Revealed: The 16 best hand poses for showing off your nail work
Taking good quality photographs of your nail work is great for your advertising and marketing materials as it shows off your skills. Regularly photographing your work will also allow you to see room for improvement and highlight areas of concern that may not be obvious when in front of you.…
#NOWTRENDING Pink & grey one stroke flowers by Kirsty Parker
Scratch chats with Kirsty Parker, nail artist and accredited educator, about how she finds inspiration for nail art in everyday life, and her love for sharing skills and knowledge with others. I qualified with CND in 2006 and progressed onto my CND Grand Master qualification. I’ve worked in salons in…
Coronavirus: How the habits of nail clients have changed since reopening
Thanh Vu, managing director of four Dream Nails salons, serves up insight on client habits since reopening… Since nail salons were allowed to reopen on 13 July following the coronavirus outbreak, I have seen a number of changes in client behaviour and demands at Dream Nails salons. Across all four salons,…
TECH TALK: Nikola Clifford of Beauty Box
Scratch chats to Nikola Clifford of Beauty Box in Balloch, about her journey into the nail world and her passion for nail art… Since 2015, I’ve had my own salon in my garden called Beauty Box. I studied a HND in Beauty Therapy at Clydebank College in 2003, but found…
How to retail make-up in your salon
Make-up is an extremely lucrative revenue stream for beauty professionals in many ways; especially through retailing. Mintel has reported that online sales of beauty products have increased by 11.4% this year, so as fewer consumers head to shopping centres to purchase make-up items, seize the opportunity to become a one-stop…
Helen Burton-Ward on how to increase client spend
Scratch Stars Natural Nail Specialist of the Year 2019 and CND education ambassador, Helen Burton-Ward, shares her advice on how to increase client spend through add-on services & treatments… One area that I am currently focusing on in my business is average client spend. A great way to maximise your profit is…
#NOWTRENDING Pink 3D flowers with marble by Gemma Pope
Reminiscing on her past and all she’s overcome, Gemma Pope of Gemma Pope Nails chats to Scratch about her future goals and her incredible nail art creations. When I left school, I was unsure of what career path I wanted to follow. I went into hairdressing initially at 16, however…
Need to spruce up your nail salon? Here’s some design tips…
Thanh Vu, managing director of four Dream Nails salons, reveals her top tips for salon styling and how to keep design fluid across more than one premises… Salon design is one of the areas of my job that I enjoy most. It has been incredibly satisfying to see my vision…
Scratch October 2020: Behind the cover
This month’s striking Scratch cover comes courtesy of the Let’s Nail Breast Cancer 2020, in aid of Future Dreams. This year’s campaign is encouraging men to paint their nails pink and post on their social media channels using the hashtags #LNBCboys and #LNBC20 for awareness. As well as this, there’s a whole range of…
TECH TALK: Lucy Allen of SuperNatural Nails
Scratch chats with Lucy Allen of SuperNatural Nails about her love for the creative spontaneity that nails provides and her future goals… Who do you admire in the industry? Meeting and training with INK London educator, Simone Radley, has played a huge part in my nail journey; she is just…
Honouring UK Black History Month in Nails
Scratch magazine offers an extension to its feature in the October edition in honour & recognition of the UK’s Black History Month. Celebrating the work & styles of black nail professionals across the UK. Alex Fox & Callie Iley report… The Roots of Our Nail Narrative As L&P acrylic artificial…
How Covid-19 is changing the world of beauty
A recent report by Emily Gerstell, Sophie Marchessou, Jennifer Schmidt and Emma Spagnuolo from McKinsey & Company analyses the likely effects of Covid-19 on the beauty industry over the next three to six months, as well as how the pandemic could change the industry in the longterm. “The industry has…
Dark to Light; one tech’s journey to salvation
ANNA’S STORY as told to Alex Fox by Anna Lou AKA The Real Nail Addict “To fully comprehend the magnitude of what I am and have today, I must go back to the very beginning… “Going back to 13 years of age, I had an amazing mother that did everything…
Salon in the Spotlight: Polished By Gem, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
After finishing school, Gemma Siverns trained at a local beauty college to complete her NVQ 2 in Beauty Therapy, but quickly after completing a nail course she knew straight away nails were her passion. “Once I qualified I applied for a job at a local nail salon, and luckily I got…
Behind The Brand: Introducing the salon owner behind Aviva Pro Gel
Janan Saher is the owner and creator of Aviva Day Spa, Academy and Pro Gel. Her career in the nail and beauty industry spans over two decades and she is proud to run her multi award-winning salon and training school, which uses her own brand – Aviva Pro Gel. “I…
