In the Ukrainian segment of social media, a steady trend of discussing high-end polish coatings from luxury fashion houses — Manucurist, Hermès, Dior and a number of other brands — has persisted for several years now. Users actively share their impressions from purchases, compare wear time and texture, and the comments under posts regularly feature questions about whether the price is justified. Against the backdrop of this stream of messages, a nail technician known on Threads under the handle kartoplya_anna decided to post a detailed comment and offer readers an alternative from the professional segment, which, in her words, has been developing in Ukraine for over a decade.
Why the professional segment is underrated
In her post, the technician emphasizes that some luxury polishes, despite their high price, require application in several coats and yet last on the nails for only about a week. "Ladies, we live in a country where, for more than a decade now, nails have been filed by people with higher education. Just believe me, this directly affects the development of the field and of the materials," she wrote on Threads. In her assessment, it is precisely the systematic training of specialists and the accumulated experience that have created a stable market for professional products in Ukraine, one that is no worse in quality — and in some items even superior — to the luxury counterparts sold in boutiques.
Cuticle care: three brands for removers
The technician devoted a separate block of recommendations to cuticle care products. Among the brands in which, in her words, one should look for removers, she singled out Gemely, Edlen and DNKa. All three brands are positioned as professional and are widely used in Ukrainian manicure studios. The technician did not name specific formulas, but noted that it is in these lines that one can find a product meeting professional standards in terms of composition and effectiveness.
Polish coatings: wear time and drying speed
For a regular polish coating, the nail technician named several options. She singled out the brand Touch for its wear time: in her words, on a pedicure such a coating can last up to four weeks, which is comparable to the results of gel-polish systems. Nails of the Day also deserved a special mention — the technician called the red polish of this brand "the best red polish in the world," stressing that it dries in about 15 seconds and looks finished even without a top coat. Another option was Joia Vegan: in the brand's line, according to the technician, there is a sheer pink shade that users often compare to the popular Manucurist polish, while its price is around 100 hryvnia.
Removing the coating without over-drying
The selection is completed by a recommendation for a remover. The technician advises paying attention to the brand G-Code, whose product's key feature is an oil-based formula. In her words, such a formula allows the polish coating to be removed without over-drying the nail plate and the skin around it, which is especially important for regular home care. In the comments under the post, followers thanked the author for the selection, some reported that they had already saved the list or forwarded it to their friends, and one user asked for an additional recommendation for a top coat.
Context: luxury versus professional
The publication fits into a broader discourse on the price-to-quality ratio in the beauty industry. Luxury brands rely on marketing, logo recognition and the "things for myself" effect, whereas professional brands build their reputation through work in salons and feedback from technicians. In the Ukrainian context, where the nail industry has gone from a spontaneous market to a field with higher education and standardized protocols, professional products gain an additional competitive advantage: behind them stand specific specialists who test the formulas in their daily practice. kartoplya_anna's selection is not an advertising material and contains no links to stores — it is, in essence, an expert comment that, in the conditions of social media information noise, serves as navigation for those looking for working solutions without overpaying for a brand.
