Our latest Beauty Boss is Jan Arnold, Co-Founder and Style Director of CND—a revolutionary line of professional nail products and services, including CND SHELLAC® Brand 14+ Day Nail Color. Since 1979, the company has provided salons and spa professionals with products, services, education, and support so they can offer the highest-quality nail services to clients.

CND has a state-of-the-art laboratory, along with the scientific and technological know-how to engineer the products that professionals want and need. All of their products are meticulously researched and tested before they go to market, and they also provide continual support, education, and inspiration once the products and services are in the hands of their customers.

Their product innovations have revolutionized the nail industry over the years and include CND® SHELLAC® Brand 14+ Day Nail Color, a three-part system that wears flawlessly for 14+ days of high-gloss shine and cures under a UV lamp for zero dry time. CND has also pioneered nail artistry on the runway, defined nails as the ultimate fashion accessory, collaborated with well-known designers, and been featured in countless shows at New York Fashion Week and around the world.

Arnold has championed the company’s commitment to education and advocacy, and is the ultimate style icon and visionary. We chatted with Arnold, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, favorite products and wellness tips, secrets to success, and more.

When was CND founded?

CND (Creative Nail Design, Inc.) was founded in 1979.

What inspired the creation of the brand?

A nail professional inspired the creation of our brand. 41 years ago, a nail professional in Oceanside, California went to my dad, a dentist, to have a crown fixed on one of her teeth. How fortuitous this visit became, as when my dad began to create the temporary crown, she had a light bulb moment. That moment was triggered by the smell of the polymer my dad was using to create the temporary crown, which was like the material she was using to sculpt early nail enhancements in 1979.

The only problem is the products back then were based on a weak single link polymer and what she really needed was a tough and resilient cross-linked polymer…which my dad ended up creating and patenting. With patent in hand, he asked his five children if any of us were interested in starting a company? The answer was “yes” from a couple of us. He then gifted the patent, but gave no seed money to build a company. He advised if we needed money to start the business, we’d need to go to a bank and get a loan, which we did. And the rest is history!

Do you have a hero product?

There’s no question about it, CND™ SHELLAC™ changed the nail world! To have a career that includes the launch of such radical break throughs like CND™ SHELLAC™ is quite profound. I remember sitting in meetings talking about the pain points women were suffering from with traditional nail polish, which included chips, nicks, premature breakdown, sheet marks, and more. It took 5½ years of dedicated R&D to create the manicure miracle that changed women’s lives and the nail industry forever! CND™ SHELLAC™ is our iconic 14+ day gel polish that now has a cult following amongst consumers and nail pros alike—not just for the long lasting, patented formula but also for the wide variety of 100+ vivid colors available.

What’s your favorite product from the brand? 

I have SO many, but right now, my absolute favorite product from the brand is our newly launched, revolutionary CND PLEXIGEL™! It’s a new, versatile, and convenient brush-in-a-bottle gel enhancement system that provides length, strength and shape for 3+ weeks wear. This new system offers a convenient and versatile way for consumers to add not only shape and length to nails, but also address ongoing issues like flat, torn, broken, and chipped nails without sacrificing their nail health.

CND PLEXIGEL™ allows Nail Professionals to truly customize service to meet the diverse needs of different nail types and lifestyles—you can fill It, fix it, shape it, and build it to your heart’s desire! Additionally, the system offers a streamlined experience for both the nail pro and the consumer—no pots, no tubes, no mixing, and no mess. CND PLEXIGEL™ can be worn with or without color—whether you desire a crystal-clear, glossy finish or adding CND™ SHELLAC™ into the mix for three weeks of flawless color—there’s something for everyone!

Where are your products sold?

Amazon, CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, Target, Rite Aid, and at salons nationwide.

Future plans for the brand?

CND has the most sophisticated world class Research & Development laboratory of its kind in Vista, California. As the brand of firsts, our chemists are creating new molecules and exploring breakthrough science to identify better treatments, coatings, and adornments for nails. Working together with a global team of top-ranked nail professionals, we strive to meet their needs for precision products that live up to their professional promise. New ideas, innovation, and the future of nails lies in the hands of this amazing facility, where all the important industry breakthroughs have happened since the birth of CND.

What inspires you?

The nail professionals I’m lucky to meet around the world inspire me every day. These creative beings are so beautifully balanced with the left-brain intelligence to work on tiny canvases with such precision, as well as the right brain gift to be creative, work with color, and transform the appearance of their clients’ fingertips every day! Their power is in their intuitive touch to bring the best out in their products, but do it in a customized way that suits the needs of the individual client. Truly inspiring!

Secret to success?

You need to do twice as much listening as talking. When you observe everything you see going on around you, it fuels you from a business, creative, and innovation perspective.

Beauty secrets?

I apply CND SolarOil™ to my nails and cuticles every single day! I love the lightweight jojoba oil, which also carries vitamin E, rice bran, and sweet almond oil deeply through the layers of the nail plate. This daily regimen will help to strengthen nails and restore flexibility, making them resilient to daily use.

Wellness tips?

A good plant-based and colorful diet; exercise every day that alternates strength training, aerobic activity (running for me), and stretching with Hatha or Yin yoga for focus and flexibility; social fun and interaction for a healthy brain; plenty of liquids, including water, celery juice (and wine ); loving what you do in life, and surrounding yourself with people you admire to stay motivated and inspired every day.

Best advice?

Be creative. Stay creative. Fuel your creativity every day. Staying excited in life fuels growth and achievement.

How do you like to relax?

I walk for hours on the beach wearing my Bose Bluetooth sunglasses, listening to music and podcasts.

For more information, visit cnd.com and follow on Instagram: @cndworld @janarnoldcnd

[Images courtesy of CND]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk