The hardworking 33-year-old beauty mogul also reveals that she is quite the Asian beauty junkie!

How I’m Making It is a weekly series in which Tatler speaks to influential individuals about their unique journeys and what keeps them going.


It is fairly common for the offspring of business owners to join in on the family’s entrepreneurial journey one day. It is even more common though, for some of them to skip a couple of steps required before reaching a position of leadership.  

But not Claudia Soare, who is the daughter of none other than beauty mogul and the “Queen of Brows”, Anastasia Soare—the founder of renowned cosmetics brand Anastasia Beverly Hills.

In fact, the younger Soare started out her career in the company by working the reception at her mother’s Beverly Hills salon, a move that she strongly believes shaped who she is today.

“It helped my admiration and respect towards everyone. I never think less of anyone in a lower position than me—the front desk associate could be running the company in a few years,” Soare shared with Tatler in an email interview.

And Soare is a real-life representation of this as the 33-year-old worked her way up to become the president of Anastasia Beverly Hills as well as the founder of her own line of makeup, Norvina, which is also the name that her 1.6 million followers on Instagram are more familiar with.

She added: “One of my biggest takeaways (other than that I never want to wear nail polish in the shade Ballet Slippers by OPI ever again) was that some people in positions of power or privilege were not very nice to people they consider less than them.”

“It’s important to acknowledge everybody, not just the people you think you should. I go out of my way to elevate people regardless of their position.” 

Read more: How Lawrence Wong Started His Own Skincare Brand During the Circuit Breaker

Tatler Asia

Soare jokingly shared that she didn’t really have a choice but to be part of the beauty industry; thankfully, though, she loves it.

While she’s famous for releasing gorgeous eyeshadow palettes that are as colourful and bold as her signature artistic makeup looks, Soare is quite the skincare junkie who takes her beauty routine seriously. (More about this below.)

In fact, she still abides by the best beauty advice she’s ever received as a child.

“I’ve been freckly ever since I was a kid, and I hated my freckles for making me weird and not pretty like the other girls. So thankfully, I obsessively wore sunscreen when my friends would bake in the sun to keep the freckles from sprouting like mushrooms,” Soare said.

Below, we find out more about her day-to-day life as a beauty entrepreneur, her journey in the family business so far and her heavily Asian-inspired skincare routine—yes, she’s definitely in the know when it comes to K- and J-beauty. So much so that she hopes to expand the Anastasia Beverly Hills brand in Asia. And we can't wait to see more from her. 

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What is a typical morning like for you?

I wake up, have coffee, then get to the gym before the day starts. I like to work out early, it gives me energy for the day, and I don’t feel guilty about working super late.

What does a standard workday look like for you?

It’s never the same, but I will try to give you a typical day:

As soon as I wake up, I check all my apps that I use to chat with international labs as they generally respond during the night to inquiries or feedback that I sent the previous day on WeChat, Line and WhatsApp.

After that, I look at my new emails and categorise them by priority, those that require quick feedback, and the ones that require images and detailed feedback.

After handling the quick email responses, I go into my office lab and start arranging the new lab submissions that I need to test and photograph for the day. I prefer to start with lab submissions and pre-production and then leave development and creative for the afternoon as by that time of day, most Zoom meetings have quieted down and I’m interrupted less frequently, so my creativity can really flow. In between testing, I take numerous Zoom meetings and I meet with the production team at the studio to discuss that week’s projects or any upcoming shoots that require mood boards. 

In the afternoon, I pick up my creative work from the previous day for product development or creative direction. Throughout the day, I am sent drafts of images to review and approve from product retouches, as well as videos to approve and make notes on from our postproduction team—this content review is a constant throughout every single day of my life.

Towards the evening, I like to take five minutes of quiet time where I jot down anything new that I need to research, focus on, or create. It’s difficult, my phone never stops beeping at all hours.

How would you describe your working style? 

