Glam Nail Studio

Book excerpt: Celebrity manicurist Amber Elizabeth Stores brings the salon straight to your living room in this graphic, information-packed guidebook, working from the inside out, Stores starts with research-supported advice on which foods to eat and products to use for optimal nail health. Next up she gives a basic introduction to the kinds of equipment you’ll want to have on hand, explaining how and why each tool is used. She’ll then delve into the vast world of nail polishes, illuminating the differences between base coats, ridge fillers, strengtheners, sealers, and more. Included in her polish tips is a unique guide to selecting the perfect colors based on your skin tone, style, and the season. Polishes are followed by a chapter on nail shapes—what they “say” and how to attain them. A chapter on the “Not-So-Basics” takes the salon experience to the next level, with tips for electric manicures, hot oil manicures, paraffin waxes, and more. The “Queen of Shellac” goes on to share her top secret tips for acrylics, gels, and myriad effects (marbling, dotting, fading color, glitter dust, to name a few) in the second to last chapter. The book’s grand finale is a collection of stunning, fashionable photography showing how artful and fashionable nails can be—and inspiring an infinite array of ideas in the reader.