I always assumed that pedicures and manicures were two female indulgences not even remotely rooted in male fantasies or desires. Sure, no man wants a lady's hands to look like bear mitts but do they really notice when our cuticles are a bit too dry? The answer: abso-friggin'-lutely. I recently watched the premiere of VH1's My Antonio, the latest reality TV show where a formerly popular celebrity (in this case, the freakishly handsome model/actor Antonio Sabato, Jr.) searches for "love" amongst a group of fame-seeking, cat fight-prone, relentlessly manipulative women. Now, here's the crazy part: not even a half hour into the show, Antonio ships one of the contestants off for having unattractive hands and feet. Apparently, in order to feel any type of physical attraction towards a woman, the lady in question must keep her fingers and toes looking delicate and feeling silky soft.
After watching the episode, I started polling my male friends to see if they, too, shared this sentiment. And while some weren't quite as gun-ho as Antonio, the general consensus was that a woman's hands and feet speak volumes about her sense of self, the importance she places on hygiene, and the way in which she wishes to present herself to the world.
So, ladies, it's time to take a hands-on approach. Here, a few products to do the trick.
LEND A HAND: LOTIONS, SCRUBS, AND CUTICLE OILS
Thymes Essentials Hand Cream, $16. Visit Thymes.com
Like most Thymes products, what I love the most about this hand cream is the light but sophisticated fragrance: a mix of citrus notes (specifically, Italian tangerine, orange and lemon), crisp grapefruit, jasmine (one of my favorite blossoms), petitgrain, cyprus and musk. Packed with vitamin E, shea butter, glycerin, aloe vera gel and pro-vitamin B, the Thymes Essentials Hand Cream soothes, softens and mositurizes your hands, while leaving them smelling fresh and flirty.
Soft & Beautiful Skin MoistureSoft Hand Cream, $6.49. Available at mass food and drug retailers nationwide. Visit Drugstore.com
If you want an inexpensive but oh-so-effective hand cream, you can't go wrong with Soft & Beautiful's hand cream, which features a potent blend of cocoa, shea and almond butters.
Crabtree & Evelyn 60 Second Fix For Hands, $28. Visit Store.Crabtree-Evelyn.com
I remember in one Sex and the City episode, Stanford made a joke about Charlotte having a fetish for Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream. And I gotta say, if this is the cream she favored, I can totally understand her fascination. The La Source 60 Second Fix for Hands features a gentle scrub that removes any dead skin, unveiling a new layer of skin, and a therapeutic hand cream that includes ingredients like shea butter and mineral-rich, soothing sea algae.
Hissyfit Handy Work, $29. Visit HissyFit.com
If you think three steps ahead (as you should!), you'll appreciate that Hissyfit's Handy Work cream not only softens hands and cuticles, but also provides UVA/UVB protection (which, in turn, will help to keep those hands looking young) and fights such signs of aging as brown spots and uneven skin tone with its combination of vitamin E and aloe.
BE QUICK ON YOUR FEET: CREAMS, SCRUBS, AND MORE
Lisa Hoffman Skincare Spa Bath Hand and Foot Butter, $17.99. Visit LisaHoffmanSkincare.com
My feet tend to get remarkably dry and calloused. You'd think I was running around a farm barefoot or something — instead, I'm just acting like I'm Posh Spice and running the smallest of errands in sky high heels that, while looking amazing, also torture my little toes. Fortunately, I discovered Lisa Hoffman Skincare's Spa Bath Hand and Foot Butter, a rich cream that manages to soften even the most abused feet. The indulgent cream features such ingredients as shea butter, grape seed oil (which protects the skin from premature aging), and antioxidant-rich acai extract. If you integrate this into your daily routine, you'll never have to worry about cracked or rough soles and heels again.
STA readers are in for a special treat! If you enter the coupon code "SICKA" at checkout, you'll receive 15% off on your entire order!
Miss Oops Pedicure In A Bottle, $18. Visit MissOops.com
The "pedicure in a bottle" term fits this product perfectly since, with its combination o
f glycolic and salycilic acid, shea butter, peppermint, menthol and lavender, it manages to hydrate, soften and soothe feet — a holy trinity of sorts.
Epoch Sole Solution Foot Treatment, $21.95. Visit NuSkin.com
Crushed allspice berry, a common natural cure to dry, cracked feet among indigenous people in Central America, constitutes the main ingredient in this rich botanical cream, while exfoliating urea and softening papain complete the experience.
T!ntalize Concealer, $11 for Sample Collection Pack; $15 per Pack. Visit Tintalize.com
Maybe you wore a really uncomfortable pair of shoes at one point and they actually cracked your skin, leaving a visible scar. Or perhaps you suffered a bruise or cut while playing a sport or dancing ballet. Hey, maybe you just stubbed a toe and bruised it badly during an attack of clumsiness. Whatever the case, you don't have to hide those feet any longer — with T!ntalize, a lightweight concealer designed especially for feet, you can cover up any scar, blemishes or bruises, slip on your favorite pair of sandals, and treat those toes to a night out on the town.
DIY FOOT TREATMENT:
Want an at-home remedy for rough feet? Skyy Hadley of As “U” Wish Nail Spa suggests you try out her "Meals for the Heels" mask, which includes oatmeal to soothe irritated, flaky skin, and milk to naturally exfoliate.
Here's how to make the "Meals for the Heels" Mask:
– Take one cup of regular oatmeal and 1/2 cup of regular milk and heat up on the stove, stirring until cooked.
– Add sugar to thicken the mixture, and then let it cool off a bit.
– When the mix is thickened, apply to your feet. Leave the mask on for about 5 – 10 minutes.
– Finish off with pure shea butter as a moisturizer and you’re all set.
I was too distracted by Antonio’s tramp stamp! LOL
I know this isn’t the point of this entry, BUT he was foul for letting that lady go b/c of her “feet”… he just didn’t like her.