BellaSugar

How Eyebrows Made Millions For Anastasia Soare

BellaSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:01:41 -0800

Anastasia Soare is arguably the world's most famous eyebrow shaper - and she's built a multimillion dollar business through knowing how to make an already pretty face look stunning. But getting to the top wasn't an easy journey, as she explains in The Huffington Post. A Romanian immigrant, she worked 12-hour shifts at Beverly Hills beauty salons, taking only one day off each week. During those days off, she went to the library, where she studied da Vinci's sketches as her daughter did her homework. Her interest in understanding perceptions of beauty inspired her to begin her own business.

Like most entrepreneurs, Soare experienced quite a few setbacks and challenges. But she adapted quickly and didn't give up, even when an investor backed out at the last minute. "Early days were very tough, but when you choose to do something that you love doing you just don't feel it," she writes. "Rather, it's immensely satisfying knowing you're on your life's journey." This piece is definitely worth a read if you need a little inspiration for reaching your own goals - or just a kick in the pants to break out the tweezers, which is on today's to-do list.

Reader Review of the Day: Anastasia Beverly Hills Tweezers

BellaSugar — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:00:06 -0700

Sometimes readers don't agree with what I think, and that's why our Reader Reviews section is so invaluable. Take Sabisf, for instance. While I loved Anastasia Beverly Hills Tweezers ($28), she wasn't as pleased. Here's what she had to say:

When I first got these they worked great, but quickly lost their sharpness. After a few months they did not work at all. At the price they should last a lot longer. I went back to Tweezerman and I'm very happy. Anastasia has some other nice products, though.

Have you disagreed with some of my Product Reviews or Doing Drugstore opinions? Here's the perfect opportunity to tell us why. Just head to the Product Reviews website and give us the scoop.

Getting Your Brows Done in Public: Pretty Good, Actually

BellaSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:00:20 -0700

My eyebrows were a pair of unruly beasts, and no at-home tweezing could tame them. And unfortunately, my regular brow-maintenance person has raised her prices to a not-so-affordable $50 a pop. So last night, I trekked to Nordstrom to try out the Anastasia Brow Studio in the beauty department. There are many locations nationwide, but I'd never thought of going to one because, well, you're getting your brows done in the middle of a cosmetics department. (I like a little privacy.) Still, the $30 price was much easier to swallow, and there's a reason that Anastasia is known as the brow expert - so why not take a chance, live a little?

First thing's first: Yes, it is a little awkward to have your eyebrows shaped while shoppers mill about. (Someone's sad-looking boyfriend, stranded while his lady shopped, looked very confused by the brow-waxing process.) But after I got over that, it was smooth sailing. My esthetician expertly waxed, plucked, shaped, and highlighted my brows until they looked magazine perfect. I was mildly surprised that she, a pro, used Anastasia's brow stencils to guide her, but they worked so well that I am now going to use them to maintain the arch at home. Score one for Nordstrom.

If you want to see the end result, read more.

There's no "before" shot, but suffice it to say that I sported the eyebrow equivalent of Daniel Higgs's beard.

Color Inside the Lines With Eyebrow Stencils

BellaSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:00:28 -0700

In case you haven't quite mastered the art of eyebrow shaping, there's another solution. You've probably been coloring inside the lines now since you were about five, and celebrity eyebrow guru Anastasia makes it easy to achieve eyebrow perfection with her fool-proof reusable Stencils ($20). Using a brow pencil or brow powder with brush, ﬁll in as needed and let the stencils guide you as you go. It’s as easy as that! The packet includes four shapes: High Arch, Petite Arch, Medium Arch, and Slim High Arch for a customized ﬁt.

For a more affordable version, try Ardell Brow Perfection Stencils ($3.19), which come in four varieties as well: Delicate, Elegant, Glamorous, and Classic. Well-cared for eyebrows really do make an impact on framing your eyes to create a completely reﬁned look. Oh, how I wish I had had these templates during those overly zealous tweezing days.

BellaSugar’s Top Picks For Eyebrow Kits

BellaSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:00:21 -0700

Is it just me, or did eyebrows suddenly become the big beauty thing? It used to be that you'd use your favorite brown or taupe shadow to fill in thin or light hairs and add structure to your face. Now, kits are available in all sizes and prices. Some include tweezers, brushes, stay-proof waxes and multi-color shadows, while others have fewer bells and whistles but still get the job done. Below are my personal favorite eyebrow kits; what are yours?

Anastasia Brow Ex-press in Brunette ($38) is one of my favorites. Her tweezers are amazingly precise and I really like being able to blend all of these colors without having to spend a fortune.
Le Sourcil de Chanel ($46.60) has a thick, waxy texture that blends surprisingly well, and leave it Chanel to choose just the right combo of colors to suit just about any brow color.
Too Faced Brow Envy Brow Shaping & Defining Kit ($35) has an unbelievable price for all it includes. Inside of the pink polka-dot box comes two powder shades, molding wax, stencil, mini-tweezers, mirror, brown pencil with a blending tip and an angled brush.
Ramy Beauty Therapy Miracle Brow ($28) is near and dear to my heart because it's the first brow kit I ever used. The creamy gel texture blends like silk and leaves your brows not only darker but also well groomed - this is a winner!
DuWop Browwow in Darker ($34) is small, but it does the trick every time. Inside of the pink compact lies a colored powder, a shimmery highlighter and a tinted gloss to use when you're finished and a double sided brush for precise application and flawless blending.

