Le Mini Macaron - DIY Gel Polish Kit Review
If you’re as obsessed with gel manicures and pedicures as I am, you may have heard of the company Le Mini Macaron. Though it’s an American company that began through a successful kickstarter in 2014, the business started it’s journey in Europe (Sephora France). Since then, they have managed to grow their brand, with partnerships with Sephora, Ulta, and in the UK ASOS.
The Le Mini Macaron founders wanted to create a DIY gel kit so that people could apply their own manicures from home and save some $$$. The name and theme of the brand was inspired by macarons; and I believe they have nailed the design aspect of it. Who wants a clunky and ugly LED lamp clogging up their desk space? Not moi. Whether you choose to get the small or large macaron, they will look aesthetically pleasing wherever you choose to place it.
After doing a few trial runs with both manicures and pedicures, here are my Pro’s and Con’s below:
PROs:
+ You have a choice of large or small macaron shaped LED lamps; with the latter being perfect for travel.
+ The macaron theme and the design aspect in general is very girly/ cutesy/ pretty and makes it a nice gift for such friends.
+ With the USB element, you could plug it into your laptop and do your nails wherever you are and on the go. For example, you could plug it into your laptop at work or maybe on a long train journey on the Eurostar.
+ Great selection of gel polish colours on their main website.
+ Detailed but easy-to-understand instructions, including youtube video tutorial on their website.
+ Cheaper than salons in the long run, IF you know how to use the kits properly.
+ Getting nails done professionally can be very costly, and from experience, many friends and acquaintances could not afford it, therefore the DIY kit gives professional level accessibility to people everywhere.
CONs:
- When first purchasing the kit and colours, the cost may add up. On their website, everything is priced in Euros but in the long run, much cheaper than salon.
- Pedicures are a bitch to do, unless you’re super flexible or Elastigirl from The Incredibles. There is a lot of prep work before applying gel polish and I believe it is better for a professional to do your toes/ feet.
- There is no option of purchasing a base coat.
- Some colours can look streaky if applied incorrectly.
Final Thoughts
I have 50/50 thoughts about this DIY set.
If you are confident enough and can do the hard prep work by yourself, this kit is worth purchasing to do your own manicures from home. The initial cost will mount up as you would need to buy the complete set and tools to prep the nails, but in the long term, it will save you a lot of money!
Like I mentioned earlier, pedicures are a bitch to do and your feet always need a bit more love so I think you should just stick to a professional for this.
The main website stocks everything but since it’s shipped from Europe, I believe it would take some time to arrive. The Le Mini Macaron stock on ASOS is only a taster into the brand and therefore they don’t stock everything. If you wanted to try it out, ASOS can provide next day delivery.
Am I completely bowled over? Not entirely. Would I keep using it? Likely. The prep work is a bit of a hassle and you don’t get that luxury spoilt feeling you get when a professional does your nails, but I guess it’s about what is more important to you as an individual.
https://www.asos.com/search/?q=le+mini+macaron
Until next time xo
——————————————————————————
All images on this post are my own.
