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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Lucy Jefferis launched nail decal company Miss Lucy UK in early 2020, determined to excel in the industry she loved despite mental health battles making client appointments challenging. “I was unable to continue working within the beauty industry as I suffered with OCD, which spiralled out of control,” Lucy reveals.…
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Dani Bailey has been a nail technician since 2019 and has always been a nail enthusiast, doing her own nails from when she was just 13 years old, after being taught by her mum. Dani created her product range, Alma By Dani, in the second lockdown when she was itching…
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Scratch chats to Samantha Cedergren of SLCNails about her feelings on education in the nail industry and her hopes for the future… I find most of my inspiration from other nail techs, mostly through Instagram. I find it so difficult to just simply create from nothing. I have a folder…
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Swindon based nail and beauty salon Honestly Ombré scooped the Scratch Stars Nail & Beauty Salon of the Year Award at the Scratch Stars Party 20/21, due to their passion of vegan, ethical, and cruelty free nails and beauty. Jess Wallbridge, founder of Honestly Ombré, tells us: “Honestly Ombré has…
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In just a few years, nail artist Natalie Mugridge has amassed over 30,000 Instagram followers – and a whopping 60,800 fans on YouTube. So what’s the secret to her social media success? Here, Scratch gets the lowdown… “I posted my first YouTube video on 28 September 2017, the same month…
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Scratch chats to Kylea Wherry about her journey into the nail industry and her delight at winning the Scratch Stars Award for L&P Tech of the Year 20/21… I started my career in nails in January 2012. It wasn’t a profession I’d dreamed of, just one I thought could fit around…
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