Global beauty with local roots, anyone?
Courtesy Liudmyla Krotova
Paris may be thousands of miles from Hallandale Beach, but Team USA’s road to one of the beauty world’s biggest competitions runs straight through Broward County.
Liudmyla Krotova, founder of Milas Beauty Lab, is preparing 13 makeup and brow professionals for the 2026 OMC Hairworld championship in Paris. The annual international showdown brings national teams from approximately 50 countries together for high-stakes contests spanning hair, aesthetics and nails. This year carries extra razzle-dazzle as OMC is turning 80.
Krotova, who serves as Head National Trainer for OMC USA’s Aesthetics Section, moved from Ukraine to Florida with her family in 2022. She arrived with a championship résumé already stacked higher than a ’90s supermodel’s updo, y’all.
After entering the beauty industry circa2016, she competed extensively throughout Ukraine before climbing the OMC ranks. Krotova placed fifth internationally in 2019, second in 2020 and first in Stage Makeup in 2021, earning the title of European champion. She later became a coach and judge and was twice named Ukraine’s best trainer.
Her reputation followed her across the Atlantic. In 2023, she accepted the task of developing Team OMC USA’s aesthetics program, which previously had no dedicated competitive structure.
“When I started this work in 2023, the Aesthetics category in the U.S. was essentially starting from scratch,” Krotova told Browardist.
The makeover has been dramatic. Across five international OMC championships, her competitors have collected 10 gold, seven silver and five bronze medals, plus numerous top-six finalist placements. The 2026 aesthetics roster has prepared 17 entries, while the wider American squad includes two additional competitors representing nails and hair.
Team members hail from Hallandale Beach, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach and North Miami, while others travel from New York, Atlanta and San Diego. Each arrives with an established professional background before undergoing rigorous work on concepts, techniques and competition-ready looks at Milas Beauty Lab.
“For me, it’s not only about medals,” Krotova said. “I’m proud to see professionals grow and become champions and leaders.”
She is also releasing Team OMC USA — Aesthetics, a noncommercial commemorative book spotlighting the squad’s achievements from 2024 through 2026. After Paris, Krotova hopes to help establish American national championships that create a stronger pipeline for future Team USA contenders.
