Looking to cut back on expenses?
Well, you can skip those daily double lattes. No, you really can't.
Skip the manicurist instead. It's not as hard as you think.
Sure, it will take some time to apply streak-free polish. And doing it yourself isn't nearly as fun as having someone else do the work.
But with manicures typically costing at least $15 and lasting only two weeks tops, now is the moment to whip out the clippers, nippers and sugar -- yes, sugar.
A new book, Rescue Your Nails: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Perfect Fingers and Toes (Workman, $13.95) by manicure expert Ji Baek demystifies nail care. At her two Rescue Beauty Lounge salons in New York City, Baek charges $30 for the most basic manicure and $70 for the most decadent, with La Mer products.
But she gives away enough secrets in her book to empower beginners to tackle their toes with gusto. And she addresses the finer points of good manicuring with musings on nail polish shades, troubleshooting problem nails and how to break the biting habit.
Happy polishing. And enjoy that latte.
WHO KNEW?
• Use your facial and body products on your hands.
Baek says cleansers, moisturizers, eye creams, scrubs, acid products, toners, exfoliants and bath oils work great on your hands, cuticles and nails.
• It doesn't matter what brands you use.
More important, Baek says, is using the product regularly. Good nails and hands require daily applications, she says.
• Throw out all nonmetal tools. Plastic can't be sterilized, and you need to clean even those tools you use at home.
• Sterilize your tools with rubbing alcohol. Soak them for 25 minutes, dry them and stick them in a plastic zippered storage bag.
• Weak nails should be filed in one direction. And no matter what, use long strokes -- never short, choppy ones.
• Buffing blocks are indispensable. Buff beneath the nail to remove grit. And if you have deep ridges, use the rough side of the block to buff in an ''X'' pattern. A few seconds on each nail should suffice.
• When applying polish, do one hand from beginning to end -- base coat, polish, top coat and drying time (ideally 20 minutes) -- before switching hands. This minimizes clumsiness and the likelihood of marred polish.
TOOLS YOU NEED
Hands require a nail clipper or scissors, nail files of various grades, a cuticle pusher and trimming scissors and buffing blocks or disks. A nail brush is optional.
Feet require a separate set of exactly the same tools, plus foot files of various grades.
Also required are cotton pads, cotton swabs, plastic zipper bags, nail polish remover, moisturizer, exfoliants and cuticle oil. Those, plus the obvious: nail polish and a top coat.
AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF BAEK'S MANICURE
1. Remove nail polish.
2. Wash your hands, and do it well. Dry them completely. No cheating.
3. Snip nails with a clipper to achieve the desired length. Never start in the middle of the nail. Use short, even snips.
4. File nails into the desired shape.
5. Buff the tops, spending a few seconds on each nail.
6. Use an orange stick or cotton swab to clean off all debris, under and over the nail.
7. Use soap or facial cleanser with a few drops of oil to moisten nails. Rub gently.
8. Push away the cuticles on all three sides of the nail.
9. Do these steps on the other hand.
10. Massage more lotion, cream or oil into the hands.
11. Trim cuticles.
12. Sterilize and properly store tools.
HOW TO EFFECTIVELY POLISH YOU NAILS
1. Free your nails of any residual polish with nail polish remover.
2. You probably missed some. Do it again. They should look ``dull and dry.''
3. Apply a base coat and -- most critically -- let it dry completely, for up to five minutes.
4. The nail polish brush should be bent against the lip of the bottle to reduce an extra polish. The color should never drip off the brush.
5. Fan the brush as you paint.
6. Only when the first thin coat is dry should you apply the second. Baek says you don't have to use a second coat at all if you like the way the first looks.
7. Baek says to work slowly and don't fear mistakes, as ``they're easy to fix!''
8. Once the polish is dry, apply the top coat.
9. Use a cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover to eliminate excess polish alongside the nail.
10. Let them dry. Do the next hand.
WHAT OTHER EXPERTS ADVISE
• Paula Ford, a nail technician at J Sisters International (669 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; 305-672-7142), says the most common mistake she sees among do-it-yourself-ers is cuticles that look like they've taken a beating.
''You can't push the cuticles too much,'' Ford said. ``And you have to be careful not to cut too much.''
Remember, she says, they should never bleed.
Baek shows readers how to file nails into different shapes, but Ford recommends only one silhouette: square.
''It should be not sharp -- round on the sides,'' she says. ``To me, square looks more natural.''
• Antonia Moforis, owner of The Hand and Foot Company (5792 Sunset Dr., South Miami; 305-668-0504), says making a homemade brew that effectively exfoliates and conditions after cutting the cuticle is easy.
She says that a scrub with chemical preservatives may feel good at the time but ultimately will dry out your skin.
Instead, mix salt, oatmeal and olive oil. Throw in some essential oil from any health food store (Moforis prefers lavender, peppermint or eucalyptus) and some tea tree oil. You can also ground up an orange peel and toss that in, too, along with some of the juice, she says.
Even better: add a few tablespoons of evaporated milk from the grocery store.
''It's true about Cleopatra that she used to soak in milk,'' Moforis says; the benefits are many.
