Alkaline water: the secret to glowing skin

Cold air and central heating play havoc with the skin; fortunately we know that hydration from drinking water, cares for skin from the inside out and is key to good health. But did you know that you can take hydration to a new level with alkaline water? According to new research, alkaline water is the…

Read More

How to align your beauty regime to the lunar cycle

Lunar expert, Jutta Russell, offers advice on aligning your beauty regime to the cycles of the moon… For thousands of years, experts have studied the mystery and magic of the moon, from how each phase can effect our behaviour, mood and even our menstrual cycles. But did you know, the moon can also be used…

Read More

How to find a good work/life balance as a nail tech

Nicole Dowling, educator at Pure Nails, shares her advice for finding the balance between work life and personal life… Many of us constantly strive to work hard and prove our worth, and many have a willing to work more to earn more. The hardest part of the job is often simply saying the word ‘no’…

Read More

Why you shouldn’t use an at-home gel polish kit

Salon owner, educator and award-winning nail stylist, Katie Barnes, unveils concerns surrounding DIY gel polish kits… Gel polish seems like an easy to use, harmless product – surely, it’s just like painting on a nail polish, isn’t it? Well, this is the attitude that is causing problems amongst some non-professionals, as they attempt to replicate professional services…

Read More

MINDFUL MATTERS: The Power of Positivity

  I’m so pleased to have been invited as a regular columnist & blogger for Scratch. The main reason for this being that I’ve seen first-hand how the past year has affected people within the nail industry and I want to do everything I can to try and help. Without dwelling on it too much,…

Read More

Why you should stop comparing your nail skills to others

Scratch magazine 2020 columnist, Sophie Dale of Nancy Loves Nails & Nancy Girl Apparel, shares why it’s time to stop comparing yourself to others… ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’. I constantly compare myself to others and it has really affected me. It’s poisonous, and no matter how experienced or whatever level you are at, we…

Read More

Marian Newman BEM on… changes to nail product regulations for 2021

Marian Newman BEM, nail industry veteran and chair of The FNP, reveals the changes to cosmetic products that will be evident in 2021… Originally posted at www.the-fnp.com “We will be seeing a lot of changes in 2021 with regards to cosmetic products including nail products. This has some connection to the UK leaving the European…

Read More

8 ways nail techs can keep motivated during lockdown 2.0

Tina Bell, head of education at Pure Nails, serves up key ways to keep your creativity flowing and spirits high during lockdown 2.0… Here we are, back in lockdown. Once again, I have packed up my salon, moved my nail desk onto my dining room table and taken over whole room – there are gel…

Read More

Salon Chat: How to overcome the pressures of social media

Salon Chat hosts, Kelly Colley of Lavish Nails and Isabel Porter of The Beauty Garage, share their thoughts on the nail sector… I’m typing this out on a bank holiday Monday morning having already posted by ‘mandatory’ Instagram post. Mandatory I say because, without it, my posts won’t be seen, no one will interact with me and all…

Read More

How 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 More

Phorest Salon Software hosts sustainability & wellness event

On Sunday 3 November, Phorest Salon Software hosted Conscious Hair & Beauty; an event designed to look at the importance of sustainability and wellness within the industry. Held at the OXO2 in London, the event was aimed at getting salon owners from both the hair and beauty industry in the same room to learn and…

Read More

Life Saving Wax: A new campaign calling on waxers

I was invited to Treatwell’s London head office for the unveiling of a very special new campaign: Life Saving Wax. The initiative was created by the online beauty booking platform with Public Health England’s Cervical Screening Saves Lives campaign. Treatwell is inviting its partnered salons and beauty professionals to ‘open up the conversation on screening’, utilising…

Read More

TGB Insider: How to strike a balance between work & parenthood

The Gel Bottle Inc team offer advice for nail techs in the first in their blog series for Scratch… A work/life/family balance is something most of us pursue in our lives, but never seem to quiet nail down completely. In today’s world, we’re constantly bombarded by social media telling us we should be able to…

Read More