I love Mani-Pedi rituals! I used to go all the time to the nail salon when I was living in Australia. But I noticed I would always get these terrible headaches after. That’s when I realized that the toxic chemicals contained in conventional nail polishes were the reason why I was getting those headaches.

As the novelist Elizabeth Gilbert once noted:

“I believe this to be the oldest trick and most generous tricks the universe plays on us human beings: The universe buries strange jewels inside us all, and then stands back to see if you can find them.”

Then and there, the idea of Maria Curau was born. I knew if I was looking for nail treatments without risking my health, other people must be too. I wanted to create a thoughtfully designed space devoted not only to toxic-free nail care but also to caring for yourself. A space that would feel like home so that everyone, and especially mammas, mammas-to-be and their children, would feel welcome and safe.

For the next two years, I was on a mission, researching and trying out every single nail salon from New York to California, London and across South-East Asia. I was testing all the treatments, paying attention to every single detail like the music and the number of seats.

Meanwhile, I got married in Bali and fell in love with the island, the people, their relationship with nature and the environment. I felt that this was the perfect place to set up Maria Curau, nestled in the idyllic charming parts of Bali and surrounded by rice fields.