The sun is here, gladiator sandals and jewelled flip flops are adorning shoe shop shelves and the Uggs should finally be relegated to the back of the closet. As feet are hibernating all winter a multitude of sins develop. Chipped nail polish left over from the beach holiday last summer, dry, rock hard skin and stubborn calluses need to be dealt with before summer feet can be unleashed – and, with a DIY pedicure, your purse needn’t suffer in the process.

Step One  Remove any trace of old polish with cotton pad and nail polish remover

Step Two  Treat yourself to a good soak. Put warm water in an old washing up bowl (keep one aside for designated foot use only) and add a few drops of essential oils – lavender is perfect – and soak for ten minutes.

Step Three  Dry feet with a spa style fluffy white towel. To get rid of stubborn dry and hard skin our new favourite miracle product is the Revlon Pedi-Expert kit (available at superdrug.com). Don’t be put off by the cheese-grater like appearance, the 190 micro files gently remove any dead skinpainlessly and quickly and the shavings are stored inside to be emptied into the bin when you’re done. For extra softness, try using Butter London Rock Off Callus Remover. Apply to hard skin areas with a cotton pad, leave for three minutes and wash off.

Step Four  Exfoliate. We love Neal’s Yard Remedies Pumice Foot Scrub but it’s so simple to make your own at home; mix olive oil, raw sugar and a few drops of peppermint oil in a bowl and cover feet, rubbing in an upward motion for a couple of minutes.Rinse in your home made soaking bowl.

Step Five  Moisturise with Burts Bees Coconut Foot Crème, paying particular attention to any stubborn dry areas. For the ultimate in luxury cover in the Body Shop’s Thirsty Feet Moisturiser Socks for a couple of hours or ideally overnight.

Step Six  Trim, push and polish. Trim and file nails with Revlon’s Nail Clip and File which comes in the Pedi-Expert kit. Make sure not to go too short to prevent nasty ingrowns, the perfect length should be no longer than the actual toe. Sort out cuticles by covering the ends of an orange stick in cotton wool and gently pushing back the skin from the centre to the edge. Finally it’s time for the finishing touch, polish. Start with Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamond Shine Top and Base Coat for long lasting colour. Then apply two thin coats of your chosen polish. We love Revlon’s One Perfect Coral and Barry M’s Neon Pink; colours that tap into this season’s trend for over-the-top brights. Try and use as fewer strokes as possible to create an even layer and dry for as long as possible between coats. Voila! The perfect pedicure!