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Stuart Skinner

Image courtesy of Linkedin.com

VTCT expands support for international learners

Beauty qualifications awarding body, VTCT, has launched the Vocational English Language Assessment (VELA), to benefit international students. The AI-powered English proficiency test is designed ‘to support international learners, training providers and employers with a fast, reliable and accessible way to validate English language capability’. VELA evaluates four core language skills: speaking, writing, reading and listening. The test delivers instant results that align with the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). In addition to traditional language assessment criteria, VELA features industry-related content, so that learners are evaluated using language skills that align with their careers. Priced at £15 per assessment, VELA is an online test that can be accessed anywhere. It is built with security and validation processes, ensuring accuracy via the use of AI-driven scoring models. Stuart Skinner, director of international development at VTCT Skills, shares: “VELA has been developed in direct response to the challenges we see internationally around accessibility, speed and trust in English language assessment. By combining advanced AI technology with vocationally relevant content, we’re able to offer learners, centres and employers a practical, affordable solution that delivers reliable results in minutes, without compromising quality or integrity.” www.vtctskills.org.uk

Salon recycling box launches as part of Great British Beauty Clean Up

The Sustainable Beauty Coalition’s waste-focused campaign, The Great British Beauty Clean Up (GBBCU), has partnered with waste management company, MYGroup, to launch a recycling box for beauty businesses. The initiative is part of The GBBCU 2026, powered by the British Beauty Council’s Sustainable Beauty Coalition. It launches on 2 March, to ‘increase recycling and repurposing of waste’. According to the British Beauty Council’s Courage to Change report, 86% of plastic beauty packaging is not recycled. The recycling box aims to change this, championing ‘zero-landfill and zero-incineration solutions for hard-to-recycle items like compacts, mascara tubes, pumps and hazardous items such as hair foils’. These items can be transformed into new materials, like school furniture and building supplies. The Great British Beauty Clean Up 2026 calls on the beauty industry to ‘unite and champion sustainable practices, packaging and products, and rethink its collective packaging impact and relationship with waste’. Purchase a recycling box and find out more about The GBBCU 2026 via www.britishbeautycouncil.com

Doug Schoon

DOUG SCHOON TO HOST PARIS EDUCATION EVENT

Esteemed nail scientist, Doug Schoon, will lead a two-day event in Paris, dedicated to the future of nails and beauty. Taking place 13-14 June 2026 at the Hotel L’Elysée Val d’Europe, the highly anticipated gathering promises to deliver clarity, education and innovation to nail professionals. An internationally respected authority in cosmetic chemistry and nail product safety, Schoon has spent nearly four decades shaping how professionals understand the science behind their work. Beyond his roles as an educator & author, he holds more than 16 patents and is credited with inventing several successful nail products. His career includes over 20 years as a senior researcher at CND™, extensive work in R&D laboratories and leadership as president of the Nail Manufacturers Council (NMC). The Paris event will draw heavily from Schoon’s latest publication, Advanced Chemistry Applied to Nails. Attendees can expect an in-depth exploration of emerging trends, innovations and scientific principles that impact product performance, safety and longevity. They will gain access to previously unseen visual material and expanded scientific insights. Book tickets via www.formationonglerie.fr

Camilla Kay

David Macdonald

Jessica Hewitt

BRITISH BEAUTY COUNCIL EXPANDS STAKEHOLDER NETWORK

The British Beauty Council (BBCo) has expanded its stakeholder network with strategic appointments. Former executive director at Glamour UK, Camilla Kay, has joined the Council as director of communications and events, overseeing its press and media relations.

David Macdonald, vice president of sustainability at pharmacy company, Walgreens, & the BBCo’s talent pillar president, has been appointed ambassador for men. His role serves to help the Council spotlight the power and socio-economic impact of male personal care and grooming. Meanwhile, Jessica Hewitt, global head of beauty & wellness at student platform, UNiDAYS, has stepped into the position of education and talent pillar president, having made a significant impact on the British Beauty Council’s Student Shadow Board initiative.

These appointments are accompanied by additions to the Council’s committee and advisory board, comprising influential professionals across the beauty industry.

Millie Kendall OBE, CEO of the British Beauty Council, comments: “Over the last six years, we have worked hard to solidify the foundations of the Council. Now, we are entering an exciting period of growth, and these appointments will only serve to strengthen our work for the industry.”

www.britishbeautycouncil.com

Millie Kendall OBE

Phorest welcomes 750 attendees to Salon Owners Summit

Salon software company, Phorest, held its Salon Owners Summit at the Royal Convention Centre, Dublin, which was attended by 750 members of the beauty industry.

