Meet Alyson Hoag

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alyson Hoag and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alyson, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have two businesses. First, I started Authentic Beauty Makeup Salon & Brow Studio 15 years ago because there was no place to go to learn how to do makeup other than department stores and no place that existed at that time where you felt respected and where you weren’t sold products that you didn’t need.

The goal at Authentic Beauty is simple and easy makeup strategies for each individual client. Makeup is often one size fits all yet we know what works on a teen is not going to work the same on a 60 year old. So, I created Authentic Beauty to be that safe space for women whether they are 18 or 80 to learn to do their makeup or have their makeup done and evolve their image over time so that you love what you see when you look in the mirror with clean cosmetics to boot.

With brows being the most important feature of the face, as a makeup artist, I couldn’t do anyones makeup without doing their brows first, but the most unexpected facet of my career is that my studio became the go to spot for eyebrows in Atlanta, I would be named the brow guru of Atlanta, and we would win ‘best brows Atlanta’ year after year because of our tweeze-only brow method and for the ability to get getting dormant brows blooming again.

Lastly, I created Genuist Beauty and our innovative brow care line, as seen on The Today Show, because the brows needed more tending to and there weren’t products on the market that cared for people’s brows appropriately. There just weren’t brow conditioners that eyebrows needed, nor was there a brow serum that I found effective enough. I am known for growing eyebrows back, so I created a brow derma roller combined with a power-packed eyebrow serum, two brow conditioners, a brow primer and a brow fill pen, that gets results for people’s brows.

Big picture, Genuist Beauty will offer an entire line of cosmetics where each product will be clean, simple, and easy to use for generations of women.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Authentic Beauty Makeup Salon & Brow Studio is unlike any other beauty studio in Atlanta. We are a tweeze-only brow studio and also a makeup studio where you can come and learn how to do your makeup at any age and learn what your authentic self looks like.

I got sick of the beauty industry that is aimed at telling people what they should look like with a dizzying array of products that often don’t do what they say they will. I created my salon so that people get to discover the power of asking yourself the question “what does my authentic self look like” and then learning to create that with makeup. That is what my Image Journey makeup lesson is all about. We are an all ages, generational makeup studio and I’ve spent my 35-year career serving women who are so overwhelmed by the beauty business (the techniques and all the products) and when they leave my salon? They love what they see when they look in the mirror, and they have the skills to do the makeup themselves.

Brows fit into that story because when your brows are done you need less makeup. People don’t realize what makes a good eyebrow (hello brow blindness), and most people don’t know there’s an option to get your brows back at any age, so our brow services and our brow care line from Genuist Beauty are here to help people get their brows blooming.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite places in Atlanta include Ponce City Market, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, the High Museum of Art, or a stroll through Piedmont Park or the Centennial Olympic Park area. I love just finding a rooftop to watch the sunset. The sunsets in Atlanta are divine.

PHOTO CREDITS Matthieu Piriou

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout is dedicated to my studio staff and to my creative team, Shannon Alderman, Belinda Salazar, and Lexi Gottschalk .My creative team, day in and day out, get the messaging of Authentic Beauty and Genuist Beauty out into the world. Inside the studio, my talented and dedicated staff care for our clients with expert level brow and makeup artistry and through their beauty services. It is unbelievable. I also have to thank Tony Robbins for the education, support, and guidance I need to be a better leader.

Last and certainly not least, I have the best clients ever. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. They are like family to me, and I adore them.

Website: www.myimagejourney.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authenticbeautyllc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authenticbeautyllc

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/authentic-beauty-atlanta

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Myimagejourney

Other: These are all the links to Genuist Beauty (Alyson’s brow and beauty line) Website: www.genuistbeauty.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenuistBeauty Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genuistbeauty/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GenuistBeauty