Client's gone. Gloves are off. Let's talk
It’s time for our next round of Nail BAbes: Gloves Are Off, the interview series where we peek behind the polish and talk shop with the artists shaping the F(VEX) universe.
Next up we have Shophouse Nails, aka Jade! Offbeat. Observant. And so painfully self-aware, it's comedy gold. Her brain runs on pigment, mythology, and high-level K-Pop lore...and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Whether she’s reflecting on the creative process or reminding you that practice > perfection, there’s a calm precision and low-key hilarity to everything she does. Her sets are clever, color-driven, and full of clean details that reward a second look. She’s breaking nail looks down, flipping them inside out, and inviting you to think with her.
Plus, the Taurus energy? Strong. Calm in the chaos. Committed to the bit. Give her a hyperfixation and a brush, and you’ll watch it turn into something crazy and beautiful.
Welcome to the stage, Jade! @shophousenails.
What drew you to the nail world? What’s your journey?
Shophouse Nails: My story is pretty lame, I (like many other people) have my little hyperfixative moments where I can’t stop thinking about a certain topic. For some reason, nails popped up on my IG feed and I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I couldn’t work, eat, or sleep without thinking about nails.
So I bought a kit on Amazon, tried it, was terrible at it, and gave up in the span of two weeks.
But because I’m a Taurus, I’m stubborn as heck and decided, “You know what, I’m going to get good at this.” I kept it up for two years and here I am!
✨ Ughh, we’re all about that obsessive spiral. That little voice whispering “...but what if you got stupid good at this?” is how most of our brand was born.
What pulls you out of a creative rut?
Shophouse Nails: I don’t really think a “creative rut” is any different than the burnout we get when we push ourselves too far.
The concept of a “creative rut” only exists because we capitalize and force creativity. As humans, we naturally ebb and flow. A rut is just a forced, expedited ebb.
When I frame it that way, it feels less daunting!
So how do I recover? I take a break from whatever I’m tired of. I’ll go on a jog, run an errand I’ve been putting off, talk to my husband, etc. And when I’m ready to come back to it, I try to dissect why I’m feeling burned out so I can adjust accordingly.
✨ “A forced, expedited ebb” is such a take. Capitalism really tried to rebrand being human as “inconsistent workflow,” huh?
Anything on repeat these days?
Shophouse Nails: K-Pop Demon Hunters!!!! “Your Idol” is my favorite song.
I hate to say it, but I would 100% be brainwashed by the Saja boys.
✨ This is a safe space for cult-core pop confessions. We’re pretty sure 80% of nail art is made under the influence of something unholy anyway.
You wake up tomorrow as a mythical creature. What do you hope you are? Why?
Shophouse: Waking up as a gorgon would be pretty cool. I love the idea of snake hair and being able to turn anyone to stone. But knowing me, the first thing I’d do is wake up and look at myself in the mirror… and turn myself to stone.
Maybe it’s better that I remain human.
When you were a kiddo, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Shophouse Nails: Like many kids, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I love the ocean. Deep sea creatures are my favorite! I have whatever the opposite of thalassophobia is. Thalassophilia?
Any advice for beginners in their craft?
Shophouse Nails: Practice, practice, practice.
I’ve only been doing nails for two years, and I only got to the level I am today because I practice almost every day.
Art isn’t a talent. It’s a habit.
✨ Frame it. Stamp it. Tape it to your lamp. Let this live in your bones.
That's a freaking wrap!
We’re still spiraling (in a good way) over her Deconstruct Design breakdowns that feel like a full-blown TED Talk. If you’re in a need of a new series, you know where to go!
From nerding out over magnet angles to dropping nail truths your inner perfectionist needs to hear, Shophouse is part artist, part internet bestie, part commentary queen. She's not afraid to say what we’re all thinking, and somehow turns every set into a mini masterclass.
And if you ever needed permission to try something new, mess it up a little, and post it anyway? She’s your sign.
Follow @shophousenails to get your weekly dose of design deconstruction, creator real talk, and perfectly weird brilliance. Oh, and catch her adventures on YouTube while you’re at it, we’ll be right there watching too!
