Pedicure at home: Our fool-proof four-step guide

It’s fair to say we are all in need of a little self-care right now, whether lockdown worries have triggered sleepless nights, days cooped up with children have left you shattered, or self-isolation simply has you feeling relentlessly bored.

So, what can you do come Friday night, while freedom is firmly on hold? An at-home spa absolutely gets our vote and we plan on putting our best foot forward...

While a spa pedicure is always the ultimate treat - it's easy to pamper yourself with an at-home version right now.

The key products you need to give yourself a DIY manicure worthy of a salon are all affordable - from Epsom salts for under £2 to almond oil to nourish your nails - and once you have invested in a base coat to protect and a top coat for a professional-looking finish, no one will be able to tell the difference between your DIY pedicure and an expensive salon job.

You can even turn your bathroom in to a mini spa by lighting candles and unwinding while you soak your toes.

Step 1

Before you do anything else, take a few minutes to work at smoothing off dryness. File any hard skin from the heels and balls of your feet and the edges of your toes while your feet are still dry.

Step 2

Fill a bowl with warm water, add a handful of Epsom salts, plus a few drops of tea tree oil and soak your feet for five to 10 minutes. Epsom salts relax muscles and nerves, soften dry skin and help detox, while tea tree has antibacterial qualities. Dry your feet thoroughly, then clip nails straight across and file the edges smooth.

Step 3

Rub a little almond oil into your cuticles and push them gently back using a rubber-tipped cuticle stick. Follow up by massaging foot cream into your feet, avoiding your toes. If you’re doing your pedi right before bed, skip the nail polish, wrap your feet in clingfilm and add socks. You can brush on colour in the morning.

Step 4

If you’re adding polish after your pedicure, remember it takes a couple of hours to dry really hard. Use a little polish remover to skim any oil residue from your nails before applying a base coat, two coats of polish and a top coat. Using all the steps you would for a manicure makes colour last longer and look fabulous.

Pedicure products

essie 6 Ballet Slippers Nail Polish 13.5ml

Now 20% Off

£6 at LookFantastic

Leighton Denny Trio Buffer (1 Buffer)

Now 30% Off

£3 at LookFantastic

Scholl Velvet Smooth Pedi Electric Foot File Hard Skin Remover, Pink

Now 34% Off

£27 at Amazon

Pumice Stone

£395 at muji.eu

Leighton Denny Hoof Stick

Now 30% Off

£1 at LookFantastic

Credit: Look Fantastic

Magnitone London Well Heeled! Replacement Roller - Extra Buff (x2)

Now 20% Off

£10 at LookFantastic

Credit: Look Fantastic

Mavala Soothing Foot Bath Salts (300g)

£14 at LookFantastic

Credit: Look Fantastic

essie Nail Care All-in-One Nail Polish Base Coat and Top Coat

£9 at LookFantastic

Credit: Look Fantastic

Colour tip

For perfectly applied polish, don’t colour with brush in one hand and bottle in the other! Set the bottle down  and pick up a magnifying glass instead  for more accurate brush strokes.