A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

No, really!  You see, I’ve been taking mine for granted.

The weather has been lovely hasn’t it?  I’ve been blissfully ignoring the fact that in less than 6-months time, thanks to my Raynaud’s, I’ll be grimacing at the big freeze that numbs my toes… making each step ironically burn with the cold.

So, why have I been reminded of this so prematurely?  Well, a few weeks ago, I managed to do myself a mischief thanks to a pair of wholly unsuitable shoes and a streetful of cobbles.  I didn’t even know I’d done it… but as the week progressed, it became more and more painful to put one of my feet to the ground.

“What could it be?!”  I asked everyone around me…

Eventually, I spoke to a doctor who decided that it sounded like Plantar Fasciitis.  That’s easy for him to say… I can’t pronounce it!  What it meant was that I’d “angered” the band of connective tissue that runs between the ball of the foot and the heel.  Effectively, that bit under the arch.  It got me thinking about just how serious a podiatry problem can be, how fully it can impact your day-to-day life, and how we just don’t really like to talk about our feet!

Well, let’s break that taboo today.

Got bunions before your time?  Thought it was only your Mum who needed corn plasters?  Calluses best described as barnacles?

The thing is… foot problems are often associated with the elderly.  My local surgery has a visiting chiropodist who comes on a Wednesday afternoon… the waiting room is FULL of lovely nana’s queueing up to have their feet checked.  I don’t know anyone under the age of 70 who regularly visits a podiatrist to have treatment, but I know plenty of people who should.

Well, let’s change that.

If you have any foot-related questions, leave a comment below and I’ll send them to leading podiatrist, Dr. Tariq Khan who works with Carnation footcare.  Follow-up post coming soon!

You may or may not know this about me… but I suffer from Raynaud’s syndrome which basically means that you wouldn’t want to share a bed with me on a cold night.

I’ve always had “poor circulation”, I remember as a small child, my Nan used to wrap my feet up in the bottom of her long nightdress while we slept in an attempt to warm them up.  I’ve lived with cold feet all my life but things only started to get serious a couple of years ago when I noticed my fingers becoming numb in cold weather.

Numb fingers is no joke, it’s a really disconcerting feeling – not exactly painful (it’s when the feeling comes back that they hurt!) but you literally cannot concentrate on anything else while it’s happening.  A most unwelcome sensation.

I’ve learnt to combat the problem with my hands with some great avoidance tactics: gloves are an essential – lined leather or suede are unbeatable.  Warming my hands under the hot tap restores feeling quicker than anything and Mr. L retrieves things from the freezer for me.  As for the tootsies, well… being less accessible than your fingers presents a bit of a problem – also, continuous contact with the frosty ground is never an ideal situation.

If you suffer from cold feet and are feeling the big chill this winter, here are some products that might help thaw you out!

01: Body Essentials Warm Your Sole (£9.99) – A natural chilblain treatment with warming ginger to help improve circulation flow.  I massage a few drops of this into my feet after a bath and pull my bedsocks (#3) straight on for toasty night-time feet!

02: Carnation Pedi Roller (£5.49)* – While this curious device was designed to relieve the pain of Plantar Fasciitis, I use it to encourage sensation back into my feet when things get painful!  It seems to work well to encourage the blood flow… plus it’s kinda fun!

03: SockShop Heat Holders Thermal Socks (£6.00) – These simple-but-effective socks have made the biggest difference to my everyday dealings with Raynauds.  I buy mine at SportsDirect (2 pairs for £10) and although they’re bulkier than normal socks, they’re less cumbersome than welly socks and far, far warmer.  An amazing recommendation by the good people of Twitter!  I want a pair in every colour!

04: Gel Doctor Flosole (£14.95)* – These are great to have on standby if you know you’re going to be standing around in the cold for a considerable period of time.  Kid’s football matches, bonfire night parades, whatever the event – these gel-filled insoles can be pre-heated in warm water before slipping them inside your boots and allowing you to benefit from a long-lasting toasty sensation.  They also offer great cushioning between the soles of your feet and the hard ground below.

05: Microwaveable Slippers (£various) – Not the most practical things in the world (don’t try to walk in them!) but microwaveable slippers are great for slipping on when you’re sat at the computer or relaxing on the sofa.  Just don’t overheat them and burn your feet, ouch!

06: Carnation SilverSock (£9.54)* – Made with pure silver fibre, the Carnation SilverSocks are designed to let your feet breathe whilst keeping them warm in winter and cool in the summer, they work well for me when thicker socks just won’t do.  I also wear these when I’m out exercising… my lame attempts at running made slightly more bearable (and less stinky) by anti-bacterial beauties!

Do you suffer from super cold-feet in the Winter?  Have any tips?

* press sample

Forget FitFlops or FlitFops or whatever the hell they’re called and check out the new boys in town!

These new sandals from Scholl are called HydraStep and they contain a special built-in gel footbed that slowly releases softening ingredients as you go about your daily routine!

The New Scholl HydraStep Sandal (£24.99):

• Contains a moisturising gel infused with gentle natural emollients, Vitamin E and a delicate fragrance
• Has a soft and breathable bamboo charcoal textile insole
• Has an anatomically shaped footbed and anti-slip sole for comfortable walking
• Is dermatologically tested (insole)
• Is water resistant

I dunno about your feet but mine are pretty rough.  I’ll spare you photos…

It’s not that they’re callused or any of that nasty stuff, they’re just hard as hell.  Like 2 week old unwrapped cheddar left on the top shelf of the fridge.

My issue with these revolutionary sandals is that… well… they look a bit generic don’t they?  I wouldn’t really wanna pair them up with a maxi dress yano?  And I’m not planning on any poolside holidays.  Maybe I could wear them as slippers?

Scholl recommend that you wear these anatomically shaped monstrosities for 2hrs a day to fully appreciate the benefits.

I’m torn… I do love the sound of what they promise… I want baby soft feet!  But I’m not sure that I wouldn’t feel like a resident of Cuckoo Land Mental Hospital shuffling down the corridor with a pair of those stuck to my trotters. Especially them white ones over there.

What do you guys reckon?  Would you wear these in the quest for kissable tootsies?  I can’t say I’m not tempted!

The New Scholl HydraStep Sandal (£24.99) is available in three colours – black, white and fuchsia in sizes 4/5, 6/6.5 and 7/8 – and is sold exclusively at select Boots stores, on www.boots.com and through the Scholl website.