The event, which was themed ‘Thrive: The Human Experience’, brought together members of the professional beauty community and hosted sessions from figures including skincare expert, Caroline Hirons, and Katie Piper OBE. The two-day event also served as a launchpad for Phorest’s AI Suite, which was co-created with salons and is ‘designed to enhance human teams, rather than replace them’.

Ronan Perceval

At the summit, Ronan Perceval, CEO of Phorest, shared: “Our goal has always been to return the gift of time to salon, spa and clinic owners, allowing them to focus on the human connection and the artistry of the client experience. By automating admin, we empower our community to move from surviving the daily grind to truly thriving.” To round out the event, Phorest revealed that, after 10 years of hosting the Salon Owners Summit in Dublin, the 2027 iteration will be held in Killarney – to ‘accommodate the event’s rapid growth and provide a fresh, immersive experience’. www.phorest.com

Industry bodies call for aesthetics licensing

Research published by University College London has revealed a fourfold increase in aesthetic practitioners offering botulinum toxin treatments in the UK in two years, raising concerns that the industry has ‘outpaced regulation’. The study identified nearly 20,000 practitioners operating across more than 5,500 clinics, with non-medical aestheticians doubling and clinics without clinical staff more common in deprived areas. The findings come amid Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) investigations, which have intensified questions around patient safety. Bodies like the British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC) and the British Beauty Council have campaigned extensively for industry-wide regulation, including in UK and Scottish government consultations. Despite the UK government’s plans to introduce licensing schemes for practitioners and premises since 2022, regulations are yet to be phased in.

Lesley Blair MBE

Victoria Brownlie MBE

BABTAC chair & CEO, Lesley Blair MBE, comments: “The aesthetics industry is evolving at an extraordinary pace, and in recent years things have drifted off course – which is why industry-wide regulation is so important. There’s no formal recourse if something goes wrong, allowing unscrupulous and underqualified individuals to operate without appropriate safeguards.” Victoria Brownlie MBE, chief of policy & sustainability at the British Beauty Council, adds: “As treatments have become more accessible, they’ve taken on a more frivolous perception compared with a decade ago. That’s why strong regulation is vital, to reinforce that [injectables] are procedures with real risks, requiring mandatory regulatory processes.” www.babtac.comwww.britishbeautycouncil.com

pleasure

CULTURAL HERITAGE MONTH TO UNITE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UK

Cultural Fashion & Arts – the organisation behind the international Cultural Style Week movement, has introduced Cultural Heritage Month, which will take place from 11 May to 10 June 2026.

After soft launching in November at Hackney Museum and receiving a positive response, the UK-wide event will aim to create ‘a shared national moment where communities can come together to celebrate and explore UK heritage, culture and traditions, and the diverse communities across the United Kingdom’.

Candy-Ellie Graham

Speaking at the soft launch event, Candy-Ellie Graham, founder & creative director of Cultural Fashion & Arts, said: “Over the past four years, we’ve consistently heard that people want more space, visibility and opportunity to share their culture beyond a single moment or community. Cultural Heritage Month brings that together, creating a moment where communities can stand proudly side by side.” The organisation notes that while the UK already observes a number of important cultural and heritage moments, ‘many communities remain underrepresented, and opportunities for cross-cultural exchange can be limited’. Therefore, Cultural Heritage Month invites organisations, communities and individuals to ‘facilitate, host, contribute to or attend activities’ that prioritise sharing heritage and culture. The event’s website and a calendar will provide visibility for activations taking place across the UK, including performances, workshops, talks, exhibitions and fashion shows. www.culturalheritagemonth.com

Niche Nail Network returns for 2026

The fourth annual Niche Nail Network will be held at Cranmore Park in Solihull on 19 April. The event comprises shopping, networking and learning experiences in a trade show concept, ‘to bring small businesses and nail artists together and allow brands to connect with their community’.

The experience also aims to provide a space for ‘nail professionals to view, trial and shop products in-person, make new nail friends and level up their nail skills from some of the UK’s leading nail artists’.

Tickets grant full access to the main exhibitor hall, where brands will interact with attendees and offer discounts. Exhibitors include Scratch, Moyra UK, Nail & Beauty Excellence, Saviour™ and Katie Barnes Tool Range.

