Posts by Helena Biggs
VTCT appoints new chair & vice-chair for board of trustees
VTCT (Vocational Training Charitable Trust), which offers vocational and technical qualifications across sectors including beauty therapy, has appointed Jenny Sworder as chair and Isabel Sutcliffe as vice-chair of its board of trustees. VTCT has over 1,600 approved centres globally, with a market share of 54% within the UK hair, beauty and complementary therapies sectors. The…
Read MorePantone reveals 2 Colour of the Year shades for 2021
Global colour authority, Pantone has announced PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, as its Pantone® Colour of the Year selection for 2021. These two independent colours ‘come together to create an aspirational colour pairing, conjoining deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the optimistic promise of a sunshine filled day.’ The spirited shades have been…
Read MoreTownhouse nail salon expands into Harrods
Scratch Stars Awards finalist, Townhouse, has grown its presence – expanding into Harrods with its stylish and sought-after nail treatments. From 9 December, Townhouse Knightsbridge is offering the full range of the brand’s signature nail treatments on the 5th floor of the renowned department store. Such treatments include manicures, pedicures, nail art and a range…
Read MoreNail & beauty pros wanted to help shape National Occupational Standards
The Hair & Beauty Industry Authority (Habia) and Skills Active UK are inviting professionals in the hair, beauty, spa, aesthetics and nail sectors to support the review of the National Occupational Standards (NOS). These standards are ‘statements of the standards of performance individuals must achieve when carrying out functions in the workplace, together with specifications…
Read MoreIndigo Nails embraces femininity with 4 chic gel polish shades
Four sophisticated tones of pink have been added to the Indigo Nails range of gel polish; serving up a hue to complement any skin tone. Dama is an elegant dusky pink, described as ‘a real Lady among the Lipstick 4 You gel polishes’. Offerma ‘cleverly flirts with the surroundings with its vibrant character’. It’s a…
Read MorePoints to consider if you’re a pregnant nail tech
No two pregnancies are the same, and you may suffer with aches, pains or sickness worse than a colleague, so listen to your body and its needs around your working life. As part of health & safety procedures, business owners should conduct regular risk assessments; particularly reviewing them when a pregnancy is announced. This analysis…
Read MoreMarian Newman BEM founds Federation of Nail Professionals to raise sector standards
Nail industry and education advocate, Marian Newman BEM, and a board of industry peers, have officially launched The Federation of Nail Professionals (The FNP) today (28 November). The not-for-profit organisation is focused on supporting and raising the standards of practice, education, knowledge and development for UK nail professionals. The initial launch invites supporters to sign…
Read MoreDazzle this season with 3 party-inspired Halo gel polish shades
While parties may not quite be on the agenda for 2020, consider some feel-good nail shades to dazzle & catch eyes. Pure Nails has launched three Halo Gel Polish shades infused with confetti in a New Year’s Eve collection. NYE Party features a blue base with chunky glitter, Cheers! has a rose gold base and…
Read MoreNail artist & SNA Professional collaborate to develop 5 rich gel paints
SNA Professional has collaborated with popular nail artist, Kirstan Hart, to launch HARTPASTE, a collection of five rich gel paints. Create striking nail art looks with ease with the thick consistency and opaque quality of the formula. The gel paints can be used for full coverage looks, to ombré or to add decadent details. The…
Read MoreNail & beauty salons in England can reopen on 2 December
Lockdown restrictions will be lifted from 2 December and nail and beauty salons can reopen revealed prime minister, Boris Johnson, in a statement to parliament today (23 November). Broadcasting from self-isolation, he revealed the Covid-19 ‘Winter Plan’, which sees businesses reopen from 2 December. The tier system will be reinstated, in which rules will be…
Read MoreThe Gel Bottle Inc becomes first nail brand to launch products into space
The Gel Bottle Inc has celebrated the launch of its galactic-inspired Infinity nail colour collection by sending the 10 shades into space. In an industry first, TGB founder Daisy Kalnina, and her team sourced a company in Sheffield to rocket the gel polish products high above the earth via a specially designed balloon. “The colours…
Read MoreNail tech launches sharpening service to keep tools performing at their best
Katie Barnes, the award-winning Warwick nail tech who has founded her own tool range, has launched a sharpening service. The service is available to nail techs using any tool brand, not just those using the KB Tool Range. “Sharp tools are safer and more efficient to use than blunt ones,” Katie notes. “When a tool…
Read MoreFall in love with Light Elegance’s The Art of Kissing nail colours
Pucker up this winter and prepare to fall in love with six sumptuous gel nail shades from Light Elegance. Available in the ButterCream formula, which glides on the nail and offers one coat coverage, The Art Of Kissing collection features a palette of on-trend hues to suit the season and beyond. “I love the contrast…
Read MoreSister campaign of Beauty Backed encourages clients to support local beauty pros
Caroline Hirons, founder of the Beauty Backed campaign, has launched a sister initiative; Back Beauty. Beauty Backed launched in August 2020 to raise both funds and support for the reopening of the UK beauty industry in its entirety. Back Beauty now hopes to encourage clients to ‘book and buy beauty’ to support the sector. Caroline…
Read MoreUK hair & beauty organisations urge PM to assure reopening after 2 Dec
The UK’s biggest hair and beauty organisations have written an open letter to Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, demanding assurances that the entire industry will be reopened in all of the tier structures after the England lockdown on 2 December. This letter comes after a confusing and tumultuous reopening strategy for the sector last summer, in…
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