Pedicure perfection

Feet tend to be the most neglected part of the body when it comes to a beauty regime, so give your tootsies some love and attention with a relaxing and rejuvenating pedicure.

When you consider that, by the age of 70, the average person will have walked the equivalent of four times around the world, it's no wonder feet can sometimes look a little worse for wear. But you'll be able to step out with style in your strappy sandals if you follow our eight-step guide to getting fantastic looking feet.

1. The start to every pedicure should be a relaxing soak in a foot spa. Not only will this help to soften the skin and loosen old varnish, but it will soothe any aches, and relax the whole body. Add Jessica Herbal Foot Soak Crystals (£8.65, stockists 020 8381 7793) to the warm water, which contains chamomile and basil to relieve swelling and calluses, thyme for bruises and mint to relieve hot and itchy feet as well as to provide a cool and refreshing scent. The light fragrance of the camphor extract balances and calms, while relieving nervous tension and worries.

2. Remove any nail varnish. An orange stick with cotton wool wrapped on the end, soaked in nail varnish remover, is useful for getting rid of hard-to-shift nail varnish at the sides and base of the nail.

3. Apply a cuticle softener, such as Creative Nail Design Solar Oil (£8.25, stockists 0113 216 2994) to the base of each nail. Leave to soak in for a few minutes then gently push down the cuticles using an orange stick. Don't cut the cuticles – they're there to protect your nails from infection.

The start to every pedicure should be a relaxing soak in a foot spa. Not only will this help to soften the skin and loosen old varnish, but it will soothe any aches, and relax the whole body 4. Massage an exfoliator into the feet and lower legs, which will help to remove dead skin, cleanse, moisturise and soften. Applying pressure to the soles of your feet as you massage will also help relieve tension. Try Creative Nail Design Sea Salt Glow (£8.95, stockists as before), a mineral scrub containing sea salts, Vitamin E, sunflower oil and yarrow flower extract. Place the feet back in the foot spa and wash off all the exfoliator.

5. Dry the feet and then apply a moisturising mask from the ankle to the toes and wrap each foot in a warm towel. Jessica Herbal Therapy Foot Masque (£11.60, stockists as before) is a smooth cream containing natural extracts and botanicals that soften and condition the skin. After five to 10 minutes remove the towels and rinse off the mask.

6. Use a pumice or foot file, such as the Scholl Dual Action Foot File (for stockists call 0800 917 2291), on areas of rough skin. Don't be over-vigorous though - people who do a lot of sport, walk a lot or spend long periods of time standing, develop hard skin on their feet as a form of natural protection. In these cases it's best if some areas of hardened skin remain. Follow this with an application of Cucumber Heel Therapy (£18.50 Creative Nail Design, stockists as before), especially designed to moisturise and soothe the toughened heel area.

7. Use toenail clippers to cut the nails in a straight line, then file gently in one direction. Your toenails should always be kept short and square – leaving the nails too long or over-filing at the sides can cause in-growing nails and infection… ouch!

8. Add some colour! Begin by applying a base coat, which will prevent staining and provide an even surface on which to apply colour. Opi Start To Finish (£9.50, stockists 01923 240010) is a multi-action product that doubles as a base and a topcoat. Apply two coats of your favourite nail colour (the brighter the better!), and have a cotton wool-covered orange stick soaked in varnish on hand to clear up any slips. OPI in Tasmanian Devil (£9.50) is the perfect orange-red shade for bright, fun, summer toes. Finally, seal the colour with a topcoat. Try to avoid wearing shoes for a couple of hours in order to allow the colour to harden.

Beauty must-haves to keep feet in tip-top condition:

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