Note: Corporate structure and brand ownership can vary by market; “KISS Beauty Group” describes itself as a collective brand identity for a portfolio operated by affiliated companies rather than a single legal entity.

Origins: 1989

The roots of KISS date to 1989, when John Y. Chang, Sung Yong Chang, and Won Shik Kang established a small business called Dae Do in Flushing, New York. The company initially concentrated on artificial nails, seeking to create a convenient alternative to professional nail-salon services.

The central idea was relatively simple but commercially significant: consumers should be able to achieve salon-quality beauty results without having to visit a salon. This became the foundation for the company’s “Bring the Salon Home” philosophy.

Expansion into retail

In 1992, the KISS brand entered a major U.S. retail chain when a line of 18 nail products was introduced at Walgreens stores. This helped transform the company from a small specialist nail business into a mass-market beauty brand.

The company subsequently expanded its retail distribution and product portfolio. It introduced Broadway Nails in 1997 and later expanded beyond nails into categories such as color cosmetics, hair care, beauty implements and appliances.

Development of press-on nails

One of the most important developments in KISS’s history was the growth of its press-on nail business. The company’s ready-to-wear artificial nails made it possible for consumers to create a finished manicure in a short period of time without traditional salon application.

The company later introduced imPRESS Press-On Manicure in 2012. The product was positioned as a major innovation in the nail-care category and expanded the company’s presence in retailers including CVS, Kmart and Rite Aid.

International expansion

KISS expanded internationally during the 2000s. The company’s current corporate history states that by 2008 its operations had expanded into more than 90 international markets, including countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and Japan.

The Japanese KISS NEW YORK site states that the brand entered Japan in 2000, initially selling nail products under the FIRST KISS name. A Japanese subsidiary was established in 2009, after which the company expanded its Japanese product development and distribution.[1]

The defining idea behind KISS is DIY beauty: giving consumers products that can reproduce aspects of professional salon services at home.

Its slogan and philosophy, “Bring the Salon Home,” reflects this positioning. Rather than focusing exclusively on professional salons, the company has historically emphasized convenience, accessibility, affordability and ease of use.

The company’s stated values include:

• Ethics
• Integrity
• Excellence
• Innovation
• Consumer accessibility

KISS says its objective is to provide beauty products combining quality, efficacy and safety while continuing to develop innovations that make everyday beauty easier and more accessible.

Although KISS began primarily as an artificial-nail company, KISS NEW YORK has developed into a broader beauty brand.

Nail products

Nails remain one of the brand’s defining categories. Its portfolio includes:

• Press-on nails
• Artificial nails
• Reusable nail tips
• Nail adhesives
• Nail-care products
• Nail accessories
• Fashion and decorative nail designs

The company’s Press & Go products, for example, are designed to allow consumers to apply artificial nails without the conventional salon process. KISS NEW YORK Japan describes its proprietary Super Hold Technology as being designed to provide strong adhesion while also allowing relatively easy removal.[1]

False eyelashes

KISS also became a major player in the false-eyelash market. Its lash portfolio includes conventional false lashes as well as newer application systems.

The wider KISS organization describes false eyelashes as one of its major categories and identifies KISS as a market leader in the segment.

Cosmetics

The brand has expanded into everyday cosmetics, including products such as:

• Mascara
• Eyebrow products
• Makeup accessories
• Other color cosmetics

KISS NEW YORK’s Japanese operation, for example, markets its Eyebrow Stamp, designed as a quick way to create an eyebrow shape, as well as Boom Boom Mascara.[1]

Beauty tools and appliances

Beyond cosmetics, KISS’s broader portfolio includes beauty implements, hair-care products and beauty appliances. This reflects the company’s evolution from a specialist artificial-nail manufacturer into a wider at-home beauty platform.

KISS products are distributed internationally through mass retailers, drugstores, beauty stores and online channels.

The KISS NEW YORK Japan website states that the brand supplies nail products, eyelashes and cosmetics to more than 100 countries, including Japan, other Asian markets, Brazil, the United Kingdom and Germany.[1]

The company’s current corporate platform similarly reports operations in 100+ countries and more than 60,000 U.S. retail doors across its portfolio.

