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Major beauty brands sign up to circular economy initiative

By Rebecca Hitchon | 2 December 2021

Beauty brands including Elemis, Unilever and NAF! Salon have signed up to a circular economy initiative, launched by Jo Chidley, co-founder of natural and sustainable personal care brand Beauty Kitchen. The circular economy model, named Re, will aim to prevent more than 100 million bottles from going to landfill in…

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Salon in the Spotlight: GLOSS, Isle of Man

By Callie Iley | 1 December 2021

Jemma King and Rebekah Lockett are two sisters who decided to open up their own nail salon. “We opened our salon in our town centre of Douglas. We both nail technicians who have always dreamed of one day having our very own salon and finally, our dreams have come true,…

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WINNER ANNOUNCED: Scratch Snap November 2021

By Emma Hobday | 30 November 2021

The winner of Scratch’s monthly nail art challenge has been announced as Nicole Gutierrez. In a showcase of talent, techs stepped up to the Scratch Snap challenge for November & created nail designs inspired by ‘Sparkle & Shine’ in the bid to win a prize from The Gel Bottle.  Judged by Scratch‘s…

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NAIL TECH TALK: Aubrey Cycenas of The Glossy Spot

By Callie Iley | 27 November 2021

Scratch chats to Aubrey Cycenas of The Glossy Spot about challenging herself to create unique nail designs and the most exciting aspects of the industry… I’m a fully licensed cosmetologist, but I met my former mentor in hair school. She personally taught me the basics of nails, and I quickly…

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Have you ever had a client try to haggle your prices? Here’s what to do if it happens

By Emma Hobday | 25 November 2021

Negotiating prices. We’ve all been there – using vouchers at a restaurant, making use of Groupon deals, entering codes at checkout for online shopping – but asking for a discount at a nail salon can have a serious impact on business and should not be encouraged. Here Scratch chats to…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Tara Nails & Beauty, Brantham, Suffolk

By Callie Iley | 24 November 2021

Tara Smith decided to embark on her journey into the nail industry following the birth of her third child. “When I qualified and started out within the industry, it wasn’t easy. I was faced with a lot of negativity and wasn’t sure of where to look for help and support.…

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Want to grow your business? The Beauty Build coach is offering FREE 121 sessions

By Helena Biggs | 24 November 2021

Zaara King, founder of The Beauty Build online community for beauty pros, reveals why she’s giving back in November 2021… November is National Gratitude Month and I love practicing gratitude, as it’s so powerful in maintaining and attracting positive energy. And this month, I want to give back. We’ve had…

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CTPA urges beauty industry to cease packaging waste

By Rebecca Hitchon | 23 November 2021

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) has issued a call to action for the beauty industry to end packaging waste from cosmetic products. In a stakeholder roundtable held by the organisation, it was concluded that the industry’s ultimate goal should be to cease packaging waste, with mainstream refill and…

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Newcastle nail tech crafts pottery-inspired nails for Clarice Cliff film premiere

By Rebecca Hitchon | 22 November 2021

The Colour Room from Sky Cinema is a film following the life of Clarice Cliff, an English ceramic artist and trailblazer for Art Deco styling. Cliff, who was active between the 1920s and 1960s, created pottery famed for its individual style – known as ‘Bizarre by Clarice Cliff’ – which…

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Get educated with the refreshed Georgie Smedley Group education programme

By Chloe Randall | 20 November 2021

Georgie Smedley Group (GSG), formerly Nail Harmony UK, has carefully given its Scratch Stars award-winning education programme a refresh to suit the post-lockdown environment. Scratch’s Chloe finds out more and even tries out one of the courses herself… At the helm is newly appointed head of education, Kristina Manners, who…

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NAIL TECH TALK: Nathalia Baker of Nat Baker Nails

By Callie Iley | 20 November 2021

Scratch chats to Nathalia Baker of Nat Baker Nails about finding inspiration for nail art and her best advice for aspiring techs… I always loved the beauty industry and really enjoyed painting my nails, for me this was the most therapeutic part of the day. In 2019, I had the…

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The top 5 male celebs rocking man-icures

By Lilly Delmage | 19 November 2021

Man-icures aren’t a new concept, just think back to rock n roll legend David Bowie! However, they are certainly making a statement come back. After all, our bodies are just a creative canvas really, aren’t they? Here’s a list of male A-listers that think so too, some of which may even be releasing their own nail lines…   1. Harry Styles…

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Nail & beauty pros: Should you still wear full PPE?

By Katie Barnes | 18 November 2021

Some nail techs have always worn it, with others only introducing it since the Covid-19 outbreak. But should you always wear PPE? The short answer is yes. PPE has always been a requirement of COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) for nail techs. PPE can include items such as…

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Mobile tech? Salon pro? Nail artist? Here’s a desk light to suit your needs

By Helena Biggs | 17 November 2021

Working on tiny canvasses requires attention to detail & plenty of great lighting. But which lamp suits your nail tekking needs? Brighten your setup with a focus on the offerings from Daylight Company, founded in 1987 to help improve your work performance and efficiency… THE SLIMLINE Available as a table…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Wildflower Hair & Beauty Studio, Cheadle, Staffordshire

By Callie Iley | 17 November 2021

Holly Duckers opened Wildflower Hair and Beauty Studio in a renovated convenience shop in September 2019. “At the time of opening we were a team of four, two hairdressers, one nail technician and one lash and brow technician. Within a month of opening, I had taken on the first salon…

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