Christmas Tree Toenails

Sometimes we get into a rut painting our toenails the same color. Since it's the holidays, what better excuse than to paint simple Christmas trees on them!

1. First start by painting all your toenails either black, red, or white (after your clear basecoat is dry). This is your background color for your tree. It's important that your background color is completely dry before proceeding to the next step.
2. Next, paint a small tree on one or both of your large toenails using white, silver, gold, or green nail polish. Use a very thin brush such as an old liquid eyeliner brush or small paint brush. Most nail polish brushes are too thick to use for drawing such small detail.
3. Decorate your trees with multi-colored tiny dots of nail polish to represent Christmas tree bulbs. Try using a toothpick instead of a brush to apply the dots.
4. Top your tree with a simple star, or larger dot of color.
5. After your nails are completely dry, put a few layers of clear topcoat to extend the life of your artistic work.

Happy Holidays!
DJ

Beauty Tip
Red nail polish has always been a favorite during the month of December.
Think of your nails as a clothing accessory. If your outfit is yellow, black, green or blue, red nails will add sparkle to your overall look.

All Natural Honey Pedicure

All Natural Honey Pedicure

Did you know stress can actually show up in our feet? Our feet are in need of some major pampering on a regular basis. This natural regime is the perfect remedy for removing some of those toxins, and giving your feet the attention they so much deserve.

Honey is used as an ingredient in each of the following steps. Be sure to look for honey that is locally produced and organic. (If you are vegan, you can leave out the honey or go for some organic agave nectar.)

All-natural detox:

2 bags of black tea (look for fair-trade brands in stores)
Teaspoon of honey
Teaspoon of lemon
Bucket of warm/hot water

Soak your feet in the mixture for at least ten minutes. Be sure to use a pumice stone to remove dead skin. Proceed to the next step.

Foot scrub:

½ cup of Hawaiian sea salt (or any sea salt will do)
Teaspoon of honey
Three tablespoons of coconut oil (or any oil)

After combining these ingredients, massage onto your feet, paying extra attention to achy spots. While you’re at it, massage into your hands as well. Rinse off with warm water.

Moisturizing salve:
A tablespoon or two of honey (look at the farmers markets for the best deals)
A teaspoon or two of coconut oil (sweet almond oil would as well)

Stir together the above ingredients in a bowl. Place the bowl in a larger vat of warm water to heat the honey/oil mixture as you detox and scrub. Slather onto your feet and read a magazine for 10-15 minutes. You can wrap those puppies up in saran wrap or old socks for an extra touch. When the time is up, rinse off thoroughly with warm water and your favorite gentle organic soap.

Moisturize those deserving feet with shea butter and slip into some fuzzy slippers. Enjoy!

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Get Creative with your Toenails

To make your toenails pop, match the color of your toe nail polish to the color of your open-toe shoes or sandals.

Elongate your legs by wearing a sleek beige multi-strap high heel with beige or nude nail polish.

Reverse French Manicure: Paint your toenails white and the tips black or the nails black and the tips white. This look is crisp and stylish with a little black dress or black slacks paired with a white shirt.

Love Your Toenails: Paint toenails white then paint on a small red heart for Valentines Day.

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Diamond up the Toenails

1. To apply “diamonds” (rhinestones) to your painted toenails, first polish the nails as you normally would.
2. After the polish has time to dry, add a drop of clear polish to the backside of the rhinestone and then affix it to the nail. Allow the polish to dry. If your rhinestones have an adhesive backing, you can skip this step.
3. Apply a few coats of clear top coat polish over the entire nail, including the rhinestone, to seal the rhinestones in place.
4. If you find it difficult to pickup and place your rhinestones, dampen the tip of an orange stick for small rhinestones, or use tweezers for larger rhinestones.

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Beautiful Wedding Toenails

For your wedding day, match your toenail color to your dress. For example, if your dress is white, ask your manicurist to paint a delicate white pattern on your nails.



Two or three small pearls affixed to the large toenails and one tiny pearl per toe can be beautiful if not overdone, and are weddinglicious with open toe shoes or sandals. Avoid wearing pearls on your toenails if wearing closed-toe shoes, as this could be very uncomfortable.



If you have a flower child in your wedding, you may consider having her nails painted to match yours. It could be your little special "secret" and all little girls love secrets.

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Pamper your feet with a pedicure

Pedicure Steps

Prep before soaking feet
Clip the nails with toenail clippers or nail nippers.
File the edges of ingrown toenails with an Ingrown Toenail file.
Smooth the rough edges of the nails with a stainless steel nail file, glass nail file, or emery board. A glass nail file provides the smoothest finish and is faster than a metal nail file or emery board.

