How to give yourself a gorgeous and pampering pedicure at home! Perfect for the holidays

Its winter. It is cold and no one wants to show their toes to the bitter chill. I get it! But with winter comes dry skin and the natural inclination to just forget all about your feet while they are covered up in thick socks and boots. Lets not forget our toes and feet this winter. Not only does a stay at home pedicure save you money but it is relaxing! Its a great way to either get together with some girlfriends or relax all by yourself and have some fun with funky designs and holiday colors to brighten up your winter blues!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A relaxing bath
• Bath salts (dead sea salts are wonderful, you can spruce them up with some menthol oil or buy them scented)
• Candle
• Relaxing music
• Time
• Good book
• Fireplace fire, if you have one--it helps dry the toes :)
• Lotion or oil, no harm using olive oil from the kitchen, live like a Greek goddess!
• Nail polish! Colors and clear.
• Small brush and black acrylic paint and various others if you want to try out my artsy designs.
• Nail clippers and an emery board

1. 
    
   procorbis.com

   Draw your bath, make sure to put your bubbles in while the water is still running! Turn on some music and relax while getting all your things together.

2. 
    
   bathdeli.net

   Use that pumice stone! Exfoliation is key in pedicures, it keeps the feet smooth and re-circulates the blood. If you don't own a pumice stone, one trick I love is using sugar. Plain old sugar both softens and exfoliates, just use about 1/4 cup of sugar between your two feet and work it into and around your toes, heels and arches.

3. 
    
   healthjockey.com

   After relaxing and having your soak, dry off and find a relaxing place to cozy up in. Just make sure you can stick those feet out. Turn on some holiday music if you haven't already and start massaging that lotion or olive oil all over your feet and legs. You spend hours on your feet everyday so don't skimp on the massage, your feet will thank you for it!

4. 
    
   sephora.com

   Make sure you either use your fingernails or a cuticle tool to push back the cuticles on each toe, this gives you a clean and smooth surface to paint on! If your toenails need clipping or filing you can do this now as well. Step 5 gives you some slightly more detailed instructions on fun holiday designs that will really make your pedicures pop!

5. 
    
   face2facewithtonya.com

   All of the designs below simply need your regular nail polishes (nude and red are the main ones you would need for any of the ones below) and then a small selection of acrylic paints. You can get an inexpensive acrylic paint set at any craft store. Make sure you buy a good brush when using the paints as your working space of the toenail is small...I suggest a soft and very thin watercolor brush as they are soft and smooth.
   SNOWMAN: Paint your toenails nude or even a pale blue and let dry. Then take your white acrylic (or nail polish) paint and paint three white circles on each big toe with the smallest circle as the head. Once dry take a thin brush and dip into black paint, painting on the eyes and buttons, twig arms and if you have room you can paint a top hat. If you want more contrast simply outline the snowman in thin black lines. For the other remaining toes, leave them a solid nude or blue, give them a french manicure to pick up the white, or throw a snowball on them!
   CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Paint your toe nails any light color you wish and let dry. Then take a brush dipped in black paint and do a few interwoven lines between all the toes to create the illusion of one "canvas" of twisted Christmas light wire and then once dry put little tear drops of color on the wire on each toe for the lights. To make the lights pop, outline them in black and add the tiniest bit of white to the lights' upper right corner which will make it appear round and illuminated.
   BOWS: Like the Christmas lights, the bows create one full image on each foot. Paint your toe nails silver or gold and take your red nail polish to paint on very carefully the image of a bow on each big toe. Then extend the tails of the bows across each smaller toe so the bow stays on the big toe and the tail of the bow flows across the foot. Let dry and outline in black.
   
   CANDY CANE: Paint your toenails all white and let dry. Using a spicy shimmery red nail polish, paint diagonal stripes from corner to corner of each toe for a fun candy cane look!
   
   Other ideas: Winter snow scene, Snowflakes, Nutcracker, The letters: M-E-R-R-Y- X--M-A-S on the toes,use your imagination!

6. 
    
   mandyshotstilettos.com

   Once all your toes are dry paint 1-2 coats of clear nail polish. You may have to pull out those sexy little peep toe stilettos you have been hiding and go out on the town!

[Ballzy]

on 12/28/2008 What a Great Detailed Article!

[bossypants]

on 12/6/2008 Clever painting ideas. The Christmas lights couldn't be cuter!! Thanks!