know about you, but after a winter's worth of hibernation, my toes need some serious prep work before they'll be fit to be seen in sandals! Lucky for me (and you), Dana Caruso, Global Beauty Expert for Sally Hansen has been kind enough to offer up tips for a perfect summer pedicure:

Toe Nail Shape - Start your pedicure, by shaping your nails with a pair of nippers for a clean cut. I like to use the Sally Hansen Clean Clip Classic Nail Clippers - $5.99.

To choose the nail shape that is right for you, take a look at your nail beds. Curved beds look better with rounded tips. Flat nail beds look good with squared edges. And if you’re unsure create a slight oval at the center of your tips, and then softly square the edges of your nails to get what top manicurists call the ‘squoval’

Cuticle Care - To groom your cuticles start by soaking your feet in warm water.

With Summer comes the added attention of your feet. They start to be shown off in fabulous open toed shoes, so after being enclosed in warm environment for so many months I advise women to exfoliate 1-2 times a week to remove callused surfaces. You can find inexpensive foot grooming kits at your local pharmacy such as the Prep Your Pedi Foot Smoother Kit from Sally Hansen - $9.99.

Next use a cuticle remover on fingers and toes to gently push back cuticles with a cuticle pusher to help your nails look longer. It’s best to do this when the cuticles are wet because they are soft, flexible and less likely to tear, which can be painful.

Nail Polish - And now for the fun part! Before you apply any polish always apply a base coat. This will protect your nails and help your pedicure last longer, I like to use the Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Smooth & Strong Base Coat - $7.49. There are so many flirty and fun bright colours this season. My personal favourite are the orange/coral colours in the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - $7.49 - colour range.

Don’t forget to apply a topcoat to seal the nail polish. I love the Sally Hansen Diamond Flash Fast Dry Top Coat - $7.49 - it’s fast drying and long wearing protection so you toes will look perfect for weeks.

Sally Hansen products are available at drug and mass retailers across Canada. 

And some other options for foot self-love (that sounded less dirty in my head):

Sephora Collection Deluxe Manicure Kit - $36 - A seven-piece adorable pink tool set for creating a flawless manicure - includes full sized: small nail clipper, large nail clipper, nail cleaner, precision scissors, cuticle pusher, cuticle nipper and cuticle jaw - and comes wrapped with soft-touch coating for easy use. Comes ready to use in a durable case with a secure closure and black velvet lining for easy travel and storage.

Available at Sephora and sephora.com.

Upper Canada Soap All About Feet Soothing Foot Cream - 120ml - $14 - enriched with sweet almond oil, glycerin and aloe to help soothe, soften and freshen tired, weary feet plus peppermint oil to refresh and invigorate. This is the perfect thing to rub on your tootsies after a hot, sweaty stinky day out and about!

Available at Trade Secrets - www.tradesecrets.ca and www.uppercanadasoap.com

imPRESS Press-On Pedicure by Broadway Nails - $8.99-$10.99 - in 4 colours and 5 patterns: Last Dance, iCandy, Popstar, Spotlight, Up All Night, Party Girl, Mystery Girl, Media Darlin and Screen Queen - they're super easy to apply with no drying time or mess and last up to a week - just peel off, press on and clip and file to desired length.

Available at drugstores and mass retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -