The Future Looks Crystal Clear!
By Jan Arnold, CND™ Co-founder
If someone were to ask me what my ALL-TIME favorite nail look is (defining “all-time” by the 44 years I’ve been in the business), I would say crystal-clear nail enhancements. Precious, crystalline, liquid, pellucid, see-through, and transparent… all words that describe the concept we’ve been romanced by and striving for as long as I’ve been in the industry. The challenge has been the technology to deliver on the promise of true crystal clarity, and even though the trend has been around for decades, the only thing we could achieve in the past was sort of clear, at best. With scientific advancements and perseverance, we have, at last, achieved the desired clarity we’ve dreamt about with CND Plexigel™ and coming soon, Brisa Glass, the first ever hard gel with crystal clarity! This amazing innovation can be used to encapsulate art and even create 3D sculpted embellishments that look like jewels for nails. Look for this soon, with more ideas and information upon launch.
Why are crystal-clear nails so appealing? One reason is their high fashion origin. Crystal nails were first showcased on the fashion runway of Alexander McQueen, the famed British fashion designer and couturier. His vision and talents earned him four British Designer of the Year awards as well as the CFDA's International Designer of the Year award in 2003. McQueen insisted on nails that appeared to be dripping from the model’s fingertips like lucent spring water. The models walked barefoot through water on the runway that year.
Immediately, Japan, China, and British Vogue all featured stories about the hottest crystal nail trend, likening it to jewels for the nails. Everyone desired these Haute Couture nails, created by Marian Newman, CND Brand Ambassador, and Nail Artist for the show, who later admitted the only material available for the illusion at the time was a bit cloudy (in fact, they were clear plastic nail tips).
The trend continued with contemporary runway shows and CND’s 2018 collaboration with Mary Katranzou’s 20th-anniversary show in London, where we created crystal bubbles and globes that held glitter and promises of magic on nails. Were they crystal? Sort of… close enough for runway 😉
But for clients today wanting to wear the trend for themselves, we needed to turn to the revolutionary research and development laboratory at CND™, the most sophisticated lab of its kind for nails. Head Chemist Jaime Welton revealed the very exciting CND Plexigel™ chemistry achieved with new customized oligomers and elevated monomers. The team literally created new molecules for the development of this breakthrough product. This allowed us to confidently offer a high-quality gel-in-a-bottle enhancement system that passes the strictest analytical evaluation for crystal optical clarity, stain resistance, and color stability. But, between us, the other incredible story is its strength, which is nearly as strong as hard gel, and its adhesion levels, which are 4x that of any other enhancements system at CND™.
This technology allows nail professionals to create negative space designs (with no yellowing or staining), build sculpted crystal tips on a form (that look delicate but are super strong and light as a feather to wear), and encapsulate nail art (that will redefine what’s possible and modern, NOW).
When using crystal-clear CND Plexigel™ Shaper, it’s important to NOT shake the bottle since there are no solvents in the formula and it doesn’t require blending. Keep the product still and level and avoid movement to prevent bubbles. Using crystal clear Shaper requires very little manipulation when in use since it flows naturally and self-levels once in place. Simply guide it into place, allow it settle, then cure.
We also recommend Plexigel™ Shaper to fix a broken edge, mend a crack and serve as a nail-perfecting base for a CND™ Shellac application. Rebalance this service, leaving a thin layer of Shaper on natural nails. Then simply e-file the Shellac layer off before performing a rebalance and a layer or two of fresh color.
CND Plexigel™ is elevated chemistry, designed to create truly magical and wearable nails that serve the client’s needs for 3+ weeks, with no lifting and a speedy breeze to rebalance.
I can see the future with CRYSTAL CLARITY… and it looks amazing!
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