How to create fashion week nail art trends in the salon

By Sophie Nutt | 4 April 2019

Helena Linsky, co-director at Q61 Nail and Beauty Studio, reveals her top nail trends for spring/summer 2019 as seen at fashion week and tips on how to incorporate them into salon life. GILT TRIP Rodarte kicked off the bacofoil-effect trend, with models at its Spring/Summer ‘19 Fashion Week show sporting…

Points to consider before purchasing nail products

By Scratch Staff | 3 April 2019

Samantha Sweet, co-founder of nail & beauty distribution & education company, Sweet Squared, offers advice for those looking to enhance their professional nail kit… When buying professional products, you should be looking for a company that asks questions such as what certificates you have. If you don’t have certificates, does…

Salon in the Spotlight: The Nail Room & Co, Hackney, London

By Kat Hill | 3 April 2019

After honing her craft in some of London’s nail hot spots, Lucy Francis knew it was time to put her stamp on the scene with her own salon space. “While working in Shoreditch four days a week, I decided to rent a space in a hairdressers for the other three…

How to ace encapsulation in L&P & gel nails

By Katie Barnes | 2 April 2019

Encapsulation, also referred to in the nail industry as ’embedding’ is the action of enclosing something in or as if in a capsule, for example in-between two layers of nail products like L&P or gel. The possibilities of what you can encapsulate are endless; from conventional nail items such as…

What happened when I trained in gel polish with The GelBottle Inc

By Sophie Nutt | 2 April 2019

As a nail enthusiast, heading to The Gel Bottle Inc Training Academy in Brighton to take the Gel Polish Beginners course filled me with nerves and a whole lot of excitement – and that’s exactly what I was fortunate enough to experience yesterday. Embarking on the one-day course, I headed…

#TRENDINGTUESDAY Chelsea Tipper, Beauty By Chelsea at Aspire

By Sophie Nutt | 2 April 2019

We want to see the designs trending at your nail desk! Chelsea Tipper, of Beauty By Chelsea at Aspire, reveals cherry blossom nails have been popular with her clients recently. “As we are now into the spring season, ladies are now going for more bright and floral designs. These cherry…

WHAT I’M WEARING: Ewa Krzos, Dream Nails

By Sophie Nutt | 31 March 2019

We want to see what you’re wearing on your nails! Ewa Krzos, of Dream Nails, wears ball-ready red and gold nails for a glamorous look. “These were originally sculpted hard gel enhancements. To create this design I did a rebalance with redesign and infills on some of them with plain…

The journey to opening my first nail academy – Part 1

By Erica Turley | 28 March 2019

Hey everyone! I’m super excited to make my return to blogging for Scratch magazine, where I’ll reveal my journey to opening my own premises. Some may call me crazy for taking this leap I’m sure, but with work load demands, I’m finally about to feel the fear. I have recently…

Salon in the Spotlight: PrettyPolish Nails & Beauty, Toddington

By Kat Hill | 27 March 2019

Juggling life as mobile technician with young family, Alex Bates has spent the last five years establishing her beauty business. Needing more space and a perminant location, Alex looked to a new high street location. “We moved into our currently salon 18 months ago and the business has absolutely boomed!”…

Top tips for taking a perfect nail photo

By Scratch Staff | 26 March 2019

Scratch Stars award-winning blogger, Natasha Lee, reveals her top tips to perfecting an attention-grabbing nail design… The two biggest things that can make or break a business, in my opinion, are word of mouth and social media presence. You need to make sure that both are positive, and it’s crucial…

Why you should add skincare treatments to your salon menu

By Kat Hill | 26 March 2019

BeautyLab skincare expert, Samantha Kendrew, reveals top tips for introducing skincare to your in-salon offering… Created to meet skincare demands, the BeautyLab range consists of sophisticated salon treatments and a complementary retail line. “The BeautyLab Body treatments are ideal for a relaxing moment and to help prepare the skin for…

Beautiful brows for mature clients

By Kat Hill | 26 March 2019

Have you considered showcasing your brow styling skill to meet any client needs? Create a bespoke brow look for clients of all ages with these tips from Lash Perfect expert, Emma Apps… “Naturally, eyebrows tend to become sparser as we age,” explains Emma Apps, Hi Brow expert. “Having regular tinting…

#TRENDINGTUESDAY Dega Gundega, Nail Land Studio & Training

By Sophie Nutt | 26 March 2019

We want to see the designs trending at your nail desk! Dega Gundega, of Nail Land Studio & Training, reveals spring florals paired with colour fades have been popular with her clients recently. “This particular nail design has been hugely popular amongst my clients as they can never choose the…

WHAT I’M WEARING: Jade Robinson, JADE: Professional Beauty

By Sophie Nutt | 24 March 2019

We want to see what you’re wearing on your nails! Jade Robinson, of JADE: Professional Beauty, wears super cute Dumbo-inspired nails. “I created my Dumbo nails by, first infilling with CND Brisa Sculpting Gel and prepping them for painting where I then using CND Shellac in Digi-Teal. To create the…

Annual leave rights for staff

By Kat Hill | 23 March 2019

Do you know what rights you and your staff member have when it comes to annual leave? The NHF/NBF serves up advice for beauty business owners… Everyone who is employed in the UK is entitled to paid leave, whatever their role or the number of hours worked. It’s vital to know what the law…