Eight years ago, Tina Rostetska began a new chapter of her life in the United States, leaving behind a familiar environment and professional framework and, in many ways, building her story from scratch. Today, she is a professional makeup artist, beauty entrepreneur, and founder of her own beauty business in Michigan, specializing in Bridal Makeup, PMU, Brows, and Lashes. Her professional journey includes not only working with clients and developing her personal brand, but also experience building and running her own salon business in the American market. Behind the polished professional image are years of adaptation, bold decisions, financial and business challenges, mistakes, and continuous professional growth.
Instagram @rostetskabeauty
Photo @photographer_detroit
Tina, what was your own start in America like? Did you immediately know what you wanted to do, or did your professional path develop gradually?
My start in America was definitely not easy. When you move to another country with a child in your arms, many things you already know and are capable of doing suddenly seem to lose their significance: a new language, new rules, a different culture, a different market. But I was already familiar with the beauty industry – I have been working in this profession since 2015, so I did not come to America and suddenly decide to become a makeup artist. I simply had to rebuild myself as a beauty professional: learn the American market, understand local clients, validate my knowledge, obtain the necessary licenses, and gradually build my own client base. Everything happened step by step: I worked, studied a lot, tried different directions, met people, and looked for opportunities to grow. America did not give me a ready-made career, but it gave me the opportunity to build one myself.
What became the foundation of your professional journey during those first years?
The knowledge and experience I brought with me from Ukraine, but even more importantly, my willingness not to be afraid of something new. When I was just starting my professional journey in the U.S., my English was still at a fairly basic level, and naturally, that created fear and insecurity. But I did not allow it to stop me. During that time, I worked in three different salons, and each time it meant a new team, new clients, new rules, and another step outside my comfort zone. I might not have known a particular word in English or felt nervous before speaking with a client, but I still went, tried, learned, and gained experience. I think this became one of the most important foundations of my career in America: not waiting until you are completely ready, but taking advantage of the opportunities that appear in front of you.
Owning a business in the U.S. is an entirely different level of responsibility. What challenges did you face when you began building your own business?
When I started working independently, like many beauty professionals in the U.S., I initially saw clients at home. Eventually, I wanted to grow and have a separate professional space, so I rented a station in one of the salons. That was when I learned one of my first serious lessons about American business: we agreed on the rental without an official contract, and when a conflict arose with the owner of the space, I was essentially not sufficiently protected legally. The situation escalated to the point where I had to collect my work belongings in the presence of the police. It was an enormous source of stress for me, especially in another country where I was still learning how to navigate all the rules of running a business. But situations like that make you mature very quickly as an entrepreneur. I realized how important it is to formalize everything properly, read documents carefully, know your rights, and not be afraid to protect yourself and your work. Of course, at the time I had thoughts like, “Why am I doing all this? Maybe it would be easier to go back to working for someone else,” but I did not stop, and today I am even grateful for that experience.
Tina, what fundamental differences do you see between working in the beauty industry in the U.S. and in Ukraine?
I think one of the biggest differences is that the professional standard in the Ukrainian beauty industry is extremely high. Ukrainian beauty professionals study extensively, constantly improve their techniques, follow trends, and are very demanding when it comes to the quality of their work. When I started working in America, I realized that the strong foundation I had received in Ukraine became a major advantage for me. At the same time, I was pleasantly surprised by American clients – they are often very open, friendly, appreciative of your work, and when they are happy with the result, they are not afraid to leave a review or recommend you to others. But in America I also realized that being a good beauty professional is not enough: it is very important how you present yourself, build your personal brand, communicate with clients, and what kind of service you create. Here, people come not only for makeup or a beauty treatment, but also for comfort, atmosphere, and trust. That is why today I enjoy combining the strong Ukrainian technical school with the American approach to service, business, and the value of your own work.
Today, your professional positioning combines bridal makeup, soft glam, PMU, brows, and lashes. Why is it important for you to develop in several beauty directions at once?
For me, beauty has never been limited to just one direction. I have always been someone who enjoys learning new things, trying different techniques, and developing professionally. When I began exploring the beauty industry in America more deeply, I was very surprised by the professional education system itself. After obtaining an esthetician license, you have the opportunity to work in several areas covered by your license – including skincare and facial treatments, brows, lashes, and other beauty services. This opened up an entirely different perspective on the profession for me, and later permanent makeup became another important part of my professional work. Today, I see a great advantage in having knowledge and experience across different areas: it allows me to look at a client’s overall image more comprehensively and better understand how all the details work together.
Behind a beautiful Instagram profile, there is often an invisible side of the work. What part of running your business turned out to be the most difficult, and what do people usually not even realize?
Probably the hardest part is that your own business almost never ends when the workday does. A client sees the finished result: beautiful makeup, a cozy space, but behind that is a huge amount of work that no one sees. After my last client, my workday does not actually end: there are messages and appointments to handle, supplies to purchase, financial and organizational matters, social media, and advertising. Another major part of the job is content creation: you not only have to take photos or shoot videos, but then review everything, select the best material, edit it, put it together, and publish it. Very often, all of this happens in the evening, after a full day of working with clients. So people see a beautiful final image on Instagram, but behind one photo or short video there may be several hours of work. When you work for yourself, you are not only a beauty professional – you are also an administrator, content creator, marketer, and the person responsible for the entire business.
And finally: do you want to scale your beauty business? What ambitions and plans do you have ahead?
Yes, absolutely. I am not the kind of person who can stay at the same level for very long. When I achieve one goal, I almost immediately start thinking about what the next step could be. Right now, a very important stage for me is developing my own beauty space and personal brand. I want my name to be associated not simply with a particular service, but with quality, professionalism, my personal style, and a certain atmosphere. I know one thing for sure: what I have today is not the final destination. And I am genuinely curious to see how far I can go from here!
