Anastasia Soare on Becoming a Brow Guru
Anastasia Soare’s background in engineering and architecture helped her master the art of eyebrows. (Photo: Instagram)
Brow baroness Anastasia Soare grew up in Constanta, Romania. Working as an apprentice in her family’s tailoring shop, Soare learned the importance of proportion in beauty, a skill that would later serve her well in architecting brows on some of Hollywood’s most famous faces. She later studied engineering, architecture, and drawing in college before focusing her interests on beauty. She trained as an aesthetician before moving to Los Angeles with her family. After opening Anastasia Beverly Hills salon in 1997, it became the go-to beauty destination for supermodels and actresses alike. Later, Soare created a range of award-winning eyebrow products and the world’s best-selling brow pencils on the market today. We caught up with Soare to learn about her experience growing up in Romania, her 20-something beauty mishap, and her advice for 20-somethings today.
In my early 20s, living in a communist regime in Romania, success to me simply meant leaving and coming to America. At the time, that seemed impossible! My ultimate goal was to live in a place where I could have certain freedoms. Now, my definition of success has evolved into being proud of my daughter and her accomplishments, having a happy family life, changing people’s lives, and achieving overall balance. There is more to success than running a business or being independent. I now strive to find balance in all areas of life. It’s not always easy!
My math, chemistry, and science teachers inspired curiosity, pushed my boundaries, and helped me see the science in everything, including beauty. My calculus teacher would send me home every weekend with 400 problems to solve. At the time, I felt it was so strict and demanding, but now I realize that the workload instilled in me a sense of discipline, and showed me that even if I wasn’t inherently skilled at something, I could be, with enough dedication and practice. I also learned from my teachers that I could never take shortcuts in life. You couldn’t just skim the assigned text because they would quiz you on the most mundane details of every chapter. And we were expected to deliver answers on the spot! That extreme attention to detail, then a survival skill, is something that I still apply to everything in my life.
Soare on set for Anastasia Beverly Hills. (Photo: Instagram)
There weren’t any brow products when I was in my 20s. Women simply tweezed! Now, of course, I use every single brow product I make. On my clients, I always reach for some combination of Brow Wiz, Clear Brow Gel, Highlighting Powder Duo, and DipBrow Pomade to create a perfect brow, depending on her individual needs. I made my own creams at the pharmacy in Romania with my mother, who loved to apply them. Now, I practically have a department store in my bathroom. I’m always trying new creams and products to keep my skin youthful, hydrated, and protected from the sun.
My parents were in the fashion industry, so I grew up around lots of fabric and loved clothing. My mother used to encourage me by bringing home the latest designs from Italy. There was one green bellbottom pantsuit in particular she brought me that I used to love. It had pointy collars and huge buttons and was so funny. Although, who knows? It could come back in fashion. Prada did something very similar just a few years ago!
I’d tell my 20-something self not to dye my hair. Wait as long as possible, because once it turns gray, you’ll be doing it forever. I’d tell her not to be so hard on herself. When you’re young, you want longer legs, straighter hair, things you weren’t necessarily born with. As you get older, you appreciate your good health and you’ll end up missing the things you once loathed.
20-somethings today: What you put in is what you get out; nothing goes unnoticed. Be a sponge and surround yourself with smart people and don’t take anything for granted. If you work really hard and stay engaged, you’ll become a great asset to the company, and no boss would be willing to let you get away.
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