TECHS & SALONS
Inside the child-friendly countryside nail salon that caters to comfort
Meet Kay Kirsop, the owner of Kay Cooper Nails, a child-friendly salon that prides itself on comfort and safety. Kay Kirsop has always loved nails. “From Tipp-Exing the tips of my nails in primary school, to being suspended at the age of 14 for refusing to take off acrylic enhancements,…
Read More
Women’s Euro 2025: the nail tech behind England Lionesses’ winning manicures
Following the Women’s Euro 2025, Dzastina Jovaisaite – the pro behind nail looks for members of the triumphant England squad – shares about the ‘career highlight’ with Scratch… “I felt so privileged and couldn’t believe it when I received a message from Chloe Kelly about creating nail looks for some…
Read More
Nail techs with psoriasis reveal what life is like with the skin condition
Psoriasis is a ‘condition that causes dry, scaly and sometimes itchy or sore patches on the skin,’ according to the NHS. Here, two nail techs share their experiences with psoriasis… “I suffer from seasonal psoriasis on my fingers and hands (mostly during autumn and winter) and psoriatic arthritis,” shares Fie…
Read More
Read the latest issue
Gaining her NVQ level 2 and 3 in beauty therapy in 2013 at Nescot College in Epsom, Surrey, Lisa Wathen went on to work in a range of spas, training with Elemis and ESPA Skincare, before continuing her education with HD Brows, The GelBottle Inc, and a local independent trainer close…
Read More
Scratch Stars Polish & Paint Artist of the Year 2023 & runner-up in the first-ever World’s Star Nail Artist (WSNA) competition, Kamila Borowiec, shares her industry journey, future goals and experience of juggling both competitions… After Kamila’s nail technician moved to another country, she struggled to find the same quality…
Read More
Meet Scratch Stars’ winner of the Nail Business Mentor Award 2023, Joanna Tompkins of Nail Tech Tribe, as she shares insight to her career journey and reveals details from her competition process… “10 years ago, I was an admin assistant wanting more than anything to escape being tied to an…
Read More
Valuing offering clients a personalised, focused service due to her struggles with anxiety since the birth of her son, Sarah Rushworth of The Nail Shed, Bolton, details her nail journey & how it felt to win Home Nail Salon of the Year in the Scratch Stars Awards 2023… Working two…
Read More
Getting into the industry seeking flexible working hours around childcare in 2002, Lucy Fulbrook tackles new terrain with her mobile salon, the Glamourvan… With a budget of £1000 to renovate a poor condition caravan she purchased for £150, Lucy and her builder husband set to work on converting it into…
Read More
Scooping a second consecutive win in the category, Jiak Hing became the Scratch Stars Gel Polish Stylist of the Year 2023 in July. Here, she shares her competition story, career beginnings and favourite part of her role… Jiak, based in North West England, has a passion for nail art that…
Read More