SALON & SPAS
Unique salon décor: The Birmingham nail salon featuring a piano as its reception desk
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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Halo VIP, Holly Rodgers, shares how she transformed her garage into sophisticated salon space, Hr Beauty, and the ways she creates a positive client experience… Holly Rodgers tells Scratch that she has always had a passion for the beauty industry, so upon qualifying in 2020 and converting her garage to…
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Centred on nailcare memberships and flexible pay-as-you-go nail services, Manicured London has opened in Hackney Wick. Founded by session manicurist & educator, Tinu Bello, the East London space has inclusivity and affordability at its core, as Bello explains: “Manicured London began as a concept I scribbled in notes on my…
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Step inside The Beauty Shed: a welcoming salon nestled within the Welsh countryside, as owner, Katie Dutton, shares the story of the space… Undertaking beauty training in 2004, Katie Dutton didn’t pursue a career in the sector until 2022, after a conversation with her beautician friend. “We talked about how…
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Emoke Andre, owner of London nail salon, Nails by Emoke, tells Scratch about the unique qualities of the business and its ‘family’ of staff… Qualifying as a nail technician in 2014, Emoke Andre worked in a salon in London, but always had a bigger goal in mind: to open her…
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Nichole Reynolds shares the story behind her home salon haven, Nails By Nichole, and provides a glimpse into her nail offerings… Nichole Reynolds worked from her dining room for 15 years before her husband offered to convert the shed into a nail space. “I was comfortable indoors, but my husband…
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Paisley Barendrecht shares how she came to own home salon, Nails at The Oaks, offering Beverly Hills-inspired escapism to clients… Having two children in the space of less than two years changed Paisley Barendrecht’s outlook on her career. Rather than returning to an office job after maternity leave, she decided…
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