Nails and Co. open for business

At first glance, walking into Yael Buechler's modest suite in Rosenthal, her room appears to be just another dull dorm room, sparsely decorated by a few posters. That is until Buechler unveils her bubble-gum pink storage box, filled with enough varieties of nail polish to satisfy even the pickiest of clients. Today, her nails are painted midnight blue with white letters that read, "I love Barry," a tribute to one of her favorite singers, Barry Manilow.

Needless to say, Yael Buechler '07 is not your average Brandeis sophomore. In addition to balancing her psychology major and journalism minor, as well as being involved with the campus radio station, working in Prof. Derek Isaacowitz's (PSYC) emotion lab, and participating in Jewish activities on campus, Buechler has found the time each week for the past seven years to paint her nails with a new theme.

"I will always find time to do my nails," she said.

The ritual began as a way to express her feelings and de-stress. Today, the weekly manicure is a tradition, and recently, Buechler has begun to share this talent with others for $6 per regular manicure, and $8 for a French manicure. She calls her business Nails & Co., and uses some of her earnings to invest in new polish and other supplies.

Originally from Dix Hills, N.Y., Buechler said that during high school, people were always commenting on her fun and funky nail designs.


When she arrived at Brandeis, some of her friends encouraged her to offer her services as a manicurist. Buchler said that she jumped at this opportunity because for her, painting nails is therapeutic and in her own words, "keeps me occupied."

Some of the highlights of Buechler's creative nail ideas include the Ten Plagues for Passover, Halloween pumpkins, fall leaves and winter snowflakes. But Buechler said she is in no way limited to these ideas.


Buechler's nails have even been on television. In December 2001, Buechler visited the Today show on NBC and the American flag design on her nails caught the attention of a local weatherman, who spoke with Buechler before the show. Buechler also displayed her Israeli pride on her nails at an Israeli rally in 2002, where she painted an Israeli flag design on her nails and was interviewed by a local newscaster.


Her current homage to Barry Manilow led her to receive a hug from Manilow himself at a CBS Early Show concert in New York City earlier this month. She said that before one of his songs, she called out, "Barry! Check out my nails!" Then, she said, Manilow "looked and squinted at me, walked off the stage and asked me to come over. He then hugged me. He asked me who did my nails. I said I did, and then he hugged me a second time." The episode appeared on CBS this morning.

This was Buechler's second encounter with Manilow; she also met him outside his dressing room at Today in December 2002.


Buechler said her main incentive in manicuring is not for the attention she receives, but because she enjoys the interaction with her clients.


She said that she feels good knowing that a Brandeis student can sit down at the manicurist table in her suite and simply talk openly about his or her day. She said always strives to please her clients, which she recognizes as a crucial part of the job. She herself admitted to being a very picky client, so picky in fact, that she has not received a manicure from someone else in nearly eight years.

Leah Schoen '07, a client of Buechler's, said that she is very satisfied with the service. Schoen said that Buechler "knew exactly what she was doing," and is open to ideas. Shoen added that Buechler's service is convenient because she works right on campus and her hours are flexible. Most recently, Shoen received a French manicure for the Jewish holidays; she said she plans to return to Nails & Co. soon.


Buechler is open for manicures on Monday and Tuesday, by appointment only. A manicure usually takes around 20 minutes and consists of several steps: Buechler first removes any excess old nail polish, then files the nails, applies lotion and a base coat, paints two coats of a chosen color and last, applies a no-chip top coat. She uses all disposable materials.

Buechler's favorite brands of nail polish include Essie, OPI, and Wet n'Wild. As soon as new season begins, she invests in new colors. As she admitted, she truly does own "every color [of polish] under the sun.