Millions of women (and a few men) visit nail salons regularly to have their nails done. Unfortunately, occasionally the result of having manicures or pedicures is developing nail fungus or bacterial infections that can not only look bad, but also may also feel even worse. A few simple steps before your next salon service can significantly lower your risk of developing a painful nail infection or fungus, or worse, a more serious disease.

Check out the salon for cleanliness and safety precautions. Don't be afraid to ask for a quick tour if you are considering a new salon, or asking the owner or manager of your current salon what steps they take to ensure safety. And take a look around. Does the salon look clean and sanitary? Is the trash container properly bagged and covered? Is the floor clean? Are the manicure tables kept neat and tidy? Is there good light? Look at the disinfectant containers and make sure that they are clear, clean, and free of debris.

Next, check the station where your service will take place. Ask if all instruments are cleaned and disinfected (even better: autoclaved) after each use, and if you need proof, have the technician show you the cleaning area or solution. Does he or she use fresh, clean instruments on each client? Make sure all files, buffers, and anything else that touches you is freshly clean before you allow the technician to begin. Also, the technician should wash his or her hands before and after each client, or wear fresh gloves. Clean towels should be used for every client.

Avoid having your cuticles cut. Cuticles serve a purpose -- they protect the nail bed from allowing infection to enter. If you like how your nails look with them pushed back, ask for cuticle softener, rather than cuticle scissors. After the cuticles are softened, the technician can wipe away, or gently scrape away, the excess with a fresh orangewood stick.

Pedicures can be a bit riskier because of the hot water and tub. Make sure the tub is thoroughly drained, cleaned, and disinfected between clients. The steps where clients typically step with bare feet also should be cleaned and disinfected between clients.

One way to avoid many of these concerns is to buy your own manicure or pedicure kit and bring it with you. Make sure you clean and disinfect your kit after each use, even if you are the only one using it. You also can bring your own nail polish, base coat, and top coat. Remove your old nail polish at home, or bring nail polish remover with you.

The salon and technician should both be licensed by their state governing board, usually the board of cosmetology. The licenses should be clearly displayed.

If sanitary precautions are not being taken at your salon, politely but firmly tell the owner what needs to change and what you expect. Contact your state cosmetology board if you develop a nail infection, fungus, or other condition as a result of visiting a salon, or if you see unsanitary practices.

Famed French fashion house Dior has created a bespoke, Art Deco-inspired dressing table service for guests of Claridge's, the landmark London hotel (above) whose devotees include Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, Madonna and Victoria Beckham. Designed as the ultimate luxury amenity for glamorous occupants of the hotel's Viscount David Linley-designed suites, the service offers all the essentials necessary for a glamorous night out on the town. The Dior Dressing Table includes a carefully curated range of timeless accessories, including an elegant silk Claridge's dressing gown and slippers; a cashmere eye mask; a selection of classic Dior fragrances and beauty products; cocktails from a special 1930s menu; and era-appropriate books and music for entertainment.

[via JustLuxe]

Do only the very wealthy pay retail these days? Seems like it. With so many discount shopping sites that sell high-end items, mere mortals can get said high-end items at low(er)-end prices. But is is there room for yet one more of these sites? LuxGoddess.com is hoping so. It recently joined the likes of Bluefly, ShopBop, and Gilt to offer upscale items at reduced prices. Here's what makes LuxGoddess different, however: It donates 10% of its proceeds to Bright Pink, a national nonprofit that provides education and support to young women who are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

Calling itself "the premier site for today's fashion trendsetters looking for great deals on their favorite designer brands," the site carries well-known brands, with a number of items pulled from online stores, and covers the standard categories of apparel, shoes, beauty, and accessories. There's also a sale rack, which is a user's personal sale rack, based on her size and brand preferences.

If you can survive buying or selling real estate in New York City, you can survive the process anywhere (well, maybe London and Tokyo would be rough). I've bought twice and sold once in NYC, and am pretty sure some of my gray hair arrived during those months. Recently I heard about BidOnTheCity.com, "eBay for Manhattan real estate." Intriguing! You can buy or sell, but unlike most other auction sites, you can only bid at a certain time, in person or online, Sundays at noon. Even brokers can get involved. Here's how it works. Read some press coverage here.

