THE ORIGIN OF NELI — 2025
No more choosing between your style, your time and your life.
NELI grew out of a very personal frustration: I no longer wanted to choose between the nails I loved, my career and my free time.
Before creating the brand, I worked as an in-house lawyer in the insurance industry. It was a highly formal environment, and I regularly worked with board members. The very long, elaborate and creative nails I loved did not really fit the codes of that world. I eventually adopted more understated manicures — even at weekends — simply because a traditional manicure committed me to the same look for several weeks.
That limitation frustrated me enormously. To me, nails have always been like the jewellery we wear every day: a way to finish an outfit, express my style and feel fully myself. Without them, I had the strange feeling of being slightly bare, as though the final detail was missing before I stepped out.
Then there was the time spent at the salon. Weekends were my only chance to unwind, and I could no longer bear giving up several hours of my Saturday to a manicure instead of truly enjoying my free time.
Then I discovered gel press-on nails. Not the plastic false nails you worry about losing after a few hours, but genuinely strong tips, crafted with gel and able to last for several weeks. For holidays, it was a revelation. And for everyday life too: I could wear a statement set at the weekend, remove it, then apply a more understated design on Sunday evening while watching a series, or even on Monday morning during my commute.
After years of studying law and a burnout, I began looking for something that would help me rediscover the joy of creating. Press-ons felt like the obvious answer. I loved the product, but I still struggled to find designs I truly liked. And when I found them from independent creators, ordering often involved too many messages and too many steps.
So I began imagining and making my own sets. I immediately fell in love with the process: exploring combinations, building a whole world and watching an idea come to life across ten tiny nails. In 2025, that passion became NELI — the “N” from nail paired with ELI, my nickname.
I created NELI to offer what I had been missing: the detail of salon nail art, the simplicity of ordering online and, above all, the freedom to change. Nails that fit around our lives, never the other way round.
