This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Anastasia Soare, the 67-year-old founder and CEO of cosmetics brand Anastasia Beverly Hills and author of “Raising Brows.” She immigrated to the United States from Romania in 1989 and now lives in Los Angeles. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I opened my first salon in Beverly Hills in 1997 based on my “Golden Ratio” eyebrow method, and launched my line of makeup three years later.
Now, I run the global company, Anastasia Beverly Hills, from my home in Los Angeles.
Here’s what a day in my life is like.
I get out of bed at 7:30 a.m.
Most days, I wake up before my alarm, but I force myself to stay in bed until 7:30. I start working immediately, checking emails and social media even as I lie there.
My life is largely focused on work, but I’ve learned to find pleasure in it. Sometimes, I’ll do a weather forecast for my Instagram or TikTok audience in the mornings, and everybody loves it, but I don’t always have time.
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Then I have my long black — I only have two coffees a day, and maybe a cup of Kusmi’s Anastasia tea later in the day — as I continue responding to emails.
I exercise at 8:30 a.m.
By 8:30, I’m exercising with the weight machine that’s in my bedroom. If I have time, I’ll run on the treadmill, but I’m often bombarded by early Zoom meetings.
My morning skincare routine includes a lot of products, and I change them often, sometimes every week. I feel like you get better results. Then I do my makeup — my foundation, my brows, my blush, and everything else. I use a lot of my own products.
I don’t plan out my clothes each day, but I have an impressive closet. I’m a bit of a fashion addict, and I have pieces from many designers, from Chanel to Yohji Imamoto.
Back-to-back Zoom meetings can start at 9 a.m.
I like to stay informed about the latest developments in the fashion world, so I read The Business of Fashion, Bloomberg, and geopolitical news that may impact our shipping operations.
A lot of my day is spent on Zoom. I try to do my weight exercises in between calls.
On Fridays, we have more strategy Zooms, and I’ll train the field team on new products by doing my makeup on camera. I want to teach them myself. I’m pretty involved in every aspect of the business.
My desk is filled with makeup products, bills, and print-outs of my schedule. We don’t have an office anymore, and I kind of miss those days.
At home, though, I play music all day. I’ll play classical in the morning and Pink Martini, a band with happy, European-style music, later.
I eat lunch around noon
I practice intermittent fasting, so my first meal is around 12 or 1 p.m., depending on my Zoom schedule. Usually, I make a salad with grilled chicken or fish, or maybe a soup. I don’t snack during the day.
I don’t really get stressed. There will be problems the moment I open my email — small, big, and extremely important problems. Business is about finding solutions.
Around 4 or 5 p.m., I’ll take a walk around my neighborhood
After a walk, I drive five minutes to my 92-year-old mom’s house most days around 6 p.m. She’s not very active anymore, so we usually just sit and talk.
I’m usually home by 7 p.m., and if I’m going out to dinner or an event, I’ll shower, style my hair, and apply my evening makeup.
If I’m staying in, I’ll cook dinner, which usually consists of a small piece of steak with vegetables, or Alaskan fish with rice and a variety of spices. I spend a lot of the night doing research on social media or in magazines.
I don’t watch TV during the week, as I struggle to stop after just one show. I’ll watch brainless shows until 3 a.m., and that’s a no-no, so I only log into Netflix on Sundays.
Some nights I’ll do flower arranging, but I usually save that for the weekends. I love all flowers, especially roses and orchids, and the arranging relaxes me.
Hair care is crucial
When it’s time for bed, I remove all my makeup and apply a face mask. I’ve also recently become obsessed with Jennifer Lopez’s eye patches. I take great care of my hair — using masks, conditioners, and anything else to keep it healthy.
There’s a red light therapy bed in my bathroom, and I try to use it for 20 minutes at night to reduce inflammation.
I go to sleep around midnight
With social media, I’m lucky if I read even a few pages at night. When I lived in Romania, I read constantly. There was nothing on TV except for Communist propaganda, and we didn’t have computers or much of anything else. Reading was the best way to learn.
I still love history and business books. Right now, I’m reading “The Power of Action,” “Scrambled or Sunny Side Up, and “Cartier: The Untold Story.”
On the nights I stay in, I’m asleep by midnight.
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