Meet Ruuby founder Venetia Archer, the woman revolutionising at-home beauty treatments

Emma North
·4 min read
Venetia Archer standing in front of a bookshelf
Venetia Archer standing in front of a bookshelf

Convenience, cost and quality. The three main aspects of professional beauty treatments that Venetia Archer, founder and CEO of at-home beauty concierge app Ruuby, is not willing to compromise on.

The Australian-born entrepreneur changed the way we get out beloved manicures, spray tans and massages by bringing them directly into our homes and we haven't looked back since.

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Venetia Archer in a green dress
Venetia's responsible for bringing beauty home (Ruuby)

Before Ruuby, Venetia worked as a geopolitical risk analyst researching Somalian piracy. Quite the career change, but she had an alternative dream - setting up her own business. After relocating to London from Kenya, she noticed the boom in on-demand services and decided to bring beauty into that mix.

Fast forward nearly 10 years and Ruuby's currently delivering one treatment every 6 minutes.

Venetia, how would you describe Ruuby?

"Ruuby is an on-demand beauty platform. It offers clients the ability to book a host of luxury beauty treatments in their homes."

What makes Ruuby unique?

"With Ruuby, we're very much focused on quality and curation. We meet every single one of our therapists that join our platform and we see it as a community. It's like a little black book of beauty and wellness experts. We're also very keen to innovate not just in terms of the technology solution that we offer, but also in terms of the services on offer in the app. Last week, I had a genetic testing done on the app. We're always introducing something new."

Woman having face mask applied on treatment bed
Ruuby offers brand-specific treatments including Mantle facials (Ruuby)

Where did the idea for Ruuby come from?

"Back in 2016, I was working long hours in London and I didn't have time to book my treatments. I was using apps like Uber and Deliveroo when I thought to myself, there's nothing for beauty. The idea was really born out of my own desire to use an on-demand beauty service."

Why do we love at-home beauty treatment​s?

"At-home, on-demand beauty treatments appeal to the time poor - which is most of us these days. It's also an incredibly useful platform for mums with young children at home. There's also been a shift in people's priorities since the pandemic. Our work from home choices have settled, we spend more time at home and value our time more."

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woman having a manicure at home
Manciures top the list as Ruuby's most popular treatment (Ruuby)

"My dream is for Ruuby to be the app that's on your phone and you hop off the plane or train and you can book your treatment anywhere, anytime, anywhere."

Did you come across any challenges when launching Ruuby?

"Initially, it was very difficult recruiting therapists. We didn't have a reputation yet and it was just me running around trying to encourage people to come onboard! It took a bit of time but we got there in the end and started growing. We now have an incredible pool of talent and it gives therapists the flexibility to work whenever they want."

"To make sure we're delivering great services, we meet all of our therapists in-person to check their qualifications and documentation and we trade test everyone to ensure they're up to scratch."

What does the future of Ruuby look like?

"My dream is for Ruuby to be the app that's on your phone and you hop off the plane or train and you can book your treatment anywhere, anytime, anywhere."

woman giving a massage to another woman in her own home
What's more relaxing than a massage in the comfort of your own home? (Ruuby)

What beauty treatments do you swear by?

"I love lymphatic drainage massage. It's not just a relaxing treatment, it has aesthetic results too. It's very detoxifying, relaxing and calming. We're so stressed and busy and it's really an opportunity to reconnect with the body. I also love Mantle facials. Mantle is a Swedish skincare brand that we actually work with at Ruuby. They use CBD and other natural ingredients. It's been one of the most popular treatments we've introduced to the platform."

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