Masterclasses will be delivered by nail industry figures including Chantelle Johnson of Clawgasmic; multi award-winning pro, Andreea Simona Ignat, and Jaz Titcombe of @jazzynails.x, who you can read about on page 74. Guests will also benefit from a dedicated networking hub, where they can connect, collaborate and build relationships within the professional nail community. Purchase tickets via www.nichenailnetwork.co.uk

NAIL & BEAUTY BITES

UK-made nail brand, Roxi, has expanded its gel polish shade range with five spring hues: deep red, Crush; pastel pink, Ballet; mint green, Peppermint; butter yellow, Cello, and baby blue, Misty. Shop the shades via www.roxinails.co.uk / www.nsinails.co.uk

Award-winning nail artist, Angela Metcalfe, has joined the Rebecca Orme Nail Academy as an educator for Hull. With a career spanning over three decades, Angela offers all Rebecca Orme nail courses and ABT-accredited qualifications, and is set to launch mixed media training. www.rebeccaorme.co.uk

London beauty brand, Barry M, has been bought out of administration by cosmetics firm, Warpaint. The £1.4 million takeover includes the brand and its intellectual property, but not Barry M’s London factory or staff. www.warpaintlondonplc.com

Professional brow and lash brand, Buff Browz, has begun development of its first dedicated training and salon headquarters. The site, located in Hurst Green, Surrey, is ‘designed with education and community at its core’, and will open in spring 2026. www.buffbrowz.co.uk

HOME OF NAIL ART LAUNCHES HONA SKIN PRODUCTS

Wales-based nail brand, Home of Nail Art (HONA), has introduced HONA SKIN: a collection of ‘treatment-led skincare designed to elevate salon services’. The range comprises products manufactured in Wales, boasting vegan and cruelty-free formulas. The launch positions skincare ‘not as an add-on, but a true part of the manicure ritual, giving professionals a complete system that enriches their services and the overall client experience’.

HONA SKIN debuts with 10 professional-grade products, with many available in four scent variations: Bare (fragrance free), Uplift, Focus and Relax. The range also features a selection of professional tools to ensure ease of application.

Products include Nourishing Repair Powder, Smoothing Scrub, Radiant Clay Masque, Cleansing Skin Wash, Rich Skin Butter and Hydrating Light Lotion, which make up the HONA SKIN Luxury Skin Treatment. “HONA SKIN represents a new chapter for us,” says Mike Henson, HONA co-founder. “Professionals have trusted HONA to elevate nailcare with high-performance, hypoallergenic products. Now, we are expanding that same commitment into skincare, creating treatment-led formulas that make every manicure feel luxurious and personalised.” Browse the HONA SKIN range via www.homeofnailart.com

Mike Henson

Image courtesy of Linkedin.com

John Arehart // Shutterstock

Bad Bunny spotlights nail tech talent in Super Bowl show

American football event, the Super Bowl, is typically the most-watched event on US television, and attracted 124.9 million viewers last month when NFL team, Seattle Seahawks, beat New England Patriots. This year, it also brought the nail community together in excitement, as Puerto Rican music artist & actor, Bad Bunny, highlighted the nail profession in his half-time show. Renowned for sporting eye-catching nail art to match his extravagant fashion choices, Bad Bunny used his performance to spotlight nail artistry on a huge stage. Around one minute into the 14-minute set, the musician walked past a nail desk, where he interacted with a nail tech and client. The nail pro, Madelyn Nuñez of @laindianailz, thanked Bad Bunny for the special moment on Instagram.

The professional nail community took to social media to praise Bad Bunny’s celebration of the nail craft. @ivonneenailz wrote: “Even Bad Bunny knows… nail techs are essential!” Meanwhile, Florida-based pro, @ivanalepi, commented: “Bad Bunny really said: nail techs deserve the spotlight too. As a nail artist I felt so represented […] Bad Bunny really brought nail tech culture to the biggest stage.”

Find out more and see the viral moment via bit.ly/superbowlnails

DATES FOR THE DIARY

2 March

The Great British Beauty Clean Up

Launched by the British Beauty Council’s Sustainable Beauty Coalition in 2025, The Great British Beauty Clean Up is a nationwide collaboration between retailers, brands and professionals, serving to reduce beauty industry waste. The month-long event returns for 2026, sharing a range of recycling, reuse and refill programmes and awareness initiatives. Get involved via www.britishbeautycouncil.com

15 March

Entry closes for the Scratch Stars Awards 2026

Time is running out to enter the UK and Ireland’s only nail industry awards, which has 19 categories open for entry until 15 March 23:59 GMT. These include Mixed Media Artist of the Year, Nail Salon of the Year, Educator of the Year and new category, Builder Gel Tech of the Year. Professionals can enter up to two categories via online forms, as well as submit nominations for nail pros, salons, educators or teams. Discover entry tips from page 22, and submit your entry via www.scratchmagazine.co.uk/scratchstars

19 April

Niche Nail Network

Shopping, networking and learning experience, Niche Nail Network, will take place 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, six expert demonstrations, goody bags for attendees and a networking hub. Purchase your ticket via www.nichenailnetwork.co.uk