Step inside the nail salon & academy by the sea on the Isle of Wight
The Gel Art Academy is the passion project of Rebecca Evans, a tech with a love for nail art and education. The cosy salon is located in Rebecca’s home on the Isle of Wight and provides the ultimate relaxation spot for clients. “The space used to be the utility room…
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7 tips for working with nail embellishments
Adorning nails with 3D embellishments adds dimension to designs, allowing you to transform plain styles into striking looks. 7 nail stylists offer adhesion and application advice… Lead nail tips by Scarlett Senter (@scarlett_senternailartist). 1. “Practice wearing embellished designs on your own nails, as this will help you to learn a…
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38 ‘showgirl orange’ nail designs & products inspired by Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl
Swifties are screaming right now (and that includes me). Taylor Swift has announced her 12th album, revealing the title, track list, cover art and release date. Each of Taylor’s ‘eras’ have focused on a specific colour, and this time, orange is having its moment. To help celebrate TS12: The Life…
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How to remove L&P acrylic nail enhancements safely
Whilst it is tempting to try remove nail enhancements as quickly as possible, correct removal requires professional attention to prevent damage to the natural nail. Here’s how it should be done… Each type of nail enhancement requires a specific method of removal, and the time this takes varies. While UV…
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Nail pros, here’s why opening your Christmas diary too early can cost you
Nail business mentor, Hannah Clayton, shares lessons learned from Christmas diary chaos… Every year, as the summer sun is still shining, clients start asking the same thing: ‘When are you opening your Christmas diary?‘ For years, I used to cave at the pressure of releasing appointments, thinking I was clever.…
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Embrace your wild side with 20 animal print nail designs
Animal print has long been a classic nail design, but today, we see all sorts of colourful and textured iterations that are making nail techs and clients go wild! Here are 20 animal print designs to go feral for…
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Step right up! 35 carnival-themed nail designs that will steal the show
Check out entries to the 30 July 2025 nail art challenge from Scratch, in which techs were tasked with creating a design to fit the theme: Carnival. Each nail style was submitted via Instagram or Facebook using #ShowScratch #CreativeChallenge. Follow Scratch on Instagram and Facebook for future Creative Challenges – launching every other Wednesday.
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Raise a glass to these 22 cocktail nail design ideas
Fancy a French 75? Manifesting a Manhattan? Partial to a Pimm’s? These nail designs have it all. Whether you are a cocktail, mocktail or straight-up shot person, here’s some nail inspo to make happy hour even more jolly…
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Left-handed nail tech? Here’s how to adapt your tool kit
It is assumed that when working left-handed, you just work the opposite way. But if you are leftie, you will know this is a myth. The majority of the population is right-handed, and so the majority of nail products and techniques are tailored to right-handed techs. Having to adapt to…
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The UK heatwave: Is it affecting your nail products?
Educator & award-winning nail pro, Katie Clark, reveals why hot weather may impact your nail products and services… Most techs will have noticed a difference in their L&P acrylic and gel systems during different temperatures and seasons, with changes being particularly noticeable during periods of very warm weather. Temperature and…
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Inside the child-friendly countryside nail salon that caters to comfort
Meet Kay Kirsop, the owner of Kay Cooper Nails, a child-friendly salon that prides itself on comfort and safety. Kay Kirsop has always loved nails. “From Tipp-Exing the tips of my nails in primary school, to being suspended at the age of 14 for refusing to take off acrylic enhancements,…
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Women’s Euro 2025: the nail tech behind England Lionesses’ winning manicures
Following the Women’s Euro 2025, Dzastina Jovaisaite – the pro behind nail looks for members of the triumphant England squad – shares about the ‘career highlight’ with Scratch… “I felt so privileged and couldn’t believe it when I received a message from Chloe Kelly about creating nail looks for some…
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Nail techs with psoriasis reveal what life is like with the skin condition
Psoriasis is a ‘condition that causes dry, scaly and sometimes itchy or sore patches on the skin,’ according to the NHS. Here, two nail techs share their experiences with psoriasis… “I suffer from seasonal psoriasis on my fingers and hands (mostly during autumn and winter) and psoriatic arthritis,” shares Fie…
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Inside the nailcare oasis in the centre of Huddersfield
Meet Rebecca, ‘toe wizard’ & owner of Cutiecles – a salon sanctuary that prides itself on comfort, care and calm. Recently refurbed, Cutiecles Nail Salon is a passion project for the nail technician, who boasts 10 years’ experience in the industry. After returning to work from maternity leave, Rebecca (and…
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Onycholysis: what is it & how can it be treated?
Let’s talk the causes of onycholysis, aka nail separation, how to prevent and what to do when it’s presented at the nail desk… Picture this: you scrape your knee and pop a plaster over the top to help it heal. Three days later, that plaster has started to lift. At…
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