We were lucky to catch up with Claudia Varga recently and have shared our conversation below.

Claudia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

I’ve been seeing a big decrease in injectables and an increase in treatments that stimulate your skins own collagen and elastin.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi…I’m Claudia Varga and I’m a licensed esthetician. I’m originally from Mexico but I was raised in Northern California. I’m married to and have two daughters. I started my career in High Tech and learned very quickly that it wasn’t for me. I got a job working at Benefit Cosmetics and that was really the start of my journey in the beauty industry 20 years ago.

From there I moved to LA and put myself through makeup school and eventually made my way to Las Vegas where I did freelance makeup for many years. While in Vegas I decided to go back to school and get my Esthetics License. All the while I was falling more in love with the world of skin since good skin is the base for a good makeup application.

Once done with school I worked at Anastasia in where I did make up and worked the front desk. I learned so much there about brows and skin. The women I worked with were super talented and shared a wealth of knowledge with me. I learned the art of brow shaping and so much about skin. I eventually moved to a spa in Solana Beach where I did sugaring, brows. derma planing, facials and even lash extensions for a bit. I learned and so many aspects of esthetics but my favorite services quickly became brows, and skin. I love a dramatic before and after! I spent 10 years there and we eventually parted ways. I now have my own business in San Marcos; Beauty By The C. It’s my baby and I am so proud of it. I’m finally able to do exactly what I want to do in my own space and it feels amazing.

It was a rough road to get there. I fell and in injured both of my hands. It pulled me out of my normal life for quite some time which was extremely difficult. COVID hit during that time. I had to really relearn and reinvent myself as an Esthetician.

Over the years my work has taken on a more minimalist approach. I like to keep things simple yet effective. I only offer the services I feel I can truly call myself and expert at. Natural beauty is my ultimate goal no matter what the age. My services are all about bringing that out in my clients.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A few years ago I fell and broke both my wrists. From one day to the next my life totally shifted. My injuries required over 9 months of recovery and I then had to have surgery which resulted in another 9 month recovery. It was so hard personally and professionally. Part of that time was COVID so it delayed things even more. Eventually I opened my own business. Work here was quiet so I decided to do a pop up in San Jose; where I grew up and have a lot of connections to. I didn’t know what I was doing, I had never done a pop up before but I just took a leap of faith and did it.

I was booked solid my first trip out there and Its now been over a year and I have a clientele that I’ve grown in the Bay Area. I travel back and forth very 6-8 weeks. My parents are up there so its been awesome to be able to see them more and reconnect with so many friends from high school and even grade school.

It’s been an awesome learning experience.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think I have a way of making people feel comfortable and relaxed. I take my time with my clients and connect with them. I love making people feel their best. It has allowed me to create relationships with them that have spanned over 10 years.

Contact Info:

• Website: beauty-by-the-c.com
• Instagram: @beautybythec
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautybythec-115209229923619/