Ben Doin Nails

Somewhere between getting ready for clients, making content and actually doing nails… this became my life 😂

And somehow I really do love it here. 💅🏼

A kid at Starbucks complimented my mustache, loved my nails, and genuinely just thought the whole situation was cool. 😂

And idk… it was refreshing.

I talk a lot about the weird looks and comments that can come with looking like me, but sometimes you meet someone who just gets it. No judgment, no confusion — just appreciation for somebody expressing themselves.

Maybe being unapologetically yourself gives somebody else a little more permission to do the same.

Or maybe I’m just being Miley. 🤷🏻‍♂️💅🏼

I 100% knew what I was doing on my nails today… until I opened Instagram. 😂

I was already committed to this deep brown French with the black 3D texture — very masculine, very moody, very much where I’m at right now. 🤎

Then, literally before leaving the house, I saw Dylan Pritchard’s tortoise shell set and immediately went ohhhh wait. THAT belongs on these. 🔥

So instead of doing the same French on all 10, I pulled the tortoise into my accent nails and suddenly the whole set became so much more interesting.

And THIS is why I love nail art. Sometimes I know exactly what I’m doing, and sometimes one little piece of inspiration changes the entire direction.

Birthday nails are officially gone. Fall Ben has entered the chat. 🍂🤎

inspo: Dylan Pritchard 🫶

I fear I may have been converted. 😂

I’ve been doing nails for years and somehow managed to avoid airbrushing this entire time. I learned other ways to get that soft ombré—sponges, pigments, blending—and honestly? I never really felt like I was missing anything.

But a couple weeks ago I finally bought the damn airbrush. 😂

Today I actually had some time to sit down, figure it out, and PLAY.

And unfortunately… I get it now. 😭 That soft, clean blend is SO satisfying.

Am I an airbrush nail tech now?? Absolutely not, let’s not get carried away. 😂 But I’m excited to keep playing with it and see what else I can make.

Sometimes being an artist means questioning the things you’ve always done a certain way. 💅🏻

Well this was NOT in the nail tech job description 😭

Everyone kept telling me to get this little bump on my eye checked out and because it didn’t hurt, naturally I kept putting it off. 🙃

Finally went after work today and they’re pretty sure it’s a pinguecula — which can be associated with UV exposure, dust, dryness and irritation.

Ma’am… I am a UV GEL SPECIALIST. 😭
UV light? Dust? Filing debris? Sitting under bright lights all day?? You have GOT to be kidding me.

So now we’re entering my ✨protective eyewear & lubricating eye drops era✨ and I have to follow up with an ophthalmologist to confirm exactly what’s going on.

The things we do for nails, honey. 😂

NAIL TECHS — has anyone else dealt with this?? Because I need to know if I’m alone here.

I tried to branch out, I really did 😂

I’ve tested a few different hard gels lately, and some of them structure a BEAUTIFUL nail… but I kept running into the same problem: they’re just a little too thick for the way I like to work.

I want a hard gel that moves. I want her to self-level. I want to guide the product instead of fighting it for 10 minutes per nail. 😂

And every single time I compare them, I come back to Young Nails Build Pink.

She’s definitely on the wetter side and you have to know how to control her—but once you do?? 🤌🏼 That viscosity is just perfect for me.

So yes… the Young Nails snob has returned to his regularly scheduled programming. 😂💅🏼

There’s something really rewarding about the moment a newer client starts to trust you. 🥹

Denise and I are still learning each other — what she likes, what matters to her, and how far I can push her outside of what she normally chooses. She knows she likes my work, but handing over the creative reins has taken us a few appointments 😂

Today felt different.

She had things she wanted incorporated, I had a vision for how to bring it all together, and somewhere along the way she finally just let me do my thing.

And LOOK 😭 The blue ombré with the red, white and little touches of sparkle came together so beautifully.

Building trust with a client doesn’t always happen in one appointment. Sometimes you earn a little more of it every time they sit in your chair.

I think Denise and I officially got there today. 💅🏻

We ALL have thoughts about other people. I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I’ve never looked at somebody and had something to say 😂

But there’s a difference between having a thought and making sure a complete stranger KNOWS they’re being judged.

Whisper about me in the car. Call your best friend later. Debrief at home. Whatever 😭 But why make somebody feel uncomfortable just for existing in the same public space as you?

I know I’m not everybody’s cup of tea. I know I look different. I know sometimes being exactly who I am is going to get a reaction.

But damn. We’re all just people trying to exist in the world.

Anyway, I got my ass up, went back to my family and had a great night. You’re not taking that from me. 😂