THE LATEST NEWS & FEATURES

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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Unique salon décor: The Birmingham nail salon featuring a piano as its reception desk

By Lilly Delmage | 6 January 2025

Founder of Birmingham-based nail studio, Icey’s Beauty Lounge, Aysana Druga, shares the story behind the salon’s impressive entrance… In 2015, Aysana and her husband spotted a piano in the window of a charity shop. She recalls: “We had no idea where it was going to go at the time, so…

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Tgb Jan 25 Scratch Snap Prize

Share your minimalist nail art for a chance to WIN over £400 worth of The GelBottle Inc products

By Rebecca Hitchon | 6 January 2025

The January Scratch Snap competition is open! Scratch Snap is a monthly, online nail art challenge that invites nail pros to create a salon-style nail design in line with a theme. Simply snap a pic of the design on yourself, nail tips or a client – and you could be…

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Slither into the Year of the Snake in style: 15 nail art ideas to celebrate Chinese New Year

By Lilly Delmage | 5 January 2025

Chinese New Year 2025 is celebrated on January 29th, welcoming the Year of the Snake. Thankfully, the nail industry is no stranger to snake-inspired designs, from snake-skin prints and hand-painted characters to 3D creations. However, if you’d rather steer clear of animal motifs, embracing the colours of the event is…

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Becki Menzies Burns Night Nail Tech

I’m a Scottish nail artist working in London. Here’s what I miss most…

By Guest Writer | 3 January 2025

“If anyone from outside Scotland asks me, I say I’m from Glasgow, but as Scottish folk will read this, I’m actually from Livingston,” smiles Becki Menzies. The nail pro lived in Scotland for 28 years before moving to East London in 2023, where she works within tattoo space, Soteria Studios.…

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Capricorn chic: 17 trendy manicures to celebrate January birthdays

By Lilly Delmage | 3 January 2025

‘Tis the season of Capricorn birthdays! So, if your birthday lands between 22 December and 19 January, and you’re seeking your birthday manicure, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve rounded up 17 zodiac-inspired nail looks to celebrate Capricorn birthdays in style!

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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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20 festive nail salon décor ideas to get clients in the Christmas spirit

By Scratch Staff | 1 December 2024

As the holidays approach, salons are being decorated with Christmas trees and fairy lights to celebrate the festive period. Check out our roundup of Christmas salon displays below…

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South Devon tech: At 30 I decided to train as a nail technician – and I’ve never looked back

By Lilly Delmage | 29 November 2024

Having undergone a career swap at the age of 30, Devon-based nail tech Bonni Higson, the owner of Bonni File’n’Style in Dawlish, shares her story… After having children, Bonni decided to train as a nail technician. She says: “I enrolled at South Devon College and qualified at NVQ level 2…

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65 winter nail art designs inspired by snow day activities: #ShowScratch Creative Challenge

By Lilly Delmage | 28 November 2024

Check out entries to the 27 November 2024 nail art challenge from Scratch, in which techs were tasked with creating a design to fit the theme: Snow day activities. Each nail style was submitted via Instagram or Facebook using #ShowScratch #CreativeChallenge. Follow Scratch on Instagram and Facebook for future Creative Challenges – launching every other Wednesday.

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The 3 top times of the year for business retail & how to capitalise on them

By Lilly Delmage | 27 November 2024

Public holidays often influence retail sales, but as a small business owner, how can you ensure you’re maximising revenue during these key events? Research reveals how… Business credit card experts from price comparison website, Money.co.uk, have analysed the average weekly sales and key retail transaction days over the past year…

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Maisie's Nail Tech Soiree Leeds

120 nail techs raise £1,300 for charities at Christmas event in Leeds

By Helena Biggs | 26 November 2024

Revolution nightclub in Leeds hosted the first Maisie’s Nail Tech Soirée: a pre-Christmas networking event for nail professionals. Organised by Maisie Jackson, a 22-year-old nail artist from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, the soirée was designed to dispel any loneliness experienced by self-employed nail pros, and bring them together for a night…

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Return on investment: what it means & how to calculate it

By Guest Writer | 26 November 2024

Global business & beauty education expert, Kim Ford, explains what a return on investment means for your nail business, and how to calculate it. You may ask: what is a return on investment, or ROI? As an example, imagine you purchased a pedicure chair costing £1,000. How many clients have…

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