Technique
My trip to Nail’d It! for a Voesh treatment
Last week, I was transported to a girlie wonderland thanks to the Marylebone branch of Nail’d It. The successful London salon chain sees set-ups in Oxford Street, Belgravia, Battersea, Marylebone and Clapham Junction, all offering a variety of hand and foot treatments in an ultra Instagrammable set-up. The salons pride themselves on their oh-so picturesque…
Read MoreWhat happened when I trained in gel polish with The GelBottle Inc
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 to Brighton for 9am and…
Read MoreWhy I use healing crystals in hand & foot therapies
Kim Alexis, crystal healer, psychic spiritual medium, hypnotherapist & past life regressionist, reveals why she uses crystals in her hand & foot treatments… When a therapist massages the feet or hands, it feels so good because the physical sensation stimulated by touch sends messages from the skin’s nerve cells to the brain. The brain then releases…
Read MoreTechs add sparkle to nails at the Swarovski Crystal Heaven Workshop
Angel Crystals, a UK distributor of Swarovski nail crystals, invited a select group of techs to a fun-filled workshop at which they jazzed up their nails with Swarovski embellishments. Scratch‘s editor-in-chief, Alex, joined me for the trip to Swarovski’s London HQ, at which we were met by Antony Arnold of Angel Crystals. Passing grand displays…
Read MoreHow to correctly file the natural nail
We hear the myth time and time again – ‘Nail enhancements damage the nail’ – but the damage is usually caused by over-filing the natural nail before any nail products have been applied, or by incorrect removal. Over-filing of the natural nail is one of the most common causes of nail damage. If the nail…
Read MoreMy experience of the Sienna X Brows treatment
Yesterday, I was invited to Cobella Hair and Beauty Salon in the sumptuous area of Kensington, London, to try the brand new Sienna X Brows range and treatment. Recently, Sienna X revealed its very own brow tint range for techs and therapists to offer to their clients as an add-on to their existing services. The launch…
Read MoreShaped, styled & made up with HD Brows in Harley Street
When an invite from HD Brows creeps into the Scratch inbox, I’m the first to snap it up – as the treatment tames my unruly, unshapely brows into sisters that look oh-so fabulous. I headed to London’s 1 Harley Street for an appointment with the brand’s international brow expert, Jamie Long, who’s tended to my…
Read MoreKatie Barnes on… preventing burns from flammable nail products
With such an increased report in allergies and accidents occurring with nail products from not just home users, but ‘professional’ nail technicians, I believe that there needs to be a call for better education on the situation. Creating beautiful nails is an art but one of the most forgotten and important elements is understanding and…
Read MoreHow to perfect nail product application by the cuticle
Mastering cuticle application can be a tech’s nemesis, but it needn’t be. Of course, it takes practice but follow my top tips for perfecting your cuticle application with L&P and gel polish. Perfecting L&P cuticle application When working with L&P, ensuring the mix ratio is correct – especially around the cuticle zone – is paramount.…
Read MoreHow to perfect a smile line on nails
A crisp, neat smile line that flatters the client’s nail and creates an elongated look can really set your work apart from other nail techs in both salon and competition work. However, achieving this perfect smile line can worry many techs and make them avoid offering this option altogether. The most important thing when creating…
Read MoreTeam Scratch gets lashed with Salon System mink styles
Salon System educator, Ruth Atkins, paid a visit to Scratch HQ to offer the team lash and brow makeovers using new products from the range. Accompanied by Costi Passeri of Essence PR, the duo revealed the new Mink Style Individual Lashes; additions to the Naturalash Texture range available in Short and Medium. After discussing each…
Read MoreKatie Barnes on…how to prevent allergies
Concerns have been mounting over the number of tech allergies being reported from using nail products. It’s so important to address your working practice and products to prevent this from disrupting your career and causing further pain. An allergy builds up over time from overexposure of repetitive skin contact with an allergen (in this case…
Read MoreWhy lateral structure will help your nails go the distance
Educator and award-winning nail technician, Katie Barnes, reveals why nail endurance is dependent on nail structure – and serves up advice on perfecting it… Beauty and endurance are two of the main qualities a client looks for when it comes to their enhancements. Both tech and client don’t want to have to worry about repair…
Read MoreAll about the Dipt Nails technique
Yesterday I hotfooted to the trendy Soho location of Sanctum Hotel for an exciting insight into a new dipping brand bursting on to the nail scene. Founded in Britain by Karisma Ahir, the Dipt system currently sees 60 coloured powders, as well as liquid counterparts. The brand utilises medical grade resins and a very finely milled acrylic powder…
Read MoreHow to achieve consistent lengths with your nail enhancements
Educator and award-winning nail technician, Katie Barnes, serves u advice on achieving consistent nail lengths… Did you know that each nail is naturally a different length and grows at different rates, meaning it is unlikely that they will be exactly the same length at any time? Have you ever experienced a client return after their…
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