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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Step inside The Beauty Shed: a welcoming salon nestled within the Welsh countryside, as owner, Katie Dutton, shares the story of the space… Undertaking beauty training in 2004, Katie Dutton didn’t pursue a career in the sector until 2022, after a conversation with her beautician friend. “We talked about how…
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Emoke Andre, owner of London nail salon, Nails by Emoke, tells Scratch about the unique qualities of the business and its ‘family’ of staff… Qualifying as a nail technician in 2014, Emoke Andre worked in a salon in London, but always had a bigger goal in mind: to open her…
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Nichole Reynolds shares the story behind her home salon haven, Nails By Nichole, and provides a glimpse into her nail offerings… Nichole Reynolds worked from her dining room for 15 years before her husband offered to convert the shed into a nail space. “I was comfortable indoors, but my husband…
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Paisley Barendrecht shares how she came to own home salon, Nails at The Oaks, offering Beverly Hills-inspired escapism to clients… Having two children in the space of less than two years changed Paisley Barendrecht’s outlook on her career. Rather than returning to an office job after maternity leave, she decided…
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The Haslemere premises of UK beauty salon group and franchise, Mooeys, has relaunched under new management. Now owners of the salon, Vanessa Moss and Hollie, also own Mooeys’ Petersfield location in Hampshire and prepared the relaunch in two weeks. Via the relaunch, they seek to offer a rejuvenated salon experience,…
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Nail techs share advice for catering to clients with multiple sclerosis (MS)… What is MS? On its website, the NHS states: “Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord. It’s a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be…
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