Tour of Beauty: Los Angeles Primping Spots

BellaSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 07:00:44 -0700

This weekend, I joined dozens of lovely ladies in LA for Total Beauty's beauty blog summit. One of the highlights was a day-long tour of some of the city's poshest primping places, including the top places where the A-list get gorgeous. Read on to see some of the best sites from the day.

View Slideshow ›

Sunday Giveaway! Anastasia All About Brows Kit

BellaSugar — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 23:30:00 -0700

We're teaming with Sephora to celebrate the Best of Sephora. Sephora's clients have voted and now we reveal the results of what they thought were the best products. Each day represents a different best of category from concealer to shampoo, eye treatment to tools. Congratulations to all of the brands!

Today's winners are all eyebrow enhancers. The biggest vote-getter was Anastasia All About Brows Kit, which contains $141 worth of products for $75. Runners-up were Smashbox Brow Tech, LORAC Creamy Brow Pencil, Bourjois Clear Eyebrow Grooming Gel, and Stila Brow Set.

To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment in the comments section below by 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT Sunday, September 9, and we'll announce the winner on Monday. Please, only ONE comment per person; duplicate comments will be discarded, so commenting more than once won't up your chances of winning. You must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account. For all of the rules and regulations, click here.

The Mother of All Brow Kits

BellaSugar — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:42:27 -0800

Anastasia Soare, of Anastasia Beverly Hills is the reigning pro when it comes to eyebrow specialists. Her hard work and talent have earned Anastasia not only her own salon and a cosmetics line but also a stellar reputation among Hollywood's A-list stars. Now, thanks to this amazing and affordable 5 Piece Brow Kit you can buy all of the basics to create your own wow brows.

Inside the cute travel-sized case, you'll find a pair of tweezers, brow powder, four brow stencils, one angled-cut duo brush, and a brow gel. Use the stencil first, then fill in your arch with the brow powder using the angled brush. Next, gently tweeze the extra hairs around where you have stenciled, then top it off with brow gel to keep your perfectly shaped arches in place. The kit, which you can buy here for $65, comes in four shades: Ash Blonde, Medium Ash, Strawburn, and Brunette. Just be sure to chose a brow shade that's one shade deeper than your hair color.

Sunday Giveaway! Win a Trio of Eyebrow Products From Anastasia

BellaSugar — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:30:00 -0700

Do your eyebrows need a little help? Do you tend to neglect this important face-framing feature because of lack of time, or even confusion on how to properly shape them? If you said yes to any of the above, today's your day. While an appointment with eyebrow guru Anastasia Soare might not be in your near future, thanks to our friends at Sephora, you might just get the next best thing.

Every day this week, we've geen giving away a trio of products from the highly sought-after Anastasia Beverly Hills line of products. Today's the last day, so be sure to enter. If you're the lucky winner, you'll receive:

Brow Enhancing Serum: A colorless and odorless gel for conditioning, restoring, and repairing the eyebrows.
Brow Definer: A dual-ended brow and gel pencil that not only fills and defines brows, but keeps them in place.
Lash Lifting Mascara: A volumizing mascara that thickens and curls lashes with clump-free results.

To enter, just take the quiz by 5 p.m. PDT today, and one winner will be selected at random. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just on taking the quiz after you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a PopSugar Community member to enter. So if you're not already one, register now. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Prizes can be shipped to US destinations only. Remember: You must be logged in to the PopSugar Community for your entry to count. For the complete rules, click here. Good luck!

Take the quiz

Saturday Giveaway! Win a Trio of Eyebrow Products From Anastasia

BellaSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:30:00 -0700

Do your eyebrows need a little help? Do you tend to neglect this important face-framing feature because of lack of time or confusion on how to properly shape them? If you said yes to any of the above, today is your day. While an appointment with eyebrow guru Anastasia Soare might not be in your near future, thanks to our friends at Sephora, you might just get the next best thing.

Each day this week, we're giving away a trio of products from the highly sought-after Anastasia Beverly Hills line of products, including:

Brow Enhancing Serum: A colorless and odorless gel for conditioning, restoring, and repairing the eyebrows.
Brow Definer: A dual-ended brow and gel pencil that not only fills and defines brows but also keeps them in place.
Lash Lifting Mascara: A volumizing mascara that thickens and curls lashes with clump-free results.

To enter, just take the quiz by 5 p.m. PDT today, and one winner will be selected at random. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just on taking the quiz after you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a PopSugar Community member to enter. So if you're not already one, register now. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Prizes can be shipped to US destinations only. Remember: you must be logged in to the PopSugar Community for your entry to count. For the complete rules, click here. Good luck!

Take the quiz