Behind The Brand: Nail tech & sister team up to create product range
By Helena Biggs | 03 January 2021 | Brands, Feature
Sister duo, Ashley and Olivia Witter, have teamed up to create Nails In The Hudd, their own brand of nail products.
The brand launched in November 2020 with the by.OWA No.28 moisture oil, described as ‘a unisex oil with a musky scent.’
Ashley, who qualified in Nail Services in 2015 while teaching hairdressing, would practise nail art designs on Olivia and took the leap into full-time nail work in 2018 after carving out a nail art niche in her home town of Huddersfield.
“I had wanted to launch a cuticle oil for some time that I could use on my clients,” reveals Ashley, also known as @PaintedBeautyHQ on Instagram. “Olivia’s university course meant that she had an understanding of business and product merchandising and, as we are both creative, we decided to merge our skills and launch our first product – by.OWA.”
The tag line for by.OWA No.28 is ‘Open, Squeeze, Drip, Rub’ for application and most sales so far have been through the brand’s Instagram page.
“The support has been phenomenal so far,” Ashley beams. “We had been planning the product since January 2020 but needed to do a lot of research and reading, and then Covid-19 hit and delayed the launch. However, we utilised our time in the pandemic well as I focused on building my @PaintedBeautyHQ following, developing my skills and hosting live Instagram classes. Olivia developed her PhotoShop skills which has been vital for the packaging and marketing of by.OWA.”
The packaging design is inspired by high end brands; minimal yet stylish. “We both had the same vision for the bottles, but the branding work is Olivia’s forte,” reveals Ashley. “She has a keen eye for design and makes me run everything past her. I don’t dare post anything on our Instagram myself!
“We’re excited to launch more signature scents and hope to see our products retailed in salons, stores and showcased alongside top beauty brands. I love that Olivia and I have launched a brand together. We are so proud of it and it’s great to know we can make our clients feel good with our product.”
Follow the brand on Instagram – @nailsinthehudd