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…
Read More
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…
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
Elly Aalish Wright of Elly Aalish Nails chats with Scratch about her favourite nail designs and her time working on photoshoots… “I love that nails can give off different bits of personality,” Elly Aalish smiles. “Whether it’s a bold colour choice or a particular style of art, everyone’s are slightly…
Read More
Working in the beauty industry since 2014, Georgia Williams worked in a local salon for her first six years in the industry, moving to home-based for a year following the pandemic. “The pandemic had made me realise I wanted to venture out and work for myself. I was extremely lucky…
Read More
Scratch chats with Abby Brown of Painted and Pierced about her future goals of session tekking and the importance of practising as a nail tech… “I love that I get to create mini art every single day,” Abby enthuses. “I feel so lucky that I get to do it daily.…
Read More
Lorna Annison trained in nails initially in 2010, but her career led her onto a different path, working in photographic makeup then becoming a parent. “I began working as a lifeguard, but the hours were no longer suitable to my family life. After some thinking, I decided to go back…
Read More
Vicky Gillaspy chats with Scratch about balancing life as a nail tech and a mother, and her plans for her future in the industry… “I have a very full-on life, balancing running my own business and having two small children, who to put it politely, run me ragged,” Vicky laughs.…
Read More
Previously working from her nail room within her home, Michaela Phillips outgrew the space, moving to a bespoke salon in her garden. “We have since converted my previous space into my son’s bedroom. Being a first-time mum has made me adapt my working life in various ways – I now…
Read More