It's around this time of year that most of us start to notice the true extent of the damage done by a summer of wearing flimsy footwear. Sandals are a godsend in the heat, but it's hard to find a pair that don't rub or pinch, and the results can be pretty unattractive.
If you're feeling the pain (and also noticing the stink) of neglected feet but are too skint (or embarrassed) to go for a professional pedicure, a DIY footcare session is in order.
Read on for our tips on caring for your tootsies!
The K&M home pedicure
• First (and most importantly) put on some music. Staring at your feet for half an hour is not something you want to do in silence!
• Next, get your clippers out and trim those toenails! If you've done as many of us do in summer and painted your nails a lovely colour, you might find you've let them grow a little longer than you usually might, and this needs fixing fast! Don't forget the golden rule here: toenails need to be cut straight across (don't trace around the shape of the toe) to keep them growing correctly. Remove any nail polish and rinse off excess solvent.
• Next, fill a basin (or your bathtub) with warm, soapy water. For an even deeper clean, dissolve a few spoonfulls of foot soak into the water instead of soap: this should help get rid of any nasty odours. Boots do a good one called Gorgeous Feet Soothing Foot Soak which costs just £4.99
• When your feet are clean, grab a pummice stone or foot file and get working on any rough skin or callouses, working in a circular motion. Keep one foot soaking as you work on the other. A gentler alternative is to use an exfoliating scrub, which nourishes the feet as it removes dead and tired skin. I'm quite a fan of The Sanctuary's foot scrub, (£3,92) which has a fresh, herbal scent.
• Take feet out of the bath or tub, drying them gently with a towel. If you want to treat your nails as well as the feet, now's the time to remove excess bits of cuticle using a cuticle removing solution. I favour Spa Ritual's Cuti Clean solution (£7.78) for this particular job as it smells mild and floral (not at all like the more chemically laden sort) and works gently.
• Next, use a rich, deep moisturising cream to really pamper your feet - wrapping each foot in a pre-heated flannel for serious moisturisation. You can do this by warming them for a few seconds in the microwave - but never leave it unattended while they're 'cooking'!
I've sampled a fair few foot moisturisers this summer, and my favourite by a long chalk has got to be Barielle's total foot care cream, which smells heavenly and leaves the feet feeling hydrated, smooth and silky soft. You can pick up a generous tub for £15.75 at Salon Skincare
• Now it's time to make your feet look pretty again. Using a nail polish remover to get rid of any excess polish or lotions, gently clean the nails, then apply a clear, base coat of nail polish and allow it to dry completely. Then apply two coats of the nail color of your choice.
You now have beautiful feet!