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
Are you a freelance or mobile beauty professional considering renting a salon space? Yasin Alimam, founder & chief officer of HotPatch, a platform that connects beauty businesses and individuals with top-quality spaces to hire, shares insight on the benefits of co-working… “There are so many benefits for nail and beauty…
Read More
BeautY owner, Tina Vescio, welcomes Scratch into her garden getaway salon, which offers the idyllic spot for clients wanting some relaxation and tranquility… Qualifying as a beauty therapist in 2005, Tina Vescio started her beauty training over 20 years ago. Starting out as a mobile artist, the pro spent the…
Read More
Megan Thompson of Nails by Megan opens up the doors of her ‘dream salon’ – flaunting a minimalistic, chic interior. The 23-year-old, Belfast-based nail tech initially set her sights on becoming a make-up artist, taking a beauty therapy course at Belfast Metropolitan College. However, once introduced to the world of…
Read More
Lauren Taylor of Taylored Beauty lets Scratch inside her salon: a space merging the luxe of a spa with the comfortable warmth of a home. Training in brow definition and lash lifts in October 2021, Lauren Taylor fell in love with the beauty industry, wasting no time in training to become…
Read More
Multi-service salon brand, Pre-, has expanded into a second premises in Parsons Green, South West London. Scratch paid a visit to the brand’s flagship salon in Islington last year, to meet founder, Mimi Gaston-Kennedy, a beauty PR specialist who created Pre- around the ‘idea that beauty treatments help [clients] to…
Read More
Two nail techs from a small town in Sheffield were used to being compared by clients, but bolstered their confusion when they swapped surnames. One of the Birley-based techs, Rachel Harrison, explains the beginnings of her relationship with fellow town tech, Jessica Allen. Jessica started working in her mum’s home…
Read More