Another thing that’s fallen off the self-maintenance priority list in the past few years is pedicures. Since I live in a place now where people wear open-toed shoes year-round (hence also killing my old east-coast habit of not shaving my legs in the winter — in, um, the name of energy conservation), I’ve had to hatch a new plan on how to appear groomed without having to actually do much at all. Why should you trust me? It fools the gay guys at work. These guys can spot a wrinkle in a shirt from a mile away. Trust me — if they’re fooled, the rest of the world will be too.

So here’s what I do:

• Start with a coat of ridge filler — I like the Essie Ridge Filler, but any ridge filler with a creamy white appearance will likely work fine. This evens out the nail bed and gives it a polished look without much color (even less than the typical “nude” shades like Essie Mademoiselle).
• Finish with a top coat. I like the Seche Vite formula, which gives a really hi-lacquer shine and dries in less than a minute.

And that’s it! The best part is that you can let this pedicure go for a long, long time (think a quarter of a fiscal year or more) without touching it up because chips won’t show. In fact, you’ll probably end up cutting your toenails before you need to redo the nail polish. There you go…more time for you. Sleep on, friends!