34 Gansevoort St., 2nd fl., 212-206-6409, rescuebeauty.com
Rescue founder Ji Baek managed the restaurants Isabella's, Park Avalon and Coconut Grill before getting into the beauty business in 1998, and she's brought a similarly high level of hygiene to both fields. The venue, as Baek's manifesto explains, is "kept to hospital standards of cleanliness," and this dedication has attracted a legion of loyal customers who eagerly line up for the long-lasting manicures available with Crème de la Mer and diamond dust exfoliation, not to mention the sports pedicures. Extras like hand and foot massages, as well as facials, waxes and dermatological phototherapy, are also on offer. Tucked away on the second floor, Rescue has private booths and soothing monochromatic Zen-Mediterranean decor. To complement the enterprise, Baek developed her own nail-polish line and recently expanded by adding three new colors and a must-have matte topcoat. "Matte is huge right now, and it was really popular in the '80s," says Baek, "but you don't really need to buy matte polishes in every color, especially in this economy—you really just need the topcoat."

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