I'm a bridesmaid for my girlfriend's wedding next month and last weekend, we went bridesmaid shoe shopping. Oh my gosh, I've never tried on so many pairs of shoes in my life! And that made me realise: shoe shopping is serious business for girls (like Carrie Bradshaw says, "shoe shopping is my cardio") Read on for the products you need to help prep your feet for some serious shoe shopping...

After trying on so many pairs of shoes last week, it made me look at my feet and realise how dry they were from wearing sandals and thongs all summer...embarassing! Avoid flashing around embarrassing feet when shoe shopping by giving yourself a foot scrub the night before and applying a good heel balm before bed. I love Pure Fiji's Coconut Sugar Rub, it helps to exfoliate away dead skin cells, as well as moisturise the skin. Not to mention it smells a-maz-ing! For a good heel balm, I recommend NS-8 Heel Balm Complex. It has a fast-absorbing, non-greasy formula (no more strained bedsheets!) Apply a small amount on your feet before bed (concentrating on extra dry areas such as the heels) and for extra soft feet in the morning, wear a pair of cotton socks to sleep...it really works!

I think everyone can agree that peeptoes and strappy heels look 100% better when you have nicely painted toes. A pretty pedi can change the way a pair of shoes look on your feet. I love wearing a classic red polish on my toes as it suits all styles and colours of shoes. Try Ozotic Nail Polish in Crimson for exceptional long wear and a super glossy finish.

Lastly, remember to keep a pair of gel cushions in your handbag when you embark on the serious business of shoe shopping. Why? Well remember the time you saw the perfect pair of heels that were on sale but the fit was just NQR? And you left the store without said pair of perfect heels and you think of them every once in a while as 'the ones that got away'? Well, sometimes gel cushions can make a world of difference. Pop them in a NQR pair of heels and you might find them fitting your feet to a tee (Cinderella's stepsisters should have thought of this!)

Do you prep your feet before serious shoe shopping? What are your foot care essentials? Let us know below! - Lucy

(Image courtesy of http://jonwilliamson.com)