Business
Nail NATION news & views
UK Government commits £725 million to apprenticeships
The Department for Work and Pensions hopes to encourage 50,000 more young people into work by investing £725 million into apprenticeships over the next three years. In the Autumn Budget 2025, Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced funding to make training for apprentices aged under 25 free for small and medium-sized businesses. The Government’s approach will remove the 5% co-investment currently paid for by businesses, encouraging more opportunities for young people. In addition, mayors will receive direct funding to connect young people with apprenticeships in their local areas. Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, comments: “It’s time to change the way apprenticeships are viewed and put them on an equal footing with university. This is a defining cause for this Government and a key step towards our ambition to get two-thirds of young people in higher-level learning or apprenticeships.” Victoria Brownlie MBE, chief of policy and sustainability at the British Beauty Council, says: “Given the increased economic pressure businesses are feeling, we welcome the support to fund apprenticeships and support the next generation of talent. That said, there is still much to be done to sustain this pipeline. We will continue to work with the Government to ensure apprenticeships are viable and incentivised for businesses.”
Sir Keir Starmer
©House of Commons
Victoria Brownlie MBE
Studex celebrates 50-year anniversary
Piercing training and product provider, Studex, is celebrating 50 years in operation. For five decades, the company has supplied ear and nose piercing systems and jewellery to salons, jewellers, retailers, piercing studios and healthcare environments. Studex has focused on the development of hygienic, safe and consistent systems, which can be used by trained professionals. One of the company’s biggest developments is the System 75® ear piercing system, which was introduced to enhance hygiene standards and improve ease of use. Kathryn Darwin, commercial business owner at Studex UK Ltd, comments: “This anniversary isn’t just about celebrating our past – it’s about shaping and inspiring the future of piercing. At Studex, we’re passionate about empowering professionals through our world-class training programme and customer support. We owe our success to our incredible piercing partners and the dedicated Studex team who have driven innovation, service and experience for five decades.” To celebrate the milestone, Studex will be launching exclusive collections throughout 2026, ‘designed to inspire professionals and celebrate the artistry of piercing’. www.studexuk.com
Kathryn Darwin
PersoNAILility collaborates with Cayman Islands spa
PersoNAILity, the luxury nail brand founded by celebrity manicurist, Jenni Coles (née Draper), has partnered with Meraki Spa – a wellness and beauty business in the Cayman Islands. The collaboration marks PersoNAILity’s foray into the Carribean and is a milestone for the brand’s international growth. Meraki Spa clients can now experience:
• Signature PersoNAILity manicures.
• A gel polish colour menu using the ManiCure by PersoNAILity range.
• Curated service protocols developed by Jenni Coles. “Meraki Spa embodies everything PersoNAILity stands for: exceptional service, meticulous care and a genuine commitment to nail health,” comments Jenni Coles. “We’re thrilled to bring our UK-made, professional-grade tools and trend-led, high-performance gel polishes to their discerning clientele.” www.personaility.co.uk
Jenni Coles
TGB Academy partners with Solo booking platform
TGB Academy – the education arm of nail brand, The GelBottle Inc (TGB), has partnered with beauty booking and business management platform, Solo. The collaboration aims to ‘empower ambitious nail professionals to refine their operations, protect their profits and deliver a premium client experience’. “Members of the TGB community regularly ask for recommendations for a trustworthy booking system that supports business growth,” says Giorgia Cappella, head of education at TGB Academy. “This partnership gives them access to tools that will help them build sustainable, professional and profitable businesses with proper pricing strategies and professional structures.” Solo is offering TGB Academy community members a 90-day free trial, where they can benefit from a TGB Setup mode, dedicated to those who want to ‘deploy branded booking systems complete with comprehensive treatment menus and recommended pricing structures for TGB Gel Polish, BIAB™, Hard Gel and other services’. The two companies are also co-hosting a masterclass series, with focuses on content creation, pricing, the client journey and more. “Our mission is to empower nail technicians globally to build the businesses they’ve always dreamed of,” says Rider Latham, CEO & founder of Solo. “In TGB Academy, we’ve found a partner that truly shares that ambition.” www.academy.thegelbottle.com
Giorgia Cappella
Image courtesy of Linkedin.com
Rider Latham
Curated Beauty London launches in ‘super salon’
British brand, Curated Beauty London, which creates skincare, haircare and wellness essentials for midlife women, has collaborated with Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, with its products appearing in the Chelsea salon. Having noted the plethora of beauty options for women, Curated Beauty London aims to offer ‘products that earn their place on your shelf – and keep delivering, day after day’. The partnership between the startup brand and Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa sees products like Curated Beauty London’s ‘Inner Confidence’ vitamins – for energy, immunity and hormone support, stocked in the luxury London salon. Hellen Ward, co-founder & managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, trialled Curated Beauty London for three months prior to the collaboration. She says: “After trying the wellness range, it was clear that [the brand] offers something different. When Sam, Ros and Natalie (Curated Beauty London co-founders) then presented the wider range, Gina Charalambous (spa director) and I instantly recognised the quality and integrity of the formulations.” Sam Grocutt, Curated Beauty London co-founder, comments: “To have Curated Beauty London stocked in a salon of this calibre, and championed by a team that chooses brands that truly perform, is both an honour and milestone.”