Soaking and cleaning feet
Soak your feet in warm water for 10 minutes. Adding a few drops of baby oil will help to soften the feet.
Clean under the toenails with a nail file while soaking feet. The water loosens dirt and grime under the nails.
Push the cuticles down to their proper position.
Wash feet with a foot exfoliator.
Use a pumice stone or foot rasp to slough away rough and dead skin cells around the heel of the foot and the large toe. If using a rasp, avoid pressing too hard or you may actually roughen the skin.
Rinse feet well and dry thoroughly.
Buff and Shine the nails with a nail buffer and shiner.
Rinse feet in clean water and dry well.

After Soaking and Cleaning
Apply foot lotion to both feet. Don’t forget to work the lotion between the toes and up past your ankles. Give your feet a good massage.
Rub cuticle oil onto the nail and cuticle. Trim away excess cuticle with a cuticle trimmer or nail scissors. Be extremely careful not to cut into the skin. If you don’t feel comfortable trimming your cuticles, don’t!

Polishing nails
Wipe lotion and cuticle oil from nails before polishing.
Insert a toe separator between the toes and apply a base coat of polish, followed by two coats of your favorite color of nail polish and then finish with a top coat of clear polish. (Be sure to allow each coat to dry before applying the next coat.)

Pamper your feet every two weeks with a pedicure and your feet will be soft and beautiful.

Fish Pedicure Illegal in Washington

July 21, 2008 we had a small post about a foot bath of garra rufa fish that nibble the dead skin away from the feet, in other words, a fish pedicure. A portion of the post read:

"Garra rufa live in small tubs or pools of water in international spas where they make their living eating dead skin from patrons feet, hands or their entire body, nibbling away at dead skin cells. It's the natural way to exfoliate the skin. The results - soft smooth feet and hands and a little tickle massage."

As I watched the news last night, the subject of fish pedicures came up again. To protect the citizens of the state of Washington, the Department of Licensing considers it illegal to have fish nibble at your feet -- well in a salon, anyway.

Seattle Times staff reporter, Sonia Krishnan wrote: "Pedicures by fish — the use of tiny, live carp to clean feet — has been deemed unsanitary and illegal in this state."

So what's so bad about a fish pedicure? Christine Anthony, spokeswoman for the Department of Licensing said "it's impossible to sanitize the live fish. You can clean the tank, you can clean the water, but there's no guarantee that the fish aren't carrying something from the previous customer."

I doubt we've heard the last of this. According to the Seattle Times, the salon owner, Tweety Bui said: "I am shocked and surprised and disappointed, and not happy. I am so overwhelmed with all this that it's not even funny."

Ms. Bui had invested several hundred dollars on these little creatures according to my local news.

$30 for a 15 minute fish pedicure - not bad. In my first post, I express that I didn't think a fish pedicure sounded too inviting. But now that I rethink it, I could handle a soothing massage from these little carp. Maybe my opinion changed because I am further being protected against myself and my decisions. A risk warning brochure would do the trick for me. It would provide me with the facts and allow me to make a decision on my own.

*****

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Fish Bath Removes Dead Skin courtesy of Dr. Fish

I can just see the ad... "Watch for Dr. Fish coming to your nearest Walmart soon!" or "Dr. Fish available at your nearest PetsMart Store!" Soon the days of a foot bath in epson salt and warm water will be a thing of the past; replaced by 38 degree water and small fish called Garra rufa, nicknamed Dr. Fish.

Garra rufa live in small tubs or pools of water in international spas where they make their living eating dead skin from patrons feet, hands or their entire body, nibbling away at dead skin cells. It's the natural way to exfoliate the skin. The results - soft smooth feet and hands and a little tickle massage. I can't help but wonder what Peta has to say about this practice.

Ur....I think I will stick to my Satin Hands and Microdermabrasion that I purchase through Mary Kay. The thought of fish nibbling at my body gives me the willies.

*****

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Keeping feet soft and sexy during the summer

Rough, tough and a little cracked can be the description of Aunt Bilabag, but shouldn't be the way you describe your feet.

One of the most common summer-time complaints is "my feet, especially my heels, are dry and cracked". If you normally wear socks and shoes, but toss them to the side during the summer and opt for the cute and sexy thongs (no, not the thong undergarments!), this could be your problem and if it is, try keeping your heels soft with your own foot spa treatment.

Treat yourself twice a week to a foot spa treatment. Here's how....

1. Before going to bed in the evening, wash and soak your feet for 15 minutes with a good foot soak product. Try one with the scent of lavender. Lavender calms the body.


2. Clip your toe nails and be sure to clean under them too!


3. Use a pumice stone to gently buff away dry and rough areas of the heels and toes. Don't use the stone on the top of the foot - use it only on the bottom.


4. Wash and rinse feet well with fresh water.


5. Dry feet well, making sure you get in between the toes too.


6. Slather petroleum jelly on your feet then slip them into a pair of clean socks. Retire to bed for the night. By morning, your feet should be softer.
   

Additional tips

1. Apply foot lotion to your feet daily.


2. Wear socks as often as possible.


3. Be careful with foot scrapers. Too many of them actually make the feet rougher by tearing at the skin. A good pumice stone will not do this.

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