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DARK BY RIOR — A Brand Created by a Nail Technician, for Nail Technicians

DARK BY RIOR is more than just a glossy bottle on a shelf.
It’s the direct result of real-life experience in the salon — a response to the everyday challenges every technician faces at the nail table.

This is a brand built by a professional — for professionals.
So that every base coat, every gel polish, every top coat works the way it should: comfortably, predictably, consistently.
So that results are flawless from the very first layer.
So that no lamp fails the curing process, and every product offers full control from the very first brushstroke.

We didn’t rush to launch. First came experience. Then deep testing.
Only once we could confidently say, “this is something we’d use every day,” did we bring it to market.

Today, DARK BY RIOR includes gel polishes, base coats, and top coats trusted by professionals across Ukraine and internationally.
Products available both through our official online store and in RIOR NAILS retail locations.

But the road to this point was long — and that journey defines how we work.

From the Nail Table to a Brand Launch

It didn’t start with a business plan. It didn’t start with funding.
It started with hands — and the daily reality of a working nail technician.

In 2009, the founder of DARK BY RIOR began her journey in the nail industry. Day after day, she worked with dozens of clients, tackling complex cases and taking full responsibility for every result. That’s when the essentials became clear: product consistency, self-leveling ability, curing time, and client comfort under the lamp.

Later came the transition into education.
For seven years, she trained nail technicians across Ukraine — running courses, seminars, and mentoring sessions.
As a trainer, you see more than most: where beginners struggle, where seasoned pros make mistakes, which materials fall short, and how to teach proper technique from the very first lesson.

In 2017, top salon with a team of 17 technicians and a fully booked schedule months in advance.
It was the peak of success — but one question remained:
Why are we still adapting to products, instead of having products designed to adapt to us?
Why does a base coat run?
Why won’t gel stay on thin nails?
Why is a technician forced to think about chemistry instead of focusing on form?

To answer these questions, we opened our own store in 2017 — RIOR NAILS.
A small 17 m² space, a $5,000 budget, a scooter sold to cover the launch. We painted the walls ourselves.
The goal was simple: to gather the very best materials for ourselves and others who shared the same professional values.

But this shop quickly became more than a store — it became a lens into the industry’s weak points:

• Products that looked good only on Instagram

• Formulas that failed to keep up in a fast-paced salon

• Inconsistency — perfect one day, unreliable the next

And so, the next step became clear:
If the perfect product didn’t exist — we would create it ourselves.

The Birth of DARK BY RIOR: A Brand That Works With You — Not Against You

In 2019, we took a deliberate and thoughtful step forward — launching our own brand.
DARK BY RIOR wasn’t born from trends or personal branding ambitions.
It was built from years of hands-on experience — at the nail desk, in the salon, and in the classroom.

Each product is backed by a real story — a real problem encountered and solved by a professional in real-life practice.

We created a tool that brings confidence into every session:
– stable coverage,
– predictable viscosity,
– smooth application,
– precise architecture — even on the most challenging nail types.

The brand’s positioning is clear and honest:

We don’t chase trends.
We stand for professional, timeless quality.
We focus on those who treat results as their reputation.

Our gel polishes, base coats, and top coats are developed specifically for technicians who trust only what’s been proven in practice.

The mission of DARK BY RIOR is to make your work feel confident and seamless.
Formulas that perform just as well for newcomers as they do for advanced educators.
Products that let you focus on shape, color, and results — not on fixing what the material can’t deliver.

How DARK BY RIOR Products Are Created: From Inside the Industry, Not Behind a Desk

We never release a product until it passes every stage of our internal testing process. That’s a core principle.
Because a brand founded by a working nail technician can’t afford shortcuts or surface-level solutions.

Everything begins with analysis:
– What works — and what doesn’t
– What’s missing from the market
– Which gel polishes or base coats behave unpredictably
– And which only perform well under “perfect” conditions

We don’t just follow trends — we study them.
We look deeper: Which textures are actually used in salons? Which techniques are gaining traction? Which top and base coats help professionals save time — and which ones slow them down?

Formula development includes:

• Testing across different nail plate types

• Evaluating product performance under various lamps — from budget to premium

• Measuring how fast and evenly it self-levels, whether it runs at the free edge, whether it glides effortlessly, whether it delivers a lasting shine

• Assessing wear in real-life salon conditions: temperature shifts, frequent handwashing, daily mechanical stress

A product never reaches the shelf unless it meets all of the following benchmarks:

• Clean self-leveling with no pooling

• Professional-quality results in minimal time

• Smooth, stress-free use by beginners

• Uncompromising speed and control for experienced professionals

We create base coats and gel polishes that behave the same — whether in the hands of a top educator, a salon technician, or a student at a training course.

That’s what we mean by a professional approach: true versatility with no compromise in quality.

Products That Have Become a Standard for Nail Technicians

Every formula by DARK BY RIOR isn’t “just another bottle” — it’s a direct response to real challenges nail professionals face.
We don’t chase trends. We set the standard — the kind you get so used to, you won’t want to work with anything else.

Here are three essential products to start your introduction to the brand:

 DARK Pro Base
This is the base coat trusted by both beginners and advanced educators.
Its low-acidity formula ensures maximum client comfort, while its medium-viscosity texture gives the technician full control.

• Suitable for nail plate leveling

• Delivers strong adhesion to natural nails

• Performs well even on problem-prone nail types

• Fast self-leveling — ideal for high-paced salon work

 Smart Builder Gel
A builder gel that adapts to you — not the other way around.
It’s flexible, smooth-gliding, non-runny, and keeps perfect structure during application.

• Ideal for strengthening, sculpting, and corrections

• Balanced viscosity — speeds up your workflow

• Excellent for training — easy to explain, easy to replicate

 Gel Polish DARK
These gel polishes deliver full coverage in a single stroke, with deep pigmentation and lasting shine.
No streaks. No fading. No color shift after curing.

• Highly pigmented formulas

• Precision brush for clean application from the first swipe

• A wide palette — from timeless neutrals to trend-forward shades

All DARK BY RIOR products are available through our official locations in Dnipro and via our online gel polish store, where you’ll find full product descriptions, specifications, and expert support.

DARK BY RIOR Today: A Presence That Speaks for Itself

What began as a simple realization — “this can’t be how we work anymore” — has become a trusted choice for professionals in over 16 countries.
DARK BY RIOR is now present across Europe, Canada, the United States, and featured in salons, academies, training centers, and leading online gel polish retailers.

We’ve grown not through aggressive marketing — but through the trust of technicians who work with our formulas every day.
Because when a product is comfortable, efficient, and consistent — it stays in your hand for years, not just for a season.

We don’t release “seasonal collections” with a six-month lifespan.
We develop products designed to perform — and keep performing.
We refine our formulas, listen to professional feedback, and test across all levels of experience — to remain a brand that evolves with its users, not above them.

When You Choose Confidence, You Choose DARK BY RIOR

We don’t teach you how to work — we work alongside those who deliver results.
Choose base coats and gel polishes that give you control.
Choose a product that adapts to your technique — not the other way around.

DARK BY RIOR is a brand built on professional experience — made for professional performance.