Today we’d like to introduce you to Kateryna Lovina-Chyhrina
Hi Kateryna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hello! My name is Kateryna Lovina. I’m a makeup artist from Ukraine. I started my creative activity at the age of 15 when my mother, seeing that I was poorly made up, sent me to my first makeup classes. From then on, my true love for makeup began, which still firmly sits in my heart.
My ambitions have always been high and my goal was to reach the top in competitions. And I, a girl from a small town in Ukraine, moved to the capital, the Kyiv city. There I met wonderful guys Natasha and Kote. With their support, I began to take part in regional competitions, then Europe and the finals, the World Championships. Everywhere I took prizes. I am the World Makeup Champion!!!! I’m proud of myself!! Yes, I did it!!!
And so everything coincided, at the same time, I got married and returned again to my hometown Nikolaev city. I founded my own studio, I was engaged in training and development of the family business. Everything went on as usual and then war came, suddenly, no one knew what was happening, no one believed that this horror had come to our homes. I stayed at home and started helping by volunteering. I worked in a medical warehouse, from where all medications were distributed to the injured and wounded. We worked seven days a week and even there we managed to make ourselves look beautiful in the form of hair dyeing and manicure. Ukrainian women love to take care of themselves!
All this time I lived in the safe basement of my house, where neighbors and acquaintances came to spend the night. But one day, it was daytime! A shell flew into a neighboring house and thank God it didn’t explode, otherwise we would all be gone in an instant. The sappers pulled it out and took it away for disposal, and I realized that my life was more valuable. I lived in this horror for 2 months and every night we didn’t sleep because of the sounds of explosions and sirens.
I collected all my things, put them in the car and left for Portugal, because my mother lives there and she was very worried about me and my mother had thyroid cancer at that time. It’s OK now!!!
By this time, my 15-year relationship with my husband had come to an end and we decided to separate. He easily let me go and it was his right decision. Regardless, I’m grateful for the experience.
So, I traveled to Portugal for 5 days alone through Moldova, Romania, Italy, France and Spain. It was a long trip, I drove without music and there was no fear in my heart, I left it in Ukraine. It was very scary there, as bombs were falling every day and the siren was screaming endlessly.
I only stayed overnight in various roadside hotels and even once in a brothel)))) I had to sleep in the car, because I couldn’t sleep from the sounds of lust)))
And so, when I crossed the border of France and Spain, a man forced me to stop on the highway. He was decently dressed and wanted to help with something. It turned out that it was a Spanish gypsy. He fraudulently took my bag with all my documents and money and I was left with nothing. At that moment, my world of trust in people collapsed, that I was alone in this world and there was no help. There was only one phone with navigation in his hands. I decided to move on in order to avoid this. And my navigator took me along a strange path and after a couple of kilometers I saw my bag on the side of the road. Oh miracle!!! All documents were in place!!! Naturally without money.
And here I am with my mother in Portugal, safe and cared for. Everything is fine. During my two months of living in this beautiful country, I even managed to work on large-scale projects. And also with the Ukrainians! We find each other everywhere and unite.
As fate would have it, my Kyiv guys write to me again (they have been living in Los Angeles for 8 years and are involved in the beauty business) and offer to come and start a new life in America. I agree and here I am for almost two years. I came to America on the day of its independence and it was a sign!! My guys have become my second family. Here I am pursuing my destiny, working with celebrities, developing my blog, I’m a creative person, a highly qualified specialist in the field of makeup and beauty. I’m just starting my journey, despite all the difficulties, and I know and believe that all the good is ahead!
I also know many women from Ukraine in Europe, America and Australia continue to do what they love, develop it and increase it. After all, strength is in a woman and this is true. We can do everything!!!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every day I go through a new challenge in my life. I’m a new person in America. Every day I, like a Phoenix bird, am reborn and start my new day again.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Professional makeup artist
My Awards:
Ukrainian competition Kiyv 2006
Ukrainian competition Kharkov 2008
Young talents of Ukraine Dnepr city 2009
Europe competition Moscow 2009 Fantasy Makeup
Hairworld Paris 2010 Ladies Bridal Makeup
MyStraight:
– Creating various looks using make-up
– Emphasizing or disguise the features of a model’s face and apply makeup suitable for certain circumstances
–Working with celebrities and private clients
– Working with stuff for cinema
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I believe that daily work helps to achieve the goal.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @lovina_makeup
