Since I enjoy getting a good foot rub, I also enjoy giving them. I have a male friend who has all girls. The girls had rarely had their nails done. I told him about our "pedicure, pizza and movie night" that my girls and I have every month or so and he asked for more information.
I am happy to report that he has now had his first pedicure, pizza and movie night with great results. We went out before hand and bought the basics and got each girl a color and a sparkle so that they could mix and match the colors for some fun combinations. He even let the girls practice on his toes to check out color combinations. What little girl wouldn't enjoy that?
Before starting, gather supplies: 
Fingernail polish remover, cuticle oil, clippers, file, cuticle remover, polish color of choice, sparkle or smelly coat if you choose and lastly a good topcoat. There are many types of polish. I found some with really thin long brushes which are good for decorating. There are some "markers" that you can buy online for finer decorations. I am embarrassed to say how many polishes I have. With five girls and myself, we own easily 100 bottles with crackle, sparkle, smells (15 different scents) and every color one could wear.
Fingernail polish remover, cuticle oil, clippers, file, cuticle remover, polish color of choice, sparkle or smelly coat if you choose and lastly a good topcoat. There are many types of polish. I found some with really thin long brushes which are good for decorating. There are some "markers" that you can buy online for finer decorations. I am embarrassed to say how many polishes I have. With five girls and myself, we own easily 100 bottles with crackle, sparkle, smells (15 different scents) and every color one could wear.First, I like to clip the nail. Do it straight across as to avoid causing an ingrown toenail situation. Next, file the nail straight evening out the clip to avoid the nail catching on something. Next, I use the tip of the file to clean under the nail. I then push the cuticle back or use the cuticle remover. If someone has cuticles growing up the nail, I usually soak the foot for about 10 minutes in warm water to help soften it and then push it back. Once you start doing these regularly, that won't be an issue as much.
After that, I put lotion on the foot and lower leg giving a nice rub. Women have lymphatic running all the way down their legs. Men don't. For this reason their feet swell more. It is good to start at the knee and work up and down the back of the calf. This is the best part of a pedicure in my opinion. The longer this part goes, the happier the person will be!
After the massage, put cuticle oil around the nail bed. Rub it in. Have the person choose a color. Paint the nail. Use your thumbnail to pull any polish off the skin. If you can't or you get a lot on the skin, don't worry, this will come off in the shower and work off in a short time. Let that dry. This is why we watch a video so we can let the nails dry. I usually do a second thin coat of the base color. Let that dry.
This is the fun part. You can choose so many different things. There are all sorts o
f creative things you can do. We found a book called "Fun with Nail Art" by Finger and Tumblety. It has all sorts of fun things you can paint on your nails. My youngest wanted a french tip which usually entails a skin colored base coat with white edging. I also did a flower. You can use the tip of a toothpick to pick up some polish of any color and draw on the nail. Practice this on paper and you will be a pro in no time. You can also use acrylic paint to paint on decorations. Just make sure you use a top coat on the paint or it will chip off quickly.
f creative things you can do. We found a book called "Fun with Nail Art" by Finger and Tumblety. It has all sorts of fun things you can paint on your nails. My youngest wanted a french tip which usually entails a skin colored base coat with white edging. I also did a flower. You can use the tip of a toothpick to pick up some polish of any color and draw on the nail. Practice this on paper and you will be a pro in no time. You can also use acrylic paint to paint on decorations. Just make sure you use a top coat on the paint or it will chip off quickly.If you choose a sparkle, my favorite are sold at WalMart and are the "Love my nail" brand and cost about $1. They are clear base and have little mylar shapes in them. They have hearts, flakes and other sparkles in many colors. We like the red, white and blue sparkles for the fourth over a blue base coat. I paint these on and then let them dry for some time. It usually is at least a half hour and this is why movies are good.
Once the nails are dry, I use a top coat to seal it in. I like "Nutra Nail "10"" for myself as I have used many types but this one helps my nails last for two to three months. It takes hours to dry but since I only do the nails every several months, it is worth it to me. For the girls, I usually use a quicker drying top coat. If you choose a thinner top coat, dry time should be quicker. I usually just put on flip flops and go letting them dry as I walk.
You can buy a nail dryer and I have had these in the past but I find I would rather be free to roam. I also have lifted my toes hitting them on the top of the dryer which marred the polish.
If I chip a nail or need to fill it, I file the chip smooth
, or if the nail has grown out, I push back the cuticle and use the polish to fill in the growth line. In this picture, I had a chip, in the picture below, I filled in the chip so you could see the difference. They are up close so you can still see the "repair" paint but from a foot away, you can't tell they are "filled and repaired" at all. I fill them in with paint once a week or so and usually only remove the paint after months. I get compliments the whole time as people don't notice the fills.
, or if the nail has grown out, I push back the cuticle and use the polish to fill in the growth line. In this picture, I had a chip, in the picture below, I filled in the chip so you could see the difference. They are up close so you can still see the "repair" paint but from a foot away, you can't tell they are "filled and repaired" at all. I fill them in with paint once a week or so and usually only remove the paint after months. I get compliments the whole time as people don't notice the fills.I also use cuticle oil on the edges of the nails about 3 times a week. They usually get white w
hen I wear sandals and get dry as do my fingernail cuticles. I used to get cracks on the edges of my nails. I use cuticle oil on both regularly and now don't have that problem. The nail on the left has no cuticle oil on it, the nail on the right I just painted over the "chip" from the picture above and put cuticle oil on the right half of the cuticle. Notice the white dry look is gone. It makes the nails look as if they were just done. These nails were done at least two weeks before. Even up that close, you can't see the repair paint for the above chip. The same holds true for "filling" in when your nail grows. Keeping up with the cuticle oil is important also to keep them looking fresh.
hen I wear sandals and get dry as do my fingernail cuticles. I used to get cracks on the edges of my nails. I use cuticle oil on both regularly and now don't have that problem. The nail on the left has no cuticle oil on it, the nail on the right I just painted over the "chip" from the picture above and put cuticle oil on the right half of the cuticle. Notice the white dry look is gone. It makes the nails look as if they were just done. These nails were done at least two weeks before. Even up that close, you can't see the repair paint for the above chip. The same holds true for "filling" in when your nail grows. Keeping up with the cuticle oil is important also to keep them looking fresh.To remove the sparkles, get a cotton ball with remover on it and place them on top of the nails to soak for a few minutes allowing the topcoat to soften. After they are soft, I use the file to gently scrape off the mylar shapes if needed and the remover does the rest. Start the whole process over again!
Depending on t
he amount of polish you have, I have found several useful holders over the years. You can use a shoebox. A clear plastic one works well. My favorite is the "Hot Wheels" car holder that goes over the back of the door and has clear pockets so the girls can choose a color without having to pull them all out. I also have a jewelry hanging hanger with clear pockets that we have the sparkles and smelly top coats in as we take those when we have pedicure nights with our friends.
he amount of polish you have, I have found several useful holders over the years. You can use a shoebox. A clear plastic one works well. My favorite is the "Hot Wheels" car holder that goes over the back of the door and has clear pockets so the girls can choose a color without having to pull them all out. I also have a jewelry hanging hanger with clear pockets that we have the sparkles and smelly top coats in as we take those when we have pedicure nights with our friends.I hope that you could understand the instructions and enjoy being creative!
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