Hellen Ward
Sam Grocutt
www.curatedbeauty.london
INTERNATIONAL NAIL TRAINER RETIRES AFTER 54 YEARS
MAVALA international trainer, Jenny Wiles, has announced her retirement. The nail educator joined the company in 1972, tasked with running the MAVALA beauty training school and hosting promotional nail clinics around the UK. Her career then took her across the globe, to teach thousands of students about the necessities of nail and skincare. Speaking on her long-standing employment, Jenny previously commented: “I like that MAVALA has a family ethos. When people join the company, they want to stay forever.” The MAVALA UK team held a tea party to honour Jenny’s remarkable 54 years of dedication, and wish her every happiness in her well-earned retirement. www.mavala.co.uk
SCRUMMI RECERTIFIES AS A B CORP BRAND
Disposable towel brand, Scrummi, has achieved B Corporation status, recertifying with 103 points – a significant increase from its 2022 score of 87 points. According to the B Corp UK website: “Certified B Corporations are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.” The leap in Scrummi’s certification score reflects ‘meaningful progress across its operations, from responsible sourcing and manufacturing to ethical partnerships and positive workplace practices’. Scrummi founder & managing director, Rob Cooper, comments: “Recertifying as a B Corp is a real privilege and proud moment for everyone at Scrummi. It’s Rob Cooper a powerful testament to the commitment of our entire team to building a business that is a genuine force for good. Achieving a B Corp score of 103 reflects the hard work, integrity and impact-focused mindset not only of our people, but our suppliers and customers.” www.scrummi.com
Image courtesy of Linkedin.com
Award-winning nail pro releases planner & appointment books
Scratch Stars Session Nail Stylist of the Year 2018 & 2019, Nickie Rhodes-Hill, has released 2026 editions of her popular Beauty Business Weekly Planner and Appointment Book. Since 2023, Nickie has produced the resources annually to support salon owners with structured planning. Of the books, she comments: “The work of nail professionals is client-led, fast-paced and creative, and having something physical to refer to can make organising appointments, finances and admin feel more manageable. Both books reflect how nail businesses ‘actually’ operate, rather than how they may be expected to operate.” The Beauty Business Weekly Planner is ‘focused on wider business planning and oversight’. It includes weekly planning pages alongside monthly, quarterly and annual overviews, budgeting sections, income and expenditure pages, awareness dates and admin pages to support long-term thinking, goal setting and business awareness. The Beauty Business Appointment Book is ‘designed for the practical reality of day-to-day client work’. It features daily appointment planning pages, monthly income and expenditure support, awareness dates and essential admin sections. The Beauty Business Weekly Planner & Appointment Book are available via www.amazon.co.uk
Nickie Rhodes-Hill
SAVE THE DATE!
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Chinese New Year begins on 17 February, marking one of the most significant celebrations in the lunar calendar. The festivities are characterised by firework displays, cultural traditions and communal gatherings, culminating in the annual Lantern Festival.
Each year is associated with one of the 12 zodiac animals, with 2026 ushering in the Year of the Horse, or more specifically, the Fire Horse. This sign brings themes of vitality, progress and action, with the last Year of the Horse falling in 2014 and the next in 2038. Scan to view our gallery of nail ideas to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026.
