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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Award-winning beauty ambassador and consultant, Maisie Dunbar, shares her pointers for maintaining salon success post-lockdown… Do not scrimp on universal sanitation and health & safety practices as outlined by government. Make sure you wipe down the chairs, lamps, after every guest. Keep track of your new inventory so you don’t…
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Scratch chats with Lucy Booth of Lucy London about the progression of her love for nails and the advice that changed her career. I’ve always loved nails! Even when I was younger, I’d have walls full of hundreds of nail polishes. As I got older, I completely fell in love…
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Samantha Haste’s life was turned upside down when the pandemic hit and she lost her job, shortly after moving to a new city. Unable to pay her bills and rent, she decided to head down the path of training as a nail tech with Beauty Tribe. “I was working as…
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Scratch talks to left-handed techs to gain a perspective on what challenges they face when working as a nail professional We live in a right-handed world. This is born from 90% of the population being right-handed, while the other 10%, known as southpaws or left-handed, must grin and bear it…
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Having worked both on a mobile basis and at her kitchen table for the last 10 years, Rosie Doran sought a more permanent basis for her nail business. “When the first lockdown happened, my husband suggested that we use the time wisely and build a summerhouse: a place for my…
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Scratch uncovers the things that should never be said to a nail professional… Prepare to hide behind your hands, as KAT HILL gathers up the cringe-worthy comments clients have said before, during and after their nail service “Can you squeeze me in for a mani, pedi, brows and lash lift…
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