We all know that youth will always have an edge in pop culture and consumerism. But now even babies in utero are in on the commercialized luxe life. A new show on WeTV, Platinum Babies, debuting on Friday, November 6, will highlight wealthy parents-to-be who are sparing no expense when it comes to getting ready for their little one's arrival. In the first two episodes you'll meet Victoria and Tom, and Tara and Andrew, and watch along as they shop, shop, shop, par-tay (celebs on hand, natch), get massages, et cetera. I don't think I'll be DVRing this show, as I feel a little bit icky thinking about what I assume will be baby exploitation and massive, blatant product placement.

Do you know of a gourmet grocer or food hall with a selection that is superior to all others? Is there an online gourmet goods purveyor that offers the best products to choose from? Do you have a favorite cheese shop with an array of gourmet products, from artisanal to farmstead and everything in between, that you believe is the best of the best? Which retailer has the most fabulous caviar in the world? Which bakery offers the finest bread? If you are a foodie who knows where to go for the best in food around the globe, we want to hear from you!

The Luxist Readers' Choice Awards for Best in Food will be based on your nominations and voting. We're currently seeking nominations for the best-of-breed in the following categories:

Best Gourmet Grocer or Food Hall
Best Online Gourmet Goods Purveyor
Best Cheese Shop
Best Caviar Retailer
Best Bread (Bakery)

Submit your comments below about your favorite gourmet food resources and we will compile a list of those that are the most popular, along with related articles. One nomination per category, please. Submissions can be filed until November 15th, 2009.

Nominations have been received and vetted for the best-of-breed in lighting, furniture, antiques resource, dishware and glassware. Vote now for what you believe is the best of breed for each of these categories. Readers' Choice Awards for Decor will be announced on October 31st.

More bad news for the magazine industry hit last week: Condé Nast is closing down several of its big-name magazines, names you know - Gourmet, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride - and one you may not, Cookie, which is about parenthood.

The New York Times noted, "[Gourmet] has suffered a severe decline in ad pages, but the cut still comes as a shock. There was speculation that Condé Nast would close one of its food titles - Gourmet or Bon Appétit - but most bets were on the latter. Gourmet has a richer history than Bon Appétit, and its editor, Ruth Reichl, is powerful in the food world. Cookie is a relatively new introduction, started in 2005, while the bridal magazines were seen as offshoots of the bigger Brides magazine, which Condé Nast also owns."

The cuts were done at the conclusion of a three-month study by McKinsey & Company, which conducted an analysis of Condé Nast's costs and recommended that several magazines cut about 25 percent from their budgets. These are the first closings announced by the company since the study.

These are not the first magazines shuttered by Condé Nast, even though, as the Times notes, the company never has been quick to close titles, and in the last year or so has closed only newer titles, Condé Nast Portfolio and Domino, along with folding Men's Vogue into Vogue.

This isn't the first time Luxist has noted magazine closings either. See this piece I did last month, which mentions in the gallery some other closings noted by my colleagues.

New York-based Divorce Your Jewels pays cash for your unwanted jewelry, no matter if it's a five-carat engagement ring, a wedding ring, a jewelry gift you no longer like or want, or jewelry that just sits in a drawer. What makes this service different from something like Cash4Gold is that you set up a personal appointment at your home or the company's office, and the company caters to the high-end clientele. Read more here.

Teeny type at the bottom of the home page indicates that the company has expanded its business to "discreet" departures of museum-quality art, valuable fashion items (e.g., Birkin bags and vintage clothing), or unworn clothes with tags. You also can buy from the company.

No word on whether this service extends beyond New York, but it's worth a call or e-mail: call 917-846-9999/8444 or e-mail Melissa "Missy" Schorr: melissa@divorceyourjewels.com.

There's no denying that the private service industry has changed over the past couple years. First the flood of freshly minted millionaires all around the globe meant that there was a dearth of qualified personnel to work as private service professionals. Butler schools sprung up and many people began planning career changes. Then the economy shifted and the amount of millionaires shrank and a global correction in regards to all luxury goods and services began.

But just as there will always be people to pay for fine whisky and beachside estates, there will always be people in need of good, qualified help. These days with the advances in communication, finding good help is no longer just a question of word of mouth. I recently chatted with David M. Bertnick, the president of IAPSP, a non-profit, trade association for the aggregate private service community, about the changing face of private service. The IAPSP is holding the 2009 IAPSP Inaugural Conference for Private Service next month, October 9-11 in Dallas Texas. Mr. Bertnick has served as a household manager, estate manager and personal assistant and has trained many others in the art of private service.

