TECHS & SALONS
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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Salon in the Spotlight: Meraki, Bulkington, Warwickshire Gemma Hill qualified as a nail technician in 2016, engaging in extensive training with CJP Nail Systems alongside 1-2-1 sessions with other nail technicians. She set up working in a salon, however due to the lockdown in 2020, the salon closed. This encouraged…
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Salon in the Spotlight: Simply Perfection Beauty, Canterbury, Kent Shelley Read didn’t initially pursue a career in nails, despite wanting to enter the beauty industry when she left school. “I finally trained up in 2019, and I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner,” Shelley beams. “My salon is located…
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Nail Tech Talk: Alice Molyneux of Cherry-B Studios Alice Molyneux of Cherry-B Studios sits down with Scratch to chat about her inclusive nail studio and her future career goals… “My signature style is something that is painterly and realistic looking, such as dreamy skies, portraits, foliage and fine line illustrations,”…
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Salon in the Spotlight: Indigo Pearl Beauty, Southend-on-Sea Having worked as a mobile beauty therapist for seven years, Victoria Marston dreamed of having her own home-based salon space. However, she was limited due to where she was living. “Business was put on hold when lockdown happened in 2020, which is…
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Nail Tech Talk: Jessica White of Jessica White Nail Artist Scratch chats to Leeds based tech, Jessica White of Jessica White Nail Artist, about her time studying for a law degree alongside tekking, and why she decided to commit to nails full time when she graduated… “My nail journey began…
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Salon in the Spotlight: SB Nails, Basingstoke After working in education as a learning support assistant and art therapist within a school, Sonia Brown decided it was time for a career change. “I knew that my new career path wasn’t going to be in education, it was going to be…
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