Shoes For Her.com

Love Thy Strumpet

Strumpets are my new obsession! How can you not be, this accessory is dripping with ingenuity, practicality, individuality and style. You can wear them with any shoe you want, creating a unique look, dressed up or down. Exceptionally versatile, as substitute for boots, and great thing is you can fit them in your bag! Designed by Elizabeth Melink, they are beautifully crafted emitting an air of traditional tailoring, almost antique like. Strumpets ooze innovation mixing old world fashion with modern day practicality. I have yet to locate this magnificent creation at an online store, however you can contact Elizabeth Melink herself for a custom made pair.

Paris in Chains

Paris Hilton has come out with her own range of accessories. What will it be next? The one that we are particularly interested in is this Stirling silver anklet with crystal hearts and star ornament. At $60 it is fairly well priced and the design is very cute. I am a big fan of anklets for their subtle sexiness and definitely not for their practicality. But since when do sexy and practical belong in the same sentence anyway?

 

Polish Up

Try two coats of Revlon Red on your well groomed toes for that sexy and eye catching finish! It is perfect for smart or casual, but for the best effect I love it with a stunning pair of beaded black stilettos and a cute little black dress for a night out on the town. This racy red polish seems to be getting lots of girls fired up taking out the 2004 CosmoGIRL Kiss of Approval Beauty Awards.

Hurry Up!

Impatient? Then quick dry nail polish was invented just for you!

I know the feeling all too well. You have finished painting a flawless coat of nail polish and then you have to wait for what seems like an eternity until it dries. I have been known to paint my nails on the way out the house while wearing my shoes and arriving at my destination with polish smears all over my toes. Don’t act so surprised, I know you have done the same or have been tempted to. Let’s face it, there are better things to be doing for a glam queens than sitting around at home, waiting.

The answer is speed dry. Now that speed dry is on the scene, spend more time showing off your gorgeous look and less time creating it. Some of my favourites are Super Top Speed by Revlon or Avon Speed Dry Nail Enamel.

Home Pedicure 101

So you have decided to go for the home pedicure option. Here are 12 tips for doing it just like the professionals! Not even your best friend will be able to tell the difference. If you are going to do the ritual, allow an hour or more for drying. As a general rule, if you are applying more than two coats, waiting time is going to be necessary.

Your pedicure should last about two weeks without chipping (depending on what brand you use). Enjoy! your feet are about to look fabulous!!!

You will need the following supplies:

• Pumice stone

• Toe separators or cotton balls/roll

• Emory board

• Cuticle remover

• Orangewood stick

• Color nail polish

• Base coat

• Top coat

• Nail polish remover

• Quick dry spray

• Nail clippers

• Big bowel or bucket

• Nail buffer

• Cotton balls

• Towels

• Peppermint Lotion

• Socks

1. Thoroughly saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and use it to remove any old polish you may have on your toenails from you last pedicure. Gently pressing the cotton ball on the nail for a moment before wiping the nail with a circular motion will make it easier to remove the polish.

2. Fill the big bowl or bucket with enough warm soapy water to cover your feet. Soak for at least five minutes.
   Note: Whenever you are working on one foot, the other foot should be soaking in the warm water.

3. Dry your foot and apply the cuticle remover at the base of each nail. Wait one minute for the remover to soften the cuticle. Use the wedged end of the orangewood stick to push the cuticle back. Repeat this procedure on the other foot.

4. Using the nail clippers, cut off any nails that are too long. Length is a personal preference, but make sure the nail is shorter than the toe. Be careful not to cut the nails too short as this can cause ingrown toenails and can be quite painful. With the emery board, file the nail into a square shape.

5. Use the nail buffer to smooth any roughness or ridges on the surface of the nails.

6. Wet the pumice stone in the big bowl or bucket. Rub any areas of dry or flaking skin gently with the pumice stone. Rinse the foot and dry.

7. Apply a generous amount of lotion to the foot, massaging it in and taking care to cover all the foot, especially the dry and flaky parts. Massage the lotion up your legs to your knees. Relax for 10 minutes, allowing your skin to soak in the soothing lotion.

8. Saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and go back over your toenails, making sure that all lotion residues are removed. This is important, since the polish will not stick to any surface that still has lotion residue on it.

9. Press the toe separators between the toes, so that each toe is not rubbing on the next.
   Note: Toe separators should never be shared. You never know where other peoples toes have been. Be very careful to keep the cotton wool away from the nails themselves, as cotton fibers will ruin the look of the polish.

10. Brush 1 coat of the base coat over each nail. Allow it to dry for one minute.

11. Apply 2 coats of the nail color. Allow it to dry for 5 minutes.

12. Apply the top coat. Allow it to dry for 1 minute, then spray your nails with the quick dry spray.

If possible, allow a half hour for the nails to dry completely.

This entire procedure should take about an hour. After your nails are dry, you can look down often and admire your handiwork. Your pedicure should last about 2 weeks or even longer if you apply more coats of the topcoat. Have fun!