Six Steps to a Perfect Pedicure

Summertime, and your feet are on display. Constantly. Bold - but maybe not so beautiful. Don't have the time or money to make it in for weekly foot pampering? Well, fortunately, celebrity nail stylist Jenna Hipp is here in the nick of time - with steps you can take to give yourself a pretty pedi!

1. Start by taking off any old color left hanging onto your toenails. For this, Jenna recommends two non-acetone based removers: Priti Soy Polish Remover and Butter London Powder Room Lacquer Remover. These are more expensive than the acetone-based remover you buy at the local drug store. You may use a bit more of the product, and it might take a little longer to get the old color off. But you won't be breathing those nasty odors or wiping chemicals on your nails.

2. Don't file - clip! Emery boards are very rough and tend to damage the ends of the nails (even if you can't see it.) And that's one major reason your nail polish chips. So instead of letting your nail clippers gather dust in some drawer in your bathroom, use them to do as much shaping as possible and give your nails a clean edge. Then, if you still need to file, use a glass file (Yes! A glass file! Jenna recommends the one from Priti - and we love it, too!) Two more advantages to a glass file: you can file back and forth on the nail without damaging it. And you can wash it - keeping it clean and sanitary! And oh yes - it won't wear out, like an emery board.

3. Toss out your pumice stone! Replace it with a sanding block! They're available from any beauty supply store. Look for one side that's coarse and another side medium. Use the coarse side on dry feet to buff away rough spots (you'll be amazed at how fast it works!) and the medium side for cuticles on hands and feet.

4. Get yourself a good nail brush. No need to soak your feet for 20 minutes (Yes, we know how good it feels! And by all means, do it for relaxation. But you don't need to do it for your pedicure!) Just put a drop of antibacterial soap on the brush - and brush away at your toes while you're in the shower. Twenty seconds on each foot, and you're good to go! (This is also a good time to keep an orange stick handy so you can push back those pesky cuticles. Make it part of your shower routine - and you're done!)

5. Fill a spray bottle with a solution that's 60% alcohol and 40% water. Spray it on your nails as the last step before polishing. Many polish removers have oils in them. And any oil on the nails will keep polish from sticking and staying as long as it should.

6. And finally - the color! Jenna recommends that you use base, color and top coat from the same line. She says it's formulated to work together. Now, nothing bad will happen if you mix brands. But you'll get better results if you use coordinated products. Two brands Jenna likes are Priti and RGB. Both are "Three Free" - that is, they do not contain DBPs, toluene and formaldehyde. Both offer a wide range of colors, with Priti also carrying a "Princess" line for the little princesses in your life!

Bottom line, Jenna says, it's in the preparation. Take the time to go through the steps - and your toes will twinkle all summer long!