What you’ll learn:
The best way to repair smudged polish
The best way to store your polish—not in the fridge
The secret to cleaning up spilled polish (hint: check your desk drawer)
The must-haves in your nail-care arsenal: lemon juice and salt
The best way to repair a split or chipped nail
Colors for the beginner, colors for the pro

The ten unbreakable rules of nail care

Chapter 1
You’ve got nail
Ji’s story, Land of Opportunity, The Evolution of Beautiful Nails, A Field Guide to the Fingernail, The Ten Unbreakable Rules of Nail Care, You Are Your Nails, The Real Deal on Fakes

Chapter 2
Getting started at home
The Instant Medicine-Cabinet Manicure, Lotions & Potion, Do-It-Yourself Exfoliators, Tools of the Trade: An Illustrated Guide, Three Ways to Sterilize Your Tools

Chapter 3
The at-home rescue manicure
Manicure Mise en Place, Stage One: Trimming and Smoothing, Shaping Up, Stage Two: Cuticle Care, Stage Three: Finishing Up, Stage Four: Cleanup

Chapter 4
The at-home rescue pedicure
Pedicure Mise en Place, Stage One: Getting Ready, Stage Two: Trimming and Shaping, Stage Three: Not-So-Cuticles, Stage Four: Out, Dead Skin!, Stage Five: Finishing Touches-Stage Six: Cleanup

Chapter 5
Polish perfection
Nail Polish Application 101 Polish Mise en Place, Polishing Fingers, Polishing Toes, French Manicure Tips, Nail Emergency 911!, The Big Spill, Reviving Your Manicure…Quickly! Color Theory Easy Colors and Hard Colors, Whites and Clear, Neutrals, Pinks, Reds, Brown Reds, Cutting-Edge Colors, Caring for Your Polish In the Buff: Naked Nails

Chapter 6
The skin you’re in
Aging Hands, The Many Uses of Moisturizer, Working Hands: In the Kitchen, In the Garden, At the Office, Hands in Extreme Conditions, Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!

Chapter 7
The imperfect nail: troubleshooting
Types of Problems: Weakness, Discoloration, Ridges, Splits, White Spots, Homemade Wraps, Foot Therapy: Toenail Shape, Calluses, and other Concerns, Athlete’s Feet

Chapter 8
NBA (nail-biters anonymous)
Twelve Weeks to a New York, Male Biters, The Emergency Kit—and How to Use It The Program Weeks 1-4: Boot Camp; Weeks 5-8: Recovery; Weeks 9-12: The Promised Land, Once the Twelve Weeks Are Over

Chapter 9
Professional nail service

What to Look for in a Professional Salon, Spa and Salon Etiquette, Sanitation and Sterilization, Demystifying the Manicure, Keep It Up!

Why do women care so much about their nails? It's simple: Well-groomed nails make your hands seem more alive, more important, and definitely sexier. And suddenly it's not just your hands feeling that way, but your whole self—which is why nails, and nail salons, are a huge and growing business, with more than 53,000 salons in the U.S. doing some $6.4 billion in business each year.

But now you can skip the spa and do your own nails—and here's the perfect author to show how. Ji Baek, the high-energy owner of New York's hottest nail salons, the Rescue Beauty Lounge—written about from Vogue to InStyle, Lucky to Harper's Bazaar, used by designers and stylists, patronized by actors, fashionistas, professionals, and more—presents the definitive guide to beautiful hands and feet. Emphasizing natural beauty, cleanliness, and simplicity, it covers the science of the nail, and why it's important to take vitamins, file regularly, and moisturize constantly; the care of the nail, with step-by-step illustrated directions to achieving professional-quality home manicures and pedicures, including tools, techniques, lotions, polishes; the dressing of the nail—shapes, colors, and styles; the health of the nail—how to heal split nails, brittle nails, and ingrown nails. She demystifies the salon, from dealing with technicians to explaining exactly what is in that bottle of mysterious pink lotion; tells how to care for the skin around the nails, including solutions to common problems like calluses and sunspots; and even starts a virtual NBA (nail-biter's anonymous), with tips for quitting the nailbiting habit.

“Ji Baek combines impeccable taste with clear-eyed practicality. When Ji talks, beauty editors listen.” –Linda Wells, Editor-in-Chief, Allure

“Ji Baek is queen on the Manhattan manicure! Her practical, eye-opening new book is the ultimate A-to-Z resource or anyone who cares about their hands and feet.” –Sarah Brown, Beauty Director, Vogue

“Ji is one of our top authorities on nails. For the next big trend, just check out her fingers.” –Ying Chu, Beauty Director, Marie Claire

“Ji makes it fun, she makes it easy, and she makes it glamorous—this is a great read as well as a great guide.” –Jean Godfrey-June, Beauty Director, Lucky

“Ji Baek, the nail guru! It’s super simple with great tips…a very smart way to take care of your hands and feet.” –SunHee Grinnell, Beauty Director, Vanity Fair

Ji Baek founded Rescue Beauty Lounge, New York's top nail salon, in 1998, and soon after started garnering attention in Vogue, InStyle, Allure, New York, Lucky, Jane, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, WWD, and more.

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Distributor: Barnes and Noble
Publication Date: 05-28-2008
Pages: 166
Measurements: 8.0in X 7.0in