This post was sponsored by GOLD BOND® Ultimate Pedi Smooth® but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Keep your feet sandal-worthy well into fall with these easy tips to extend the life of your pedicure! My favorite tip: moisturizing with new GOLD BOND Ultimate Pedi Smooth! You're going to love it!

Professional pedicures are insanely fabulous, but let’s be honest: that “wow, my feet look awesome feeling” doesn’t last as long as you’d think it would, especially for the amount of time and money you put into it. My last pro pedicure was right before my brother’s wedding. I was a bridesmaid and wearing open-toe shoes, so I needed my feet to look half decent. It took over an hour from start to finish. The nail polish itself lasted an eternity. Seriously, I couldn’t get the stuff off! I had to paint over it and wait for my nails to grow until it was gone. The rest of the pedicure though (as in, the part that made my feet look less like something out of an alligator’s nightmare) “wore off” after just a few days. To be fair to the pedicurist who did it, I probably did everything wrong once I got home.

Even though I DIY most of my pedicures at home now, it still takes a lot of time and energy. I get my heels and toes looking fantastic, then skip a few weeks and BAM, they’re right back to where I started. There has to be a better way, right? Of course there is! Read on for 7 tips to really extend the life of your pedicure, whether it’s done by a pro or a DIY job!

How to Extend the Life of Your Pedicure

1- Moisturize like crazy!

Extending the life of your pedicure starts (and ends) with moisturizing. I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep those tootsies from drying out. I’ve tried a lot of lotions in the past. A LOT. While some worked fairly well, I’m not looking for “fairly.” I’m looking for perfection! GOLD BOND sent me a lovely Pedi Smooth® Package full of fab items to keep my feet sandal-ready for the rest of the summer and beyond, including their new GOLD BOND® Ultimate Pedi Smooth® lotion. I gave it a two-week spin and talk about perfection! The foot cream is specially formulated to keep your feet feeling pedicure-soft for up to 2 weeks longer, It feels like liquid satin and kept my feet incredibly smooth far longer than I expected it to.

Keep your feet sandal-worthy well into fall with these easy tips to extend the life of your pedicure! My favorite tip: moisturizing with new GOLD BOND Ultimate Pedi Smooth! You're going to love it!

2- Let your feet be free for a few hours

Whether you have a pro pedi or do it DIY style, you need to let your feet be free for at least a few hours afterward. This gives the polish a chance to really dry and set. Sure, it may SEEM dry when you leave the salon, but even “quick drying” polish doesn’t really set for a good 8 hours.

3- Cover your feet…

After that first day, you’ll want to protect your feet from the elements as much as possible. Of course, you want to show off those pretty painted toes when you’re out and about. That’s fine. At home, though, or when you’re just running quick errands and don’t need to look stunning from head to toe, wear socks. It keeps dirt and grime from settling on your polish and skin.

4- …but let them breathe!

Talk about mixed signals! While you do want to cover your feet as often as possible after that first day, you still need to let them breathe. Basically, this means skipping the combat boots and stuffy sneaks. Think of it this way: if your shoes need odor eaters, they’re not letting your feet breathe enough.

5- Refresh your top coat

Keep your feet sandal-worthy well into fall with these easy tips to extend the life of your pedicure! My favorite tip: moisturizing with new GOLD BOND Ultimate Pedi Smooth! You're going to love it!

Even if your favorite salon uses the heavy-duty polish that never comes off, chances are it’s going to chip or fade a bit at some point.  Keep the paint looking fresh by adding a top coat within a few days after it sets, then refresh as needed. I recommend bringing your own nail polish to the salon so that you can easily match the shade at home. If you can’t (or don’t want to do that), write down the brand and shade that they use, then buy your own bottle online or in your favorite beauty supply store.

6-  Nix the dip

You may want to show off your fab new feet at the pool, but don’t be so quick to dive in! Chlorine is incredibly drying to pretty much every last inch of your body, including those newly pedicured pups. Even lounging in the bath tub with your feet in the water can wreak havoc on your feet, especially if you’re like me and prefer super hot water. That doesn’t mean you can’t still relax in a hot tub after a long day, just do it with your feet up!

7- Break out the pumice!

If you follow the advice in the first tip, you shouldn’t see as much of a build-up of dry skin as you would without moisturizing. Still, even with a wonder foot cream like GOLD BOND Ultimate Pedi Smooth, you want to give your heels a little extra attention. Now, since pumice stone works best after you’ve soaked your feet, you might think it goes against the whole “nix the dip” tip. Here’s an easy way to do it without messing up your paint job.

Keep your feet sandal-worthy well into fall with these easy tips to extend the life of your pedicure! My favorite tip: moisturizing with new GOLD BOND Ultimate Pedi Smooth! You're going to love it!

First, wash and dry your feet to get off all of the dirt and grime that accumulates throughout the day. Next, fill a small bowl (think cereal bowl, but not as deep) with warm water and add a bit of bath salt. Either put down a towel or stick the bowl in the bathtub. Soak just your heels (trust me, it can be done) in the bowl for about five minutes, until the skin is nice and supple. Your feet are now ready for the pumice stone! Rub in circular motions and be gentle. You’re not sandblasting your feet, just trying to slough off some of the dead skin cells. Finish up with GOLD BOND® Ultimate Pedi Smooth® .

 

More about GOLD BOND Pedi-Smooth

Let’s be honest, we all feel more confident and “put together” when we’re well-groomed from head to toes, right? We spend a crazy amount of time on the “head” part, but tend to neglect the “toes” bit. Sure, our feet look great those first few days after a pedicure, but it’s hard work keeping up with them! It’s important to make them last as long as humanely possible. As I mentioned above, GOLD BOND® Ultimate Pedi Smooth® is utter perfection when it comes to keeping your feet smooth long after you leave the salon (or put away your home pedicure tools). It’s not only an incredibly lush and moisturizing cream, it’s also the most exfoliating foot cream that GOLD BOND®  has ever created. With 7 intensives moisturizers, it helps keep all of that rough skin from making a fast comeback AND reconditions your feet every time you use it.

How to extend the life of your pedicure in 7 easy steps

Visit GOLD BOND® to learn more about this awesome new foot cream! You’ll find it in the foot care aisle at major drug stores, mass retailers, and grocery stores nationwide.

Giveaway

Keep your feet sandal-worthy well into fall with these easy tips to extend the life of your pedicure! My favorite tip: moisturizing with new GOLD BOND Ultimate Pedi Smooth! You're going to love it!

I have an extra Pedi Smooth® Package to give away to one of you! Giveaway is open to US Residents ages 18+ and ends on October 3rd, 2017. Winner will be selected at random and notified via email.

 

Gold Bond

Do you DIY your pedicures or get them done in a salon? Tell me your favorite tips and thoughts below!