1. What exactly does your organization, the International Association for Private Service Professionals, do?

Established in 2006, the IAPSP is a non-profit, member-based, trade association for private service. It provides a platform for developing professionalism and leadership skills in the delivery of estate service. The IAPSP works to increase confidence, competency and skill by engaging its members in leadership opportunities, providing peer-to-peer networking, and sharing service knowledge within its ranks. Much of this work is done over the telephone and via the internet; however, our local chapters in Los Angeles and San Francisco meet monthly to learn from experts who provide products or services to the Luxury Market. Once a year, we produce a conference and invite the community to join us for the weekend event.


2. As you and I discussed earlier, the private service industry has changed a lot since Robert Frank wrote about it as the industry everyone was trying to get into back in 2007 as part of the research for his book "Richistan." How would you characterize the industry now?

One thing that hasn't seemed to change is the desire to break into our industry. Unfortunately, in the past, many have seen Private Service as a "fall-back" career, expecting that if worse came to worse they could "always be a domestic." This time, it hasn't worked out that way for individuals who are inexperienced or untrained in the art of private service. It seems a large portion of the wealth class has experienced the benefits of professional-level service in their homes and now has higher expectations. Even though many of them have scaled back the size of their estates - and the support staff required to operate them - they have kept the bar high in terms of who they will accept as service staff. A focus on quality, experience and expertise is now being applied to the search for estate staff as with any other type of expenditure.

Like my colleagues Annie and Alison, I braved Fashion Week, in particular, Fashion's Night Out on September 10. But I was fortunate to be in one serene place, The Shops at The Plaza. Entering at One East 58th Street, right near Central Park, The Shops at The Plaza immediately gives you a feeling of luxury shopping, but in a much more open environment than a small boutique because The Shops is 160,000 square feet on six levels.

The Shops features a unique gathering of one-of-a-kind jewelry designers and coveted boutique brands, many of which have chosen to open their first U.S. outpost exclusively here. Examples of the stores you'll find are Krigler, a fifth-generation fragrance house with Russian roots and French savoir-faire; Anna Hu, a Christie's New York and Van Cleef & Arpels veteran who specializes in creating stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces; Qiviuk, which offers unusual, high-quality clothing for men and women made of the cashmere-like Qiviuk fiber; and a new store to The Shops, the flagship location of New York fashion designer Douglas Hannant. I had the chance to chat with representatives from each of these stores, so watch Luxist for more on these brands.

Other stores at The Shops are MCM, Ghurka, Vertu, Morgenthal Frederics, Seize Sur Vingt, LTJ Arthur, GOODFORTUNE TENTHOUSANDTHINGS, Kenneth Jay Lane, Iradj Moini, Maurice Fine Jewelry, Helen Yarmak, Peter Lik Fine Photography, and Francesco Fino. Plus, now reopened is The Plaza Boutique, the hotel's own store, which offers high-end leather goods, porcelain glasses, fashionable men's shirts, and luxurious gift items.

As for beauty, The Shops has that area covered as well. The Plaza Beauty by Warren-Tricomi is a beauty destination and contemporary boutique divided by category, offering a brow bar, men's bar, fragrance bar, and skincare. (See photo.) Drawing from the worlds of hair care, skincare, and fragrance, The Plaza Beauty provides a sampling of the most luxurious, internationally-renowned brands, as well as rare, emerging lines, all hand-picked by Joel Warren and Edward Tricomi.

All that shopping and beautification may make you in need of a respite, or at least a snack. Stop by the Demel café, Parisian bookseller Assouline, the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, Warren-Tricomi Salon, or the Fitness Center by Radu Physical Culture to refuel and recharge.

The Plaza has undergone a $400 million, three-year, lobby-to-roof renovation and restoration, and it's amazing. Designated a New York City Landmark in 1969, it is also the only New York City hotel to be designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is launching an online lifestyle magazine this week designed to "satiate the discerning traveler's thirst for trusted, insider knowledge." Part travel blog and part lifestyle e-zine with a bit of booking agent mixed in, FourSeasonsMagazine.com is a planning tool that "brings the destination expertise Four Seasons is known for to the web in an editorial travelogue format." In addition to booking a stay, travelers can learn about exclusive experiences such as cactus planting adventures at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale in Arizona, destination "must dos" from a local celebrity such as fashion designer Trina Turk's Los Angeles, and concierge recommendations including the hottest culinary "crawl" in San Francisco.

The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta marked its 25th anniversary with a complete redesign of the entrance foyers, lobby, and lobby bar, now named Lumen, which features exotic, sophisticated edible cocktails, a Lumen signature cocktail, and art-themed cocktails.

