Le Mini Macaron comes from a very ordinary frustration. Co-founder Christina Kao writes on the brand's About page that she got tired of the time she spent visiting the salon every few weeks, so she wanted a way to recreate her salon mani at home. In 2015, she says, she and her partner François came up with the idea. Premium Beauty News tells it slightly differently, saying the company was founded in 2014 by Kao and Francois-Xavier Humbert and launched through a Kickstarter campaign in 2015, so I will say the idea took shape across those two years.

The timing makes sense. Gelish launched the first brush-in-bottle gel polish in 2009, and Shellac followed in May 2010, which taught a lot of us that gel meant a lamp and an appointment. Le Mini Macaron's answer was a small macaron-shaped lamp and a one-step gel. It reached more than 1,000 stores in the US on October 24, 2017, after launching in France first.

If you are searching for le mini macaron, you are usually after one of a few looks. A glossy sheer pink, a milky blue, a berry velvet cat eye, a translucent jelly, or a deep red for a gift set. All of them are easy to wear short.

The first grid is the brand's own kits, sets, gels and jellies. The second grid is the prep, removal and care that keep gel from wrecking your nails. My tip: wipe every nail with a cleanser pad before the first coat, because oils are what make gel lift.

The Le Mini Macaron 1-Step DIY Glossy Gel Manicure Kit in Pink Quartz is the easiest way in, and it is the brand's best-selling kit, so start there if you want the lamp and the color together. If you already own a lamp, the 1-Step, 3-in-1 Formula Gel Polish is the one to buy by itself. The brand says it holds base coat, color and top coat in a single bottle, with a no-wipe formula, and it comes in Blush for a soft pink and Blue Ciel for a milky blue. I like both for short nails, because sheer pastels forgive uneven edges.

The 3X The Shine & Longer-Lasting Gel Top Coat is for when you want more gloss over the one-step color. It is a separate step, so I would keep it for darker shades where the shine shows most.

The Velvet Cat Eye Gel Manicure Kit is the odd one out, with a berry velvet texture that shifts and shimmers under the lamp. It has only six reviews, so treat it as a fun experiment. The J'adore Paris Deluxe Gel Manicure Set brings a full-size macaron LED lamp in brushed Rose Quartz with four mini bottles, and the Le Maxi Rouge & Moi Limited Edition Deluxe Gel Manicure Set is a red-roses set built for gifting. Both are only sold as sets.

Les Jellies in Grape Jelly is a semi-transparent polish, the viral glossy look, with a glide-on formula. It is regular polish, so no lamp.

What I would skip: the velvet kit if this is your first gel manicure. Learn the one-step formula first.

Gel is only as good as the surface under it. Le Mini Macaron's Manicure Nail Cleanser Prep Pads wipe away dust and oils, which the brand calls the most important step, and Le Chip-free Primer gently dehydrates the nail surface so gel grips. I would use both if your polish lifts at the edges. Le Sweet Base Coat is a quick-dry, glide-on base for regular polish.

Manucurist has two gel steps here. The Green Flash Long-Lasting Gel Vitaminized Base Coat is a patented base the brand says reinforces keratin and wears for up to 21 days. The Xtrem Flash Long-Lasting Gel Top Coat is described as ultra-glossy and drying instantly under an LED lamp without sticky residue. Both are vegan and cruelty-free, and the two are meant to go together.

Taking gel off is where nails get damaged, so I like the Mess-Free Gel Polish Remover Wraps. Each packet has a cotton wipe and acetone inside for a 15 minute soak-off, so there is no bowl and no foil to fuss with. Do not scrape. If color will not budge, wrap it again.

Afterward, rehydrate. The On-the-Go Nail and Cuticle Oil Pen has jojoba, almond, sunflower and apricot kernel oils and slips into a bag. L'Occitane's Strengthening Shea Nail and Cuticle Oil is a richer bottle with 30 percent shea oil, plus apricot and almond oil.

What I would skip: the primer if you wear plain polish. It is made for gel and builder gel.

I think the best way into Le Mini Macaron is a single color and the remover wraps. That tells you quickly whether you like curing gel at home without committing to a whole set. If you do, add the cleanser pads and the cuticle oil, since those two protect the nail. Pale shades are the kindest to learn on, and the red set is the one I would keep for later. Take your time at removal, and your nails will thank you. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Sally Hansen Miracle Gel and Dashing Diva Brought the Nail Salon Home, One Press-On at a Time.