Why you should stop comparing your nail skills to others

By Guest Writer | 22 December 2020

Scratch magazine 2020 columnist, Sophie Dale of Nancy Loves Nails & Nancy Girl Apparel, shares why it’s time to stop comparing yourself to others… ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’. I constantly compare myself to others and it has really affected me. It’s poisonous, and no matter how experienced or whatever…

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Scratch Snap December

By Kat Hill | 21 December 2020

The winner of Scratch’s monthly nail art challenge has been announced as Natalie Waker. In a showcase of talent, techs stepped up to the Scratch Snap challenge for December & created some nail designs inspired by The Sky at Night in the bid to win a prize. Judged by Scratch‘s…

TECH TALK: Nadia Rouch of Nadia’s Beauty Box

By Callie Iley | 19 December 2020

Scratch chats with Nadia Rouch of Nadia’s Beauty Box about her average day as a nail tech and her love for creativity.       My all time favourite nail product has to be The Gel Bottle’s Builder in a Bottle. 90% of all my manicures now have Builder in…

How-to: Halo Easibuild overlay on natural nails

By Guest Writer | 18 December 2020

The team at Pure Nails reveals how to build strength and enhance the natural nail with Halo’s EasiBuild… Step 1: Prep Prep work is vital and should never be rushed, taking 10-15 minutes to complete. It helps ensure that the product will adhere to the natural nail by eliminating any…

The first nail art piece to be exhibited in a Danish museum

By Chloe Randall | 17 December 2020

Nadia Jensen of @nanailsdk captivated the nail industry after her installation ‘Consequences’ became the first nail art piece to be exhibited at Statens Museum in Denmark. With a focus on the consequences of animal cruelty, Nadia explains the concept behind her work and why this piece is such an important…

Marian Newman BEM on… changes to nail product regulations for 2021

By Guest Writer | 16 December 2020

Marian Newman BEM, nail industry veteran and chair of The FNP, reveals the changes to cosmetic products that will be evident in 2021… Originally posted at www.the-fnp.com “We will be seeing a lot of changes in 2021 with regards to cosmetic products including nail products. This has some connection to…

Salon in the Spotlight: The Nail Box, Derby

By Kat Hill | 16 December 2020

Offering her clients a sunny spot for nail appointments, Carol-Ann Beresford used Lockdown 2.0 in November to create a new nail studio. “I started my nail journey 12 years ago as an employed trainee nail technician,” Carol-Ann explains. “After years of hard work, I took a leap of faith to…

Covid career changes: Why I decided to train as a nail tech during lockdown

By Guest Writer | 16 December 2020

Sophie Akerman decided to train as a nail technician during the Covid-19 pandemic after being forced to work from home gave her time to reflect on her career path. She shares with Scratch the highlights and the challenges of her nail journey so far. “I was fortunate enough to keep…

#NowTrending: Green & gold cog nails by Charlotte Vizor

By Callie Iley | 15 December 2020

Scratch chats to Charlotte Vizor of Nailed it by Chaz about her love for being a nail tech, as she describes how to create this gorgeous green and gold design. Please detail your background in nails… “My nail career blossomed from a hobby. When I first started falling in love…

TECH TALK: Rachel Willis of Rachel Willis Nails & Education

By Callie Iley | 12 December 2020

Scratch catches up with Rachel Willis of Rachel Willis Nails & Education about her journey through the nail world and her passion for teaching & learning… I have over 30 nail training certificates; including beginners’ manicure, to extreme nail shapes and nail art. My first course was an online L&P…

How to deal with client complaints

By Kat Hill | 11 December 2020

Award-winning business owner & deputy chair & director of information at The Federation of Nail Professionals (The FNP), Sue Davies, shares her advice for dealing with client complaints… As professionals, we have a duty of care to our clients and they deserve the best service we can provide. When we have a service…

How to deal with clients questioning your prices

By Kat Hill | 10 December 2020

Has a client quibbled your pricing? Or questioned an extra cost for additional artwork? Talking about money can sometimes feel awkward, but Rachel Gribble, Salon System educator, serves up some advice… “Nail art is an add-on to a standard treatment and can require further training and special equipment not only to learn the…

Salon in the Spotlight: Megan’s Other Place, Ledbury

By Kat Hill | 9 December 2020

Specialising in creating bold and bright hair colours, Megan Long turned her attention to the world of nail design when she opened a new, second salon location. Megan’s journey into the world of hair and beauty started with Megan’s Place, a studio offering specialist hair colouring and hair treatments. In…

What to look for when choosing a reputable business awards to enter

By Katie Barnes | 8 December 2020

Winning an award is an excellent marketing opportunity. It boosts morale, raises the profile of your business and highlights and recognises your expertise. When contemplating entering an award, you firstly need to consider whether you want to increase your recognition locally or nationally. These both have genuine and mock awards,…

Claire Blincoe on her love of nail training & Gelish products

By Kat Hill | 8 December 2020

Claire Blincoe, of Magic Manicures & Magic Manicures Training, shares her career journey so far and why she loves her role as a mobile nail technician and educator with the Georgie Smedley Group… Tell us about your career so far… I started working in training almost 30 years ago as a NVQ…