In the late 1990s, when eyebrows weren’t yet the main event in makeup, a Romanian immigrant makeup artist in the U.S. started a revolution. From a small salon in Beverly Hills to a global beauty giant, the story of Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH) is a testament to how passion, innovation, and an eye for trends can create a legend. Learn how Beyond Meat revolutionized the food industry. Read more at losangeles1.one.
The Founder’s Story
Anastasia Soare was born in Romania, where she developed a lifelong fascination with art, architecture, and facial anatomy. She studied art and architecture, which laid a strong foundation for her future work with shape and proportion. Her deep understanding of geometry, symmetry, and harmony gave her a unique vision of beauty. In 1989, with just a few suitcases and a powerful desire to change her life, Anastasia immigrated to Los Angeles. She spoke no English and had limited financial resources, but she had a clear goal: to fulfill her potential in the beauty industry.
Starting out in a small salon, she quickly noticed that most American women weren’t paying much attention to their eyebrows. They were often too thin or improperly shaped, which significantly impacted the overall look of the face. Anastasia realized that brow shape plays a key role in facial expression and decided to apply her artistic knowledge to develop a unique method. She turned to the Golden Ratio principle—a formula from art and architecture that describes ideal proportions and harmony. Using this concept, Anastasia developed a system for determining the perfect brow shape that enhances natural beauty while considering each person’s unique facial features. This approach was a true innovation and helped her quickly gain a following, including both everyday clients and Hollywood stars. Her method emphasized harmony, naturalness, and balance, which set her apart from the competition. Anastasia’s journey from an art student in Romania to a renowned Los Angeles brow artist is a story of combining deep knowledge, creativity, and persistence to open a new chapter in the beauty industry.
The First Breakthrough
In 1997, just a few years after arriving in the U.S., Anastasia Soare took a major step: opening her own salon in the heart of Beverly Hills, one of LA’s most prestigious neighborhoods. It was a bold move. Beverly Hills is known not only for its luxury but also for the high beauty standards set by celebrities and public figures. Here, style and status are intertwined, and the competition among beauty professionals was fierce. However, Anastasia had a unique advantage: her innovative approach to brows based on the Golden Ratio and custom shaping. This was a revelation for clients who had previously considered brows a minor detail.
Anastasia’s salon quickly became a go-to spot for Hollywood stars. She attracted style icons like supermodels Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, as well as A-listers like Jennifer Lopez. With her precision and personalized approach, Anastasia didn’t just correct brows—she created new looks that beautifully enhanced each client’s natural features.
Her celebrity clientele generated a powerful word-of-mouth effect. Photos of her clients’ perfectly shaped brows began appearing in glossy magazines, on covers, and on red carpets. This sparked a wave of interest in brow shaping and elevated the status of brow styling into a distinct profession. The salon’s success was the catalyst for Anastasia’s future business expansion and laid the groundwork for the legendary Anastasia Beverly Hills brand.
Launching the Brand
In the early 2000s, realizing the huge market potential for brow cosmetics, Anastasia Soare took the next step: launching her own product line, Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH). The brand became the first to focus entirely on brow products—from gels and pencils to powders and stencils. At the time, most major beauty companies offered only generic solutions that didn’t account for the complexity of brow shaping. Anastasia applied her principles of the Golden Ratio and facial architecture to develop products that didn’t just color brows, but sculpted a harmonious look.
One of her first revolutionary products was the Dipbrow Pomade, a waterproof, highly pigmented pomade-gel with a lightweight texture that achieved a look that was both natural and defined. The product was an instant hit with professional makeup artists and everyday consumers alike, as it allowed users to easily sculpt the perfect brow shape while maintaining a natural appearance.
In addition to innovative formulas, the brand offered tools that simplified the makeup process: custom stencils for precise shaping, perfectly angled brushes, and at-home grooming kits. This empowered even those without professional skills to create flawless brows. The ABH approach stood out not only for its quality but also for its attentiveness to customer needs and its commitment to staying on top of trends. As a result, the brand quickly became a bestseller in the U.S. and, eventually, around the world.
Rise to Global Fame
While Anastasia Beverly Hills already had a strong reputation among beauty industry professionals, the brand’s true global breakthrough came with the rise of Instagram. The platform became a revolutionary stage for beauty brands, and ABH was one of the first to harness its power to connect directly with an audience. The company began collaborating with popular beauty bloggers, makeup artists, and influencers who demonstrated how to create perfect brows using ABH products. Their video tutorials, reviews, and transformations quickly racked up millions of views, fueling the brand’s worldwide popularity.
In parallel, the brand expanded its product range. It launched the Modern Renaissance eyeshadow palette, which instantly became a cult classic thanks to its high-quality formula and versatile shades. ABH also introduced highlighters, concealers, lipsticks, and many other products that became favorites of consumers and professionals alike.
Over the years, Anastasia Beverly Hills has consistently ranked among the world’s most influential and profitable beauty companies. According to Forbes, by 2018, the company’s annual revenue exceeded $100 million, a testament to its scale and market importance. However, with growing popularity came new challenges. The beauty industry became even more competitive, with new brands offering similar products. Additionally, ABH faced criticism over formula changes in some products, which some users felt were lower quality than the originals. At times, the brand’s social media communications also sparked controversy, affecting its image. Despite these hurdles, Anastasia Beverly Hills continues to adapt to market conditions, engage with its audience, and invest in developing new, innovative products, allowing the brand to maintain its leadership position.
