pedicure

It seems like you can't walk through a mall these days without someone trying to check out your nails. You know what I mean, right? All you're trying to do is go get an Auntie Anne's pretzel, when you're accosted by a mall-kiosk clerk with a magical $50 buffing system. The good news about those kits is that they do make fingernails look glossy without polish. The better news: you can get the same results on your own without shelling out so much money.

All you need is a buffer like this one ($2.99). Be sure to use a buffer made for shine, not a nail shaper or file. Follow the directions on the package, but usually you'll have a two-step process: buff with one side, then follow with another to create shine. It's best to buff in one direction, with a light hand. (Going gangbusters on your nails won't make them any shinier, and you could wear the nail down. Ouch.) After you've achieved the shine you want, apply hand cream or cuticle oil for extra moisture.

If you've never done this before, try it. You'll be surprised by how shiny your natural nails can be, and you'll also be able to fend off the kiosk people by flashing your hands.

When you peek at your feet, what do you think? Are you dazzled by your perfectly filed toenails and softer-than-soft heels, or are you none too thrilled with their less than impeccable looks? As this article in The New York Times points out, often, women take way better care of their faces than their tootsies.

According to a recent study from the American Podiatric Medical Association, 50 percent of women surveyed were "always, frequently, or sometimes" embarrassed by the appearance of their feet. In fact, there are several Facebook groups devoted to feet bashing, and pedicurists note that customers are often apologetic for the way their feet look. See both sides of the story now.

On a flight a few weeks back, my mother sat next to a group of nurses going to Palm Beach for a conference. She immediately noticed that they all had perfect, matching pedicures.

"Oh, how fun," she said. "You ladies all went to the salon together?" The nurses got very excited, began giggling like schoolgirls, and then the one next to her leaned over and whispered "No, they're all fake. $5.99!" My mom then called me to ask if I'd ever used something like this. I'd seen fake toenails before — always walk past them at Rite Aid — but I'd never heard of anyone who'd used them, let alone with great results. So I did a little online hunting, and I have to say that there's quite an array of these things.

The ones the nurses were using must have been these Kiss Everlasting Glue-On Toenails ($5.99), because the price is right, but all the big brands seem to have their own, from Revlon's Perfect Pedicure ($9) fakes to Broadway Nails Fashion Divas ($6), which come in several "sassy" styles that 12 year-old me would have loved but that the thought of an adult wearing makes me vaguely afraid. What do you all think? Have any experience with these things? If you've used them, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Here's a horror story for you: After getting a pedicure, a St. Louis woman developed a foot infection. She developed small red bumps that mutated into boils — one of which was as big as a baseball. An oozing, gross baseball. Her woes were due to a mycobacterium infection that she picked up from the pedicure station. Even if salons look clean, the bacteria are too small for the human eye to see. You don't have to give up pedicures, but if you go to the nail salon, follow these tips:

• Don't use the whirlpool foot bath. The jets are hard to clean, and bacteria thrive in their dark recesses. Choose a still foot bath instead.
• Don't get a pedicure until 24 hours after you've shaved/waxed/Nair-ed your legs.
• Don't get a pedicure if you have scratches, wounds, or bug bites on your feet or legs.
• Be sure that the salon is properly accredited and licensed.
• Consider bringing your own pedicure tools.

And, of course, you can always go the DIY route by doing your pedicure at home. That's what I did last night, with no risk of oozing sores. Shudder.