Nice Toes!

It's that time of year again, time for the weekly or so pedicure. I didn't used to believe in the necessity of toenail decoration, but an older co-worker, Terri, introduced me to the concept, and I've never looked back. She wears a frosted violet on her toenails, and rarely touches it up. But you know what? Nobody notices that it's a little chipped here and there, all they notice is a hot woman in her late 50's with pretty toes! And that's when I had my Eureka! moment. I had always felt self-conscious about my feet (who doesn't I guess, right?). But now I had found a way to make a liability an asset. And let me tell you, I've gone to town with it!

See, I don't go out for pedicures, I do them at home, mostly because of stinginess and paranoia on my part. So, I have all sorts of tools, lotions, potions, foot tubs, and of course color choices!

Unlike make-up, where I have moved away from the cheap drug-store variety, nail polish, in my opinion, should be cheap - because they all chip the same, no matter what the label says. My favorite brand was always Wet 'n' Wild, the 99 cent variety, until the consumer value store where I shop no longer carried it. Now they carry "NYC" brand. So, that's my current brand of choice.

I use two base coats of nail strengthener, since my nails tend to tear, one coat applied vertically, the other horizontally, to make the nails stronger. This also cuts down on toenail discoloration that can happen when you use dark colors, like I do. Then my color, at least 2 coats. Then clear, which I make sure to brush all the way over the end of the nail, to try to keep it from chipping as long as possible. So, the pedi lasts about 2 weeks. I don't try to match my color to my outfits. And I don't do my finger nails, since I do too much with my hands, and I hate how chipped fingernail polish looks. That's the beauty of the pedicure - no one notices the little flaws, and the overall effect is so excellent!

John William Waterhouse: Sweet Summer - 1912, Oil on canvas, Private Collection, actual size: (W x H): 84 cm x 38 cm, from http://www.jwwaterhouse.com/view.cfm?recordid=35.