KISS’s significance comes particularly from its role in popularizing accessible, do-it-yourself beauty products.

Traditional nail care and false-eyelash application were historically associated with salons or professional beauty services. KISS helped move these categories into mainstream retail by packaging them as products that consumers could purchase and use themselves.

Its press-on nails are particularly important to the company’s identity. The company describes the press-on nail as an innovation that helped transform the nail-care industry by allowing consumers to obtain a finished manicure quickly and without a salon appointment.

The company has subsequently applied the same philosophy to eyelashes, cosmetics, hair care and beauty tools: professional-inspired results with consumer-friendly application.

KISS has undergone considerable organizational expansion since its founding.

In 1999, the company’s OTC division was separated from KISS Products and combined with Gold Finger, Inc., forming Ivy Enterprises, Inc. Ivy became involved in marketing and distributing KISS and Broadway products through the broader consumer beauty market, including cosmetics, hair care and beauty appliances.

KISS moved its headquarters to Port Washington, New York, in 2005 and subsequently expanded its facilities. In 2018, the company moved to a new global headquarters complex in Port Washington that included a research-and-development center.

More recently, the organization has presented itself through the KISS Beauty Group platform, which brings together multiple independently operated brands across nails, lashes, cosmetics and related beauty categories. Its portfolio includes brands such as KISS, KISS NEW YORK, imPRESS, Falscara, Ruby Kisses, i-ENVY and others.

An important distinction is that KISS NEW YORK is not simply the same thing as every product carrying the KISS name.

The broader KISS organization operates a portfolio of brands. KISS NEW YORK is one of those brands, with its own identity and product assortment, while KISS, imPRESS, Falscara, Ruby Kisses, i-ENVY and other names represent other brands or product lines within the wider corporate ecosystem.

This distinction becomes particularly relevant when researching the company’s international websites, because product ranges and branding can differ substantially by country.

KISS NEW YORK’s identity is strongly associated with New York, fashion, convenience, DIY beauty and affordability.

The brand uses the idea of New York as a source of fashion and beauty inspiration while emphasizing products that allow consumers to recreate professional-looking results themselves.

Its strongest historical association is with nail fashion, particularly artificial and press-on nails. Over time, however, the brand has broadened its identity toward a more comprehensive beauty proposition.

KISS generally occupies the mass-market and accessible-premium end of beauty, rather than positioning itself exclusively as a luxury or professional-salon brand.

Its business model relies heavily on making beauty products:

• Easy to use
• Widely available
• Relatively affordable
• Trend-driven
• Suitable for home use
• Fast to apply

This approach has enabled KISS products to reach consumers through large retail chains as well as beauty stores and e-commerce platforms. The company specifically cites retailers such as Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS and others in its corporate history.[1]

As of 2026, the broader KISS Beauty Group describes itself as a global beauty platform with:

• 35+ years of history dating back to 1989
• Presence in 100+ countries
• 60,000+ U.S. retail doors
• Major positions in nail care and false eyelashes
• A portfolio of multiple beauty brands
• Capabilities covering product development, manufacturing, brand building and distribution

KISS Products celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2024, describing the organization as having evolved from a small New York operation into a major global provider of at-home beauty products.

KISS has become particularly recognizable because of the growth of press-on nails and DIY beauty. The concept fits broader consumer trends toward inexpensive, temporary and customizable beauty treatments.

Rather than requiring a long-term salon commitment, press-on nails allow consumers to change their manicure according to fashion trends, occasions or personal preference. This has helped make artificial nails a mainstream consumer beauty category rather than a niche professional product.

KISS NEW YORK is a New York-founded global beauty brand that grew from artificial nails into a broad at-home beauty business. Founded in 1989, its central proposition has been to bring salon-style beauty into consumers’ homes. Nails remain its signature category, but the brand and its wider corporate ecosystem now encompass false eyelashes, cosmetics, skincare, hair care, beauty tools and appliances.

Its history is closely tied to the growth of DIY beauty, particularly the mass adoption of press-on nails and false eyelashes. Through its wider KISS Beauty Group platform, the organization now operates a portfolio of brands serving consumers in more than 100 countries.[1]

1. ABOUT KISS NEW YORK | キスニューヨーク/KISSNEWYORK