Nails by Ariana Nevoienna (@ariana.deikun_nails_)
NAIL & BEAUTY BITES
Specialist beauty insurance provider, Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT – part of Howden), has relocated to new offices in Stratford-upon-Avon. Following its acquisition by Howden in 2024, the premises have been named the Howden Specialty Midlands Centre of Excellence. www.abtinsurance.co.uk
Startup beauty brand, Curated Beauty London, has launched the INNER POWER Pure Creatine Monohydrate: a daily wellness supplement aiding energy, strength, cognitive clarity and recovery. www.curatedbeauty.london
The PersoNAILity nail brand has launched The Essential Collection of manicure tools. The range features six salon-friendly items, including clippers, a cuticle pusher, cuticle nippers and a curette. www.personaility.co.uk
British beauty retailer, The Body Shop, has joined the British Beauty Council as a patron. It will contribute to the creation of a growth roadmap and support the implementation of the Council’s programmes. www.britishbeautycouncil.com
Latina beauty influencer unveils Core nail lacquer range
Lights Lacquer, the nail polish brand founded by beauty influencer & YouTuber, Kathleen Lights, has launched its Core line-up: 12 versatile shades ‘designed to anchor every polish wardrobe’. The collection blends five new shades with bestselling hues, marking the colours the brand will return to, build on and keep in rotation year after year. Lights Lacquer was founded in November 2019 by Kathleen Lights, and products are designed by a women-led team of creatives based in Miami, Florida. A spokesperson for the brand comments: “Lights Lacquer is an ethical, performance-focused company that embodies pillars of artistry, nostalgia, heritage and unique colour curation. It draws inspiration from Kathleen’s Cuban culture and eclectic Miami roots. “Kathleen curates each shade, drawing inspiration from her vast knowledge of make-up and colour theory, the world around her, nostalgic references and colour stories she shares with her loyal followers, artists and polish fanatics.” New shades include Is Butter A Carb?, Cry Baby, Extra Dirty, Daisy Dukes and Apartment Purple. www.lightslacquer.com
PINTEREST PALETTE
™
REVEALS COLOURS SET TO DOMINATE IN 2026
Pinterest Palette™, the annual, data-driven colour trend report by social media platform, Pinterest, has unveiled the hues likely to be popular this year. The 2026 palette features five colours, ‘identified from the searches and saves of Pinterest’s 600+ million monthly active users’. The platform comments that the colours reflect ‘the cultural and creative shifts expected to influence design, consumer preference and purchase intent’. The five shades are:
• Cool Blue: A ‘clean, icy wash of colour’, this hue offers renewed energy.
• Jade: The desire to reconnect with nature will see people gravitate towards luxurious and jewel-toned colour, jade.
• Plum Noir: The popularity of this deep purple shade is ‘fuelled by a broader rejection of youthful pastels’, signifying a shift towards elegance and decadence.
• Wasabi: A colour that Pinterest describes as ‘electric chartreuse’, this yellow-green hue is gaining momentum, fuelled by Gen Z’s fixation on cyber-Y2K aesthetics.
• Persimmon: Reminiscent of an Aperol Spritz, this sunset-toned shade is set to dominate summer colour palettes. Caroline Orange-Northey, Pinterest managing director, UK & Ireland, comments: “Colour is one of the fastest ways that consumers signal taste and intent – and one of the smartest levers brands can use to stand out on the shelf and on-screen. Pinterest
Palette™ translates early search and save signals into a practical outlook retailers and marketers can apply to product direction, packaging and creative campaigns, helping them stay culturally relevant and drive measurable action.” www.pinterest.com
Caroline Orange-Northey
Image courtesy of Linkedin.com
Lucy Pastorelli upgrades bestselling ultrasonic cleaner
UK-based nail tool brand, Lucy Pastorelli, has unveiled the UltraClean PRO: a new iteration of its original UltraClean device. The PRO uses the same ultrasonic technology to clean tools and E-file bits in minutes, but features ‘a smarter design, upgraded performance and enhanced usability’. Nail pros can benefit from longer cycle options and a larger capacity than the original
UltraClean, as well as a removable plug to make filling and emptying the tank easier. Listening to the feedback of its customers, Lucy Pastorelli has also introduced a removable lid to aid accessibility to the device’s chamber. UltraClean PRO is designed with speed and precision in mind, and engineered to meet the demands of busy salons. Use with the LP Ultra Detergent to kill 99.9% of bacteria, and enhance the cleaning cycle with the device’s heat settings. The UltraClean PRO is £110 + VAT. Save 10% with code SCRATCH10 at www.lpnails.com
DATES FOR THE DIARY
1 February-15 March
Entry open for the
Scratch Stars Awards
2026
The UK and Ireland’s most prestigious nail industry awards are open for entry. Nineteen Scratch Stars Awards categories are presented for 2026, including Polish & Paint Artist of the Year, Mobile Nailist of the Year, Nail Salon of the Year and new category, Builder Gel Tech of the Year. Educators, techs and teams are invited to enter via an online form, with entry closing 15 March at 23.59 GMT. Read our entry guide from page 22 and submit your entry via www.scratchmagazine.co.uk/scratchstars
19 April
Niche Nail Network
Popular shopping, networking and learning experience, Niche Nail Network, is back for 2026 at Cranmore Park, Solihull. This will be the fourth iteration of the event, which was created by three industry professionals to connect nail artists and brands, enhance skills and allow in-person shopping. It will feature over 20 exhibiting brands offering discounts, six expert demonstrations, goody bags for attendees and a networking hub. Purchase your ticket via www.nichenailnetwork.co.uk