You know that saying about nail polish chipping when you sneeze but your pedicure lasting through a nuclear war? It is only ever true until you are in a rush to leave, slip on a pair of sandals and realize that your toe nail polish has chipped on several toes.
While I change my nail polish several times a week on my hands, I tend to go for a single brighter colour on my toes and wear it for about 2 weeks. So a gel polish is perfect. It stays shiny and is less likely to chip or wear where sandal straps rub against toes.
I do love going for a pedicure. My local spa gives the best foot and leg massage. But it gets expensive going regularly. So instead, a few simple items can get you a long lasting pedicure at home. Get everything you need for less than I pay for two pedicures and have a Sensationail gel kit to use for many more to come.
Fungicure for Better Looking Tootsies
Whether you have been to a dodgy looking salon that has those amazing spa foot tubs or just discoloured and off looking toes, Fungicure can help. Seriously, those whirlpool foot spas feel great but are almost impossible to clean properly, go somewhere that just has soaker tubs. Foot fungus is nasty and you have probably seen that TV ad with the kid asking her dad what is up with his yellow toe nails. It can take months to clear up a foot fungus even with a prescription anti-fungal cream.
Fungicure is an over the counter maximum strength anti-fungal liquid that you can brush on to your nails. This one has the highest concentration of undecylenic acid available without a prescription. It also has a soothing conditioning base with aloe and Vitamin E to leave the skin around your toes smoother. Use regularly to ensure a fungus doesn’t start or twice a day if you do have a toe fungus.
A Great Pedicure Starts with a Foot Soak
Just like at the spa, start off with a relaxing foot soak. Pour some Espom Salts or a partial bath bomb into a warm water and sit back and relax for a while. Dr Teal’s has a Soothing Lavender Pure Epsom Salt Soaking solution or get invigorated with a refreshing Spearmint and Eucalyptus Soak, Rather than waste Epsom salts filling the tub with water, I use a dish pan meant to go in the sink. You can grab one from Dollarama for $2 and they are perfectly sized for your feet and easy to clean after too.
Get Smoother Healthier Looking Feet
Give your feet a good scrub to get rid of any dead skin. This TRIM Easy Hold Brush has pumice on the other side to get rid of any really rough skin or calluses. Just rub gently in a circular motion to get down to the fresh healthy skin. Then clip your toe nails and push your cuticles back, because it is time to paint those toes. Be sure to cut straight across to limit the chance of an ingrown toe nail too!
Get a Flawless Long Lasting Pedicure with Sensationail Express Gel
While I have a lot of patience for painting my finger nails, toes can be a pain. Bending over to do a base coat, colour coats, top coat etc. It can take forever. Sensationail Express Gel doesn’t need a base or topcoat and for under $50 you get the lamp and a starter colour plus a nail file and cuticle stick. Just make sure your toes are dry, slip on some toe separators as the gel doesn’t dry until under the lamp. You don’t want to smudge it. Then paint your toes with one of the Sensationail Express Gel opaque shiny colours.
Sensationail Express Gel Swatches in Cafe au Lait, The Boys in Blue and Red Your Profile
I tend to go bright on my toes so The Boys in Blue was perfect for me. Red Your Profile is a classic red that works with all skin tones. Cafe au Lait is more of a neutral finger colour for me, perfect for giving extra strength to my nails but still being able to paint over it for a brighter look.
Make sure you use the cuticle stick to go around the edges of your toes before using the lamp to dry the polish. Any areas where it is on the skin could cause the gel to pull or lift early.
I did find that fitting my whole foot under the lamp required some careful placement. On my second foot, I painted the big toe separately so it was less likely to smudge my baby toe when drying. But it only needs 30 seconds under the lamp so it is still a quick pedicure.
Sensationail Express Gel Swatches & Removal
Sensationail Express Gel Swatches in Cafe au Lait, The Boys in Blue and Red Your Profile
Which Sensationail Express Gel colour would you choose? These are all just one coat because who wants to do multiple coats on their toes? They last 10 days but I am on day 9 of The Boys In Blue and it is still shiny and no chipping. It will probably last fine until it grows out. Since it is gel, you do need to soak it in acetone to remove. Just put some on a cotton ball and place on the toe until the polish goes all wrinkly and lifts away easily. Then start again for another 10 day polish cycle!