Spring is here - aka - 'pedicures are necessary weather'. It's time to let your feet breathe a little, and show off Springs favorite shoes. There are so many styles to choose from this season - it's kinda all over the place. While I usually opt for sneakers, heels are making a comeback on my shoe rack. These are my favorites (so far). The t-strap and nude color of Francesco Russo ankle length sandals (available at FARFETCH) will elongate your legs dramatically. The wide vamp is comfy - in 4" heels, you need that extra support. Pair with skirts or cropped trousers. Fendi stripped cropped trousers, and a loose silk camisole would look amazing with these sandals. These Gianna Meliani flamingo print feather sandals (available at FARFETCH) are EVERYTHING - the printed tie wraps above your ankle to elongate your legs, the flamingo print is fun, feminine and pretty, and the pink feathers - LOVE! These are statement sandals. My favorite shoe this season is Stuart Weitzman's Nudistsong sandal. This style is flattering, feminine and comes in many colors. I purchased the Nudistsong sandal in Azure (pictured). This pale shade of blue will look great on sun-kissed skin. The shoe runs narrow (and I have small feet), so I recommend opting for the 'wide' fit. Yeah, the weather is heating up, but booties are still an essential Spring shoe. These Chloé fringe open toe booties (available at FARFETCH) are sexy and who doesn't love fringe. Pair with high-waisted denim shorts (I'm not talking booty baring shorts), and a simple top (maybe a tee), or a loose, floral print dress. This fringe will sway while you walk..
In preparation for self-tanning season (Imma faux-tan kinda girl), I've been sampling body scrubs. The verdict - Babe Green Tea Body Scrub is my favorite. This body exfoliator has transformed my tired, 'winter' skin. The robust granules are tough on dry skin. You can really feel the aggressive scrub removing the dead, parched skin and you'll love how soft your skin feels after a few applications (even those little bumps on the back of your arms will slightly diminish). WARNING - this stuff is aggressive, so if your skin is sensitive, I don't recommend using Babe Body Scrub. I used the entire bag (everyday) for a week and now I can't live without it. The Green Tea scent is refreshing. I used Babe Body Scrub Pink Salt as well but didn't love the smell. Babe Green Tea Body Scrub doesn't leave your skin feeling oily, but just refreshed and smooth. The resealable bag is convenient, cause you can dump some product into your hand and exfoliate your skin by section. I also use this scrub on my feet after a pedicure - amazing results (yes, I do my own pedicures). There's also a coffee scrub that is supposedly good for cellulite. I think the three scrubs do the same thing but smell different. Caffeine-infused salts are not going to diminish cellulite! I really like this body scrub and will definitely repurchase. Babe Green Tea Body Scrub is available at Sephora.
I absolutely love Incoco nail polish appliqués. There are currently 140 nail design appliqués, 108 colors, 7 french manicure shades, and 33 french manicure designs and colors to choose from. There are also 13 design and solid color appliqués for your toes. Incoco introduces new colors and designs often; including holiday themed designs. Incoco nail polish appliqués give you a perfectly polished manicure and pedicure. The nail polish appliqués are easy to apply. Just peel off the back and front covers, place the sticker on your nail and fold over the top of your nail gently until the appliqué rips, allowing you to remove the excess sticker. Each pack of stickers comes with sixteen nail polish appliqués, in 8 different sizes. Before peeling off the covers, place the stickers against your nails to determine which size best fits. There is no drying time! More importantly, you can place the appliqués close to your cuticle (unlike polish) and create a perfect polished look. No mess! I do find with continuous application of the stickers that my nails get dry, so I recommend taking a break and using a polish, or a nail hardener every third manicure or pedicure. Incoco nail polish appliqués range from $7.99 to $9.99 at www.incoco.com.
The KOH Natural, Glossy Nail Buffer Set includes great buffers for natural looking nails. There are three buffers; Equalize, Clean and Beautify. Use the buffers in order from one to three. Be gentle, because you are removing the surface of your nails and you don't want to damage them. I prefer the KOH Natural, Glossy Nail Buffer Set, because the files are soft and less abrasive than most buffers. I also use the equalize buffer to file my nails. It is gentle and allows you to shape your nails slowly. After I have buffed my nails and removed my cuticles I use the KOH Gentle Cuticle Stick. The slanted rubber tip is soft and allows you to gently push your cuticles back without damaging them.  KOH nail products are designed with gentle nail care in mind. For those of you who do your own manicures and pedicures, I highly recommend checking out this product line. Visit www.kohcosmetics.com/nl/. You will find nail products you didn't know existed!
I love the KOH Purifying Nail Bath tablets. Drop one into your manicure or pedicure bowl and enjoy the subtle scent of lemon. The nail bath tablets soften your cuticles and leave your nails looking fresh. The tablets contain lemon oil that removes stains and rejuvenates your nails. For those of you that wear dark nail polish, which often leaves yellow stains after removal, this is a product you will appreciate. The Purifying Nail Bath tablets come in a stylish jar that retails for €25,86. It's expensive, but the jar of tablets will last you months of weekly manicures. If you're like me and do your own manicures and pedicures the price is worth it and you will see a significant difference in the appearance of your nails. If you are ever in Amsterdam and in need of a quick mani or just wanna pick up some great nail products, visit KOH Cosmetics at the Bijenkorf, Located in the Dam Square. You can also purchase KOH nail products at www.kohcosmetics.com/nl.
The KOH Anti-Aging Base Coat is basically a primer for your nails. Your nails become stained after applying dark (especially red) nail polish - this base coat will create a blank palette on your nails, so your polish will appear even and true to color. Although this is a base coat polish, I use it as a color polish. Four coats will give you a subtle pink color that is clean and natural. After wearing dark polish on my toes for many years, I had deep yellow stains on my nails and was desperate to get them back to their natural color. I used the KOH Natural, Glossy Nail Buffer Set each time I did a manicure to gently remove the top layer of stained nail and applied the KOH Anti-Aging Base Coat. The KOH Anti-Aging Base Coat masked the yellow stains and my toes looked great. Even though my nails are back to their natural color, I still wear the KOH Anti-Aging Base Coat. I love the light pink color and natural nail polish goes with anything.
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