The new interiors feature well-known, traditional elements transposed in an updated way, such as a Chippendale Mahogany sideboard refinished in a hand-applied gilded platinum tone; sheer shrouds wrapped around the hotel's crystal chandeliers; and accent chairs graced with damask patterns in oversized formats.

Lumen underwent a great change. The lounge, so named for its many light effects, now greets guests with crystal chandeliers that glow red at night; seven-foot tall custom settees covered in midnight blue mohair, complete with their beaded sconces; a bar cabinet that glows blue in the evening; mirror-polished, handspun metal tables custom-designed by Brad Oldham (brother to designer Todd); beaded corkscrew floor lamps; and a custom-designed, under-lit onyx-topped communal-styled table seating up to eight.

My friend Nancy is scheduled to speak at a meeting being held at this Ritz, and I can't wait to hear what she thinks of the new spaces. See the gallery for before and after shots.

Tyra Banks has been all over the celeb news radar in the last few days because on the September 8 season premiere of the Emmy-winning The Tyra Show, she went au naturel with her hair -- "no wigs, extensions, no nothing," she said.

Doing this is part of Banks's mission to help redefine the emotional issue of beauty for women, both within and without, she said in a widely-circulated AP article. Banks said she's learned from past shows, especially when it comes to trusting the insights she developed in the fashion industry. "It's more honest. There's nothing worse than sitting there and pretending" ignorance while a guest delivers tips she could share herself.

And to do so, Banks, who appears on Forbes magazine's 2008 Celebrity 100 list of the rich and famous, launched her online magazine the same day that her natural hair made its debut. WWD reported that Tyra: Beauty Inside & Out -- which she's dubbed a "magaline" -- will share her expertise. "I'm really interested in helping women take control of their futures, take control of their destiny. One of my lines in my manifesto on the website is to be the CEO of your own life, be in control of your own life," Banks said.

Though the site in question is still up as I write this, it was reported in the New York Post that Time magazine has shut down its fashion quarterly, Style & Design. The Post item states, "Time blamed the collapse of the luxury market for the move. 'This really is a suspended publication,' said a spokeswoman of the one million-circulation magazine. 'We'd hope to bring it back when the economy improves.' " Kate Betts, the one-time editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar who had been editor of Time Style & Design, will remain with the company and is expected to cover this month's Fashion Week shows for Time. Four other staffers were let go.

Time Style & Design tried to have an American and a European circulation base, in a bid to capture the eye -- and ad dollars -- of fashion designers in New York as well as in Paris, Milan, and London. About 550,000 subscribers were based in the United States, and 450,000 in Europe.

This event marks the second time during the third quarter that Time Inc. has shut down a magazine. Last month, the company closed Southern Accents, part of Time Inc.'s Southern Progress subsidiary.

Celebrity hairstylist Sally Hershberger invited a few lucky bloggers to her downtown NYC salon on September 3 for the unveiling of her newest hairstyling product, Luxe Layers Protective Blow Out Gel, available exclusively on HSN. I was there to see Hershberger in action, which was a real treat, because cuts with her run $800, so I likely won't be a client anytime soon. Note that this doesn't mean I wasn't secretly hoping she'd pull me from the audience for an impromptu fix of my style. Alas, that didn't happen, but Hershberger did demonstrate the product on a few models. The video of the event is on Hershberger's homepage now.

Luxe Layers is easy just to use -- just a few pumps, rubbed in your hands, then spread throughout your hair, provides thermal protection/prevents against heat damage, seals against color wash-out, protects against the sun and environmental aggressors, and blocks humidity and static to minimize frizz and flyaways. It's made from a proprietary complex of cationic polymers, natural cellulose, and amino acids, is blended with silk and cashmere extracts for internal strength with superior smoothing and long-lasting styling effect. It's alcohol-free, not tested on animals, does not contain animal products or drying solvents, and is non-silicone based, so it won't weigh down even fine hair. Hershberger says it also helps blow-outs last longer.

Luxe layers ($18.00/5 oz.) is just one of Hershberger's full line of products, all reasonably priced. You can get her Luxe Layers Trio on HSN, or just try my new favorite, Genius Spray Wax.

Seeing the product demonstrated live was much better than Hershberger just telling us about it. You can catch Hershberger on HSN doing just this on September 8 at 1 a.m., 8 a.m., and 7 p.m., and on September 9 at 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. To see her demonstrate other products, check out her styling tips videos.