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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Scratch chats to Natalia Hudson of The Secret Garden Quorn about how nails has helped her mental health and her daughter’s impact on her career… There is so much that I absolutely adore about nails. When you take a clients hand, the magic begins – not only to give them…
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Lauren Jackson took evening courses for a year at college, qualifying as a nail technician in 2012. “I began my career on a mobile basis, at first offering spray tans and nail appointments, before renting a room above a hairdressers in my village,” she recalls. “I finally decided to go…
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Jemma King and Rebekah Lockett are two sisters who decided to open up their own nail salon. “We opened our salon in our town centre of Douglas. We both nail technicians who have always dreamed of one day having our very own salon and finally, our dreams have come true,…
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Scratch chats to Aubrey Cycenas of The Glossy Spot about challenging herself to create unique nail designs and the most exciting aspects of the industry… I’m a fully licensed cosmetologist, but I met my former mentor in hair school. She personally taught me the basics of nails, and I quickly…
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Tara Smith decided to embark on her journey into the nail industry following the birth of her third child. “When I qualified and started out within the industry, it wasn’t easy. I was faced with a lot of negativity and wasn’t sure of where to look for help and support.…
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The Colour Room from Sky Cinema is a film following the life of Clarice Cliff, an English ceramic artist and trailblazer for Art Deco styling. Cliff, who was active between the 1920s and 1960s, created pottery famed for its individual style – known as ‘Bizarre by Clarice Cliff’ – which…
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