Alina
Symonenko
Alina Symonenko

My way here
I started in 2008, in a school in Kyiv, with a diploma in nail modelling and design and absolutely no idea that this would become my life. What followed were years at the table — first as a master learning the craft, then competing, then teaching it.
Along the way I built my own studio from nothing, made it work, and eventually sold it. That decision surprised people. But I had stopped being the person who greets clients at the reception desk long before I signed the papers — my work had already become teaching masters and helping owners fix what was broken in their salons.
Today I live in Warsaw and work for myself. I train nail masters here in the city, I travel to salons that invite me, and I consult owners who are building or rebuilding a business. Starting again in a new country was slow and frightening. It was also the best professional decision I have made.
18+ years
In the profession since 2008 — as a master, competitor, studio owner and educator.
8 titles
Eight-time champion of Ukraine in nail artistry, across salon manicure and technical categories.
2× trainer
Trainer at the XXIII and XXIV Ukrainian SPU Championships (2020, 2021).
Level 5
Certified at the highest qualification level for nail aesthetics by the Beauty Salon Standards Committee.
Credentials
I am not fond of listing awards, but when someone is about to hand me several days of their life and their money, they are entitled to know exactly who is teaching them.
Eight-time champion of Ukraine in nail artistry. First place in men’s manicure, Kyiv Cup 2016. First place in salon men’s manicure, professional category, Kyiv Cup 2017. Second place in salon women’s manicure, professional category, Lviv 2017. Second place for creating a perfect nail surface with soak-off gels, professional category, Lviv 2017. Second place in classic pedicure, Global PodoNail 2017. Third place in salon men’s manicure, professional category, Lviv 2017.
Diploma of Trainer at the XXIII Ukrainian SPU Championship (InterCharm, Kyiv 2020) and at the XXIV Ukrainian SPU Championship (Kyiv 2021). Certified statist of the Union of Beauty Industry Professionals of Ukraine with national certification renewed from 2018 through 2022, granting the right to work professionally at national championships.
Master in Nail Modelling and Design — 120 study hours at the Vocational Nail Technician School of Iryna Amrosieva, Kyiv 2008. Akzentz Certified Educator (A.C.E.), Haigh Industries, Canada, 2018. Master of Manicure, fifth qualification level in nail aesthetics, certified by the Beauty Salon Standards Committee, 2016. IBX System Education Program, 2018. Instructor’s Workshop, 2017.
Hardware pedicure, Nataliia Hrynchyshyn Nail Service and Podology Studio, Lviv 2017. Foundations of podology — practical and theoretical work with foot and toe problems, Liudmyla Levchenko Podology Centre, 2020. Plus specialist courses in combined manicure, French technique, airbrushing, gradient and complex nail design between 2013 and 2017, and brand certifications from Staleks, Veratin and Omnia.
The paperwork
Twelve of the documents behind the claims above. Click any of them to read it properly.
What I believe about this work
Technique beats talent
People tell me they cannot draw, so they cannot do French. Nonsense. French is not about talent — it is about brush position, pressure and hand movement. Change those slightly and the line becomes perfect. I teach the mechanics, and the mechanics can be learned by anyone.
A good master is more than good nails
The masters who thrive are not simply the ones with the neatest cuticle line. They know their strengths, they build a service people want to return to, they work with materials they trust, they protect their health, and they stop underpricing themselves.
Service is what stays
An interior can be copied. A price list can be changed. A service can be improved. Genuine care for the person in your chair cannot be faked — and it is what the client remembers longest.
What I do now
Two things, and they feed each other.
I teach masters. Beginners who want a profession that travels with them, and working masters who want to be faster, cleaner and worth more. Small groups in central Warsaw, one-on-one, or at your salon.
I help salon owners. Training their teams, auditing quality, setting up processes, and standing beside them while they launch or rebuild. I have run a salon myself, so I know which advice survives contact with a real working day.

Let’s talk
Whether you are choosing your first course or deciding what to do about your salon, write to me directly. I answer personally.











