All about ASHE London, the vegan nail varnish subscription service

Nail tech turned lawyer, Ashleigh Alli, is the mind behind the UK’s first vegan nail varnish subscription, ASHE London, aimed at those who lead busy lives but still want to treat themselves to a slice of luxury.

While cleaning and making cups of tea in a nail salon part-time from the age of 14, Ashleigh found herself fascinated by nail colours and enhancements and was trained in the craft by the salon owner. “Luckily I was good at doing nails as she was about to sack me for forgetting to do the cleaning,” Ashleigh laughs.

After leaving school at 16 to work as a full-time tech, Ashleigh became inspired to revisit education and pursue a career in law. However, she always knew that someday she wanted to return to her first passion: nails.

“I’d always wanted to open my own nail salon but after two children and a pandemic, setting up a nail varnish subscription service seemed like the best way to follow my dreams on my own terms,” she comments.

“The pandemic was also behind the decision to launch the brand as a subscription. Priorities have shifted because of Covid; many want to spend more time with friends and family and lots of us are working from home, so I wanted a product that reflects this.”

Once customers subscribe to ASHE London, they receive two on-trend nail varnishes every two months, delivered to their door in a luxe, biodegradable box. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time, with six month and year-long options available. The brand also releases limited edition colours throughout the year that can be bought individually.

“We devote a lot of time into trend forecast research so that our subscribers receive the season’s most in-demand nail colours, without the hassle of having to research or shop for new polishes,” explains Ashleigh, who strives to put consumer interests at the forefront of the business – including through giving 10% of all profits to charity. “We’re a nail brand with a conscience and know that people are changing the way they shop,” she says.

“The nail industry is so creative, constantly changing and pushing boundaries. I hope ASHE London’s colours can be a part of making people feel inspired and confident.”

Since launching in July 2021, the brand has built a loyal customer following, which includes famous faces like singer, Anne Marie, who shared a photo wearing shade Mary & Mildred.

But Ashleigh tells Scratch that it hasn’t been an easy ride, officially launching ASHE London just three weeks after giving birth to her second son. Before that, the business owner spent over a year perfecting the formula for ASHE London’s polishes, all while dealing with unexpected delays due to Brexit and the pandemic. “Everything has been a massive learning curve,” she comments. “For example, I had a clear idea of the colours I wanted but it wasn’t easy to produce them in a plant-based formula, as this can affect the shine and intensity of a polish.

“Having a background in nails definitely helps though, as I’m able to think from a client perspective, while also considering what would work well in a salon.”

The hard work has obviously paid off, as Ashleigh looks to expand the brand’s colour range and support more charities in future, as well as stock ASHE London’s shades in select luxury UK salons and boutiques.

Visit the ASHE London website here and follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram.