Q&A with Celebrity Nail Tech Anastasiia Morozova
Anastasiia Morozova is an award winning nail technician and international educator. She holds champion titles at noteable nail competitions around the world such as OMC in Russia, Nail and Lashes in Taiwan, Nailit in Dubai, and NailPro in the US where she is a four time gold winner! As well, she has won gold at competitions in Germany, Singapore, Serbia and silver at Nailympia in London. Anastasiia’s passion for nails has taken her all over the world. She travels as an educator, sharing her nail expertise and techniques, many of which she has developed herself. Anastasiia’s love for learning and teaching fuel her drive to keep pushing forward in the nail world. She has been featured in nail magazine publications including Scratch magazine (Great Britain), Nails Magazine (US), Hand and Nails (Ukraine), ProfNail (Netherlands) and Nails and Eyelashes (Taiwan).
Follow Anastasiia and her work on Instagram.
Q&A:
Q: Where did you learn to do nails and how long have you been a nail tech?
Anastasiia: I went to university in Ukraine and have a masters law degree- but the whole time I was painting my nails! One day, my mother said that her friend was opening a nail school in our city (Kharkiv, Ukraine). I was excited to take lessons for nails as a hobby, and of course, I fell in love with it! I’ve studied at different nail schools in Ukraine, Russia and Dubai, and am still studying, because it’s never enough for me!
Q: When did you cross over to being a nail tech full time?
Anastasiia: After I finished my first nail course, I began doing all of my friends nails! I was so busy with it that when I finished university, I was fully booked and told me parents that I was going to work in the nail industry. I tried to work in law, but my soul kept telling me that I really wanted to be an artist!
Q: If you didn’t do nails, what do you think you’d be doing?
Anastasiia: I love to paint! I paint stained glass style effects on my doors and windows! I also love drawing artwork on interior walls, like bedrooms and children’s rooms. So, I think if not the nail world, I would be an artist in other ways. I am sure that I wouldn’t go back to a law job!
Q: Do you have a favourite nail design?
Anastasiia: I love encapsulating art with gel and acrylic, and I love my competition arts that are done with acrylic colours.
Q: What nail product do you use the most?
Anastasiia: I can work with all kinds of products, but my favourites are gel paints, acrylic colours, watercolours, alcohol inks, translucent gels and all kinds of accessories and stones!
Q: Do you travel a lot?
Anastasiia: Yes! I am travelling all over the world- though most of the time I spend in the US. Last year I was gone for seven months in total. I was in Vietnam a few times, Singapore, China, Australia, Africa, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Italy, France, Amsterdam, Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey, Great Britain, Ireland, the US, Mexico and of course- Ukraine and Russia.
Q: Do you have a favourite place out of everywhere you’ve been?
Anastasiia: The US is my favourite country! You can find all kinds of climates there. And it’s very diverse. I’m happy to work with people of different nationalities and cultures. I have a lot of friends in the USA.
Q: You’ve worked backstage as a nail tech for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show too! How did you get involved with that?
Anastasiia: I got involved through the LeChat Nail Company. I’m one of their international nail educators. LeChat Nails was the nail sponsor for the Victoria’s Secret show in 2018 in New York. I had the opportunity there to be a part of the backstage group and work on the VS angels’ nails.
Q: Is it crazy behind the scenes?
Anastasiia: The VS show last year in New York had a lot of people, but everything is super organized! Everyone was working very well as a team.
Q: Do you get much time to prepare the nails or do you paint them the same day as the show?
Anastasiia: We paint the nails for the models backstage side by side with the hair and makeup artists. Victoria’s Secret chose three ‘Dare to Wear’ colours from LeChat nail care products. They were nude colours, which is what they love!
Q: What was your favourite part about being involved with the VS fashion show?
Anastasiia: My favourite part about VSFS is the feeling and understanding that I’m a part of a very big event! Every time I’m watching the show on TV, I’m excited all over again and am telling my friends, “You see! I did nails for them!”
Q: Were you nervous to be working on the VS models?
Anastasiia: Oh yes! I didn’t know the process of backstage and I didn’t have any idea how to work there- which is why I was nervous. But, everything backstage is very organized. All of the models have their own areas with hairstylists and makeup artists, so we [the nail techs] just jump from one station to another. And when I started to work, I didn’t have time for nerves because we were so busy!
Q: Did you learn anything new from being involved in a highly covered live fashion like VS?
Anastasiia: Now, I really know how to work on nails in extreme situations when your model is super busy with interviews, makeup and hair and they are moving their hands all the time! Now I know how to apply on a moving hand without messing up the cuticles!
Q: Do you keep in touch with anyone you met at the VS show?
Anastasiia: While working, we really don’t have time to talk with the models, because they have their own schedule with the interviews. But, with our nail team, we always keep in touch. We have our group chat where we are sharing our news.
Q: What does a typical work day look like for you?
Anastasiia: Well, my typical work day is very busy! It’s beauty shows, demo classes, lessons, airports and airplanes. Now, I feel comfortable in airports all over the world! I feel very energetic and happy when I’m sharing my knowledge and experiences with my students and can see their results. My job makes me very happy!
