Happy feet! Image credit: Auriga Spa, Capella Singapore
It’s party prep time! You may have scheduled a few discreet doctor’s tune-ups to freshen up your face, but are your feet getting short shrift? The late-night shimmying will take a toll on your toes – no one wants real blood on the dance floor. Here’s a handy (or is that footsy) three-step guide to getting your tootsies in tip-top shape:
1. PREP
Don’t commit “shoe-icide” by strapping on slingbacks that expose your grubby hooves. Cracked heels can quite literally be the Achilles’ heel of an otherwise polished party ensemble. Those frightful fissures around the heel are a sure sign of dehydrated skin under duress – prolonged pressure from ill-fitting shoes with little arch support can even cause what some podiatrists call “pump bumps”, a confoundingly catchy moniker for what essentially amounts to monstrous mounds of callus build-up.
The first course of action when it comes to counteracting cracked heels is to slough off scaly skin. Interestingly, some foot fans swear by removing dead skin on dry soles, even though conventional wisdom has it that a good long soak will loosen up the nasty stuff for easier removal. Experiment by doing it dry and wet to see which exfoliating method suits you best!
Manicare Mouse Pumice Stone, $6.95 at Watsons, and The Body Shop Peppermint Soothing Foot Scrub, $21.90 for 100ml
Implements to have on hand (and foot): A pliable pumice stone, which functions much like a plus-sized emery board to file off fibrous flakes. We like the wallet-friendly and whimsically named Manicare Mouse, which looks like a fossilised dinosaur egg and can be used post-shower as a gentle skin eraser.
Tip: If your calluses have begun to resemble crusty oyster shells, it may be easier to “shuck” them dry. Get off as much as you can using your pumice, then step into the shower for a final scouring with a wash-off scrub, such as the toe-tingling Peppermint Soothing Foot Scrub from The Body Shop.
2. PRIME
Now that there’s no more rough stuff sticking to your shins, it’s time to veil them in an invisible sock of moisture. Prime your fresh feet for a night out with a booster shot of hydration.
Zero in on lotions that contain keratin, a beauty buzzword most beauty junkies will recognise as being the building block of hair, nails, skin … just about every body part worth prettifying. Scholl’s Cracked Heel Repair Cream Active Repair K+ is a dependable everyday product that’s worth chucking in your shoe closet for just-before-you-leave touchups. Remember to rub it in well and good so that there’s no excess cream that might stain your Stuart Weitzmans!
Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in Keep-Up-The-Flame, $6.90, and Chanel Le Vernis Rouge Rubis, $38
Like slipping on miniature lingerie for each toe, dressing up your digits with a sexy-siren slick of colour will elevate your peep-toes into a veritable peepshow. Save the ombre nails for your fingertips: We think a solid hue works better for toes – less mess, less stress. A Jessica Rabbit red will really pop on your feet … and play up the soles of your Loubies!
Because we like giving you save-versus-splurge options, we recommend Maybelline’s very covetable Color Show Nail Lacquer in Keep-Up-The-Flame for easy, breezy weekdays. Ramp up the glamour by gunning for Chanel’s Le Vernis in Rouge Rubis for date nights when you know you’ll be playing footsie under the restaurant table!
3. PROTECT
Scholl Party Feet Heel Cushions, $14.70, and Party Feet Heel Shields, $11.45
Finally, if you know you’re up for a night of frolicking and foxtrotting, it’s best to buffer your feet by buttressing them with pressure-absorbing pads. Scholl has a nifty selection of clear gel cushions that provide an invisible pillow for the ball of your feet.
Now that you’re prepared to bare all in your strappy summer sandals, put your best foot forward – and make that special someone’s toes curl in the best way possible. Break a leg, ladies!
Chanel Le Vernis is available at all Chanel counters. For more information, visit www.chanel.com/en_SG/ and follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Maybelline’s Color Show Nail Lacquer collection is available from January 2014 at selected Watsons, Guardian and SaSa stores. For more information, visit www.maybelline.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook and YouTube.
The Body Shop Peppermint Soothing Foot Scrub is available at all The Body Shop stores. For more information, visit www.thebodyshop.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram.
Scholl products are available at selected Guardian stores. For more information, visit www.scholl.com and www.guardian.com.sg.
Manicare Mouse Pumice Stone is available at selected Watsons stores. For more information, visit www.watsons.com.sg.