Table of Contents
Romanian immigrant Anastasia Soare reveals how she applied Leonardo da Vinci's golden ratio to eyebrow shaping, building a global beauty empire from a single Beverly Hills salon room.
Key Takeaways
- Soare fled communist Romania at 31 with no money, arriving in Los Angeles with dreams inspired by Hollywood movies
- She discovered eyebrow shaping using the golden ratio (1.618) mathematical principle found in nature and Renaissance art
- The business grew from renting a salon room to $320 million in sales by 2018 without outside investment
- Oprah's endorsement on live television transformed her from Hollywood's "best-kept secret" to a household name
- Her daughter helped transition the business to Instagram, reaching customers globally including rural India
- She maintained 100% ownership for decades, only taking private equity investment from TPG in 2018 for international expansion
- COVID-19 severely impacted the business as customers couldn't test makeup products in closed stores
- Soare personally gifted money to all employees during the pandemic and pledged $1 million to struggling small businesses
Escape from Communist Romania and American Dreams
Anastasia Soare's journey began under Romania's communist regime, where her family watched their property and restaurants get seized by the government. Her husband, a ship captain, defected in Italy and sought political asylum in the United States, leaving Soare to wait nearly three years for permission to leave Romania. The government forbade citizens from carrying any American currency, threatening jail time for possession of even one dollar.
When she finally arrived at LAX, Soare had no money and feared her husband might not be there to meet her. The transition from communist scarcity to American abundance created profound culture shock. She moved from standing in bread lines for hours hoping to buy a single chicken to walking endless supermarket aisles filled with choices she had never imagined possible.
Hollywood movies had been forbidden entertainment in Romania, watched secretly behind closed curtains through black market channels. Films like "Pretty Woman" and "Beverly Hills Cop" created her vision of America, particularly the dream of walking down Beverly Hills' famous streets. This cinematic inspiration would later influence her decision to establish her business specifically in Beverly Hills rather than settling for any location.
The Golden Ratio Discovery and Eyebrow Revolution
While working as a substitute aesthetician, Soare made a crucial observation about American beauty standards. Despite Hollywood's focus on perfection, nobody paid attention to eyebrow shaping—an oversight that would become her revolutionary opportunity. Using disposable cameras to document family moments, she noticed her own eyebrows appeared incorrectly proportioned, creating a perpetually surprised expression.
This observation connected to her art education in Romania, where teachers explained how Leonardo da Vinci used the golden ratio (1.618) to create emotional impact in portraits. This mathematical principle, found throughout nature in plants and architectural proportions, creates harmony that human eyes instinctively recognize as beautiful. Soare realized this same principle could transform facial aesthetics through proper eyebrow shaping.
Her employer couldn't see the business potential, limiting eyebrow services to a $10 maximum charge since it wasn't considered a legitimate service offering. This limitation frustrated Soare, who recognized the transformative potential of her discovery. Clients consistently commented that she looked different—rested and more attractive—after shaping her own eyebrows according to golden ratio principles.
Building Celebrity Clientele Through Service Excellence
Starting with a rented room in a Beverly Hills salon, Soare focused obsessively on perfecting her technique through countless free services. She shaped eyebrows for every salon employee—shampoo girls, hairstylists, makeup artists—understanding that these professionals would recommend her to their own celebrity clients. This grassroots approach built credibility within Hollywood's interconnected beauty ecosystem.
The strategy proved remarkably effective. Within a few years, she was working with A-list celebrities including Michelle Pfeiffer, who became one of her earliest high-profile advocates. When Allure magazine wanted to write about Hollywood's "best-kept secret," Pfeiffer readily agreed to be featured, demonstrating the trust and loyalty Soare had cultivated among her clientele.
Her clients became informal mentors, teaching her practical American business skills like check-writing while supporting her language development. This collaborative relationship extended beyond typical service provider dynamics, creating genuine partnerships where celebrities actively promoted her work and helped expand her network throughout the entertainment industry.
The Oprah Effect and National Recognition
Soare's appearance on Oprah represented the culmination of an unlikely prediction. During her first months in America, while still learning English, she insisted on watching Oprah's 3 PM show daily despite her husband's objections. She told him she needed to understand how Oprah asked questions because she would someday be on the show—a seemingly absurd claim from someone who barely spoke English.
When Oprah's production team called requesting live eyebrow shaping on television, Soare faced her biggest challenge yet. Performing precision beauty work live on television requires exceptional skill and composure, with millions of viewers watching every move. The pressure intensified because of Oprah's cultural influence—her endorsement could transform any business overnight.
The appearance exceeded all expectations. Oprah declared Anastasia "the eyebrow queen" and praised her as the best eyebrow specialist "on the planet." The response was immediate and overwhelming. The salon's phones didn't stop ringing, transforming Soare from a Beverly Hills specialist to a national beauty authority. This single television appearance created the foundation for everything that followed.
