FROM THE BEAUTIFUL TO THE BIZARRE

IS THERE ANYONE IN THE NAIL INDUSTRY MORE ICONIC, THAN THE LEGEND HERSELF JAN ARNOLD? WE CAUGHT UP WITH JAN AT PREMIERE ORLANDO TO TALK ABOUT SUMMER TRENDS, FROM THE BEAUTIFUL TO THE BIZARRE.

The Co-Founder and Style Director of CND started the company 44 years ago and has been at the helm of the iconic brand ever since.

While at Premiere Orlando in the bustling EVO Media Booth, we were lucky enough schedule. She said: “I absolutely share new ideas, go through new innovations, and get inspired!”

Jan's weekend was nonstop. She said: “Saturday I was teaching for most of the day in our CND classroom, showing nail pros all our new and exciting advances. This morning we were at the Bubbles and Beauty Brunch, where 25 winners joined me for a champagne brunch. It was my favorite thing because I got to hear their personal stories, their interests and their passions." 

I asked Jan how she stays so passionate and energetic about the industry 44 years later. She said: “If you're surrounded by the brilliance of today's nail professional, every day is a new day. It's creative inspiration, it's artistry. I mean, our little tiny canvases offer endless inspiration. So, long story short, I've been having a blast. The energy here is amazing. And everybody's just so excited to learn and soak up as much as they possibly can.”

Jan is passionate about helping nail artists make the most out of their career, and be proud of what they do. She said: “Back when we started our business, a lot of nail artists were sitting in a corner of a full-service salon. Things have evolved so much. Now, they’re right up front, they have their own businesses and studios. The nail industry is made up of 98% female entrepreneurs living their dream. Nails are a first-choice career. We want to help them take their businesses further.”

So, what exciting things are happening at CND these days? Jan said: “My office is actually connected to our research and development laboratory, which we've had in Vista, California for almost 40 years. And so, I see our young chemists inventing new molecules, creating new gels. As the creator of CND's Shellac, which was one of our biggest breakthroughs, we have learned so much about adhesion with gels, resiliency, strength, and wearability. And so I'm incredibly excited about the launch of our latest innovation in the Brisa line of hard gel: CND Brisa Glass. It is crystal clear. So, nail pros can extend nails and make them look like crystals. I mean, it's amazing. CND Plexigel Shaper is another innovation we launched recently that has crystal clear clarity which is lighting the world on fire! Nail pros can use this to fix, crack, repair a broken edge, or do a thin reshaping of the nail before using CND Shellac gel polish!”

For Summer 2023, CND has launched a beautiful new summer collection called Bizarre Beauty. Jan said: “For the photoshoot, I contacted my wildest nail friends to do the photography for the shoot. And it's so avant-garde, so Salvador Dali. But the colors are richly pigmented, with incredible shimmer and shine in the undertone. I think that's what women want in the summertime. They want bold colors. They want high shine. And they want to wear their nails perfectly for three-plus weeks.”

Whether you are going on your holiday, to a wedding, or to the beach, you want your nails to last and stand out. You could be wearing a wedding dress or a bikini, the only accessory you need is your nails. “I believe nails are 20 accessories that every person, any gender, can adopt and stand out.”

What nail trends will we be seeing this summer? Jan said: “Pushing length this summer will be a really good trend. I’m encouraging artists and clients to push length and push the shape to a stiletto shape if they can do it. That gives you the palette for more art. Never reserve art for one nail – go for all 10! It's the time to have fun and be creatively expressive.”

What do you think is going to be the winning product this summer? Jan said: “We've been in the laboratory for almost 20 years creating an odourless monomer liquid and we have finally achieved this with our newest launch, CND Odorless Sculpting Liquid. Now, for spas, day spas, and salons that want to really create a comfortable environment, no more stinky monomer smell! It's a game-changer. And what's really cool about this liquid is you blend the liquid with the powder. With our new CND Perfect Color Powder shades, the bead goes into the nail, and it behaves like a gel. It removes the labour and elevates the art.”

Another priority Jan has for CND products is to ensure that the integrity and health of the nail are kept intact. She said: “That’s what we are known for at CND. Our standards are really high in that if you wear enhancements or a coating, when they come off (if you choose to remove them) the nails will be flawless.

“The idea that you need to give your nails a ‘break’ from coatings is a misconception. The natural nail plate is layers of dead keratin, so the best thing you can do is to keep them coated. It could be a thin coat of CND Shellac or a full-blown enhancement. As long as you go for regular refills, and maintain them, you’ll be good for another three and a half weeks.”

Despite CND having been a name at the top of the game for 44 years, they are still continuously innovating and inventing. “Still at the root of who we are as a brand, we are committed to science, and we are really focused on nail health. Through elevated innovation with smart science, we are actually producing products that are lighter, thinner, more adhering, and even better for your natural nails. For me, this is the most rewarding thing. And to be able to give our nail pros these elevated products, helps them to charge what they're worth, make more money, not work harder, but work smarter.” •

I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE EXPERIMENTAL WITH MY (NAIL) ART AND I KNOW A SALON SETTING WOULDN’T BE CONDUCIVE TO THE EXTREMES I LEAN TOWARDS. THE CELEBRITY SIDE OF THINGS JUST KIND OF FELL INTO PLACE, I NEVER SPECIFICALLY SOUGHT IT OUT.”