Irina Krutik - Passion
“Creativity. Love. Self-expression.”
This is how Irina describes her career. We have a few more words for her.
Passionate, iron-willed, compassionate and a complete star – that is our founder Irina Krutik for you.
Her product line – Irina Krutik Nail System – is so much more than just a product. It is the culmination of a story that was born in Leningrad, Russia and found its roots in Goa, India. Sit back and let us show you this passion-driven story.
Beginnings and Dreams
Irina was born in Leningrad City in the Soviet Union, now known as Saint Petersburg, Russia. Little Irina’s dream was 6000 miles away. She dreamt of becoming an Indian actress. Life took its course however and she studied to become a teacher. But as it usually does, her career took a completely unexpected turn.
Finding Her Calling
Her introduction to a career in nails came from a very personal experience. Irina had a habit of biting her nails since childhood. Her nailbed was very small as a result and she remembers being ashamed of it and having to hide her nails when in company. One day, she heard about nail extensions and decided to try it out. And that was it! A marriage that would last her lifetime and be the foundation of her career.
Being a perfectionist, Irina’s tryst with nails didn’t just stop at a basic knowledge of it. She learnt and experimented, and she mastered it. Suddenly, her friends were complimenting her nails. They saw it was very different from what they could get in other salons, and they wanted it! That was when Irina decided to make nails her career.
“I remember feeling proud of my nails for the first time in my life. It made me feel beautiful and confident. I wanted others to experience this as well.”
Achieving Mastery
Irina started her career as a nail technician and found that she loved it.
“I am fascinated by the creative process, the detailing, I like to bring what I create to perfection.”
With that attitude, Irina was becoming a master at what she did, and she fondly recollects those exciting days:
“It was a time of active development of the nail industry in Russia. I came up with a method of high-speed service and a tool that helps to create the perfect shape of nails. The method was called “Perfect Nails in an Hour” and it was a hit. Suddenly, everyone wanted it, and the demand was astonishing and more than what we could cope with! We created different types of nail designs using acrylic technology, accessories and even homemade designs. For example, back then, there was no such design as nails with dried flowers. We decided it was a great idea, collected the flowers ourselves, dried them in a book and then used them on nails!”
Irina went on to win national honours and accolades in the nail industry. An achievement she considers especially noteworthy is creating a training program for judges of professional nail competitions. She developed the certification program for them to ensure that the judging was accurate, fair and as objective as possible.
Some of her other accolades:
7-time Professional Nail Modeling Champion (2000–2007)
Certified Judge, International Nailpro Association (2006)
Certified International Judge and Chief Commissioner, OMC Professional Nail Championships (2010)
Author and Speaker of the Training and Certification Program for International Jury Judging under the Nail Business Association in the category “Classic Nail Modeling”
Founder and Art Director of Nail Design Studios in Saint Petersburg (Russia) since 2005 and Goa (India) since 2013.
Working with Deepika Padukone
India Calling
Irina’s love for everything Indian didn’t fade. She loved Indian culture, the films, and the vivid colors and beauty of the land and its people. In 2007, she decided to move to India with her husband and in 2012 she started her nail studio.
As she worked here, she found a renewed sense of purpose:
“My experience and that of Russian masters have been honed in an industry that is more than 30 years ahead of what it is here. The nail industry is very new in India and is making great strides. I want to be part of it and help local nail masters gain all this experience much faster. I know where to go in the industry and how to get there. I want to share this with masters in India and make a contribution to this development.”
Irina has trained over 500 masters and continues to do so.
A Problem and The Solution
As she continued working in India, she saw a definite need. A need for high-quality nail products. She was on ground zero. She knew the challenges of sourcing the right products and she had a realisation – she didn’t see a product that she loved herself, which addressed all the problems she and other nail technicians were facing. Irina’s spirit of innovation and determination raised its head again, and after years of sourcing, experimenting, and testing - Irina Krutik Nail Systems was born.
“I am fascinated by the creative process, the detailing. I like to bring what I create to perfection. And that made me create a product that was perfect for me to work with and which would make my clients happy.”
You will see her creativity, dedication and love in every shade she has created and every formula she has perfected. Self-expression is very important to her and she wishes that every woman gives that gift to themselves through her collections.
“I like the process itself and the result of creating beauty. When I see my design coming to life just as I wanted it to, it fills me with joy. And the delight of a client when they walk out the door with a newfound sense of confidence and joy – that makes everything worth it. This gives me energy and the desire to do more.”
Join Irina in her journey to infuse each Indian woman’s world with beauty, elegance and confidence – one beautiful nail at a time.
