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Nail techs, here’s how you can prevent hand & wrist pain

By Scratch Staff | 21 September 2021

Scratch sources advice for those that suffer with hand and wrist pain, so you can stop feeling the strain… Samantha Sweet, co-founder of Sweet Squared, shares that repetitive strain injury and carpal tunnel syndrome will always be a likelihood for pros, due to the nature of the job. “Filing is the…

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Revealed: The booking service that 1,000 UK nail salons rely on to boost business

By Helena Biggs | 20 September 2021

Online business management software, Booksy, is relied on by 1,000 nail salons and over 1,600 beauty salons in the UK for their day-to-day needs. So what does it offer, and how does it work? Accessible via web and the Booksy app on ios and Android, clients can use Booksy to…

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London educator takes learning to the next level with ITEC approved nail courses

By Emma Hobday | 18 September 2021

Scratch speaks to renowned nail tech and educator Anna Lee about her industry journey, bridging the ethnicity gap and launching Creative Academy London Anna began her journey in the nail industry in 2004, where she enrolled on a part-time nail course at her local course, for ‘something to do.’ Anna’s…

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NAIL TECH TALK: Ravi Uppal of Nails by Ravi

By Callie Iley | 18 September 2021

Scratch chats to Ravi Uppal of Nails by Ravi about nail trends and the importance of not comparing yourself to other techs… The Gel Bottle‘s Builder in a Bottle has to be my ultimate favourite product to use – it’s life changing! Before using it, I thought it was just…

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Here’s what it’s like to have your palm read

By Emma Hobday | 16 September 2021

Scratch’s Emma Hobday had the eye-opening opportunity to sit down with James Divine for her own palm reading, and gained a valuable insight into herself in the process… It’s 9pm on a Wednesday evening and 1pm in Seattle when I met James virtually over Zoom. He answered with a cheery,…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Kulture, Fife

By Callie Iley | 15 September 2021

Selling her share of her previous salon to set up her own, Marie McFarlane and her husband fully converted a ground floor one bedroom flat into Kulture. “I was inspired to open my own salon as I have recently qualified in teaching, so will be running Kulture School of Beauty…

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Here’s how to make manis last if your client has excessively sweaty hands

By Emma Hobday | 13 September 2021

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis being the technical term) is surprisingly common and can affect the whole body or just certain areas, like the hands (palmar hyperhidrosis). It’s normal to sweat if you get hot or do exercise, but you may be sweating excessively if you’re sweating when your body does not…

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London hotspot Townhouse scoops Scratch Stars Nail Salon of the Year 20/21

By Emma Hobday | 12 September 2021

Juanita Huber-Millet, founder and creative director of Townhouse, never knew that she would go into nails as a child. “My background is a little eclectic – I grew up wanting to do nothing other than dance and I spent my teenage years in ballet school, training every minute I could…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Stacey’s Gel Nails, Meriden, West Midlands

By Callie Iley | 8 September 2021

Stacey Cox worked in banking for 15 years, but was seeking more flexibility around her family. The lockdown gave Stacey the push she needed to start her new nail business. “My studio was built in November, and we opened May,” she explains. “My husband Mark played a big role in…

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Behind the Brand: Find out more about Magnetic Nail Design

By Chloe Randall | 7 September 2021

Scratch finds out more about Magnetic Nail Design, the nail brand owned by a Dutch nail stylist… The story so far…  Magnetic Nail Design was launched by Dutch nail stylist Mey Liang. She has grown her career from a salon owner to becoming a leading wholesaler of nail products in the…

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4 ways to empower your nail business’ employees

By Guest Writer | 7 September 2021

Lucy Pastorelli, founder of Lucy Pastorelli Tools, shares how she empowers her team… 1. Create inclusion. Everyone has an opinion, and we always make sure that we listen to each member of staff – whether they’ve been employed at LP for five weeks or five years. Each point of view…

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How to create an ombré nail style

By Katie Barnes | 7 September 2021

The ombré look is a popular nail style choice, particularly when created using with pink and white shades to replace a traditional French finish. Perfecting it can be a bit challenging however, especially when you’re under the watchful eyes of your clients and time restraints of the appointment. There are…

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Covid-19: How I’ve tackled staffing issues since reopening my salons

By Guest Writer | 7 September 2021

Thanh Vu, managing director of four Dream Nails salons, reflects on the challenges – and opportunities – that have been presented to her businesses since reopening after lockdown…  Since reopening, the most challenging aspect for our boutique salon business has been staffing issues. We adhere to strict Covid-19 precautions for…

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Meet the family-run nail brand with care & colour at its heart

By Emma Hobday | 6 September 2021

Abby Jay Barton has a love for the beauty industry in her blood. Her mother owned a nail and beauty salon when Abby was a child, and so from a young age the future owner of Cally Cosmetics was immersed in the sector that she would eventually dive into. Her…

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Here’s how 3 techs have tackled tricky nail & beauty clients

By Emma Hobday | 5 September 2021

Scratch speaks to three devoted nail techs, Samantha Courage, Carly Wright, and Annmarie Jones, about their challenging experiences with clients, and their top tips for how to avoid these situations in the future… Samantha’s story Samantha Courage of Samantha Courage Beauty had a new client who booked in for a…

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