Meet the nail techs running separate businesses in one salon in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire

Amy McCall opens the doors to her, and co-owner, Gemma Bryson’s, beauty space, sharing the story about how the ‘small but effective team of two’ have created their beauty oasis.

Amy started training in 2019, joining a two-year course at Ayrshire College in Kilmarnock – which first sparked her passion for the industry.

But, it wasn’t until July 2024 when Amy and Gemma decided to open their own salon, having worked together previously at a different salon. Amy recalls, “We knew we worked well together, we have similar personalities and views regarding work”.

“It actually all happened really quickly. We had family members that kindly helped us with refurbishing which helped massively. The whole process took three weeks. Before renovation, it was an empty room with nothing but wooden planks as flooring, a squint radiator and walls needing some TLC,” the tech continues.

As for the salon aesthetic, Amy reveals, “The main vibe we wanted for our salon was relaxation. We chose an earthy and warm atmosphere with chocolate brown woods, clean white walls, plants and flowers, and cosy LED lighting. We wanting to create this atmosphere as we want our clients to feel relaxed and comfortable coming to the salon and for the duration of their appointment.”

Aiming to promote feelings of ‘friendliness, warmth and relaxation’, Amy explains the clientele the salon attracts: “Our clients are a huge range of ages and personality types, but they all come for one thing – to relax, take time out of their busy lives for themselves and leave feeling good about themselves. This definitely influenced our decor choices.”

Located in the bustling Kilmarnock town centre, the salon is surrounded by many local small businesses, something both the techs find ‘inspiring’.

The salon offers builder gel, gel polish and gel toes services, with their most popular treatment being their builder gel manicure.

Noting the techs go-to brands, Amy says, “I use Glossify products and Gemma uses a mix of The GelBottle Inc and Glossify. I love this brand because their products and my personal experience with their customer service is next to none. I find the longevity of their products the reason I have such a large client base, and their naturabuild selection and gel colour range is of huge variety for all skin tones and occasions.”

Describing themselves as ‘a small but effective team of two’, the tech shares more about the dynamics of their co-working space: “We do not have a salon name and work under our own seperate businesses within the space. I find this a more personal experience for the client.

“Gemma has her own client base and I have my own client base. However we will help each other out if one of us is off unwell or on holiday. We currently do not have any plans to expand our team as we enjoy being in a quieter environment with our clients, helping them to relax too.”

When asked what makes their salon unique, Amy responded: “Our salon is unique as it has been quoted as a ‘home from home’. It gives our clients a safe space to unload and unwind from everyday life. We take pride in the fact that our clients feel comfortable enough to share personal news and experiences with us.”

Though, her favourite part of the salon lies within the warm lighting: “I love it even more as we come into the colder and darker months. I’m such an Autumn girl so I cannot wait to see it during the next few months with the duller days and the wind and rain hammering the windows.”

The pair also share a common favourite aspect of having their own salon, saying, “The thing we love most about being in our own space is how relaxed we feel as well. There are no external pressures or anyone telling us what to do. We do not need to ask for permission for time off and we definitely feel more in control of our businesses.”

Looking to the future, Amy says, “Our goals and hopes for the future of the salon are to maintain high quality services, excellent customer service and client retention.”

Keep up-to-date with Amy via her Instagram and Gemma via her Instagram.