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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Luxury press-on nail artist, Kassie Payne, shares what sparked her passion for creating portrait nail artistry and her social media journey, and reveals the journey to launching own range of nail products… Kassie joined the world of nails as a means of income. She says: “The first three years I…
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Fotini Bihuci is the nail tech behind Nuse Beauty, the ‘cosy home-based’ salon designed for new mums and clients who struggle with anxiety. Having worked in hospitality and tourism management, understanding the needs of clients has always been at the centre of Fotini’s work. In September 2023, when she became…
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Lauren Taylor welcomes Scratch inside her home salon, where she has created a ‘homely and cleanly’ space within her dining room… Having completed her Level 2 NVQ in Beauty Therapy in 2016, and her Level 3 NVQ in Nails in 2017, Lauren has been a qualified nail tech for seven…
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Kelly Sweeney, behind Beauty Room @51, shares a behind-the-scenes look at her Glitterbels-inspired salon… The tech trained and qualified in 2022 in builder gel and L&P acrylic with Glitterbels, and has since taken inspiration from the brand’s renowned pretty-in-pink aesthetic. She says: ” I wanted my salon to run alongside…
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Seven nail industry professionals travelled to The Royal Hotel in Clacton, Essex, for a class led by renowned nail expert, Georgie Smedley. The business owner and former UK distributor of Gelish, fought an aggressive cancer during 2023 and is now back in good health, so invited industry colleagues for a…
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Research by Fresha has revealed the UK’s beauty and self-care capital. Blackpool has the highest concentration of beauty salons in the UK, boasting an impressive 428 beauty salons per 100,000 residents. This number includes 403 hair salons and 109 nail salons; with its 51 tanning studios awarding the area its…
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