Mobile nail master

REBECCA HITCHON receives a visit from Stella Angelova, Scratch Stars Mobile Nailist of the Year 2024, who shares her journey to success

Scratch offers a number of opportunities for nail talent to be celebrated, including via the annual Scratch Stars Awards for the UK&I nail sector. The event features intense judging processes that allow excellence to be recognised, and I was able to experience exceptional nail skill and service first hand, when I received a visit from Stella Angelova of Stella A. – Nail Artist, Scratch Stars Mobile Nailist of the Year 2024.

Stella is based in Swanley, Kent, and travelled six miles to my home in Orpington to treat me to a gel polish manicure. It was a gloomy and wet day, but Stella was like a ray of sunshine when she arrived. She asked where she could set up, then quickly and efficiently unpacked her kit onto a towel on the dining table. While she did this, she handed me her phone to complete a consultation form about my nail type and detail any possible contraindications.

As a mobile nail appointment newbie, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would I find the experience at home relaxing, or strange? Well, an hour and a half later, as I said goodbye to Stella, tension had left my shoulders, my mood was elevated and my nails looked beautiful. It’s why so many of Stella’s clients, in Swanley and surrounding Kent areas, haven’t looked back since booking her mobile nail appointments.

Nail beginnings

Stella told me that she won’t change the way she works, as she enjoys the freedom of mobile work. Originally from Bulgaria, she moved to Romford, Essex, nine years ago to be with her partner. “I didn’t know any English and didn’t have a job, but nails have always been my hobby,” she shared. “I originally lived with two other families, and one of the women in the house noticed me doing nails and found a salon seeking techs. It was about four months after I had moved to the country, so my English was very basic and I didn’t have a nail qualification, but she spoke to the salon staff, who agreed to take me on as an apprentice.”

“I came away with a renewed appreciation of the importance of high standards – not just in nailcare, but in the client experience.”

“The biggest takeaway from my appointment with Stella was her professionalism: an aspect she described as ‘paramount’ in her Scratch Stars Awards 2024 application.”

Stella’s kit bag

Around a month later, Stella made the decision to return to Bulgaria for six months to achieve a nail qualification. On her return to England, the salon offered her a job. “I was there for nearly two years, then fell pregnant. I didn’t work for three years, as I cared for my daughter, moved to Swanley and then, there was the Covid pandemic,” Stella explained. “When my daughter started nursery, I decided it was time to work again, but I had moved away from my previous employer and couldn’t find any Swanley salons that allowed me to work around childcare.”

Stella turned to mobile tekking and discovered a platform for mobile beauty professionals to advertise their services. Local recommendations were limited, so she took the leap to self-employment in 2021. “There were no other mobile nail techs based in Swanley at the time, so my services were in demand,” Stella shared. “I launched my business soon after the pandemic, so many people were anxious to leave their homes and loved the idea of a service that came to them. I thought it would take more time to build up my client base, but it happened quickly.” The pro offers classic manicures and pedicures, OPI GelColor overlays and Bio Sculpture enhancements, with gel polish services most popular.

An award-winning experience

As Stella tended to my nails, it wasn’t difficult to understand why she won a Scratch Star this year. It’s an accolade she was delighted to have scooped, having been a finalist for the Mobile Nailist of the Year category in 2023. She attended July’s Scratch Stars Party by herself, with her partner and daughter waiting eagerly at home to hear if she had won – and clients were similarly elated when she took the title. It’s spurred her on to enter the 2025 competition.

The biggest takeaway from my appointment with Stella was her professionalism: an aspect she described as ‘paramount’ in her Scratch Stars Awards 2024 application. From her smart black uniform and PPE, to the way she explained each step of the appointment – while building a friendly rapport, I felt completely at ease. She shared that nail prep is her favourite step, noting its importance for long-lasting results. I watched in awe as she focused on my natural nailcare, ensuring nails were well prepped for OPI GelColor application.

Rebecca’s gel polish manicure by Stella.

The tech has used OPI GelColor and Nail Lacquer from the beginning of her career, and finds that the brand suits her client base: fans of ‘simple and elegant nails’, who opt for natural-looking shades and minimal nail art, such as hearts and dots. “People contact me asking if I have popular OPI colours, such as Bubble Bath and Lincoln Park After Dark,” Stella smiled. Two coats of sheer, pale pink Bubble Bath is what she painted on my nails, before a coat of baby pink pearl, I Meta My Soulmate, and a small white heart on each of my ring fingers. Stella made the colour selection process fun and interactive, promising that she would create the ‘perfect’ shade to match my dress for an upcoming wedding. While she layered the hues, her excitement was contagious and I felt her passion for healthy, beautiful nails and client satisfaction throughout the appointment.

As I admired my finished nails and moisturised skin, Stella handed me a drawstring pouch containing her business card, price list and aftercare advice. It also contained the orange wood stick she had used, a tiny buffer, handbag-friendly Famous Nails Dadi’Oil cuticle oil and Bio Sculpture Ethos Vitamin Dose treatment. I felt that Stella deeply cared about my nail needs and desires, and my mood and self-esteem had been boosted as a result. I came away with a renewed appreciation of the importance of high standards – not just in nailcare, but in the client experience.