EXPERT ADVICE

Katie Barnes Canva Allergy

Home gel kit dangers & 6 ways to prevent allergies at the nail desk

By Katie Barnes | 11 January 2025

Many people turned to DIY nail kits during the coronavirus lockdown. They may have been visiting a nail pro for months, years or even decades – before suddenly, the luxury of a nail appointment was gone, and some saw a solution in home application of gel polish. DIY home kits…

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Self-employment help for nail techs: registration & tax essentials

By Lilly Delmage | 11 January 2025

Are you keen to take the leap into self-employment? Here’s a guide to the registration and tax essentials you need to know… For nail technicians working in salons who seek greater control over their careers, self-employment often feels like a natural next step. It offers professional and creative freedom, aiding…

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AI is changing the beauty salon game: here’s how it can help you stay ahead

By Guest Writer | 10 January 2025

Richard McCabe, aka the Lifestyle Salon Coach, shares how artificial intelligence can benefit your beauty business… Love it or hate it, AI is changing how businesses work – and that includes salons. Just like past tech revolutions, if you jump on board early, you’re more likely to come out on…

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Goal List

A beauty business coach’s guide to goal setting for 2025

By Guest Writer | 7 January 2025

Beauty business and mindset coach, Zaara King, offers up advice for the new year… It’s time to consider how you wish to make your mark on the industry over the next 12 months. You get to choose how you show up, what you offer clients and how you make a…

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Why nail technicians should enter the Scratch Stars Awards: tips from a nail competition maestro

By Lilly Delmage | 3 January 2025

Bespoke nail artist, Jiak Hing, who has won the Scratch Stars Gel Polish Stylist of the Year accolade for three consecutive years, shares insight into the competition, what to expect on the day and the benefits of entering.   Why did you decide to enter the Scratch Stars Awards? To…

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2025 Goals

New year, new you: How nail businesses can plan for the year ahead

By Marie-Louise Coster | 1 January 2025

Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, shares her tips for reviewing the last year and preparing for the next, in order to achieve success… Here we are again, another year gone and a new one in front of us full of opportunity, possibility and hope. It is…

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4 updates to make to your beauty business in 2025

By Guest Writer | 30 December 2024

Kim Ford, global business & beauty education expert, shares ways to make the most of quiet spells to improve your business long-term… The beginning of a new year is a great time to focus on business administration, such as updating operational and legal documents, and to consider if your marketing…

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Introverted nail techs: how to grow your skills & clientele comfortably

By Lilly Delmage | 22 December 2024

Do you love the creative aspect of being a nail professional: perfecting enhancements and getting arty, but find it challenging to converse with clients and colleagues? You’re not alone. A need to recharge after client interactions or feeling most comfortable in quiet environments are signs of introversion. The word ‘introvert’…

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Metta Francis on perfecting a mobile nail setup

By Sophie Nutt | 3 October 2019

As a mobile tech, just because you don’t have a physical, set space in which you offer your services, it doesn’t mean you have to skip on deciding interior objects and furniture. Inject your own personality into your mobile setup with branded towels, equipment and your uniform, and recreate the…

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Top tips for designing your salon interior

By Sophie Nutt | 26 September 2019

Your business interior provides a first and lasting impression for your clients. Décor can massively influence how a client – or potential client – perceives the quality of your treatments, customer service, professionalism and knowledge. It is important to reflect your business personality within its interior, as this way, clients…

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Redhead Brows

Customising brow treatments

By Kat Hill | 24 September 2019

“A professional well-constructed brow will frame your client’s face, open and lift the eyes, and define and balance features,” enthuses brow expert & Salon System educator, Lisa Stone. “In my opinion, to achieve all of this, a full brow service should include: A full consultation Tinting services with understanding of…

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Robbie Tomkins on how to build & maintain a positive reputation

By Sophie Nutt | 19 September 2019

One of the most frequently asked questions in the session world is without a doubt, ‘have you been busy?‘, and the truth is, the workload can vary massively from artist to artist. As anyone who knows me will confirm, I have worked in lots of different jobs in my time…

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Katie Barnes Training Blog

Why it’s important to respect ‘the basics’ in your nail training

By Katie Barnes | 16 September 2019

As a successful and professional nail technician, ongoing training is essential for a long and prosperous career – and each skill must be mastered in stages for success. Prerequisites are certain areas that must be satisfactorily completed before you enrol on another, usually more advanced class, or before you are…

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Safety Salon Beauty

Safety first: why compliance is key to salon success

By Scratch Staff | 10 September 2019

Sharon Sandhu, category manager for nails at Salon Services UK & Ireland, reveals why it’s important to revise your health & safety beauty knowledge… As summer business quietens down, it’s the ideal time for salons to go ‘back to school’ and reassess health & safety knowledge. Here are pointers to…

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