Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilona.
Hi Ilona , 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?
My journey in the beauty industry started with a simple intention to understand color deeply and create makeup that feels balanced, long-lasting, and artistically clean. With time, this intention grew into a profession, and later into my own original method that became a signature part of my work.
After working with many clients and models, I realized that traditional approaches often didn’t provide the level of durability, tonal harmony, and customization I wanted to achieve. This led me to develop ProTint Method by Ilona Hradinaru a professional technique based exclusively on tints. It allows artists to create long-wearing, refined, and fully personalized looks adapted to each client’s individual color type.
The method was officially registered first in Ukraine and later in the United States an important milestone in my career. Today it is used in competition preparation, professional makeup work, and educational programs, which is the best proof that the technique works in real practice.
My path wasn’t easy. Moving to a new country meant starting from zero, facing the challenges of a new culture, new language, and building a career from scratch. But each challenge pushed me to grow, refine my craft, and keep developing my ideas.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is this: true professional growth begins the moment you stop being afraid to create something of your own.
What I want the world to know about me and my brand is simple I create methods and tools that help other artists grow and reach a higher professional level.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey in this profession has definitely not been easy. In the beginning, I had no stable support, no access to high-quality materials, and no certainty that results would come quickly. I had to build everything from the ground up my skills, my artistic style, my client base, and my professional identity.
Another major challenge was participating in championships. The competition is always intense talented artists, multi-level evaluation systems, and the need to create a work that stands out both creatively and technically. Preparing for championships required complete dedication: developing a concept, choosing models and materials, refining technique, and assembling a final look that meets professional standards and represents my artistic vision.
Every participation pushed me to grow and helped me understand how to continue perfecting my craft. Through these challenges I developed my own signature method, which was later officially registered both in Ukraine and in the United States.
Moving to the U.S. became yet another stage of challenges a new country, a different market, and another level of competition. But all these obstacles ultimately shaped me into a stronger artist who is not afraid of complex tasks and knows how to achieve results.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a professional makeup artist and the creator of the signature ProTint Method, officially registered in both Ukraine and the United States as an original educational and practical work. My specialization is clean, long-lasting, and well-structured makeup based entirely on the use of tints allowing for exceptional durability, balanced tonal harmony, and a natural aesthetic finish without heaviness.
In 2025, I achieved 1st and 2nd place at a world championship, which became a major milestone in my career and a significant recognition of my technique’s effectiveness and my professional level. These achievements also drew the attention of the international beauty community.
While preparing for the championship, I openly shared my technical insights with other participants discussing tonal logic, product behavior, form building, and methods for achieving stability. It was incredibly rewarding to see many of these ideas resonate, and several artists I exchanged knowledge with went on to earn prize placements as well.
For me, artistry is not only about mastering my own craft but also about contributing to the industry through knowledge. My method has become a practical tool that helps artists create cleaner, more stable work and supports competitors in enhancing their results.
What truly sets me apart is the combination of artistic vision, technical precision, and my ability to turn experience into a structured system that benefits not only my own work but also other professionals. I believe makeup is a visual language one that expresses style, character, and emotion and I strive to ensure that every look I create is not just a service but a meaningful part of a story.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I had to move away from the familiar, predictable way of working and step into a space where more courage and professional openness were required. I chose a path where you don’t just perform tasks you experiment, refine your technique, and present your ideas to the industry. There is always uncertainty in that: you never know how the professional community will respond to new approaches.
But this willingness to move forward allowed me to grow faster, take on more demanding projects, and achieve results that eventually became part of my major accomplishments.
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Ilona Hradinaru
