Le Mini Macaron was founded in 2015 when Christina Kao (who used to go to the salon every 2 weeks to get her gel manicure done) and Francois-Xavier Humbert (who had been working as a beauty & nail buyer for a French brand) decided to combine forces and create a nail brand that lets you DIY gel nails when you want, where you want! Christina (who is Taiwanese-American) and Francois (who is French) were both living in Shanghai at the time. It was really common to go to the salon to get your gel mani done…but the cost and time it took (to go there, wait around…and then to go back when you had to remove it) were serious pain points for her! So the two of them put their heads together and came up with a DIY nail kit that would give you the freedom to do your nails at your own convenience…and at a price that would be really affordable. “Gel nails shouldn’t have to be a splurge! Everyone should be able to have a gorgeous mani whenever they want. It’s a real pick-me-up when you look down and your nails are done,” says Christina. “I really wanted to make this available to everyone!”