Posts by Helena Biggs
5 things I love about being a session nail technician
Scratch chats to session nail technician & Scratch Stars Session Stylist of the Year 20/21 finalist, Lauren Michelle Pires, about her work life & the things she loves most about her role… Based in London, Lauren Michelle Pires works as a freelance editorial manicurist. She studied graphic design and photography at Central Saint Martins, where…
Read MoreOPI marks 40th anniversary with Hollywood nail colour collection
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, nail brand OPI has returned to its birthplace with the Hollywood collection. Available in Nail Lacquer, Infinite Shine and GelColor, the 12 shades celebrate ‘then’ with a nod to vintage Hollywood glamour and ‘now’ with trendsetting hues for spring/summer 2021. “Over the past 40 years, we’ve taken women on…
Read MoreMumbai nail tech scoops 1st place at OMC Online Championships
Nail technician, Pooja Panvanda from Mumbai, India, has scooped first place in New York’s OMC Hair World Championships 2020. She beat 2000 participants from five continents in the Nail Fantasy category with her dazzling and decadent bird design. Here, Scratch finds out more about the talented tech… What attracted you to the nail sector? “Nails…
Read MoreOPI’s Suzi Weiss-Fischmann on nail shades, style & her colourful career…
OPI celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2021 – and Scratch commemorated the occasion by inviting the nail brand’s co-founder to guest edit its February edition. Affectionally known as ‘The First Lady of Nails’, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann grew up in Hungary during the communist era. She was 10 years old when her family fled from Hungary to…
Read MoreHalo Gel Polish to release 6 nail shades with a focus on hope in dark times
Pure Nails has added six stunning nail shades to its Halo Gel Polish range for spring-friendly manis and pedis. The hues in the Hope Springs Eternal collection are creamy and diverse; from pastels with a punchy twist to a forest green and go-to grey. Each shade aims to delight and excite, inspired by hope in…
Read MoreCreate fancy floral nail designs with 6 Lecenté foils
Show off oh-so delicate nail styles with six floral nail foils from Lecenté. Ideal for any occasion – from spring to Valentine’s Day to summer holidays, the striking foils each feature a transparent background to be used alone or over a block colour shade, depending on preference. Consider cutting out feature flowers from each of…
Read MoreVodex donates extraction unit to nail tech supporting clients with cancer
Beauty industry extraction specialist, Vodex, donated a SalonAIR unit to Tracey Unwin following a heartwarming email from the tech. Tracey explained that she was starting a new chapter in her life and needed some help. She wanted to offer free pamper sessions to women who were fighting cancer or had recovered from it. As a…
Read MoreCharity supports cancer sufferers in lockdown with virtual nailcare workshops
Cancer support charity, Look Good Feel Better, has launched virtual make-up, skincare, hair and nailcare workshops for those affected by the disease. The charity, which has been offering free confidence-boosting workshops across the UK for over 20 years, adapted its services in March 2020 owing to the pandemic, switching to Zoom workshops – still led…
Read MoreCovid-19: Boost for small businesses as Supreme Court orders £1.2bn insurance payouts
A number of small businesses in the UK are to benefit from a Supreme Court ruling urging insurers to pay up following disputed business interruption claims. In a payout said to be around £1.2bn, businesses that may benefit include beauty salons, pubs and cafés that were turned down for business interruption policy claims on losses…
Read MoreKeen to enhance nail skills at home? Check out Edu-Mats
Learn one stroke, fine line, mixed media skills and more with an exciting nail training innovation from Derbyshire tech, Melanie Lewendon. The celebrated educator and Scratch Stars 2020/21 finalist has created a series of ‘Edu-Mats’ packages, which each include access to an in-depth, online course and a reusable practise mat delivered to your door to…
Read MoreApply now: Get your skills recognised with a PHAB Service Star
Do you offer exemplary treatments & great customer care? See if you could be recognised with a PHAB Service Star, an accolade launched by Nergish Wadia-Austin, esteemed international business management training & beauty industry consultant. “The PHAB Service Stars initiative gives salon, spa and barbering professionals elevated status and a measurable benchmark for their performance,”…
Read MoreAll beauty businesses in England to close as PM enforces national lockdown
Prime minister, Boris Johnson has enforced a national lockdown in England ‘with immediate effect’ in a bid to manage the aggressive spread of coronavirus. Over 58,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the 24 hours leading up to Johnson’s announcement, and a joint statement from UK’s chief medical officers revealed that there is ‘a material…
Read MoreCoronavirus: All levels in mainland Scotland forced into national lockdown
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has today (4 January) announced that the country will be forced into a national lockdown from midnight to try to contain the new, fast-spreading strain of coronavirus. Up to this date, the majority of areas in the Scottish mainland were under level 4 restrictions with the likes of close-contact nail…
Read MoreStay safe & on brand with personalised salon sanitiser machines
Embrace a marketing opportunity for your business with a personalised sanitising unit from Killis. Available in three sizes, the dispensers help keep you and your clients protected from bacteria and viruses such as coronavirus. What’s more, Killis is offering 15% OFF a personalised unit for Scratch readers until 31 March 2021. The units available for…
Read MoreCovid-19: More beauty businesses forced to close as areas move to Tier 4
Health secretary, Matt Hancock, has today (23 December) announced that more areas of England will move into Tier 4 on Boxing Day, forcing the closure of nail and beauty businesses. The move comes as the reproduction rate of coronavirus (‘R’) has risen to between 1.1 and 1.3, and new variants, including one from South Africa,…
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