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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Scratch catches up with Sarah Mills of The Beauty Room By Sarah, a Wiltshire-based tech working from a cosy home salon… “My name is Sarah, I’m 29 and I live in Wiltshire. I’ve been in the beauty industry for about nine years now. I started my nail career by doing…
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Charlotte Wales of Charlotte’s Salon Ampthill chats to Scratch about her passion for nail art, future goals and how she created this rainbow opal nail design… “I have been in the industry for seven years. I got into the industry through college, and instantly knew that nails were my thing.…
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Salon Chat hosts, Kelly Colley of Lavish Nails and Isabel Porter of The Beauty Garage, share their thoughts on the nail sector… “It was incredible to see how the nail tech community evolved and supported each other over the lockdown period. When we started Salon Chat, our live discussion, we were…
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Scratch catches up with Jeniene Van Dort of 50 Shades of Nails, a home-based salon in Melbourne, Australia, about her life as a nail tech… “I studied and qualified as a nail technician at a nail school in Melbourne, Victoria in 2011 when my son first started school. It was…
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Beth Jakabfy, of Blossom Tree Beauty, talks to Scratch about how she created this striking & summery pink tie-dye design. “I started my own business working from home after training with The Gel Bottle. I practised nail styling every spare minute and my client base grew very quickly. Before I…
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Glean an insight into the daily nail life of Emily Cording, a talented tech from Castleford with a fondness for natural nail care and oh-so arty overlays… How did your journey into nails begin? Since I was a teenager, I have loved doing my nails. I’ve always thought of manicured…
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