Ard As Nails

Ard As Nails: handmade nail polish and bath products from a UK indie brand

Ard As Nails is a British independent cosmetics business that makes nail polish and bath and body products by hand. The brand operates alongside Soap-Dodger, the bath and body line that preceded it. According to the company's own account, founder Kat began experimenting with bath bomb recipes in June 2013, and what started as a hobby grew into a small business. The nail polish brand Ard As Nails was launched on 7 August 2015, and the company says it has continued to grow since then.

Nail polish collections and finishes

The catalogue is organised around collections and product types. Current and recent collections named on the site include Secrets of the Sea, Japanese Flower, Disco Nights, The Toppers, The Seashell Trio, The One Off's, Limited Oops and Limited Stock, alongside a Creme Collection and an End of Line Sale. The shop can also be browsed by finish: crellie, chrome, foil effect, flake, holographic, magnetic, matte, shimmer, thermal and toppers.

Individual products listed at the time of writing include the Planet Toppers 2.0 set and single toppers such as Mars 2.0, Saturn 2.0, Earth 2.0, Neptune 2.0, Venus, Space Flare, Space Junk and Galaxy, priced at £8.00 each, with the set at £30.00. The Secrets of the Sea Collection is offered as a set at £37.50, with individual shades including Vampire Squid, Gossamer Worm, Pearl Octopus, Gold Spotted Crown Jelly and Abyssal Comb Jelly. A Limited Oops section lists polishes at reduced prices, with examples such as 150826A (Solar) at £6.00 instead of £8.00, 010826B (Creme) at £3.25 instead of £6.50, and 020726A (reflective) at £4.00 instead of £8.00.

Soap-Dodger bath and body line

Under the Soap-Dodger name, the company makes bath and body products in house, covering hand and foot care as well as bath and body items. The range is described as vegan friendly. This line is the original activity of the business, which later expanded into nail polish.

Base coats, top coats, oils and accessories

Beyond colour polish, Ard As Nails sells base coats, a glossy top coat and a matte top coat. Its cuticle oil range comes in a variety of fragrances and is supplied in both brush pen and rollerball formats. The accessories section covers nail care and nail art tools, including nail files, cuticle pushers and a variety of magnets.

Formulation, vegan status and regulatory compliance

The company states that its hand-poured nail polish uses a 10-free base, meaning it is formulated without DPB, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, camphor, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, triphenyl phosphate, parabens, fragrance and animal products. It also says it worked on its recipes to remove all animal-derived ingredients, registered with PETA and uses only vegan and vegetarian ingredients, so that all products are cruelty free.

On the regulatory side, the company says it has held cosmetics licences since 2013 and that manufacturing complies with Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, with the post-Brexit rules also applied. It states that it is fully insured as a business and holds public and product liability cover.

Loyalty programme and customer feedback

The site invites customers to join a loyalty programme in which points earned on each order can be converted into money against future purchases. It also refers customers to Trustpilot for reviews. Two testimonials are reproduced on the site: one from Jo in November 2022 praising the pigment density, glossy finish and careful packing, and one from Audra Watson in September 2024 mentioning speedy delivery, product quality and customer service. These are individual comments rather than an aggregate rating.

Wholesale and newsletter

The site includes a wholesale section and a newsletter sign-up for monthly updates on new releases and news. A blog and a gallery are also part of the site.