Pretty in pink: Achieving the perfect pink pedicure

You definitely don’t have to be a total girly-girl like Elle Woods from Legally Blonde to wear pink. If you want to rock the color on your toes though, you do need a pro friend like Paulette to tell you what’s up! Here are seven tips for achieving the perfect pink at-home pedi .

Remove your old polish

First things first, you'll want to remove your old polish. Grab a cotton ball , and soak it with nail polish remover. Gently rub away any remaining color from your nails, making sure not to miss a spot. If you notice yellow stains on your nails after doing so, dip an old toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide and use it to scrub your nails. This should do the trick.

Soak your feet in warm water

To soften your cuticles and moisturize your skin, founder of Beauty Booked Hillary Hutcheson recommends soaking your feet in a bowl of warm water for about five minutes. Add some essential oils to the mix to create a relaxing, spa-like experience and really pamper your feet. Hey, after a long day, they deserve it!

Create your own scrub

Create your own scrub by mixing 2 tablespoons of granular sugar with your normal body wash, says Hillary. "Then massage into your feet to get rid of dry skin and/or rough spots." You can also use a pumice stone to buff away dead skin.

Take care of your cuticles

Now that your cuticles are all nice and soft, dab a drop of cuticle oil on each nail and then use an orange stick to gently push them back.

Trim and shape nails

If your nails are too long, trim them down first and then file in one direction to create a perfectly rounded square shape, says Hillary. Wipe any excess oil from nails using nail polish remover before adding a base coat.

Apply two coats of polish

After applying a thin layer of base coat, add two coats of pretty pink polish , waiting a couple of minutes between each application. If you're having a hard time deciding on a certain color, right now we're loving punchy pink brights and soft pastels for summer.

Add a top coat

Last but not least, finish off your look with a high-shine top coat to prevent chipping, says Hillary. "Let your nails dry for at least 10 minutes, and then you're all set for any summer occasion!"

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