Dior Beauty Ambassador Marina Doroshenko: On Moving to London, Working with International Stars, and the Theory of Small Steps

Marina Doroshenko is a qualified lawyer and the head of a dermatology clinic in Kyiv. Many years ago, makeup was just a passion for her.

After moving to London due to the war in 2022, she had to start her life over. Today, she is a professional makeup artist and Dior Beauty ambassador at Harrods, working with the world’s beauty elite. She has participated in events featuring Dior ambassadors such as Rihanna, Charlize Theron, and Monica Bellucci’s daughter, Deva Cassel.

“For me, these aren’t just big names—they represent invaluable professional experience,” emphasizes Marina Doroshenko. In an exclusive interview with UA.News, she shares her experience with immigration, her journey of growth after “starting from scratch,” and talks about the passion that became her life’s work.

I’ve dreamed of becoming a makeup artist since childhood 
 

I was born in the mining city of Kryvyi Rih, in the Dnipropetrovsk region. It’s an industrial, predominantly “male” city, where many years ago, professions for women were the exception rather than the norm.

Of course, telling my parents back then that I wanted to be a makeup artist was almost like announcing that I was going to fly to Mars with Elon Musk—the profession seemed frivolous and completely incomprehensible. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive any support at the time.

But despite that, I kept doing my classmates’ makeup. I still cherish the memories and photos from when I was about 13, doing my friends’ makeup right on a bench near the “Lenin Cultural Center.”

Later, I enrolled in a university in Kyiv and successfully graduated from the law school. However, all this time I continued to invest—even if only small amounts—in training, online courses, travel, and cosmetics. People around me found this strange: many didn’t understand why I was spending money on things that had nothing to do with my main profession.

By that time, I was already running a dermatology clinic. And to this day, I continue to run it—it’s a dermatology clinic in Kyiv. I’m very proud of this project because it has become an important part of my professional journey. As for makeup, it was purely a hobby until February 24, 2022.

And, unfortunately, after the full-scale invasion, I was forced to emigrate to London due to a number of family and personal circumstances.

Here, in a new country, continuing my career in law proved impossible, both because of the language barrier and because my degree wasn’t fully recognized. This was a turning point that completely changed my professional trajectory.

And what had long been just a hobby suddenly became my main profession. Makeup artistry, which was once simply a passion, turned into my life’s work—something that still provides for me and my family and has become my primary occupation.

At the same time, my connection to Kyiv and Ukraine hasn’t been severed: I continue to work on Ukrainian projects and maintain professional and personal ties with my home country.

The hardest part after moving to London
 

To be honest, I would definitely rank immigration as one of the most stressful situations in life. If I were to rank the most difficult events in life, in my opinion, the loss of a loved one would come first, violence second, and emigration third. It is truly one of the most difficult experiences a person can go through.

I wouldn’t wish immigration on anyone, and I feel deep sympathy for those who’ve been forced to go through it. It’s a state where you simultaneously feel at home among strangers and like a stranger among your own people. It’s a complete reset, a fresh start, and, in my view, even on a deep level—a change in one’s inner state, as if certain neural connections are being rewired.

But at the same time, I can say that I’m grateful to myself for not giving up. And I’m grateful to this city and this country. I truly have a lot to be grateful for.

I’m convinced that if a person believes in themselves and keeps fighting for their dreams, everything will definitely work out. Once you’ve learned to ride a bike, you can ride it anywhere.

The hardest thing for me turned out to be the mindset. It’s completely different. What we call kindness may be perceived differently here. What we consider support and involvement takes on different forms here.

So the hardest part was not only understanding this new mindset but also integrating into it without losing myself or my core values—taking the best of what’s here while avoiding absorbing what feels foreign to me.

It’s a very multicultural environment here
 

In my view, the British attitude toward expats is largely tied to the fact that London is, by its very nature, a very multicultural environment. It’s a city where people from all over the world live, so it’s quite difficult to draw a clear line between locals and those who have recently arrived.

And perhaps that’s one of the reasons why I chose to live in London. Here, diversity is the norm, not the exception.

In general, I haven’t personally encountered any negative attitudes. Of course, I’ve heard about such cases and sometimes observed them from the sidelines, but in my experience, it wasn’t something that affected me personally.

And overall, I believe that there are good people everywhere—regardless of country, status, or background.

Sometimes you just have to take the first step
 

My career in the UK didn’t start at Dior, but at Harrods.

Harrods is a legendary department store with a global history, one of the most famous symbols of British luxury, and a place that many associate with the royal family. It was a big dream of mine to work there someday.

Literally the very next day, I was offered a position at Yves Saint Laurent Beauty. That’s where my career at Harrods began. At first, I worked as a makeup artist, and then I became the team leader of the brand’s makeup artist team.

After a year on the job, I received an offer from Dior Beauty—a higher position, better benefits, and a higher salary. That’s how I became part of the Dior team.

