TECHNIQUE

Nail manicure filing

Nail expert: the importance of parallel sidewalls for a beautiful nail finish

By Katie Barnes | 21 July 2025

Award-winning nail technician & Katie Barnes Tool Range & Education founder, Katie Clark, offers insight… Parallel sidewalls start at the cuticle zone and end at the free edge. They mirror each other and help to give a nail enhancement a slim and slender appearance. The term, ‘parallel sidewalls’, is frequently…

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What are brush-on builder gel & BIAB™ nails?

By Lilly Delmage | 3 July 2025

Brush-on builder gel is an ever-popular request at the nail desk – but what is it, and when should it be used? Brush-on builder gel is a more convenient variation of traditional builder gels, which are housed in pots. Packaged in a bottle with an integrated brush, the product allows…

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Nail Biting Picking

How to stop nail biting & picking: experts share treatment plans to break the habit

By Rebecca Hitchon | 2 July 2025

Natural nail specialists share tips for nail biting and picking clients… Why do people bite and pick at their nails and skin? “Nail biting, also known as onychophagia, and skin picking and biting, named perionychophagia, are habits associated with stress, anxiety and compulsive disorders,” explains Lucy Price-Marshall, Scratch Stars Natural…

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How to rebuild damaged toenails

By Katie Barnes | 20 March 2018

Educator and award-winning nail technician, Katie Barnes, reveals how to rebuild toenails to get them looking tip-top in time for the summer months – with a step-by-step photo guide and nail knowledge to boot Damaged, broken or bitten toenails can be an extremely common concern, but it is something your client…

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How to apply tanning products perfectly

By Guest Writer | 16 March 2018

Kissed by Mii tanning expert, Shelley Henderson, explains why it’s all in the prep step when it comes to the perfect tan… Whether you’re delivering a smooth, streak-free tan in the tanning booth or teaching your clients techniques to guarantee great results at home – it’s important to prep the…

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Top tips for the perfect bridal tan

By Guest Writer | 1 March 2018

Kissed by Mii tanning expert Shelley Henderson reveals how to entice the entire bridal party to tan. Now that bridal season is officially here (thanks Pippa Middleton!), salons, spas and mobile therapists should now turn their attention to bridal specific-tanning. After all, tanning is the perfect addition to beauty treatment…

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Katie barnes nail shapes

How to choose the right nail shape for your client

By Katie Barnes | 20 February 2018

Educator, former Scratch columnist and award-winning nail stylist, Katie Barnes, reveals how to select the right nail shape for your client… Nails come in a variety of shapes and sizes and everyone has fingers and nails of different lengths and shapes. Some have long, slim fingers while others have short fingers with short…

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Before after hd brows

Here’s what I thought of the HD Brows treatment

By Sophie Nutt | 16 February 2018

On Monday afternoon, I took a trip to London to visit the Karen Betts Clinic to have my first ever HD Brow consultation and treatment. Not only was it my first HD Brows experience, but it was my first eyebrow treatment at all… Ever. So, I excitedly hotfooted to Harley…

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How to select the correct nail form for enhancements

By Katie Barnes | 6 February 2018

Educator, former Scratch columnist and award-winning nail stylist, Katie Barnes, reveals why knowing the differences between nail forms is so important… Form fitting can seem like a minefield and with so many different types on the market, it is hard to know which form you should be using and why. This blog will explain…

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