TECHS & SALONS
Unique salon decor: 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…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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…
Read More
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’…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
I was visited by a Scratch Stars Award-winning mobile nailist. Here’s my experience
Here’s what happened when Stella Angelova, Scratch Stars Mobile Nailist of the Year 2024, paid Scratch’s deputy editor, Rebecca Hitchon, a visit… Stella of Stella A. – Nail Artist is based in Swanley, Kent, and travelled six miles to my home in Orpington. It was a gloomy and wet day,…
Read More
Laura’s Nail Boutique in Silver End, Essex, is run by founder, Laura Wragg. She shares her experience working as a one-man band, having to fulfil multiple job roles at the same time… The home-based tech says: “It is just me in my business. I am a salon owner, nail artist,…
Read More
Natural nail specialist & educator, Hannah Beth Clayton, shares how booking software has supported the day-to-day running of her business… Throwback to around four years ago, and I spent most evenings with a pen and paper, messaging clients back and forth to find an appointment for them. My husband would…
Read More
For over a century, REM UK has been at the forefront of developing salon furniture and equipment, playing a pivotal role in shaping the salon industry’s products and work environments. From its humble beginnings in 1918 with the pioneering work of Eugene Suter, REM has continuously evolved and transformed to…
Read More
Nail salon events were once very popular, but that popularity has waned over recent years, says session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster. I think the pandemic caused us to fall out of the habit of in-salon events; we got so used to not being able to gather…
Read More
Nail tech, Kim Hearn, behind byKIMI Nails, shares how opening her garden salon helped her create more definitive work-life boundaries. The nail pro previously worked from a console table in her living room, and found that this not only left her three children without a space to play, but hindered…
Read More
Daisy Kalnina, founder of The GelBottle Inc (TGB) nail brand and travel and interiors business, by DKollection, has merged her two passions to create TGB Spa. The ‘minimalist meets modern chic’ spa is based in the centre of Brighton, with the location inspiring Daisy to launch the luxurious space. “I…
Read More