I bought some Scholl Toenail Conditioner a few months ago to (apparently) improve the look and condition of my poor toe nails. They are not too bad, actually, but they are prone to splitting and the actual top of the nail is a bit bumpy and uneven. I always find they look worse in the winter, or rather when the winter is over with and we come into spring, my poor tootsies look a bit worse for wear.

Wandering around my local supermarket the other night, after buying a few odds and ends, I eventually found myself in the 'corn and plaster' section and noticed this product which looked new and different to me and I decided to read the blurb on the back of the packet. I couldn't read it too well, to be honest, as I had left my reading glasses in the car, but at only £3.99 for a tiny 1.6ml (ONLY!), I thought I would give it a try in the hope that my toe nails might look a bit more respectable.

Once I got back home I had a right old job actually trying to prize the stuff from the cardboard and plastic wrapping. I took a pair of scissors to it eventually and I managed to get it out. I used the Scholl Toenail conditioner that same night after I had had my shower and I was tickled by the fact that it actually looked very similar to a little pen. The liquid is contained within a plastic pen-shaped casing and the conditioner is dispensed by simply twisting the bottom and it comes out of the top. Well, it's meant to be simple, but to be honest I had to have a few goes with this before I managed to get the hang of it.

The conditioner itself was surprisingly runny - far runnier than I had thought it would be. The idea is simply that you 'paint' it onto your nails with the little hairy bits on the end of the pen - much like you do with nail varnish, except the hairy brush is thicker and coarser. As the conitioner is so runny you have to be quite careful it doesn't go all over the place, however, once it is actually brushed onto the toes it does stay in place and as it is so runny it is actually absorbed very quickly indeed.

It takes about five to six minutes to be fully absorbed into the toes and I just used it whilst I was sitting on the sofa having a glass of wine and watching a DVD. The smell is quite a shock, however! I wasn''t expecting it to smell quite so pungent - a bit like alcohol! Well, a LOT like alcohol really. I wasn't sure if it was my wine I could sniff or my toes - then I realsied it was actually my feet! It was quite odd and I'm not altogether sure I liked it.

Did it improve the conditon of my toe nails, I hear you ask? Well, yes and no. A bit, I suppose, but not an amazing difference. They are still a bit bumpy but I suppose a few ridges have got a little bit smoother. The splits have definitely improved, though, so I suppose it must have done some good.

Would I recommend it? I think so, but then as I have never used anything like this before I cannot really compare it to anything else. My toes do look in slightly better health and I am not so ashamed of them now, but I do still think I have a long way to go before I'd parade them willingly in public.