Semilac hits London, US techs get domestic violence awareness training, and we go behind the scenes at an achingly cool Shoreditch salon

SHOW OF SUPPORT

Pro nail brand Ink London has launched a new product in support of colleague and nail tech Lisa Wells, who has terminal cancer.

All proceeds from sales of new Ink Additions iridescent glitter in pink-red shade Lisa’s Army will be donated to Lisa Wells’s Justgiving fund at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lisa-wells-3

Wells is a nail tech and head educator in the South for Ink.

She was diagnosed with terminal liver and bowel cancer shortly after giving birth to her second child in October 2017. 10% of all donations will go towards hospice Dorothy House, with the rest of the money saved for Wells’s children.

Wells has also organised a fundraising 20km walk on Mother’s Day, March 11, and a charity gig on April 1.

CITY LIFE

Pro nail brand Semilac has partnered with its first London salon. Mayfair Aesthetics & Beauty has taken on the brand and put its techs through training at Semilac’s

UK Academy to learn the UV hybrid gel polish system. The salon has seven nail stations and will also become a base for Semilac in the capital, serving as a venue for brand events.

Techs against violence

Techs in California will receive domestic violence awareness training from July 2019.

Pros applying for a licence to provide treatments in California will have to undergo an hour-long training course that teaches them how to spot common signs of abuse and to support clients and help them leave a dangerous situation.

5minutes with

Kelly Winterburn, education ambassador, Sweet Squared My nail journey began in 2001 when I went to college to study beauty therapy. I booked onto my first CND course in 2002 and after completing the foundation level I went back to college to do my NVQ Level 3 in Nail

Technology. I eventually became a CND grand master.

In 2008, I became a CND education ambassador, and in 2010

I completed a PTLLS Teaching Certificate and qualified as an

A1 assessor. Shortly afterwards, I joined the international team at CND and was lucky enough to spend a few years travelling the globe, facilitating for the brand’s distributors and on education ambassador bootcamps. I now reside full time at Sweet Squared head office, teaching students in the Yorkshire area.

I’m educating so much now that I only find time for a small number of regular clients, those who have been with me from the very beginning. They’re happy to be flexible and fit neatly into my busy schedule.

I love enhancements and adore liquid and powder. It’s strong, versatile and from an artistic point of view, there are so many things you can achieve.

I’m not a follower of trends. I love the classic French manicure and I’d consider a nude nail my signature look; I think I’ve worn it non-stop for around five years. There are lots of challenges in the industry right now: methyl methacrylate (MMA), non-standard salons, hygiene issues and low standards to name a few. Our industry needs to be more closely regulated to ensure all nail professionals are exactly that – professionals.

SALON SPOTLIGHT

Shoreditch Nails, London

Opened: May 2017. “I had my own business within a hair salon for seven years previously.” Interior design vibe: “We have a real Scandi feel in the salon, using Farrow and Ball paint in shade Stiff Key Blue, exposed wood and white brick walls. We’ve mixed our favourite designers, House of Hackney and Klaus Haapaniemi, as well as a splash of pink tiles and pink velvet. We wanted to create a cosy, ‘hygge’ feeling, which has worked well as it’s such a small space.” Techs: Nine “including myself plus two receptionists and one event co-ordinator”.

Bookings: “We use Shedul, which is amazing as it’s such an easy system to use. We mainly get online bookings but still take appointments over the phone. Now Instagram has become so popular we also get people emailing via our page.” Product houses: CND, OPI, Honest hand balms and hand wash, and Arganic Argan Oil. USP: “We’re all about beautiful, natural nails. We also do a lot of minimal nail art like dots, inverted Vs and tape.” Best-selling treatment: “The Shellac manicure is by far our most popular service. We do a lot of pedis too, but with regular polish.”

Typical client: “We have a mixture of local creatives and city workers as well as professional mums. All our clients are like-minded, into the same designers and interior design; women who love the East London way of life.” Most popular colours: “We’re doing a lot of pale pink, nudes and dark navy. Clear nails with a coloured dot are also very popular.”

Trend watch: “We keep an eye on Instagram and catwalk trends but our clients are very much creative trendsetters.”

Teaming up: “When I opened a year ago, a big part of my marketing strategy was collaborations so I was very keen to approach like-minded brands. I made a ‘tiki nail bar’, which I took to Bestival and Camp Bestival festivals and since then we’ve had a lot of brands approaching us to work together.”

Future plans: “We have a lot of events coming up in and out of the salon. We also plan on opening an academy at the end of May to train technicians to our standard of simple manicures and nail art. The bigger plan is to expand but at the moment we’re a long way off.”