SALON & SPAS

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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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From DIY nails to owning a home salon: how one tech turned her passion into a business

By Lilly Delmage | 9 December 2024

Bedfordshire-based nail tech, Jodie Day of @talonsbyjodie, started her nail journey simply wanting to learn how to do her own nails, however she enjoyed the training so much that she decided to turn it into her career. Jodie began her training in 2021 while pregnant, seeking a creative outlet. She…

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Award-winning home salon owner: the 5 essential tips for success

By Lilly Delmage | 2 December 2024

Scratch Stars Home Nail Salon of the Year 2024 winner, Kirsty Brown of @paintbrushnails, shares her top tips for building a successful home salon… Having won the prestigious Scratch Stars accolade for her Stirling-based home salon, we asked Kirsty to share her top tips to inform and inspire nail techs…

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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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The Suffolk nail tech who transformed her lockdown hobby into a thriving salon business

By Lilly Delmage | 7 November 2024

Jemma Cornell, behind JC Nails, started her nail journey during lockdown in 2020 and four years later, has transformed her hobby into a full-time career. The Suffolk-based tech felt she needed something to ‘keep her busy’ during the challenging Covid-19 period, and decided training in nails was the answer. She…

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How a part-time job at a nail brand inspired an employee to become a nail tech

By Lilly Delmage | 30 October 2024

Ellie Toms’ part-time job at nail brand, Lecenté, inspired her career change to become a nail technician. Here’s her story… The now tech ‘fell in love’ with the brand’s products, so much so that it inspired her to become a nail tech so she was able to use them. The…

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10 Halloween-ready salons to give you inspiration

By Scratch Staff | 27 October 2024

Halloween offers a perfect opportunity to have some fun in the nail space, so take inspiration from salons that have got clients in the spooky spirit with themed décor… 1. Beauty by Joan, Wisconsin, USA 2. Hope HQ, Manchester, UK 3. Hush Salon, Leeds, UK 4. Revel Salon, New York,…

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I visited TGB Spa in Brighton for a luxury pedicure – & here’s how it went

By Lilly Delmage | 24 October 2024

Nail brand, The GelBottle Inc, has opened its much-anticipated TGB Spa: a sanctuary for beauty treatments in the bustling city of Brighton. I was invited to explore the space and indulge in a Luxury TGB Gel Pedicure – and it didn’t disappoint. I arrived at Brighton train station and I tapped…

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Salon in the Spotlight: CandyMani’s Nails & Beauty, Suffolk

By Callie Iley | 3 November 2021

Candice Muddeman began Candymani’s in 2015, working out of her dining room at home, offering gel polish to family and friends. “Last year in lockdown, we started work on a separate nail and beauty studio at the back of our house. We were lucky to have such a generous space,…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Kelly’s Beauty Box, Crawley, West Sussex

By Callie Iley | 27 October 2021

Established in 2016 by Kelly Crawley, Kelly’s Beauty Box outgrew its roots as a home salon and expanded into a new premises in May 2021. “Opening our new premises has been very exciting for us. Our aim is to provide the most relaxing and friendly service to all our clients…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Little Birch Nails, Northern Ireland

By Callie Iley | 29 September 2021

Qualifying as a nail technician during the lockdown of 2020 around the same time as having her baby, Rachael Dorrity was initially unable to build a clientele. “Since restrictions have been relaxed, I decided to just go for it and start my nail journey. I’m so excited to see what…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Lisa Sheehan – Nail Artist, Hereford

By Callie Iley | 22 September 2021

Aged 32, Lisa Sheehan decided to go back to college in the evenings to study for her level 2 and 3 qualifications in beauty theraoy, after working in childcare for 14 years. “I loved the idea of making people feel good about themselves and being able to pamper others, and…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Kulture, Fife

By Callie Iley | 15 September 2021

Selling her share of her previous salon to set up her own, Marie McFarlane and her husband fully converted a ground floor one bedroom flat into Kulture. “I was inspired to open my own salon as I have recently qualified in teaching, so will be running Kulture School of Beauty…

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London hotspot Townhouse scoops Scratch Stars Nail Salon of the Year 20/21

By Emma Hobday | 12 September 2021

Juanita Huber-Millet, founder and creative director of Townhouse, never knew that she would go into nails as a child. “My background is a little eclectic – I grew up wanting to do nothing other than dance and I spent my teenage years in ballet school, training every minute I could…

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