For me, this story is yet another confirmation that sometimes you just have to take the first step. Many people say that it’s impossible to find a good job these days, that no one reads resumes or emails. Maybe that’s true sometimes. But my experience has taught me otherwise: don’t be afraid to knock on doors.

I’m always very meticulous about my work
 

I believe that the qualities I developed long before moving here—attention to detail, responsibility, precision, a commitment to high quality, patience, and attentiveness—helped me land a job on such a strong international team.

I’m always very meticulous about my work. It’s important to me that everything is done professionally, neatly, and step by step. I’m convinced that it’s attention to detail that ultimately leads to high-quality results.

Another important quality is composure. Working in an international team, I’ve noticed that people react differently to stress and work situations. My ability to stay calm, move steadily toward my goals, and avoid making emotional decisions has always helped me.

In my opinion, it is precisely patience, responsibility, and the constant desire to do your job a little better every day that form the foundation of true professional growth.

Qualities that truly help you reach new heights
 

Here I’d like to make a very important point: please don’t lose our Eastern European, post-Soviet work ethic, quality, responsiveness, initiative, and responsibility.

And another very important thing—don’t be afraid of failure. There will be setbacks. People may not understand you for a long time, simply because the approach and way of thinking are different here. But that doesn’t mean your approach is wrong.

On the contrary, our experience and our way of working are highly valued. It just sometimes takes time for people to see and accept that.
 

Individuality is highly valued here
 

I believe that the European and post-Soviet schools of makeup artistry differ significantly from one another.

The European approach is characterized by more freedom, creativity, lightness, and the principle of “rules without rules.” Individuality, naturalness, and the opportunity to experiment are highly valued here.

The post-Soviet school, on the other hand, is built on a strong technical foundation. It’s about discipline, precision, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of technique. This approach provides a solid professional foundation.

Personally, I feel close to both schools. I’m convinced that the ideal approach lies somewhere in the middle. When advanced technique is combined with creative freedom, the most interesting and contemporary looks are born. That’s exactly why I value both approaches equally and try to combine them in my work. 

A Unique Experience with Dior Ambassadors: Rihanna, Charlize Theron, and Deva Cassel
 

During my time working in London, I was fortunate enough to gain experience that I could only have dreamed of before. 

For me, these aren’t just big names—they represent invaluable professional experience that allows me to see how the best specialists in the global beauty industry work and to constantly develop myself.

Although I’ve been working at Dior for a relatively short time, I’ve already had the opportunity to participate in several projects that are important to me.

One of the most significant moments was when I was entrusted with the role of Team Leader during the brand’s presentations at the Harrods penthouse. It was a great honor for me to represent Dior at one of the world’s most famous department stores and to work with clients at such a high level.

In addition, I was fortunate to take part in several internal brand projects related to the development of a new foundation and a new collection of Dior brushes. I was able to share my professional opinion as a practicing makeup artist, and realizing that my experience was useful to the team was a tremendous honor for me.

European interest in Ukrainian beauty aesthetics
 

Europeans—and the British, in particular—are truly very interested in our approach to the beauty industry. I think this is because women from Ukraine and Eastern Europe have always been renowned for their well-groomed appearance, attention to detail, and high level of professionalism in the beauty industry.

When people who have grown up in a culture of beauty themselves begin to create beauty for others, it always inspires interest and respect. Our approach is characterized by a high level of technical skill, discipline, and a commitment to flawless results. And that is truly appreciated.

Of course, building a professional community in a new country isn’t easy. The language barrier, unfamiliarity with the local mindset, the need to understand local rules, and learning to set your own boundaries—all of this takes time and effort.

But that’s exactly why I’m especially proud of our Ukrainian beauty community. Despite having lived through the war, the hardships of emigration, and the need to rebuild their lives in another country, many of our women are achieving impressive results. They launch their own projects, collaborate with global brands, become sought-after professionals, and often achieve success faster than those who have lived here their whole lives.

I think this proves once again just how strong, hardworking, and talented people can be when they never stop believing in themselves and keep moving forward.

The Eastern European School of Beauty has a very strong reputation
 

I continue to stay in touch with colleagues from Ukraine and other countries in our region. For me, this comes naturally, because that’s where I continue to find a wealth of inspiration, new techniques, interesting solutions, and a truly high level of professionalism.

Our school stands out for its attention to detail, high level of technical training, and commitment to achieving perfection. That’s exactly why our specialists are in such high demand and attract so much interest abroad.

I really want us to maintain this professional approach, continue to develop it, and not be afraid to make our mark. This is truly our greatest strength.

In my opinion, high-quality work is immediately apparent. Very often, you can tell that a woman has been to a makeup artist, colorist, or manicurist from Ukraine or other Eastern European countries. This is evident in the precision, attention to detail, clean execution, and the overall quality of the result.

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