Product Development and Nordstrom Partnership
Client demand drove Soare's expansion into consumer products. She initially used makeshift solutions—vaseline with aloe vera and eyeshadow—to help clients maintain their shaped eyebrows between appointments. Clients consistently requested these products for home use, particularly after realizing their perfectly shaped eyebrows looked amazing leaving the salon but required maintenance tools for daily upkeep.
The transition to retail required significant investment and education. Women in 2000 weren't familiar with eyebrow powders, pomades, or filling techniques, necessitating comprehensive customer education alongside product sales. Nordstrom's invitation to launch products in their stores provided the perfect solution: in-store brow studios where aestheticians could demonstrate techniques while selling products.
Funding this expansion required creative financing since investors showed no interest in "eyebrow products" during the 1990s. Soare worked constantly—maintaining her salon business while buying, renovating, and selling houses as a part-time real estate flipper. These profits funded product development and initial inventory, demonstrating her willingness to take personal financial risks for business growth.
Mastering Traditional Media and PR Strategy
Before social media transformed beauty marketing, Soare built her brand through strategic traditional media engagement. She understood that television anchors, producers, and beauty editors were all potential clients who needed attractive eyebrows for their professional appearances. This insight created a mutually beneficial arrangement: she would provide beauty services in exchange for on-air opportunities to discuss her techniques and products.
Her travel schedule exemplified this integrated approach. Every weekend, she would fly to different cities to train Nordstrom aestheticians and promote products. Before visiting each store, she would appear on local television networks, creating awareness and driving traffic to the retail location. This systematic approach maximized every business trip's impact while building national recognition.
Beauty editors played a crucial role as intermediaries between professionals and consumers. They had the expertise and credibility to explain complex beauty techniques to mainstream audiences, serving as trusted translators between insider knowledge and public understanding. Soare cultivated these relationships carefully, understanding their importance in establishing credibility and driving consumer adoption.
Instagram Revolution and Global Expansion
The transition to social media came through Soare's daughter Claudia, who recognized Instagram's potential while her mother remained skeptical about social platforms. Initially resistant, comparing Instagram unfavorably to Facebook's focus on mundane daily activities, Soare agreed to experiment after persistent persuasion from her 18-year-old daughter who was working seven days a week traveling to promote products.
Their first Instagram video featuring the Brow Wiz mechanical pencil generated surprising engagement and revealed the platform's global reach. A comment from someone in a small Indian village requesting the product demonstrated Instagram's ability to connect with customers Soare could never reach through traditional channels. This realization prompted serious investment in social media strategy and round-the-clock content creation.
The timing proved perfect as Instagram became the dominant platform for beauty content and influencer marketing. The Kardashian family and other native social media personalities built massive followings that translated directly into beauty sales. Soare's early adoption and authentic content approach positioned her brand advantageously as social commerce exploded.
Private Equity Partnership and COVID Challenges
By 2018, the business reached $320 million in annual sales with impressive margins, all while Soare maintained 100% ownership. The decision to accept private equity investment from TPG stemmed from international expansion challenges rather than capital needs. Building businesses in multiple countries required expertise and resources that would distract from her core strengths in marketing and product development.
The partnership's timing proved unfortunate as COVID-19 devastated beauty retail almost immediately after the investment. Store closures and hygiene concerns about makeup testers created unprecedented challenges for a business built on tactile product experiences. The crisis forced difficult decisions about maintaining employment and supporting struggling suppliers and partners.
Soare's response reflected her values-driven leadership approach. She kept all employees during the pandemic and personally gifted money to each team member from her own funds, not company accounts. Additionally, she pledged $1 million to help small businesses survive the crisis, demonstrating the same collaborative spirit that had built her client relationships decades earlier.
Philosophy of Continuous Improvement and Legacy
Despite achieving extraordinary financial success and global recognition, Soare remains committed to daily improvement and hands-on involvement. After 32 years in the beauty industry, she continues seeking ways to enhance her skills and serve customers better. This commitment to excellence drives her refusal to consider retirement, viewing stepping away from active involvement as inconsistent with her purpose and passion.
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs emphasizes the fundamental requirements for success: mastering your core skills, understanding your market, building supportive relationships, and maintaining clear vision about your business purpose. She stresses that entrepreneurship requires total commitment—the only time entrepreneurs don't work is when they sleep—but becomes fulfilling when you genuinely love the work itself.
The American opportunity that enabled her success shapes her optimistic outlook about the country's resilience and recovery capacity. Having experienced both communist oppression and democratic freedom, she maintains deep appreciation for America's unique ability to enable immigrant success stories like her own, viewing challenges as temporary setbacks rather than permanent obstacles.
