TrendLife Beauty

Each day, ticket inspectors across the nation patrol our public transport, issuing penalty fares to those travelling without a ticket. Indeed, I am often greeted by ‘Derek’ aboard the 8.37 to London Waterloo who is out to catching thieving Tommy’s. Whilst aptly-named drab ‘Derek’ is inspecting tickets in his attempt to combat fare evasion; I am inspecting the feet of my fellow passengers.

An all too familiar dating nightmare is being met by drop dead gorgeous hunk of a man with a shocking display of footwear; he will just not suffice as boyfriend material. Similarly, a woman may be clad in this season’s finest from head to foot; but put a foot wrong in the shoe style stakes and she is a fashion disaster. Feet, it seems, make a look complete.

Sunny weather necessitates appropriate footwear, which prompts exposure of cracked heels and chipped nail varnish. I often shudder at those around me on the train, happy to parade a heinous exhibition of their tootsies. For those who’ve committed a crime onboard, ‘Derek’ uses his walkie-talkie to alert the driver. I long to one day prise the device out of Derek’s hands and put out an urgent call for a chiropodist, beautician and footwear specialist for carriage three, these people need attention, and urgently.

To ensure that I will never follow suit in committing such horrendous crimes, I enlist the foot expertise of Margaret Dabbs on a daily basis. Having set her own up clinics over 10 years ago, Dabbs is at the helm of the field. Her Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion is a beauty blessing. Penetrating dermal layers, it also moisturises, replenishes and revitalises the skin, leaving the feet feeling illuminated, refreshed and light. It is therefore no surprise that in 2011, it won a Look Fantastic Award, as well as ‘Best Foot Cream Award’ in 2008; this is a luxury treatment offering fantastic results. Similarly, with its use of Emu Oil, the Intensive Treatment Foot Oil provides effective relief from dehydrated, cracked and broken skin and nails with long-lasting effect to ensure that us girlies are looking tip-top-to-toe fabulous. The Margaret Dabbs Foot File is perhaps one of the most innovative beauty products I have come across in a long while, and deserves star status. Designed using Compressed Crystal Technology, it removes hard skin from the feet, and has long-lasting re-useable pads to remove layers of dead skin quickly.

A trio of exemplary products to tantalise the tootsies that’ll be adored by the heart and sole.

Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion - £25

Intensive Treatment Foot Oil - £20

Foot File - £24

www.margaretdabbs.co.uk

As the dynamo at the centre of the phenomenally successful television series, Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw’s penchant for a designer shoe saw her lead the fashion pack of New York City as its iconic trail blazer, exuding glamour, elegance and seriously sophisticated style in her stride. As the epitome of a fashion-forward, fun-loving girl, I idolise Ms. Bradshaw. My attempts at channeling my inner Carrie into my utterly un-cosmopolitan lifestyle extend through my Barclaycard and into my closet, where my eclectic, whimsical and impractical shoe collection can be found. In the ‘A Woman’s Right to Shoes’ episode of season six, Carrie’s assertion that ‘The fact is, sometimes it's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes. That's why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun’ is one that I will forever live by.

I am a strong advocate of fun and flirty footwear; whether it’s a flat, wedge, stiletto or platform, this house supports it. Moreover, I’m an apostle of the slipper; Cinderella- I hear ya girl. Beech Comfys are quite simply, the perfect slipper worthy of girly gallantry status. I love a bold animal print, and so the Zebra print is my slipper of choice. Perfect for gym bunnies, Beech Comfys follow the principles of yoga as they’re designed to stretch the tarsal bones, naturally spread the toes and support the heel bone to promote youthful and agile feet. For pedicure princesses; the individual separators between each toe means that the Beech Comfys are a chic ideal for home pedi’s.

'I’ve spent $40,000 on shoes and I have no place to live?! I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes.' Indeed, this could also be I. However, with my Beech Comfys ‘pon my foot, I wouldn’t mind. I wouldn’t mind at all.

£29.00

www.lovethoseshoes.com

For those of us wanting to get our feet ready to bare for those new flip flops and wedges in this sudden sunny spell, but are a bit short of cash for a professional pedicure, fear not as there are plenty of budget-friendly products out there to help out.

First scrub your feet with an exfoliant like Champneys Spa Treatment Foot Scrub to get rid of any dry skin. Then massage your feet with CCS Foot Care Cream morning and night to ensure they stay moistured and smooth.

For those troublesome cracked heels, apply CCS Heel balm which works in just three days. Then once you have clipped your toe nails in a straight line to ensure no ingrown toe nails, apply a base coat to prevent staining and finally apply a pretty polish to your toes.

As its summer, be brave and go for a bright colour like one of the new shades from Collection 2000 like Tutti Fruity (coral) or Bongo Beat (turquoise)

Champneys Spa Treatment Foot Scrub - £6.00 from Boots

CCS Footcare Cream - £7.34 www.ccsfootcare.co.uk

CCS Heel Balm - £6.12 from Boots and Superdrug

Collection 2000 Hot Looks – £1.79 each and available from 19^th May nationwide