The 2 Hero Products You Need For Summer Ready Feet

As much as I welcome the arrival of sunshine and warmer weather with open arms, they do bring with them certain concerns. Have I topped up that tan? Am I going to feel body confident in a bikini on that beach holiday that's suddenly around the corner? And are my feet fit to be seen in summer sandals after what feels like an eternity in boots? When it comes to the latter, I have to admit to being a little lazy over the winter months. The UK was treated to a mini heatwave a couple of weeks back after months on end of freezing weather, and let's just say that my feet in strappy sandals were most definitely not fit for a princess. Obviously, something had to be done about this, and fast. So I headed straight back to basics, and back to the place that I find pretty much impossible to beat when it comes to products for getting your feet summer ready - The Body Shop.

Hero Product 1 - File A Foot

This is about as basic as it gets, but in my opinion, you really cannot beat this simple £5 foot file. Resembling an oversized nail file, it has a rougher side and a smoother side and is incredibly effective at sloughing away that unpleasant, tough dry skin that can build up on feet, especially heels, if we neglect them. While I have tried one of the fancier battery operated foot exfoliators in the past - and found it excellent - the effortless simplicity of this foot file seems to suit me best right now. You don't have to faff around with changing batteries or rollers and it gives you pretty much instantaneous results.

The first time I used this after a winter of neglect, I couldn't believe how much softer my feet felt. Having used these in the past, I know that it will last a long time before I need to replace it, and I'm very happy to have this low tech but super efficient little tool back in my routine. I'm using it every morning before jumping in the shower, and even if I did nothing else, it makes a world of difference by itself to the state of my feet.

Hero Product 2 - Heavy Duty Hemp Moisturiser

The Body Shop moisturisers in general are some of my all time favourites, and the hemp range is their most intensive. Dubbed the "heavy duty" moisturiser, it really does feel incredibly thick, rich and nourishing on the skin. It doesn't have a beautiful scent like many of their other body butters and it's that little bit more expensive too, but trust me, if you're suffering with any areas of persistent dry skin anywhere on your body, this is the stuff that will sort it out. There is a dedicated foot cream in this range, but I've gone for the body butter version instead. I actually prefer the more solid texture of this and feel as though it's the most effective at moisturising my feet. Not only that, but it's twice the size of the foot cream yet considerably less than twice the price, so it's better value for money too. (This is just my personal preference, and I'm sure the actual foot cream is also wonderful.) I love slathering my feet in a generous amount of this and then popping some fluffy socks on until it has sunk in.

I only reintroduced these products into my routine a few days ago, but already my feet feel so much softer and look so much nicer. All I need now is some pretty polish on my toe nails and they will be ready for summer and all those open sandals!

What are some of your favourite products for getting your feet summer ready? And which nail polish colours will you be rocking on your toes throughout the warmer months?

Kate x