Ji Baek - Rescue Your Nails

rescue your nails

a do-it-yourself guide to perfect fingers & toes

by Ji Baek

workman publishing new york

This book is for everyone whos stepped in and out of life at Rescue Beauty Lounge... but especially to my daily sunshine, my most loving husband, partner, and best friend, Alex.

Without your love, patience, support, and dedication, Rescue Beauty Lounge wouldnt be here.

thank you, thank you

It took a lot of people to turn this book into a reality. Nina Reznick, without your intelligence and guidance this book couldnt exist. Im so grateful to David Kirsch for sending you into my life. Im truly blessed to have you as a friend, confidant, and brilliant agent/lawyer. This world benefits from your endless passion, dedication, and generosity. Thanks also to the amazing team at Workman Publishing, especially Peter Workman, Suzanne Rafer, Helen Rosner, Janet Parker, and everyone that worked so extremely hard for this bookIm forever grateful.

Since we opened Rescue Beauty Lounge in 1998, weve been extremely lucky to have generous support from the mediapublications local, national, and international, not to mention television and the Internet. A million thanks to all the directors, editors, writers, journalists, reporters, producers, freelancers, assistants, interns, and whoever has ever been involved in the process of getting the Rescue name out there. Truly my gratitude is endless. All my clients whom I know and love, you have enriched my life. Working with you has been a fabulous journey! Thank you so much for being part of the Rescue Beauty Lounge family! I cherish your gorgeous support.

Over the years, Alex and I have always been incredibly proud of all the staff and technicians who have come through our door. The biggest joy we take from our company is guiding, teaching, trainingand learning fromour staff. We take pride in all of you, and think youand all nail and beauty technicians everywhereare deserving of tremendous appreciation. Of course, to our current staff, thank you so much for all your hard work. Lets keep it up!

To my beautiful circle of friends and family: Your heart, ears, and shoulders are precious and priceless. Especially my adoring momwithout your wisdom, unconditional love, and your endless prayers, I might not be the person that I am today.

This book is in loving memory of Raisa Sobolevskyavid reader, magical gardener, and never an in-law, but a second mother. I miss you so deeply. And to my daddy: I may not have followed the map of life you had laid out for me, but I can feel and know that you are all smiles up there. I love you and miss you. You are always in my heart.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

rescue to the rescue

I can tell everything I need to know about you by looking at your nails.

Did you just take a quick, nervous look at your hands? Relax! You dont have to bury them deep in your pockets. This book will show you how to make your nails look their best. Trust me, once you feel good about your nails, the rest of your life will fall right into place. Nail care has a lot to teach us, but for now, lets focus on three absolutes:

Nothing has to be complicated.

Everything is fixable.

A little bit of TLC goes a long way.

I have an extreme makeover client who is no stranger to personal careher face is pulled back tight, her lips so bee-stung that theyre almost clownlike, her hair layered with blond highlights, and her body swathed in designer clothing. After her manicure one day, I examined her hands, admiring the job her technician had done. She interrupted my inspection, stating, You know, I absolutely loathe the way this polish looks!

Lets take it off and change it to something else! I responded. She looked surprised, and I could tell she was thinking Is it that simple? So easy? Thats it?

Yesit is that simple, even in the complex world in which we live. Unlike many other beauty treatments, nail care is about instant gratification and looking goodwith no complications. You have to wait for a bad haircut or dye job to grow out, or see a doctor if you have second thoughts about your plastic surgery or Botox. Nails, though, are something you can change easilycolor can be applied or removed in minutes; the length can be changed on a whim. No matter the state of your hair, the shape of your body, or the condition of your clothes, your nails can (and will) look terrific. A good manicure, like a good haircut, has an amazing effect on your self-confidence. Its the instant pick-me-up.

Unlike a haircut, you can do a manicure yourselfat homewithout spending a fortune on fancy creams and polishes or going to the germ-ridden corner nail spa (more on that later). Taking care of your nails should be an enjoyable ritual, not a chore.

Grooming sessions allow you time to chat with your girlfriends, bond with your loved ones, or just spend some quiet meditative time alone. Whether its an hour-long salon pedicure, an at-home soak, or just a simple buffing, the step-by-step instructions in this book will help take the mystery out of the manicure.

The importance of a manicure is much, much more than just the coat of polish at the end. In chapter 1, Ill tell you a little bit about my background in the nail care industry, and about the history of the industry as a whole. In chapter 2, well go through whats in your medicine cabinet (and what should be there), demystifying products and packaging so that at-home nail care is as simple and straightforward as taking care of your skin or hair. In chapters 3 and 4, Ill share my tried-and-true tips for doing your own manicures and pedicuresfrom soaking and scrubbing through cuticle care and filing. And of course, the icing on the cake: Chapter 5 brings us back to the beautiful, with detailed breakdowns of polish colors and a no-fail technique for flawless self-polishing.

Of course, its not all basic nail care. Chapter 6 gives you the inside scoop on caring for your hands to help offset the effects of aging, environmental exposure, and harsh working conditionsincluding the office. And then theres the ugly stuff: Chapter 7 has straight talk on dealing with hangnails, split nails, calluses, and other bits of unpleasantness. My famous nail-biting cure, NBA (Nail-Biters Anonymous), is outlined in Chapter 8.