Posts by Guest Writer
Are you charging enough?
Top tech & tutor, Sadie Hynes, of Britannia Beauty & Training, shares her thoughts on pricing… ‘Know your worth, then add tax’. I posted this quote along with the story behind why I was increasing my prices when we go back to work on a well-known community page – and the response was huge! Throughout…
Read MoreNail art options for every skill level
Scratch puts the spotlight on the esteemed educators at Beauty2trs, the online platform for nail classes… This month: Awarding winning nail tech, Dorota Palicka About Dorota Dorota moved with her family from Poland to a small village in Scotland in 2006. Due to the language barrier she was not able to work as a nail technician until 2009…
Read MoreThe differences between working as a nail tech in the UK & the US
Celebrity manicurist & international nail fashion designer, Naomi Gonzalez-Longstaff, reveals the differences & similarities between working as a nail tech in the UK and the USA… I have been travelling globally for my career over the past 12 years. I’ve been to Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain, to name just a few countries, to create…
Read MoreWhy I’ve installed nail desk screens in my salon
Kara Kotsonis, founder of the award-winning NailSquad Nail Bar in Deal, Kent, reveals why she has added perspex screens to the salon’s nail desks… The official government guidelines for the re-opening of nail salons are due to be released shortly. Most of the proposed guidelines seem straightforward but there has been great debate about the use…
Read More5 ways to prevent burnout in the nail salon
Janan Saher, director of Aviva Day Spa in Luton, shares advice on how to avoid burnout… As the old saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure’, and this is something we all need to prioritise while we prepare for the new year. It’s important to recognise beauty pro burnout in both yourself and your employees. You may…
Read MoreHow one therapist created hand care products for key workers
Beauty therapist, Beverley Braisdell, shares the story of fellow beauty pro, Emma Harvey – who has created a hand cream and serum for NHS frontline staff & key workers… When I saw what my amazing friend and former colleague Emma Harvey, of Spa Butterfly, Wigan, had created during her time in lockdown, I knew it…
Read MoreHow to care for silicone practice hands
Theresa Foddering shares her maintenance advice for silicone practice hands… With salons closed and nail professionals in isolation, there has been one hot commodity in lockdown: the silicone practice hand. We all rushed out to buy one, but soon realised they require much more TLC than expected. So how do you keep your new client looking in…
Read MoreHow to boost retail sales during & post lockdown
Beauty brand consultants and founders of Buzz Beauté, Denise Dente & Jessica Quick, discuss how to up the ante on your retail during and post lockdown… Denise Dente Jessica Quick Service revenue has been deeply impacted by the reduced number of consumers, the need for social distancing and concerns over public safety. Now is the time…
Read MoreHow nail students have been keeping busy during lockdown
Sarah Brenton-Sara, lecturer in Level 2 & 3 Nail Services & Beauty Therapy at Truro & Penwith College, reveals how her students have been learning & developing their skills during lockdown… Remote teaching from Truro & Penwith College is going well – and lockdown has definitely not hampered the learning of our students. I think that the situation…
Read MoreDancing On Ice: Nail Designs – The Final!
Hey Scratch readers! I can’t believe this is my final blog post for Scratch this year! This week was the final of Dancing On Ice, but before I go into each look for all of the finalists I wanted to say a few huge thank you’s… The Gel Bottle Inc has provided me with all of the amazing colours and…
Read MoreDancing On Ice: Nail Designs – Semi-final
Hey Scratch readers! It’s the semi-finals! I cannot believe how quickly this series has gone. This week, the semi-finalists had two dances that we needed to match the nails to and, as expected, both outfits were completely different. So, ‘neutral glitters’ were used a lot this week to cover all bases. My favourite look this week…
Read MoreDancing On Ice: Nail Designs – Week 8
Hey Scratch readers! So this week you will have seen that it’s movie week. Again, the themed weeks are always my favourite – we had a take on the Titanic, a little Jungle Book and even Bridget Jones’ Diary. It was a really manic week with additional recording on the Saturday so it meant hair, make-up and nails all had…
Read MoreDancing On Ice: Nail Designs – Week 7
Hey Scratch readers! So this week was prop week. It’s always one of my favourite weeks of the old series of Dancing On Ice and now it’s back – it’s also a great opportunity for the cast’s nails to be shown off! This week we created some really colourful designs from asymmetric pastels to sunset ombré, cobalt blue chrome…
Read MoreDancing On Ice: Nail Designs – Week 6
Hey Scratch readers! This week the theme for the Dancing On Ice performances was ‘dance’. Each couple had a different genre of dance to perform and I created the nails to match, alongside my amazing assistant, Hannah, of @bananasbeauty_. Here is an in-depth look at two of my favourite looks created this week… Vanessa Bauer (professional skater): This week,…
Read MoreDancing On Ice: Nail Designs – Week 5
Hey Scratch readers! This week, fairytale week has returned and it’s a favourite of mine. We didn’t have as many manicures to prepare this week due to sickness but we were still there to create dramatic nail art for different characters. Here is a couple of my personal favourite looks from this week… Vanessa Bauer (professional skater):…
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