How I Nailed It
We had a married couple in their early sixties staying at the hotel who used to come down to the front desk for restaurant reservations each morning. The wife never spoke, while the husband was always the one I talked to. One morning, while she was on her phone, I complimented her dress, "I love your dress." Without taking her eyes off the phone screen, the wife asked, "What exactly do you like about it?" I responded momentarily, "Considering its fabric, the way it holds the shape is simply astonishing. Only Phoebe's Celine could look like that throughout the years." She locked the screen, looked at me smiling, and said, "Thank you. I was about to compliment your perfect nails for the past few days, but now it wouldn't sound like a compliment after yours. Are they pleasing?" she asked. I responded, “I guess?” with a sense of confusion in my eyes. "No, I mean the brand," she clarified, asking if the nail polish brand was Pleasing. We had a good laugh about how “pleasing” manicured nails can get and referred to what Mr. Tom Ford said about putting well-maintained fingers in certain places.
I had a bad habit of biting my nails in my mid-20s, and the only way not to was to keep them neat. Sometimes, even perfectly manicured nails didn't stop me from doing so, and I started experimenting with nail polish. And if you had your nails done by a person from Eastern Europe, it’s painful to see what people get for $45 in New York because you have very high standards. Spoiler alert: they don't come at a cheap price. For example, Irina, the owner of Zegna Nails, who I always hired to do model nails on the client's photo shoots, charges $70 for an exceptional manicure in her salon, which comes down to non-deductible $1.680 for a year [to visit her twice a month]. Or to visit Iryna, who moved from Ukraine and works at East Hamptons The Glamour Nail Salon.
That’s why when I moved to the Upper East Side a few years ago, two essential things needed immediate attention: finding good drop-and-fold laundry service with dry cleaning and locating a skilled nail technician I could afford to see twice a month. I was shocked, if not horrified, when I went to get my nails done at one of the highly-rated salons, and the manicurist almost performed a conjuring session, pushing the cuticle pusher so far underneath the skin that I had to scream to stop her. It took me a while to find the perfect nail technician, and after so many tries, I found Edid Leon, who has been doing an incredible job since.
No one else I trust to do my nails, and I always bring nail polish with me. The only brand I spend a fortune on, after trying many others, is Gucci Beauty. When I saw their very first five colors lined up on the counter (Dorothy Turquoise, Goldie Red, Black Crystal, Melinda Green, and Annabel Rose), I fell in love with the combination and have been using the same five colors for over three years now. They kind of have become my trademark and have incredible quality, a lasting shiny appearance, and a super smooth application without chipping for almost two weeks.
Edid also taught me what so many brands don't communicate—how to take care of my hands and not damage nails in the long run. Investing in a good base coat such as Quimica Alemana Nail Hardener and Hyaluronic Acid Serum Capsules to moisturize hands in a process was the key because this is where it matters the most and prevents nails from peeling or splitting if constantly wearing nail polish. My recent discovery is Trove Replenishing Oil, which was a gift by another hotel guest, Charla Jones, the CEO of eu2be, who, for the past year and a half, always checks in to see my nails each time and suggested I use her oil for the cuticles as well as for the body. To make it more convenient to apply, I got myself a refillable oil pen and have it handy.
Surprisingly, during the first couple of years, I found myself as the only male client in the salon on UES, aside from two Hasidic men who came regularly for their pedicures or my neighbor's son to whom I lent my polish. While seeing men wear nail polish becoming commonplace, it brings me joy to observe the shift, where more men now feel confident walking into salons without intimidation, breaking away from the notion that manicurists only catered to female clientele. Only one nail salon [that I'm aware of] initially intended to focus on men welcomes individuals of all genders is the Toolbox in Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
As I reflect on the amusing encounter with the couple at the hotel, where a compliment on a dress led to a funny exchange about "pleasing" nails, it becomes a reminder that small moments like that can bring unexpected knowledge: from Charla's bottled treasures that became part of my daily self-care routine, to Alli and Saul, who opened a salon in Santa Monica or chef Kwame Onwuachi launching a collection of nail polish in partnership with Orly. In the realm of self-care, it's not just about aesthetic preferences but also about understanding the nuances of quality, maintenance, and personal well-being. With every coat of nail polish, there's a story of meticulous choices, trusted technicians, and the joy of witnessing societal shifts in beauty norms.