Pages Salons: Summer tootsies

Now that your beautiful locks are out from under that hat, your gorgeous hands are free of those thick woolly gloves, your tootsies are no longer bound to boots and your skin is open to bathe in the warmth of the sun – it’s time to prepare and preserve with some head to toe care!

Check out our summer hair care article for tips on how to rejuvenate your hair during these warmer seasons, and our Spring into Summer article for general body renewal.

This week, we head south and focus on getting your tootsies set for sandal season, with a little TLC routine you can do from the comfort of your couch. Then all you’ll need to do is choose your desired sandals from our top picks – and your feet will be ready for showcase!

A good soak: Start by bathing your feet in a warm foot soak for 10-20 minutes to soften your skin and prepare your tootsies for exfoliation. Simply adding Epsom salts and essential oils such as tea tree, rosemary and peppermint to warm water, to help clean, heal and revive tired feet. Another option to soften and moisturize skin, is to combine half a cup of hot water with one cup of milk and a spoonful of sugar.

Scrub and polish: Rid your trotters of dry, rough skin by massaging a moisturising exfoliator over each foot (in circular motions) for a good few minutes. Rinse with warm water and follow with a pumice stone to abrade hardy calluses.

Trim and shape: Clip your nails straight across (to prevent ingrown nails), and smooth and round the edges with a nail file. Use a nail buffer to smooth and polish your toenails to shining perfection.

Moisturise: Douse your newly soften and smooth tootsies with a quality moisturising product (Shea butter is amazing!). Using circular motions, give yourself a mini massage to hydrate, relax, and boost circulation.

Paint job: Apply a base coat to prevent your nails from staining, breakage and peeling. Once your base coat is dry, apply your chosen nail colour in 2 or 3 thin coats to create evenly painted nails. After you have finished with your nail colour, apply a clear topcoat to protect your polish from chipping and fading. If you happened to paint your toes, soak a cotton bud in nail polish remover and carefully clean around the edges of your nails. Finish by applying cuticle oil to your nails and cuticles to keep them hydrated and moisturized (it will also help your polish last longer).

If you don’t have the time or will-power to give yourself a pedicure – we can help! Book yourself in for a wee pamper session at one of our salons.

Now that your feet are prettified, they are fit for adornment with bands of leather. Here are a few of our favourites summer sandal picks: