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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Reminiscing on her past and all she’s overcome, Gemma Pope of Gemma Pope Nails chats to Scratch about her future goals and her incredible nail art creations. When I left school, I was unsure of what career path I wanted to follow. I went into hairdressing initially at 16, however…
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This month’s striking Scratch cover comes courtesy of the Let’s Nail Breast Cancer 2020, in aid of Future Dreams. This year’s campaign is encouraging men to paint their nails pink and post on their social media channels using the hashtags #LNBCboys and #LNBC20 for awareness. As well as this, there’s a whole range of…
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Scratch chats with Lucy Allen of SuperNatural Nails about her love for the creative spontaneity that nails provides and her future goals… Who do you admire in the industry? Meeting and training with INK London educator, Simone Radley, has played a huge part in my nail journey; she is just…
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Scratch magazine offers an extension to its feature in the October edition in honour & recognition of the UK’s Black History Month. Celebrating the work & styles of black nail professionals across the UK. Alex Fox & Callie Iley report… The Roots of Our Nail Narrative As L&P acrylic artificial…
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ANNA’S STORY as told to Alex Fox by Anna Lou AKA The Real Nail Addict “To fully comprehend the magnitude of what I am and have today, I must go back to the very beginning… “Going back to 13 years of age, I had an amazing mother that did everything…
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Scratch chats with Mayuko Kondo of Nails by Mayu, about her nail journey from Japan to LA, and her love for creating stunning nail art. When I was a child, my aunt would polish my nails for me. It was a way for us to bond, which established nails as…
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