Salon in the Spotlight: Polish It Up MCR, Manchester

Prioritising a personalised, one-to-one client experience, Manchester-based tech, Jess Walford notes how working alone allows her to cater her treatment offerings to each individual client.

“I’m very lucky to say a lot of my clients have been coming to me for a few years and have become lovely friends, which adds to the salon environment. The one-to-one set-up of the salon allows clients to feel completely relaxed, making the space unique to each of them,” she reveals.

Jess was already in college when she decided to pursue her Level 2 Nail Certificate at an evening college, quickly discovering this was where her real passion was. She continued her learning through an apprenticeship, completing her Level 3 Nail Certificate at her local salon, La Belle.

Since completing her apprenticeship, Jess has continued to develop her skills through a range of courses, offering acrylic extensions, gel extensions, natural manicures, e-pedicures, builder gel and nail art in the salon.

“I decided to stick with calming, neutral tones in the salon, with natural wood accents to make it a relaxing space for both me and the client,” Jess explains. “Having a coconut-scented candle burning is a must in my salon!

“I like getting crafty, so I made my wall flowers myself. My favourite part of the salon is my beauty bed – I find multiple uses for it by folding it up into a chair to use for pedicures and toes, so my client’s feet are much higher up which makes it more comfortable for us both.”

In the future, Jess has plans to expand her business, considering the idea of opening a garden salon. “I’ve recently bought my first house, and I’ve always dreamed of being able to build a garden nail studio.

“If I decided to do this, I’d want to split my week in two and to be able to offer the mixture of a relaxing home studio set up and a bustling busy salon,” she says.