alex silver beauty pr

Lessons from a beauty PR pro: How to get your business noticed

By Guest Writer | 20 October 2021

Alex Silver, founder of beauty PR agency, Alex Silver PR, has been working in public relations for 25 years. She has helped brands including Beauty Blender, Caudalie, KISS Nails & Lashes and Fake Bake make their mark and is renowned for high-profile campaigns, charity events, celebrity ambassadorships and red-carpet parties.…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Little Birch Nails, Northern Ireland

By Callie Iley | 29 September 2021

Qualifying as a nail technician during the lockdown of 2020 around the same time as having her baby, Rachael Dorrity was initially unable to build a clientele. “Since restrictions have been relaxed, I decided to just go for it and start my nail journey. I’m so excited to see what…

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Salon in the Spotlight: Lisa Sheehan – Nail Artist, Hereford

By Callie Iley | 22 September 2021

Aged 32, Lisa Sheehan decided to go back to college in the evenings to study for her level 2 and 3 qualifications in beauty theraoy, after working in childcare for 14 years. “I loved the idea of making people feel good about themselves and being able to pamper others, and…

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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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sue davies podcast

Fancy a listen? Podcast serves to inspire salon professionals

By Helena Biggs | 7 September 2021

Nail sector veteran and Scratch Stars Services to the Nail Industry winner 2017, Sue Davies, has launched the Inspiring Salon Professionals podcast. Just one of the resources available on her website, www.suedavies.org, the podcast supports career development, brand building and how to start a business – and features inspirational stories…

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NAIL TECH TALK: Meet Nikol Nikolova, Scratch Stars Mobile Nailist of the Year 20/21

By Callie Iley | 4 September 2021

Scratch chats to Nikol Nikolova of Triple N Mobile Salon about launching her own educational platform for nail techs and her excitement at winning the Scratch Stars Award for Mobile Nailist of the Year 20/21… I’ve done my own nails since I was little. My mom owned a salon and…

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Salon in the Spotlight: DB Beauty, Trelewis, Wales

By Callie Iley | 25 August 2021

After previously working as a mobile beautician, Danielle Bridges decided it was time to open up her own salon during the first Coronavirus lockdown. “I found it hard lugging all my equipment around so I decided to take the plunge. I couldn’t find anything suitable around my area, so I…

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NAIL TECH TALK: Jessica Smith of The Nail Club

By Callie Iley | 7 August 2021

Scratch chats to Jessica Smith of The Nail Club about growing up in a family of nail technicians and leaving an office job to pursue nails full time… Coming from a family of nail technicians, I have grown up watching my mum and auntie create such beautiful sets of nails.…

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nhbf awards

NHBF scoops gold award for Best Membership Organisation in the UK

By Helena Biggs | 5 August 2021

The National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) has scooped three accolades at the National Association Awards. The awards recognise the hard work and success of associations, federations, chambers, societies and membership organisations across 12 categories covering all sectors in the UK.   The NHBF is a membership organisation for the hair…

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Nail polish & CBD products amongst most searched for pandemic items

By Helena Biggs | 5 August 2021

Nail polish and deodorant were the most searched-for beauty items on the internet between April and June 2021, according to research by online retail platform, RangeMe. The company analysed data from more than 12,000 retail buyers and 200,000 suppliers on its platform, and found that buyers are seeking diversity in…

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emma hayes

Salon in the Spotlight: Dolled Up, Suffolk

By Callie Iley | 4 August 2021

Dolled Up was established in 2013 by salon owner, Emma Hayes, who took the plunge into the beauty world after being encouraged by her friends. She’d been painting their nails in her spare time, around looking after her two young children, and they recognised her natural skill. “My assistant, Kate…

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tiktok beauty

Revealed: the most watched beauty hacks on TikTok

By Chloe Randall | 30 July 2021

New research by cosmetic surgery experts, Tajmeeli, has revealed which beauty videos are the most in demand with users on TikTok. With over 12.5 billion views on TikTok, #BeautyHacks dominate the platform with users all over the world tuning in. The key findings from the research are: #NailHacks has had over…

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MPs call for statutory regulation on non-surgical beauty treatments

By Chloe Randall | 21 July 2021

MPs are calling for the statutory regulation of non-surgical beauty treatments involving injectables, fillers, invasive lasers, ‘deep’ peels and other invasive treatments, saying they should only be administered by regulated healthcare professionals. This call comes after the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing has published a report…

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NAIL TECH TALK: Anna-Lena Pickel of Ena

By Callie Iley | 17 July 2021

Scratch chats to Anna-Lena Pickel of Ena about expressing herself through nail art and mental health… My training is the typical pandemic nail tech story. In Winter 2020, I got my certificate for manicure and gel manicure at Nails Pro Academy. It also started to become my therapy, my creative…

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Beauty takes the top title for most popular industry on TikTok with over 61 million likes

By Alex Fox | 17 June 2021

With nearly half of the world’s population using social media platforms, businesses old and new have been given a cheap alternative to advertise, interact and engage with customers. Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has exploded in popularity and now has over 689 million monthly active users. The hashtag ‘#smallbusiness’ currently…

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