Last weekend it hit me – my feet looked rough! Scuffed nails, dry heels, you know the drill. Summer means sandals, so I grabbed my kit and decided to test fun pedicure ideas right at home.

The Awful Before Situation
First, I soaked my feet in this cheap dollar store basin – lukewarm water with a few drops of Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap. Soaked about 15 minutes while scrolling TikTok. Pro tip: never skip soaking, especially when your heels feel like sandpaper.
Scrub Attack Time
Made a DIY scrub with what I had: white sugar, coconut oil, and lemon juice. Mixed it up in a coffee mug – cheap and worked like magic! Rubbed it everywhere, especially on those cracked heels. Felt gritty at first but wow, dead skin rolled right off in chunks. Rinsed off in the same basin – water turned milky white from all the gunk.
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Tools Used:
- Old towel (got stained but whatever)
- Nail clippers (the rusty ones from travel kit)
- Emery board that came with dollar store polish
- Q-tips for mess cleanup
Color Explosion Drama
Wanted something bold for summer! Tried that popular ombré technique with two cheap polishes: neon orange and hot pink. Total fail at first – colors bled together into muddy peach. Wiped it off with acetone (smelled awful!). Second attempt: Painted three toes orange, three pink, left two naked for negative space trend. Messy as heck around cuticles but looked cool from far away.
The Aftermath Verdict
Spent like two hours total. Do my toes look salon-perfect? Hell no – there’s polish under my skin and the “naked” toes look unfinished. But walking barefoot feels amazing now! Dry skin gone, bright colors make me smile. Worth the mess for DIY summer vibes.