I am a quick multitasker who feels more comfortable juggling multiple projects at the same time. I like working closely in a team that I trust or with key operators that are highly efficient and have a clear and innovative communication style. The one constant in my working style is fluidity and rhythm. It might seem that I am doing a lot all at once, but I have a method that I have developed over the years that helps me spin plates while keeping an eye on my surroundings.

Free time: overrated or underrated? Why?

I love free time, but it’s not the norm. There is no feasible way for me to allocate large chunks of free time, it’s simply not possible—and I’ve found that setting those expectations on myself will only frustrate me and let down anyone who expects that commitment of me. Instead, I allocate small chunks throughout the day or week to decompress. I love colouring books—I know that sounds ridiculous, but I do. If I feel overwhelmed, although I won’t show it, I’ll sit down and colour for 20 minutes because it helps me completely zone out. I find free time in doing creative projects that stimulate me mentally. It might not look very different from me working, but I have learned to integrate my passions, joy, and creativity into how I live day to day, so I never have a negative outlook on how I live my life.

How do you achieve a work-life balance? How do you set boundaries?

I touched on this above, my work life is a hybrid of what I made of it. I love what I do, and, in many ways, it defines who I am personally also. I put a lot of myself into my daily routines to maintain a healthy state of mind. I have no problem with boundaries, I find that I absolutely need a few hours a day where I work alone and that helps me to relax and focus. 

How do you chase your dreams?

I visualise them first, it’s a slow process that starts as a daydream. And I keep pursuing the thoughts until they become a clear path towards a goal I want to achieve.

What inspired you to get into the beauty business?

I don’t think I had a choice haha 😊 such is a family business. But I do love it, thankfully.

What is your skincare routine for the day?

I am absolutely obsessed with skincare from Asia, you will fall over if you see how much I own!

What is the most memorable ABH product that you’ve worked on so far?

It’s hard to say, I love them all for what they each represent. Every new product is a time capsule for me of memories that I cherish forever.

Risks: should you take them? Why or why not?

Risk is good for your business and your soul. If you feel the need to take a risk in business, it means that your business is in a place where it could use a fresh—fire up your creativity that may have become stagnant due to burnout and remind yourself that you are more than your responsibilities.

What is one failure that you have experienced and what did you learn from it?

There are quite a lot to choose from, but if I can summarize, the majority have taught me that attention to detail is the most important aspect in business, especially in the world we live in today where it’s all about go go go.

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever gotten?

That meetings should never be longer than one hour. That is the limit of how long people can pay attention and focus without having their mind start to wonder.

What is an idea/thought that you heard recently that you thought was interesting?

NFT's, although I am still confused about them—but intrigued.

How do you manage stress?

I exercise a lot, it helps me so much. And I talk to my friends. I love talking about my problems and insecurities openly with them, we laugh about it and, in the process, I find the answers I was seeking or I find peace with the current situation.

How do you stay motivated?

By integrating creativity into my day, every single day. I cannot simply execute, its draining. But by sprinkling in elements of creativity, I feel motivated and in harmony with what I do.

What would you consider your greatest accomplishment to date?

Earning people’s trust that I know what I am doing.

What would you still like to accomplish?

A notable expansion into Asia, I would love to become a known name in a region where I’ve come to feel so at home while visiting.

What is the last thing you do before you go to bed?

Play with my dogs, they are my greatest joy.

Claudia Soare's Beauty Picks

What is your skincare routine for the night?

  • The History of Whoo - Essential Revitalizing Balancer
  • The History of Whoo - Cheongidan Intensive Brightening Ampoule Concentrate
  • Su:M37 - Secret Essence Double Concentrate
  • Dr.CI:LABO - Super Moisture Ex Aqua-Collagen-Gel

What is your skincare routine for the night?

  • Kanebo - Fulfilling Emulsion
  • The History of Whoo - Jinyulhyang Intensive Revitalizing Serum
  • Takami - Pycnogel + Moisturizer
  • Donginbi - 1899 Signature Oil
  • Kanebo - Skin Tightening Cream 

What is one beauty product you can’t live without?

"Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze, it’s my staple for my stubborn, straight brows."

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