tips & trends
behind the brush: lauren phelps
meet the mani master with nails that are always ready to play!
![behind the brush: lauren phelps](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/articles/nail_art/behind-the-brush-lauren-phelps/500x500desktopmobileheadshotbehindthebrushlaurenphelps.jpg?rev=70ba5c98023341b185b7f06dd96108fd&h=500&w=500&la=en-US&hash=B82BDE2E84D12A4835F9B6190B788AAF)
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.”
![play date](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/products_nailpolish/enamels/purples/play_date/essie-nail-polish-play-date-095008002903-av4-530.jpg?h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=E592CEB1C9AE54BF49A0EC645EB23216)
![here to stay](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/products_nailcare/here-to-stay/new/essie-here-to-stay-box-front-us-530.jpeg?rev=9f1fa3a3dccc41e2baeabbc1207bf060&h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=8BE2E37C47EC1EDC918A42B623DA8FC9)
![speed setter](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/products_nailpolish_hd/base_coats/essie-nail-polish-care-speed-setter-upc-av11-530.jpg?h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=6E7511AF7619857AAC9FB23C9859B3E8)
![apricot cuticle oil](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/products_nailpolish_hd/base_coats/essie-nail-polish-care-apricot-oil-upc-av11-530.jpg?h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=0300C328B381A05C8AC1AEEACB69B4DE)