Everyone wants soft hands and strong nails but in winter that is sometimes difficult to achieve.

Your hands work hard for you day in, day out so why not reward them with a little bit of TLC?  Whether you take in a manicure or moisturising treatment keep your hands looking and feeling healthy with a regular visit to one of Bedfordshire's top nail salons.

If your hands need more intensive therapy that will leave them hydrated, revitalised and nourished check out the deeper treatments that are available in Bedfordshire's salons.

It won't be too long before the weather warms up and the sandals come out. We all yearn for soft, pretty feet that are ready to spring into summer and here in Bedfordshire we've got the latest in nail maintenance treatment, moisturising foot masks and pampering pedicures on offer. Keep your toes looking brilliant as cuticles are cleaned and trimmed, nails filed and shaped and a polish of your choice is applied or put your best foot forward and spoil it with a visit to a Bedfordshire salon for exfoliation, masque, massage and hydration treatment before a pretty coat of polish is expertly applied.

Follow our step-by-step guide for a quick, cheap and easy alternative to visiting a salon.

What you will need:

• A bowl of warm water
• Cotton wool pads
• Hand cream
• Nail file
• Nail polish base
• Your favourite nail polish
• Cuticle stick
• Nail polish remover
• Soap
• Towel
• Nail clippers/scissors
• Nail Buffer

The Guide:

1. Remove any old chipped paint with nail polish remover, and then give your hands a good scrub with soap and warm water.

2. Clip your nails to a suitable length; short nails often look better with nail polish.

3. File your nails in a single direction, rather than back and forth as this can ruin the nail.

4. Gently buff the surface of the nail; this will give you a smooth surface on which to apply the polish.

5. Use the cuticle stick to gently push the cuticles back from the nail.

6. Put your hands back in the bowl of warm water, to give them one last clean. Massage in the hand cream.

7. Apply the base coat, this will give the nail a good foundation and ensure it's much easier to apply the polish.

8. Wait until the base coat is completely dry (leave it for at least two minutes) and then apply the polish. Ideally apply the polish in three straight stokes, one down the middle and one down each side. Never apply the polish length ways! Apply the polish just above the cuticle.

9. Leave the polish to dry and then apply a top coat in the same manner. Try to make sure the polish is completely dry before you apply the top coat or it'll all smudge.