Essie’s Tangerine Tease and Bikini So Teeny
After feeling like a hobbit these past many months, I’m happy to be pedicuring again. Pedicure appointments are up 200% from their pre-pandemic numbers, because freshly done toes make you feel instantly groomed and provide a happy hit of serotonin each time you catch a glimpse of your feet.
But if a salon visit is still out of the question, a DIY pedicure can also provide a happy feeling even if your execution isn’t 100%. After all, your feet are far away, so you or anyone else can’t be inspecting them too closely. (That’s at least one bonus to having failing eyesight.)
As we age, getting glossy, perfect toes may require overcoming such dubious delights as ridges on nails and ever-drier skin. So we asked Essie’s ebullient and super-talented lead nail artist, Rita Remark, how to handle these obstacles (with product recommendations too), as she is a firm believer that you can do it yourself with a bit of insider knowledge.
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Oldish: I understand that you have your own optimal pedicure posture?
RR: For a lot of us it’s common to sit on a chair, and fold ourselves in half like a compact, with our head between our legs and we’re polishing that way. That just makes me dizzy.
When you apply polish with your chest on your knees it’s really not comfortable, so I always recommend you sit on the floor and prop your foot up on a book. If you get your foot a little higher off the ground at a better level, it makes the whole process much easier.
What are your favourite summer colours?
It’s not summer until I have Bikini So Teeny (above) on my toes. It’s beyond sky blue –if you took sky blue and made it neon. And Tangerine Tease is such a bright orange, a traffic cone orange.
Are there any polish finishes you should avoid over 50?
I would absolutely avoid anything frosted or metallic because these shine a light on the ridges. If you want a glamorous look, instead use a glittery polish (small or large glitter bits work) which obscures imperfections on the nail. Other textures that work great for ridged nails are cream, sheer and jelly. Just make sure to always pair them with the ridge filling base coat.
Do you recommend buffing and/or using a ridge-filling base coat?
Essie Smooth-e base coat
A light buff with a buffing block will be helpful for superficial ridges, but it's critical to not overdo it or to buff too often. Once every couple weeks is fine, but too much will thin your nails or cause peeling.
To conceal ridges, start your manicure with a ridge filling base coat like Essie Smooth-e, $12.99, Shoppers Drug Mart. it doesn't just even out the surface of the nail, it also contains ceramides that lock in moisture for dry nails.
Any special top coat?
A more voluminous topcoat like Essie Gel.setter $12,99, Shoppers Drug Mart, will fill in any left-over ridges or uneven areas on the nail, leaving a glass-like shine.
When you apply top coat, always use a light touch and make sure the brush doesn’t press into the polish – the brush should just glide down the nail. Just hover and bring it down lightly and always cap the tip, to prevent chips.
Dry skin seems drier now. But even diligently applying a rich lotion doesn’t seem to do enough.
As we age, our nails, like our skin and hair, have a tougher time retaining moisture. So it's important to use a cuticle/nail moisturizer daily (or many times throughout the day) to keep nails and cuticles soft, strong and beautiful.
Essie Apricot Nail & Cuticle Oil
I love Apricot Nail & Cuticle Oil, $12.99, Shoppers Drug Mart, because it uses apricot kernel oil which mimics our skin's own sebum so it's absorbed easily without a greasy residue. it also smells delicious which is a great incentive to use it all the time.
And cuticle oil will extend the life of your pedicure because if your cuticles are intact, your polish grows out really nicely.