TECH TALK
Get to know the Scottish nail stylist who led nail looks for Victoria Beckham
In Sammy Mac’s two decades in the nail industry, she’s won numerous awards, opened a thriving nail salon chain and led multiple teams backstage at Fashion Week events. So what’s left on the career tick list for this Scottish nail pro? “Leading the nail team for the 2024 Victoria Beckham…
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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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I’m a Scottish nail artist working in London. Here’s what I miss most…
“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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Why nail technicians should enter the Scratch Stars Awards: tips from a nail competition maestro
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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Introverted nail techs: how to grow your skills & clientele comfortably
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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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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Scarlett Senter of Scarlett Senter Nail Artist & Academy shares how she’s boosted her bottom line through the sale of press-on nails. Scarlett Senter, of Scarlett Senter Nail Artist & Academy, Norfolk, entered the nail industry in 2013, seeking a career that would work around her son. After spending time…
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Lover of minimalist nail designs, builder gel manicurist Yina Hurtado of Ginahbeauty shares her passion for the nail and beauty industry with Scratch. Yina’s passion for nails started at a young age, doing the nails of family members as a hobby as a teenager. It wasn’t until lockdown that she…
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Natural nail specialist & mother of two toddlers, Sophia Stanley, reveals her child-friendly nail space and why adding a play area has enticed a greater clientele. Affectionately titled ‘Mama Mani Nails’, Sophia Stanley’s business operates from her home in Walsall, with a focus on services that can be enjoyed by…
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Anita Chahal of Anita Chahal Creative Designer Nails, North Wales, shares how she created this enchanting, extreme length design and its romantic inspirations. The talented tech, who has been in the nail industry for 23 years, is an educator for Nail & Beauty Excellence (NBE). At Nailympia London 2022, she…
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With a passion for art and big dreams for the future of her beauty business, Oxfordshire-based tech, Joss Neaves of Cloud Nine Nails, works from her home studio, offering hand-painted nail art to clients. “I was originally attracted to the nail industry because of the nail community. When I got…
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Mobile and freelance nail artist, Anta Wilkins of Nails2Empress shares her career progression with Scratch, and reveals her hopes for her future in the nail industry. Since gaining her City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in 2018, Anta continued to further her education, training with Glitterbels and Marie Nailz. She…
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