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 Stars Social Media Star of the Year finalist 2024, Jessica White, shares her inspirational career journey: detailing her humble beginnings painting nails at university, to opening her own salon. The Leeds-based nail artist & content creator works full-time creating content for her 200,000+ social media followers, tending to the…
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Libby Bramley, the beauty therapist behind LB Beauty, invites us inside her ‘clean, warm and cosy’ salon, located in the Peak District. Having always known she wanted to work within the beauty industry, the pro jumped straight into training in Beauty and Spa Therapy at college, before qualifying in 2018.…
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Scratch chats to nail tech, Jo Bennett, about her experiences as a nail technician suffering with chronic condition, endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition which targets the uterus, causing tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, to grow outside of it. Common symptoms include, but aren’t limited to, severe pelvic…
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Describing her home salon as ‘modern but quirky’, Maisy Jeffrey reveals how she brought her personality into her East Staffordshire beauty space… “Maisykbeauty is a representation of me and my life: a bit chaotic, quirky, fun and interesting,” Maisy Jeffrey tells Scratch. “I like to think the pink and orange…
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Halo VIP, Holly Rodgers, shares how she transformed her garage into sophisticated salon space, Hr Beauty, and the ways she creates a positive client experience… Holly Rodgers tells Scratch that she has always had a passion for the beauty industry, so upon qualifying in 2020 and converting her garage to…
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Centred on nailcare memberships and flexible pay-as-you-go nail services, Manicured London has opened in Hackney Wick. Founded by session manicurist & educator, Tinu Bello, the East London space has inclusivity and affordability at its core, as Bello explains: “Manicured London began as a concept I scribbled in notes on my…
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