If you’re unfamiliar with this mathematic phenomenon, the golden ratio (aka phi) is an endless number that has been found in numerous structures, man-made and natural alike, such as flowers and the Parthenon. We won’t bore you about the ratio, or how it works, but we will tell you all about how Anastasia Soare aka Anastasia Beverly Hills has implemented it into perfectly crafted eyebrows – a trick she borrowed from art school, where she was taught that the brows control all the emotions in a portrait.

In the 90s, when Soare started shaping eyebrows, pencil-thin brows were very much the trend – something she was determined to change. After learning about the Golden Ratio in art school, Soare translated those theories into make-up and applied them to women’s faces based on their individual bone structure in order to bring balance and proportion.

When offered the chance to try out this patented “Golden Ratio Eyebrow Shaping Method,” and from Anastasia Beverly Hills head trainer Emma, nonetheless, I jumped. We decided to test out two different looks: the full, polished look and a quicker, “on the go” version.

The process started with Emma marking out the three main points of my brows – directly above the middle of your nostrils, where the corner of the nostril connects with the outer corner of the eye and where the middle of the tip of the nose with the middle of the iris – using the brow pencil. After applying brow primer, the brow stencil was placed over my eyebrows, matching the marks on the stencil to those above my brows. Using a brush, Emma then applied Dip Pomade in ebony to my first brow, filling in the stencil and then blending with the spooley. Finally, my brow was topped off with the clear brow gel to keep everything in place. Underneath, a pro pencil was used to cover stray hairs and create a highlight that definitely added a pop.

On my second brow, we created the “on the go” look which was a much simpler process, for mornings when there is just no time. Following the same method as above, the main points on my eyebrow were marked and aligned with the stencil. This time, however, the Brow Definer was used to fill it in, using simple strokes that basically mimic the look of your hair. Using the spooley to blend out these strokes created a full, but natural finish which was then sealed using the brow gel.

My eyebrows are naturally thick and dark and go a lot thinner at the tip, so shaping and maintaining them is a must, for me. What I loved about the ABH process was how easily applicable it was, yet long-lasting and absolutely fleeky. The products are lightweight and well pigmented, so a little goes a long way. My favourite thing, however, is that I can fill in my brows, tweeze around the outline and save myself from the undeniable pain of threading. Of course, it will take practice to get to Anastasia and Emma’s level of brow grooming, but this makes the process of faking it until we make it a whole lot easier.