TECH TALK: Phoebe of Pheebs Nails
Scratch chats with Phoebe of Pheebs Nails, a talented tech with a love for natural nails, about her experiences and time in the industry. “As far as my industry inspirations go, it’s hard to choose, because there’s way too many talented techs to choose from,” Phoebe beams. “A couple of…
A Wealth of Top Training & Tips for Techs
It’s no secret that Sam Biddle is a great nail art educator, with a wealth of online nail art courses on offer for all ages, skill sets and schedules. Sam has spent the last 20 years teaching nail pros all over the world the art of nail art. However, mastering…
Why stepping out of your comfort zone can welcome rewards in the beauty biz
Kara Kotsonis, founder of the award-winning NailSquad Nail Bar in Deal, Kent, reveals why you should step out of your comfort zone in order to reap greater rewards… Habits can play a role in determining our future and achievements. So why do we often cling onto the ones that proffer…
How to use email marketing for your beauty business
Staying in touch with your clients through email marketing allows you to maintain a relationship with your clients in a professional manner. “I believe this is one of the most underused and underrated marketing tools available to nail and beauty professionals,” states Alice Kirby, founder Lockhart Meyer Salon Marketing (www.lockhart-meyer.co.uk).…
8 ways to boost your social media
Is your social media not growing as quickly as you’d like? Rachel Horrocks, Sweet Squared content marketing manager, shares her top tips… Post quality content – Showcase your work and what clients can expect from your service. Post transformational before and after shots, Include pictures of your products – This shows quality…
A bohemian nail style rhapsody with Cat Wong
My favourite pastime is to browse nail designs and nailists on Instagram and Facebook, whenever I can. I do this in the hope of being arrested by art so strong, powerful, colourful and original that it will bring sparkles to my eyes. I’m pleased to inform, I get sparkles on…
Salon in the Spotlight: Hollie Barker Nail Artist, Castleford, West Yorkshire
When the nation went into lockdown in March, salon owner, Hollie Barker, was forced to close her business’ doors – before they’d even opened. Completed just one week before the restrictions were enforced, her new summerhouse had to wait for its big reveal. “My studio was built from scratch; it…
#NOWTRENDING Dreamy lilac skies by Ashleigh Brace
Ashleigh Brace of May May Beauty chats with Scratch about creating this dreamy nail design and her life as a nail tech. “My time in the industry began when I studied beauty therapy in college when I was 17. I enjoyed it, however at the time, it wasn’t something I…
TECH TALK: Sarah Mills of The Beauty Room By Sarah
Scratch catches up with Sarah Mills of The Beauty Room By Sarah, a Wiltshire-based tech working from a cosy home salon… “My name is Sarah, I’m 29 and I live in Wiltshire. I’ve been in the beauty industry for about nine years now. I started my nail career by doing…
How to choose smile lines to suit your client’s nails
Different smile lines will suit different shapes and lengths of nails. Smile line execution requires different techniques to create each ‘type’ of smile line; competition, extreme, and salon viable. The general rule is that the longer and more pointed the nail, the deeper and longer the smile line should be.…
Salon in the Spotlight: Dragonfly Nails and Beauty, Blairgowrie
Found in Blairgowrie, Scotland, Dragonfly Nails and Beauty is owned by Pamela Fraser-Brawn. Having opened the salon five years ago, Pamela has grown the business, and soon hopes to offer training from the premise, too. “There are two of us in the salon,” explains Pamela. “There’s myself and Cheryl Ramsay, who…
#NOWTRENDING Rainbow Opals by Charlotte Wales
Charlotte Wales of Charlotte’s Salon Ampthill chats to Scratch about her passion for nail art, future goals and how she created this rainbow opal nail design… “I have been in the industry for seven years. I got into the industry through college, and instantly knew that nails were my thing.…
Salon Chat: The power of the nail community
Salon Chat hosts, Kelly Colley of Lavish Nails and Isabel Porter of The Beauty Garage, share their thoughts on the nail sector… “It was incredible to see how the nail tech community evolved and supported each other over the lockdown period. When we started Salon Chat, our live discussion, we were…
TECH TALK: Jeniene Van Dort of 50 Shades of Nails
Scratch catches up with Jeniene Van Dort of 50 Shades of Nails, a home-based salon in Melbourne, Australia, about her life as a nail tech… “I studied and qualified as a nail technician at a nail school in Melbourne, Victoria in 2011 when my son first started school. It was…
Nail art: How to perfect animal portraits on nails
Scratch puts the spotlight on the esteemed educators at Beauty2trs, the online platform for nail classes… THIS MONTH: Beauty2Trs adds exciting new course to it repertoire with animal portrait painting by Australia’s Viv Clements-Simmonds Viv Clements-Simmonds has taken her passion for animals and depicted into art on the nail. During this class,…
