We recently connected with Lilla Rafii and have shared our conversation below.
Lilla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
When I was young I remember my aunt gifting me my first makeup set. I must have been about 5years old at the time. I remember getting into it and thinking wow this is so cool I want to do this everyday. As I grew older that feeling stuck with me. When I got into middle school and into high school I would stay up late watching YouTube videos of people doing makeup. I would end up doing a whole face of makeup in the middle of the night recreating what I had just learned. I knew this was the field I was meant to be in. I always thought “oh I’ll be a makeup artist” but I felt like I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to specialize in something specific and as time went on and trends came and went, the brows always stayed. Every job I had leading up to where I am now is what prepared me and reassured me. I knew this was going to be the career path that I would take.
Lilla, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Lilla Rafii I am 29years old. I come from and Italian and Iranian background. I was born in Burbank, California and I have lived in the San Fernando valley my entire life. Since I was young I always had a passion for makeup. Immediately after graduating high school I enrolled into beauty school. When I was there I discovered an interest not only in makeup but eyebrows specifically . Whether it was waxing, tweezing or creating a brow where there was not much to start with. All my friends made sure I did their eyebrows before they went anywhere. I don’t think I realized at the time that this could really turn into something that would change my life. I didn’t realize how far I could go with doing brows as a career. Graduating beauty school and passing state board going on to receive my cosmetology license was the beginning of so much opportunity. I went on to work in many different areas of the beauty industry. I did hair, nails, makeup and of course BROWS. Throughout the years I gained so much experience, but I knew I had a passion that I wanted to develop into a career that I would thoroughly enjoy. I went on to receive certifications in brow lamination, tinting and even lash lifts. I was given an amazing opportunity to train with one of the biggest leading names in brows; Anastasia Beverly Hills. I learned new innovative techniques and how to use different products to achieve the perfect brow. One thing people don’t realize is how much a brow can change the look of your entire face. In my opinion brows tell a story- they impact emotion on the face. Everyday I see clients from all walks of life. I’ve worked on clients who have lost their hair due to medical issues, people who had been through tough times, I’ve helped guide individuals who simply had no idea where to start. I absolutely love my brow rehab clients who put the trust in me and have the patience to slowly work on reshaping, growing and placing the harmony back into their face with slight changes to the brows. I am currently offering brow shaping, lamination and tinting in a Burbank salon. I am also working towards a product line and not only expanding but improving everything that comes with brow maintenance. Everyone deserves to feel confident and beautiful no matter what stage of life they are in and I hope I can provide that for my clients each and everyday.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
One very rewarding aspect for me is the look on a clients face when they see themselves in the mirror, when they feel confident and beautiful. Being able to provide them with something they might not have been able to provide for themself. People who might be going through tough times, I see the energy shift when they leave my chair. The love and care I can share between myself and my clients is truly unmatched and I am forever grateful for each and every one of them.
Another more personal aspect for me is getting through the hurdles that come with perfecting my craft. Having the courage to fail and keep going. It is so important to humble yourself and to know there is always room for improvement. We are constantly growing and we should apply that to all areas whether it’s personal or career related. When you take the time to pause and look back on your work to truly see how far you have come is such a rewarding feeling to have. It’s hard to see progress you have made as a whole when you are building a solid foundation but it is important to stop and look around. Celebrate not only the wins but the loses that you get back up from.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think people believe it’s easy. I think there’s a slight stigma towards artists in the beauty field that our jobs are easy or we’re not doing something that seems like work. But the truth is to be able to harness what we do and make a career out of it is not the easiest thing. Being able to create a career out of a passionate form of art is an accomplishment within itself. It’s one thing for me to do brows but it’s a whole other world when you steer that into a profitable and successful business. It’s important to always believe in yourself and the work you have put in to get you where you are and where you want to be. Remember how far you’ve come and how far you will go if you stay with it and stay true to who your are.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @fiorebrows