Nail NATION

news & views

Image courtesy of @DaytimeBeautyAwards / Dave Starbuck.

Celebrity manicurist honoured with Outstanding Achievement in Nail Artistry award

Last month, icons in the beauty, health and wellness sectors were celebrated at the eighth annual Daytime Beauty Awards (DBA) in Los Angeles. Among those honoured was celebrity manicurist, Temeka Jackson.

Boasting 25 years’ experience in the nail industry, Temeka has worked with stars including tennis pro, Serena Williams, and actress & singer, Keke Palmer. She is renowned for creating showstopping nail enhancements, often bedazzled with gems. With her work featured in high-profile publications, Temeka is no stranger to seeing her artistry take centre stage. However, the Daytime Beauty Awards shifted the spotlight to Temeka herself, as she was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement in Nail Artistry award.

Speaking to Scratch, Temeka commented: “The nail industry is sometimes the last to be recognised. We’re often seen as the underdog, but there is so much power in what we do. Our clients trust us; they trust our vision and ability to give them comfort when they need it. We are changing lives – one hand, conversation and hug at a time.”

When asked what the Outstanding Achievement in Nail Artistry recognition means to her, Temeka said: “It represents 25 years of hard work, long nights, tears and pushing past adversity. Most importantly, it means the next nail artist who looks up to me can do it. The little Black girl who dreams of becoming a nail artist can do it. My mantra, ‘Show Up. Set Up. Shut Up & Slay!’, represents how I’ve progressed through my career.” Follow Temeka on Instagram: @customtnails1

Salon group raises over £250,000 for cancer charity, The Eve Appeal

UK hair and beauty salon group, Saks, has raised over a quarter of a million pounds for charity, The Eve Appeal, which promotes awareness and funds research for gynaecological cancers. According to a press release from Saks and The Eve Appeal: “Gynae cancers still receive just 5% of all cancer research funding in the UK, despite around 22,050 new cases being diagnosed every year.” To support the charity’s work, teams from Saks have zip-wired, cycled, skydived, run, raffled and trekked their way to raising funds. Janet King, head of marketing at Saks, says: “We’re super thankful to our clients, families and friends who’ve chipped in repeatedly, our teams for agreeing to every mad challenge, and for every conversation that made someone feel able to ask a question or get something checked. We help women feel amazing, and look out for them and each other while we’re at it.”

Janet King

Anthena Lamnisos

Images courtesy of Linkedin.com

Anthena Lamnisos, CEO of The Eve Appeal, adds: “When Saks chose The Eve Appeal as its charity partner, we gained a team of incredible champions. Perhaps the greatest contribution has been helping women feel more comfortable talking about their gynae health and encouraging them to seek help when something doesn’t feel right. That happens in Saks salons, and it’s had an incredible impact.” www.saks.co.uk / www.eveappeal.org.uk

TREND SPOTLIGHT: Bedazzled nails

The latest craze enjoying a resurgence speaks to an enduring love of all things Y2K and unapologetic glamour. Bedazzled nails are exactly as they sound: manicures embellished with sparkling gems, crystals, pearls and glitter. Part of the trend’s renewed popularity can be traced to celebrity influence. Stars such as Dua Lipa and Sabrina Carpenter have been spotted showcasing the nail style. Most recently, a design created by celebrity manicurist, Zola Ganzorigt, for Kylie Jenner caused a huge surge in the trend’s popularity. Dubbed by Zola as ‘crystal candy’ nails, the look prompted a 311% surge in worldwide monthly searches for gem nails. With endless ways to personalise the look, bedazzled nails are set to remain firmly at the forefront of the beauty trendsphere this year. Scan to browse more beautiful bedazzled nail styles.

Kylie Jenner’s bedazzled nails by Zola Ganzorigt (@nailsbyzola)

Instagram.com/nail_sunny

THE GELBOTTLE INC LAUNCHES PRO PENTHOUSE AT NYFW

Nail brand, The GelBottle Inc (TGB), helped beauty professionals navigate the intensity of backstage life at New York Fashion Week with the Pro Penthouse: ‘a dedicated space to recharge, connect and be celebrated during one of the industry’s busiest weeks’. Created in partnership with brand advocacy platform, Duel, and beauty product distributor, CosmoProf, the breakout area allowed busy pros to ‘charge their devices, grab food and drinks, connect with peers and stock up on products from the brands they love’.

