Here's how to wave goodbye to winter feet

Now that the warmer months are upon us there's no more hiding neglected feet under socks and tights. But before you showcase your toe cleavage, consider this guide to getting sandal ready in three simple steps.

Exfoliate

The dry, dead skin that accumulates on the soles of our feet and heels needs to be the first area of attention and can be banished with the help of a good pumice stone. These work best on wet skin or nails, so be sure to soak feet in warm water before you begin and remember not to rub too hard. For added softness, exfoliators containing sea salt or crushed berry seeds work well, while there are a host of homemade foot exfoliating recipes to be found online. This one uses easily accessible ingredients such as olive oil and honey:

http://youtu.be/rxf1v41pu04

File and buff

Lengthy talons may be having a renaissance on the runway right now thanks to trends such as the Louboutin manicure, but long toenails will always be a definite no no. Since toenails are normally thicker and stronger than fingernails, metal nail files are most effective. Remember to try and keep the shape square too, because rounding off too much can lead to ingrown nails. Once nails have a nice shape and size, smooth the toenail surface and help remove discolorations with the assistance of a toenail buffer.

Get creative

Now that you have the perfect canvas for your nail art, why not seek inspiration from YouTube beauty guru LOVE4NAILS, whose channel offers an array of design ideas suitable for toenails, such as this pink rhinestone and stripes tutorial:

http://youtu.be/9kGsXSU4xkA

. If you want to match your toes to your fingernails, remember that trends for Spring/Summer 2012 include neutrals (seen at Rochas and Ralph Lauren), burgundy (seen at Donna Karan) and sky blue (which made an impact at Chanel's Spring/Summer 2012 Haute Couture catwalk show).

First Published: Apr 09, 2012 17:27 IST