Essie Innocent

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Foot Fetish

It seems like most people either love feet or hate them. I know people who grimace at the mere mention of toes. I know others that live to flaunt their peds and accessorize them with sexy sandals, jewelry, and polish. And we all know that some people really love feet. Scandalous foot fetish videos, hilarious Sex and the City reruns, and creepy rumors keep us all aware of that fact.

Regardless of your personal stance on feet, I think we all can agree that we want ours to look nice. For some reason, being told I have pretty feet is a particularly confidence-boosting compliment.

If your feet are in really bad shape, get thee to a nail salon and get yourself a pedicure. If, like me, you just need a little maintenance to get yourself sandal-ready, here are some tips to keep your feet looking ridiculously pretty:

1. Trim your nails. Having talon-like toenails is sure to perpetuate the feet-are-ugly myth and will turn off even the most hardcore fetishist. Keep your nails trimmed, straight across, and on the short side.

2. Scrub-a-dub-dub. A good foot scrub is key to having soft, delicate-looking soles. I recommend giving yourself a foot soak once a week. After soaking your feet for 5 to 10 minutes in hot water (foot soak or salt optional), pat them dry and scrub them with a generous dollop of foot scrub. Right now I’m using Toe the Line, from the Bath & Body Works True Blue Spa line. Massage the scrub into your feet, paying extra attention to especially dry areas. I find using my fingernails to scrape off dead skin is the most effective way to get my feet soft and smooth – it’s kinda gross, but it really, really works.

3. Lotion up. Feet need extra moisture to keep them smooth. I follow every foot scrub with a healthy dose of foot cream. Bliss Foot Patrol contains aloe and peppermint and leaves freshly scrubbed feet feeling tingly and rejuvenated. To keep my feet soft between scrubs, I slather on a thick foot cream each night before bed. I’m currently obsessed with Ahava Dermud Enriched Intensive Foot Cream. It has a sweet scent and my feet still feel moisturized when I wake up. An alternative: try moisturizing gel socks. My grandmother, who appreciates a pretty foot as much as I do, gave me a pair for my birthday. The insides of these little gems are coated with a softening gel, and while it feels weird to slide your feet into a little gel sleeve, just 20 minutes gets your feet surprisingly smooth.

4. Pick a pretty paint. In the heat of summer I tend to spice up my pedicure with hot pink polish, but when I’m just trying to get pretty feet, I like soft nude shades. They look clean, lovely, and sophisticated. I’m still hooked on Essie nail color in Innocent, a soft nude pink, but I occasionally switch it out for Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Peachy Keen, a one-step light peach (it looks great on hands, too).

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Who’s that Lady?

Sometime’s a girl just needs a change. With my birthday fast approaching and a new job just around the corner, it feels like a good time to get a new look. I’m starting to feel like a grown up, and as such, I want to look like a lady.

In addition to shopping for new work clothes, and developing a real appreciation for nice jewelry, I’ve recently discovered some new makeup that makes me feel fresh, pretty and, most of all, classy.

Before meeting with some VPs about the job I’m going to be doing, I decided I’d better do my nails so I could feel put together and confident about my handshake. I swiped on Essie nail color in Innocent, and lovely nude pink that looks clean, subtle, and unbelievably ladylike. It’s absolutely my new favorite nail color.

Every pretty lady needs to powder her nose, and my latest powder obsession is Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder Makeup. This luxurious powder comes in a pretty blue and gold compact, glides on easily, and really does stay in place, all through the work day. It blends effortlessly, keeps my cheeks from getting too rosy, and even keeps my chin from getting shiny, even after a busy day of running around.

Face freshly powdered, nails cleanly shining, and a new wardrobe ready to be worn… I’ll soon be a year older, but thanks to a few secret beauty weapons and a fabulous new job, I feel like a new woman. Or, perhaps more appropriately, a new lady.