5 nail brand owners TO FOLLOW

Five brand bosses who have made it big, both in the nail industry and on social media

Jan Arnold

Instagram: @janarnoldcnd 18.3k; @cndworld 298k

Jan Arnold is the co-founder and style director of CND, the company responsible for the household-name brand Shellac. With her iconic bleached bowl cut, fabulous fits and outrageous nail art, Arnold is the high-fashion face of the brand. As such, for decades, CND has been a go-to brand during fashion weeks, collaborating with designers including Alexander Wang, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Carolina Herrera. Arnold is committed to giving back to the industry with philanthropic efforts and is a founding board member of Beauty Changes Lives (BCL).

Akina Ikeda

Instagram: @akina___enoi 201k; @enoi___official 70.5k

Akina Ikeda Is a well-known Japanese nail tech and owner of nail brand Enoi. She is a pioneer of the concept of “nuanced” nail art – a unique style that incorporates inks, chromes and textures to create depth. Her feed is a wealth of otherworldly nail art inspiration using innovative mediums and techniques. Her brand features everything you need to create your own nuanced nails, from velvety cat-eyes to earthy inks.

Kirsty Meakin

Instagram: @kirstymeakin 255k

The multi-award-winning nail tech, internet personality and educator has always been into photography, which makes her content stand out. The authenticity and relatability of her colourful online persona and her indisputable talent for doing nails have led clients to travel from all over the world to experience a set with her. Across all of her channels, Meakin has over two million followers. She is also the owner of the Kirsty Meakin nail brand which includes a wide range of products as well as a line of statement jewellery.

Annabel Maginnis

Instagram: @nails_by_annabel_m 720k; @Glitterbels 541k

With a multimillionpound business, Annabel Maginnis is the pink princess of the nail industry. Glitterbels, with its pink and gold branding, has become a cult favourite among girly pop nail techs but it’s not all about rainbows and unicorns. Maginnis and the brand are passionate about education with the Glitterbels Academy becoming a highly respected course provider advised by the likes of Marian Newman. Maginnis’s social presence is unstoppable and is the perfect continuum of her brand identity.

Louisa Baldwin

Instagram: @thecuticlelab.ltd 15.1k

From dropping out of school at 12 years old to being featured in Vogue magazine, the founder of The Cuticle Lab is not your everyday entrepreneur. Louisa Baldwin is open about her struggles with anxiety, depression and autism, but despite it all she has gone on to grow a hugely successful business. It all started with Baldwin creating press-ons in her bedroom and selling them on Depop before moving on to create an extensive line of cuticle oils, all with unique scents. Now, The Cuticle Lab also stocks gel polish and Dreambuild, Baldwin’s own builder gel. She built all of this before reaching the age of 18.

Baldwin is an inspiration to techs at any age, to keep going despite the obstacles.