From the moment a lady is aware that she is to be a bride, her mind almost immediately begins to plan along a familiar pattern when it comes to her personal presentation; her dress, hair, bridesmaids etc., even her shoes but often lastly addresses the appearance of her feet.
In times gone by this was fine and it worked because a bride would customarily put on hosiery and finish with closed, court style satin shoes. While this option is still there if you desire, today’s bride is especially exciting with her shoes, opting to wear very strappy styles which are backless, open toe, intricate, decorated etc.
With the growing popularity of the “Destination Bride”and other styles, it is now perfectly ok to go without tights or stockings, wearing a natural, smooth leg look. As a result it is essential that
you treat your feet to a pedicure. .
It is very easy to perform an effective professional style pedicure at home, transforming tired feet to fabulous both in look and feel. Remember as a bride you are going to be on your feet a lot; looking after your feet is not just for looks or just this occasion rather a lifetime regimen towards part of general well-being
DESTINATION BRIDE
As a destination bride who chooses to have the ceremony on the beach, it is doubly essential for you to consider the presentation of your feet.
This style of wedding successfully supports the use of open shoes, sandal styles, fancy flip-flops and even barefoot.
After the wedding the opportunity exists to have fun on the beach, walking in the water and enjoying the feel of the sand between your toes. As your feet will definitely be on show you want to put your best foot forward.
USING COLOUR
When it comes to colour, brides have more opportunities than ever to be creative with their shoe colour and nail polish, as familiar traditions change, to become part of a long list of options. Customarily seen as standard, it is no longer a restricted case of only using pale, white and pastel shades for varnishing bridal nails or selecting shoes. You now have a choice from the light and white to the bright to the deep depending on your presentation and the nature of the ceremony.
With more and more brides deciding to enjoy infusions of colour into their gown, theme weddings and even overall solid shades, the options are open to considering contrasting a colour against white or ivory hues, in addition to picking up on theme colours used for décor, bridal party and flowers etc.
Remember also that feet do not have to have strong colour on the toe nails to look beautiful, a natural effect with creamy tones, pale peach or even French style (white tips) can compliment an open shoe beautifully.
PROFESSIONAL STYLE HOME PEDICURE STRATEGY
Apedicure is a very relaxing treatment which you can enjoy as a great stress reliever.
Prepare: Using a ball of cotton wool remove any old colour residue which may be on the toenails.
Soak: It is important that your feet and nails are softened for maximum effectiveness. Ten minutes or so is adequate, any longer is drying to the skin. Fill a bowl with warm water and add scented oil for fragrance. Therapeutic treatments at this time can include Epson salts which disinfect and cleanses, tea tree oil which is an effective, soothing antiseptic, peppermint oil which refreshes and softens or even milk, lemon etc.
Exfoliate: Dry your feet and buff with a pumice stone. Rub the bottom only concentrating on the pressure areas like the heel, big toe and the ball of the foot. Be gentle, the aim is to remove the top layer of hard skin, you still need protection for your foot so you don’t want to make them too sensitive. Finish with an exfoliating scrub of your choice, to remove dry skin and give your feet a smooth look and finish. Rinse well.
Trim: Using a proper nail clipper trim nails to an appropriate length; remember that your nails are a protection for your toes so cutting them too short would not be wise and can make the tips very sensitive. The ideal length is just slightly short of the top of the nail bed. Cutting them straight across is the best shape for toenails making sure that you round the edges to prevent ingrown nails. File in one direction this avoids hangnails. Buff the surface smooth which also removes any discolouration and ridges. You can rinse your feet again to remove residue from clipping and filing.
Moisturise: Massage your feet and leg area with a moisturising cream to soften and smooth. Massaging increases blood flow to the feet and lower legs. Make sure that you rub in or remove surplus cream from between the toes.
Cuticle Treatment: Apply oil or cuticle cream to the nail area to soften and invigorate coarse edges. Using an orange stick gently push them back around the nail plate for a streamlined look.
Nail Polish: Using a gentle polish remover, wipe away excess oil from the nail so that the polish can adhere properly and apply a base coat. Next apply two thin coats of polish. Finishing with a top coat adds shine and durability. Using a toe separator or cotton balls between the toes makes application easier.
Relax for a while for polish to set and reduce smudging.
