Salon in the Spotlight: Base Beauty, Stafford
Kate Meara quit her full-time job in a call centre in 2016 to take the plunge into the nail industry. “To be self employed with a few friends and family clients was terrifying at first. However, hard work and a love for the industry helped me to find my feet.…
NAIL TECH TALK: Natalie Kirk of Nail Perfection by Natalie
Scratch chats to Natalie Kirk of Nail Perfection by Natalie about her nail journey and what she would like the industry to achieve in the future… I first started out in the nail industry in 2004 after my mum, who was working as a spa manager at the time, suggested…
NAIL TECH TALK: Natalia Hudson of The Secret Garden Quorn
Scratch chats to Natalia Hudson of The Secret Garden Quorn about how nails has helped her mental health and her daughter’s impact on her career… There is so much that I absolutely adore about nails. When you take a clients hand, the magic begins – not only to give them…
NAIL TECH TALK: Aubrey Cycenas of The Glossy Spot
Scratch chats to Aubrey Cycenas of The Glossy Spot about challenging herself to create unique nail designs and the most exciting aspects of the industry… I’m a fully licensed cosmetologist, but I met my former mentor in hair school. She personally taught me the basics of nails, and I quickly…
Salon in the Spotlight: Wildflower Hair & Beauty Studio, Cheadle, Staffordshire
Holly Duckers opened Wildflower Hair and Beauty Studio in a renovated convenience shop in September 2019. “At the time of opening we were a team of four, two hairdressers, one nail technician and one lash and brow technician. Within a month of opening, I had taken on the first salon…
NAIL TECH TALK: Taylor Bell of Islas Beauty
Scratch chats to Taylor Bell of Islas Beauty about becoming a beauty business owner and the importance of keeping up with industry trends… I love to create lots of random designs. I’ve always loved to create a different design for every one of my clients – not everybody has the…
Salon in the Spotlight: Cutie Patootie Nails, Fife, Scotland
Claire Watters began her nail journey in 2017, after training in Glasgow. “I finally plucked up the courage to leave my job at Asda and started to take on clients at their home. After doing it mobile for a short time I decided to set up a room at home,…
Salon in the Spotlight: CandyMani’s Nails & Beauty, Suffolk
Candice Muddeman began Candymani’s in 2015, working out of her dining room at home, offering gel polish to family and friends. “Last year in lockdown, we started work on a separate nail and beauty studio at the back of our house. We were lucky to have such a generous space,…
NAIL TECH TALK: Victoria Nichol of Victoria Nichol Nails
Scratch chats to Victoria Nichol of Victoria Nichol Nails about the importance of self belief and making progress in her work… “I love that I can create something from nothing. Everything from shaping, filing, colour and the final design – the whole process is incredibly satisfying for me. “There is…
Salon in the Spotlight: Little Birch Nails, Northern Ireland
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…
NAIL TECH TALK: Nataszija Moore of July Ninety Six
Scratch chats to Nataszija Moore of July Ninety Six about her love for bold nail art and her experience working at Nails By Ya Gal studio… Believe it or not, just over two years ago I wasn’t into nails or beauty at all. But after realising my university’s PR and…
Salon in the Spotlight: Lisa Sheehan – Nail Artist, Hereford
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…
Salon in the Spotlight: Kulture, Fife
Selling her share of her previous salon to set up her own, Marie McFarlane and her husband fully converted a ground floor one bedroom flat into Kulture. “I was inspired to open my own salon as I have recently qualified in teaching, so will be running Kulture School of Beauty…
Salon in the Spotlight: Stacey’s Gel Nails, Meriden, West Midlands
Stacey Cox worked in banking for 15 years, but was seeking more flexibility around her family. The lockdown gave Stacey the push she needed to start her new nail business. “My studio was built in November, and we opened May,” she explains. “My husband Mark played a big role in…
NAIL TECH TALK: Samantha Cedergren of SLCNails
Scratch chats to Samantha Cedergren of SLCNails about her feelings on education in the nail industry and her hopes for the future… I find most of my inspiration from other nail techs, mostly through Instagram. I find it so difficult to just simply create from nothing. I have a folder…
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