Anastasia Soare, the mastermind behind beauty brand Anastasia Beverly Hills, found her inspiration in the late ’80s when she was working as an aesthetician in Los Angeles, USA. An art and architecture student, Soares says, “I thought that if brows could change a person’s expression in art, they could also be shaped to bring a sense of harmony and balance to the face as well.” As her namesake brand launches on BODDESS.COM, the authorized Indian online beauty shop where ABH retails, ELLE chatted with Anastasia, who has worked on some of the world’s most famous arches, (Cara Delevingne, Jennifer Lopez and Naomi Campbell are her regulars) to chat about all things make-up. So, how did she end up setting up her brow empire? “I devised my signature brow shaping technique, the Golden Ratio and then opened my own salon, the only one then, devoted to shaping brows, in the late ‘90s. I truly believed in my vision and when we opened our doors on the first day, we had a line around the building block,” she recalls. To know more about Anastasia’s best tips for perfect brows and the right way to use her bestselling make-up, read on…
ELLE: What do perfect brows look like?
Anastasia Soare: Everyone’s eyebrows should be tailored to their individual bone structure. To find your ideal shape, use three measurements from the Golden Ratio Shaping technique. One: brows should begin directly above the middle of your nostrils. Two: they should end where the corner of the nostril connects with the outer corner of the eye. Three, the highest point of the arch [the peak of your brows] should connect the centre of the tip of the nose with the middle of the iris.
ELLE: A tip you would give a brow beginner
AS: For a natural look, brows should be filled in ombre. Go in with a light hand and start applying product at the arches and work your way towards the tail. Then, use the last bit of remaining product to fill in the inner part of the brow. Remember, your hair and eyebrow colour shouldn’t be an exact match. If you have dark hair, go for a shade lighter and if you’re light-haired, make your brows a tone or two darker.
ELLE: Which product has been the most exciting to create?
AS: Our most recent addition to the eyebrow category, the Brow Pen, creates the most realistic, thin strokes of hair. Years ago, we had a brow pen, but the colour science and tech weren’t advanced enough and the shades would oxidize. Fast forward to now, we’ve managed to perfect the formula and have created an incredibly wide range of hues. It’s so fun to see hard work pay off.
ELLE: Glowing skin begins with…
AS: Quality skincare and a foundation that lets your skin shine through. Our ABH Luminous Foundation does just that. It smoothens, blurs imperfections and adds a glow.
ELLE: What are your desert island products?
AS: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum and her SPF 50 Sun Drops!
ELLE: A beauty trend we’ll be seeing everywhere in 2020…
AS: With masks becoming commonplace, I’ve been noticing a lot of playful, colourful eye looks, especially graphic liners. And with skipped trips to the salon, there’s been a surge of undone, bushy brow looks. To keep unruly brow hair in place, I recommend swiping on some Clear Brow Gel.
