By April MacIntyre Apr 6, 2010, 1:30 GMT
Snooping around sets has its advantages, namely you get the inside scoop on products and items that are sure fire, no-fail performers which help on-camera talent have gleaming legs and perfectly turned out toes and pretty feet.
Np2 Nail Perfection, courtesy of Np2
The dancing competition reality TV shows like "Dancing with the Stars", "So You Think You Can Dance," "Dance Your Ass Off" and "Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew" are awash in products and key items that help the makeup departments finish their dancers' look from head to toe, literally.
Shows like these bare lots of skin, and everyone on camera has to have flawless skin, especially legs and feet too.
Your own feet are ready to break out of those boots and tights; they need some TLC. Check out some of the cool stuff Monsters and Critics spied while on set and in the trailers this past year.
Now is the time of year to buy fresh pedicure and manicure items, unless you prefer to go to a salon. Even if you get regular pedicures, a good foot file and the regular practice of deep moisture footie socks (worn overnight) is a great way to keep those heels from dreaded rough calluses, also which can be found on the top of your foot where a favorite pair of shoes rubs.
Before going to bed, use a great thick cream like the excellent Tree Hut's Brazilian Shea Butter, a favorite with many celebrities and pro dancers, and cover your feet with 'footies' to wear to bed so that your feet can fully absorb this lotion without rubbing off onto your sheets while you sleep.
In the morning your feet will be like buttah.
The old stand-by of Dr. Scholl's corn and callus remover is a set staple, which is for the hard core removal too. But it takes time to do its magic, better to tend to your feet regularly and do the slather-and-sock trick every few weeks.
Another worthwhile investment is a plastic foot tub. If you use it regularly and moisturize afterwards, you will keep those feet ready to rock it at a moments notice.
Diamond foot files work better than pumice stones, which can get bacteria laden quickly. Also the Pedi-egg that razors feet safely is a popular item I have seen in many a trailer. They sell replacement "blades" for the Pedi-egg at CVS stores and Walmarts.
Products that are natural and organic are also very popular on green-conscious TV and film sets, and I was introduced to a German line called Gehwol that makes natural footcare items which do the trick for many.
Gehwol makes a comprehensive line of foot and nail care products and addresses dry feet and/or hard skin. Gehwol Medicated Salve for cracked skin was a staple for many pros, as it treats heavily callused, brittle, dry and rough skin, and repairs the damage quickly.
Like Tree Hut products, Gehwol products are all of organic origin, using natural essential oils from rosemary and lavender which serve as soothing agents and natural antiseptics. Algae Extracts, ginger, camphor, menthol, Panthenol, Paprika extracts, Manuka oil, Sanothorn Oil and Chamomille are combined in compounds expressly for natural foot care. Natural essential oils fragrance the product and provide benefits too, such as Mountain Pine Oil, Citronella Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Lavendar Oil, Mint Oil, Rosemary Oil and antibacterial Thyme Oil.
One of their more popular items makeup artists and hairstylists raved about in their trailers was the Gehwol Foot Bath - which was hot mid-day break item for many of the crew as well. Gehwol medicated Protective and Moisturizing Skin Oil fights fungal infections, such as Athlete’s Foot, while the Nail Softener helps to prevent ingrown nails and calluses and the Nailcare works to combat brittle and cracked nails.
Nail polish fashion trends are always seen on set, and for this spring, corals and taupe/greys are super hot. Classics always endure, pure reds, red wines and French nude pedicures, but for this season try Np2_Nail_Perfection, seen on some famous toes around town and popular with many makeup artists. The packaging is brilliant, a 2-in-1 design where the base and top coat sits on top the color polish.
Most popular colors I spotted were Solar and Symmetric, a hot coral and taupe/grey, both non frosted and had a shine finish, not matte as we saw for the new polish trends last year.
Go-to daily moisturizers ran the gamut, from Curel lotion to Tree Hut's Certified Organic line of Shea Butter lotions and creams, scrubs. The Tree Hut line is addictive, smells like heaven and should come with a warning. All are made with Certified Organic Shea and enriched with vitamin C and natural oils to soften, the scrubs can be used 2-3 times per week to help achieve a more even skin tone and texture.
I didn't know a whole lot about Shea and why it was so popular, but was told that Shea has been used for thousands of years as a moisturizer because of its unusually high content of naturally rich oils, vitamins and minerals. The many benefits of Shea include immediate relief for dry skin, especially thicker skin of the lower legs and feet, and for maintaining skin tone, elasticity of skin; and appearance of stretch marks and scars by infusing skin with naturally occurring vitamin E.
Most popular fragrances of the Tree Hut product line seen were Brazilian Nut, Hawaiian Kukui and Tahitian Grass. These products can be found at regular retails stores like Walmart and at Amazon.com too. (www.TreeHutShea.com)
After you have managed to tame your rough feet and ready them for walking around exposed, best to treat them right if you are vacationing and or walking around town, save the stilettos for a fancy night, everyday summer feet are served well by an American-made sandal that is a hit here and in Europe: The Merrell sandal.
Merrell is a company located in Michigan, and has made no-nonsense attractive and versatile footwear for 26 years. I was introduced to Merrell by a fellow TV writer who showed me her bitchin' blue sandals at the summer press tour for TV critics (TCAs) and said she would never go on a set visit or all day affair without them.
I did some asking around and apparently many crew (men and women) people on TV shows and film wear their line of shoes, sandals to closed-toe athletic shoes that naturally cradle the foot and make you forget you are on your feet all day.
The sandals are water-resistant with a solid midsole and slip proof heel, there’s even antimicrobial stuff going on to help prevent stinky sandal syndrome. The company also donates and works with a host of great charities including the National Park Foundation (www.nationalparks.org) and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (www.appalachiantrail.org) among many organizations, and are a great investment if you plan on being out and about on your feet this spring and summer.
April MacIntyre is Monsters and Critics' smallscreen and people/celebrity editor who loves to snoop around in makeup trailers when she can. You can follow her on Twitter.
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