The GelBottle Inc noted that its involvement was a natural extension of its ‘longstanding relationship with the professional nail community it was built to serve’, and visitors to the Pro Penthouse benefitted from TGB gifting, alongside offerings from a range of beauty brands. “Fashion Week’s biggest stars are rarely the ones walking the runway,” the brand said in a statement. “Backstage, an army of hairstylists, make-up artists and nail technicians work around the clock to bring every look to life.” The GelBottle Inc’s Fashion Week influence also extended to the Pro Penthouse Trend Report SS27, sponsored by Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW). This features trend predictions from global ambassadors representing hair, make-up and nail brands, including TGB. For Daisy Kalnina, The GelBottle Inc founder & CEO, the initiative reflected the company’s wider commitment to the artists who have helped shape its success. “This industry, and TGB, runs on

Daisy Kalnina

our connection with each and every one of them,” she said. “We are always looking for opportunities to thank our artists and support them beyond product, bringing our community together whenever we can.” www.thegelbottle.com

BABTAC urges Government to recognise beauty industry as ‘vital’ to Britain’s future

Despite the beauty and personal care industry contributing £28.3 billion to UK GDP in 2025 and supporting 595,000 jobs*, beauty businesses were excluded from the 20% business rates reduction introduced in July for pubs, clubs and live music venues.

Caroline Hirons

Following this, the British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC) has been calling on the UK Government to recognise the beauty industry as a vital part of the future of Britain’s high streets. It argues that the independent businesses excluded from the support are among those that need it most, and describes them as ‘regular generators of physical footfall – providing some of the very things that make a successful high street’.

Skincare expert, brand founder & BABTAC board member, Caroline Hirons, says: “Beauty is not a frivolous extra, and running a salon isn’t a hobby. Salon owners cannot keep absorbing rising costs indefinitely. Eventually, that means higher prices for customers, fewer opportunities for young people entering the industry and, in the worst cases, businesses closing.

“The Government talks a great deal about supporting female entrepreneurs, creating skilled jobs and bringing life back to our high streets. Yet when a predominantly female, £28.3bn industry asks to be included in the same conversation as pubs and live music venues, it is treated like an optional extra.”

Lesley Blair MBE, CEO & chair of BABTAC, adds: “Beauty is one of the sectors bringing people into town centres, creating jobs, filling physical spaces and building communities. It provides employment, creates a relationship with the local community and contributes to the sense that a high street is somewhere people want to spend time. “Hospitality absolutely deserves support, but so do the salons and beauty businesses that people depend on. The Government cannot applaud beauty’s contribution to the economy, while continuing to overlook the businesses and women responsible for creating it.”

Scan to read more about the business rate cuts. *Value of Beauty report 2026, commissioned by the British Beauty Council and compiled by Oxford Economics.

Lesley Blair MBE

NAIL & BEAUTY BITES

John Frieda’s Mayfair salon has welcomed celebrity celebrity nail artist, Jenni Coles (née Draper), for a residency. The pro is offering bespoke manicures and pedicures, and bringing ‘the CACI Hand Rejuvenation treatment to Central London for the first time’. www.cacibeauty.com & @jennidraperr

British hand and footcare brand, Margaret Dabbs® London, has expanded its presence at luxury department store, Harrods. Its fourth floor Wellness Clinic has reopened, offering the Ultimate Luxury Pedicure treatment, and a standalone retail listing is available on the fifth floor. www.margaretdabbs.co.uk

Nail salon brand, Townhouse, has launched the Red Light Therapy Manicure treatment in collaboration with skin-tech company, FOREO. The service integrates FOREO’s FAQ™ 221 LED Hand Mask into the signature Townhouse manicure: ‘the ultimate match for beauty and skincare lovers’. www.townhouse.co.uk