behind the brush: lauren phelps

name: Lauren Phelps

city: Bay Area

if phelps isn’t holding a brightly colored bottle of polish, she’s probably gripping an xbox controller. “when my nails are drying, i am almost always playing videogames to pass the time,” she says. here, the digital creator shares her winning combo for a long-lasting mani.

her favorite essie shade: “i love the shade play date. i remember first getting into nail polish when I was 16 or 17 and this was the shade that i wore most often. i even bought backup bottles because i loved it so much!”

her artistic approach: “i would describe my style as colorful! i love wearing colors on my nails and gravitate heavily toward bright shades.”

her biggest source of inspo: “i find inspiration everywhere—ranging from patterns and pictures to other nail artists.”

her favorite project: “it is definitely hard to narrow down, but I love projects that require me to try something outside of my comfort zone .” 

her top nail tip: “always, always, always wear a base and top coat and use cuticle oil.”

her most frequently asked question: “because I practice nail art on both of my hands, the question I get most often is: how did you that? my answer is always practice and patience. with time, you’ll find that you can get better and better the more times you try something.”