The Sol De Janeiro Duo That’s Actually Making Foot Care Glamorous
Main Image – Courtesy of writer
Despite being a beauty editor, I’ve never been very good at taking care of my feet (hey, nobody’s perfect). I don’t like feet overall, which doesn’t help. But I feel I’ve got enough to deal with what with my time-consuming oily skincare regime, fake tanning addiction and the need to wear makeup every day. By the time I get down to my feet, I’m asleep.
I’ll sometimes half-heartedly apply a foot cream if things have got really bad but I’m just not going to spend my time and precious energy on doing foot scrubs, foot baths and foot masks.
Also, I’m so ticklish that any salon appointment needs to come with an ‘I might kick you in the face if you buff me there’ warning. So I avoid pedicures altogether, or I just ask the technician to paint my toenails as a distraction.
Ironic then, don’t you think, that I was kindly sent the Sol De Janeiro Samba Foot Fetish Care (£25/$27) to try recently? Here was my opportunity (and duty) to finally woman-up and give foot care a go. But how did this foot-phobe beauty editor get on? Keep scrolling to find out.
The product details
In the box you’ll find a 90ml tube of Samba Foot Fetish Cream and a pouch containing a small smoothing foot file, which is shaped like a little surfboard. The cream contains cupuacu butter, acai and conditioning coconut oil to help hydrate feet and make them smell holiday-fresh.
Image – Courtesy of writer
First impressions
Seeing the mini surfboard foot file and tube of foot cream actually made me think, “ok this should be pretty easy.” I’m always put off by scrubs and the various scary-looking tools you can get for grooming feet because, well, can anyone even see your feet that closely anyway? Does it really need to take all that effort?
But these two products looked instantly useable, even for me.
I used the smoothing board on my heels, balls of my feet and underneath my toes and was surprisingly ok with the feel of it. I took it at my own pace and strength and because the board is so handy in size, this was really simple to do.
After a few buffs, my once dry, slightly crusty feet (yuck) felt super soft and even looked a little brighter. I know, I know. That’s what smoothing boards are for. But I’ve never felt the desire to go and buy one separately. The fact that this one comes in the box with the cream makes all the difference to me and it’s not scary to look at or awkward to use.
Next came the cream, which I was actually quite looking forward to applying now that my feet were primed for it. The colour of the cream is slightly yellow and the formula looks more whipped than creamy.
I applied it all over my feet and my initial thought was that I wished it was slightly thicker and felt more luxurious. However, the point of this one is that it sinks in quickly and doesn’t make you slip and slide everywhere when you’re walking, so a lighter formula is needed for ease of use.
It smells instantly of coconut – a little overbearing actually but I’d rather my feet smelled of coconut than anything else. It really does absorb quickly too, impressively so actually. My feet felt instantly smooth but at the same time, not too greasy (another thing I like to avoid in all foot-related scenarios). With this, I could wear shoes straight away and if walking on carpet, I didn’t get fluff stuck to my feet.
Image – Courtesy of writer
My surprising results
This whole regime took me all of five minutes, if that. So, a decent foot regime doesn’t have to be all singing, all dancing after all. It can literally just be a case of buffing your dry bits then applying a hydrating cream afterwards, to seal the deal.
Whilst there are some people who wish to scrub, bathe and apply a mask to their feet daily, there are others who are happy to just keep on top of things every once in a while. And this duo is the perfect five-minute kit for it. I’m not converted to having a foot fetish just yet, but I am converted to Samba Foot Fetish.
What other users are saying
Gemma on lookfantastic.com was underwhelmed by Samba Foot Fetish Care. “The file is really cheap and flimsy, the cream of course has a nice scent and is indeed not greasy, but it’s underwhelming.”
I’m afraid I have to disagree with Gemma’s point about the file. There is nothing flimsy about it as it is made from wood but perhaps buying a separate, bigger one with a handle would work better for those who don’t like the file included in the box.
Victoria loved the cream. “This is by far the best foot cream I have used! My go to!” And Tai agrees. “The file is so good if you have little dry areas and the cream is lovely, dries into your feet leaving a soft touch and doesn’t feel greasy or sticky.”
Image – Courtesy of writer
Overall value for money
£25/$27 is easier to stomach when it’s a kit and there are two products involved. Still, I’d prefer the tube to be a full 100ml, rather than 90ml. What’s wrong with adding that extra 10ml when you’re charging consumers £25/$27?!
Having said that, the only other foot cream I’ll use is the L’Occitane Shea Butter Intensive Foot Balm which costs around the £28/$40 mark. This one doesn’t come with a foot file, and it is a lot greasier than Samba Foot Fetish, meaning it’s not one you can just apply and go. The convenience of the fast-absorbing Foot Fetish is second to none.
The takeaway
Call me petty but it really does help when a product, particularly for the feet, comes as a duo. This way, I’m more likely to buy it – and use it – as it’s got everything I need for good-looking feet in one simple box. Keep the two together, see it as an extension to your body care routine and you’ll get smoother, hydrated feet in under five minutes.
Get Glowing!
