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 Anna-Lena Pickel of Ena about expressing herself through nail art and mental health… My training is the typical pandemic nail tech story. In Winter 2020, I got my certificate for manicure and gel manicure at Nails Pro Academy. It also started to become my therapy, my creative…
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Olivia Grace Lovatt and her husband initially started their garage conversion with the intention of making it a playroom for their children. After working for her sister since 2005, she realised she wanted to spend more time at home. “My husband said if I wanted to spend more time at…
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Scratch chats to Burnley and Blackburn based tech, Jess Swinburn of Beauty by Jess, about being featured in her local news and the importance of utilising social media for business… I love everything about the nail industry. I did art as an A-Level, and have always had a creative side,…
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After running her salon in the high street of Driffield town centre between 2011 and 2017, Diane Wilson moved her salon to her summerhouse. “I was an A level teacher, but a horrific car accident put me in a wheelchair, so that was when I changed career to the nail…
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Lee-Ann Moss enjoyed life as a mobile nail technician from 2017, but began to look for properties to rent during the lockdowns of 2020 in order to open her own salon. “The idea that life is too short hit home for me during the pandemic,” Lee-Ann remembers. “I was approached…
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Scratch chats to Camilla Vika Høgemark of Vegan Nails by Camilla about her favourite nail trends and the importance of using vegan and cruelty free products… Art is something I’ve always been into, ever since I was a little kid. I studied Fine Art in college, and later graduated with…
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