Larisa Larina started everything from scratch in America

The article was first published in the magazine “Makeup&YOU Professional”.

This is a very bold decision. Here you have a school that has been operating since 2010, and in general there are many achievements. What prompted you to do this, how long did it take you to do this? The school continues to work, I did not leave it and continue to come to Ukraine. In general, my husband was excited about the idea of moving. He took the first steps towards this, looking for opportunities. I didn’t really want to move because I have school, friends, and family here. Many people already know me, I feel like a fish in water. And moving to New York, where there is a lot of competition, is scary. We spent about two years working on the paperwork process. And as soon as we received them, we decided to move immediately, without waiting for anything. There were no clear plans on how to live and what to do. We decided that we would sort it out on the spot. Why did you decide to develop a cosmetics line? I saw that in America the best option to earn good money is sales. Yes, there is crazy competition there, but it’s in everything. I’ve only been in America for a year and four months, I can’t say that I’ve already started there right now, while I’m studying and analyzing the market. We moved to a country that is like a different planet for us, and everything works differently there. Therefore, coming and immediately opening a business is stupid. You need to look around, evaluate, understand the rules of the game. It is very important. And I can say that only in the last five months I already have some kind of idea. Before that, I was just testing the waters, starting to work with people, looking at what was in demand, what was popular, what was interesting. And I started from this in creating cosmetics, in working with clients, and on filming. How does the American market differ from the Ukrainian one? It’s clear that there are a lot of things. But can you highlight a few theses? It differs very much in everything. First of all, the approach to work – it’s very business-like here. Even for a makeup artist you need a resume, a lot of documents confirming that you work. It's not enough to just show an Instagram link and say you're a professional. This is not enough even to simply get a discount from a professional brand. In order to buy cosmetics at a discount, I had to provide proof that I work in New York, and as a makeup artist, and not just an assistant or assistant. And show publications in American magazines. Even in America, before each shooting or before a show, a call sheet is sent to the entire team - this is a sheet that contains a list of the entire team, the entire shooting timing, location and other details. So this call sheet with your last name must also be presented as proof that you really worked on this filming or show. The American resume is also very different. There is a clear structure to follow. If the resume does not correspond to it, they will not even consider it. And not like ours - they send it with errors, without contacts, written in any form, it is not clear what salons the person worked in, what schools he studied at, etc. So where did your first steps begin? I posted my resume on several job search sites, but it didn't work. I started advertising myself through Instagram, and little by little I started getting private clients - weddings and other events. Their hashtags work very clearly. Nobody pays attention to hashtags on social networks. Many people don’t put them at all - so as not to have a lot of text. And then I ask the client, how did you find me? He says it’s through a hashtag. Then they started inviting me to shoot with photographers. Then I got into a large salon from a large corporation. And after that I started working on big shoots and Fashion Weeks. In general, a lot of things that work there don’t work here, and vice versa. I will not sell the makeup that I make here in America. And if I show what I do there here at a master class, no one will be interested in it. Can you be more specific? Are there any fundamental differences in trends or approaches in principle? I can’t say that trends vary greatly between seasons. But ordinary people there don’t wear makeup in everyday life. You go on the subway and most of the girls don’t wear makeup at all. The higher a person’s income level and status, the less they use cosmetics. Therefore, when clients order makeup for a special occasion, it is usually just to highlight something. There is such an expression as “the best version of yourself.” You need to be a little better than usual. This means adding a little eyelashes, filling in the eyebrows a little, applying bronzer, blush, concealer, and applying lipstick. I do the makeup that clients want there in twenty minutes, if no one bothers me. If I work in parallel with a hairdresser, it takes a little longer. You said you were analyzing the market. How exactly: did you look at the color scheme of cosmetics, leaf through magazines, look at your competitors’ Instagram? I just look at what's going on around me, what people look like. You can't judge anything in America by cosmetic brands. They are presented for every taste. You won’t understand which ones are relevant, because everything is there. Even a person with a low income can afford to use normal cosmetics. So, looking at the assortment in the store, you cannot draw conclusions about trends. But after the New York Fashion Show has passed, it becomes clear what trends are relevant. But these trends are applicable for advertising and filming. When working with clients, everything is usually calmer. In the beginning, I always asked the girls what they wanted from me. And only after working for some time did I really feel that I was in demand. I got burned several times: once, after trying out makeup that would have gone great in Ukraine, I was simply not booked for a wedding. I drew conclusions and began to do what they needed. After all, if fifty clients showed me the same picture, then it’s clear that it’s in demand. When I come to the set, I work there with my eyes open, my ears open and without a star on my head. Americans have a very good word that they use in their work - humble. This means that you must always be very patient, very calm, listen to what they want from you and not follow your line “I’m a pro and I know better.” On the set, everything is also basically very simple - moist, glowing, fresh skin, light eye makeup. And either bold lips, bright lips, or transparent. Over the past year and a half, has America changed your mentality and your professional views? I began to approach my work more professionally. I have always had a serious approach to my profession, but now I understand some things that work completely differently in America. And I liked it. We have a frequent practice: someone completed the course, decided that he was a pro, opened his own school around the corner and is already teaching. This does not and cannot happen in America. The system is built in such a way that the more you grow, the more experience you have, the more privileges you receive. It’s called “no shortcut” - there is no shortcut. What advice would you give to people from our field who want to move, not necessarily to America, maybe to another country, with a different mentality and nuances that are unexpected for us? First of all, learn the language of the country you are going to live in. Without language there will be nothing. Be open to new things and forget everything that was here. Don't burn bridges. But no matter how professional you are here, you need to understand that there you start everything from scratch. It’s great if suddenly someone manages to come and immediately become a star. But usually in America the “no shortcut” rule still applies.