Best of New York 2014 • Health & Self

• J. Colby Smith, New York Adorned

  47 Second Ave., at 3rd St.; 212-473-0007

  Piercer J. Colby Smith has kept a low profile for most of his nine years at ink parlor New York Adorned. But, thanks to his popular Instagram feed, @jcolbysmith, he’s recently grown quite a following. His hypercustomized piercings (from $30) take into consideration your style as well your ear’s (or navel’s or nipple’s) particular shape; only after a thorough assessment does Smith suggest you go with a stud rather than a hoop for that part of your anatomy you never knew had a name like �daith,� �tragus,� or �conch.� Fortunately, the idea of puncturing those parts seems a lot less ominous in Smith’s sage presence, which is no doubt part of the draw for clients that include fashion editors, Scarlett Johansson, and (as Smith puts it cryptically) �royalty.� That, and the fact that the shop’s in-house designs�rose-gold hoops ($50) or a gold stud with a black diamond ($150)�are at once exquisite and tough.

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