When most people search for Hanne Norgaard, they expect to find a footnote in a celebrity biography — a brief mention as the first wife of British actor Idris Elba. What they discover instead is something far more compelling: a self-made professional whose three-decade career in makeup artistry, entrepreneurship, and community leadership has carved out a legacy entirely her own. This article offers a comprehensive, fact-based portrait of Hanne Norgaard — her origins, her craft, her businesses, and the values that define her today.
Who Is Hanne Norgaard?
Hanne Kim Norgaard is a British-born professional makeup artist, entrepreneur, educator, writer, and philanthropist. Born on April 5, 1977, in the United Kingdom, she grew up in a multicultural household that would later inform both her artistic sensibility and her inclusive approach to beauty. Her father is of African descent, and her mother, Kyue Nam Kim, hails from South Korea — a heritage Hanne has described on social media as “Blasian,” reflecting her proud blend of Black and Asian roots.
From childhood, Norgaard was exposed to diverse cultural aesthetics, beauty traditions, and creative influences. That early exposure proved formative. While many of her peers followed conventional paths, Hanne gravitated toward the expressive world of beauty and fashion — first as a model in London during her teenage years, and later as a professionally trained makeup artist who would go on to work at the highest levels of the industry.
Education and Professional Training
Hanne Norgaard’s credentials are a testament to her commitment to mastery. She trained formally at two distinguished institutions:
- The International Makeup Artist Academy (Europe) — where she earned a Diploma with Highest Honours in Makeup, Hair, Nails, and Special Effects, launching her professional career in the UK in the early 1990s.
- The SC Institute in Washington, D.C. — where she later earned a second Diploma with Highest Honours in Makeup Artistry between 2004 and 2006, signaling her desire for continuous professional development even as her career was already well established.
This dual-country, dual-academy training gave Norgaard a versatile technical foundation and a global perspective on beauty — qualities that proved invaluable as she crossed industries and continents throughout her career.
A Career Built on Talent, Not Fame
Hanne Norgaard’s professional journey began in London, where she landed her first major role with the BBC within the first week of graduating from makeup school — an extraordinary achievement that signals the caliber of talent she brought to the industry from day one. Shortly thereafter, she secured a position as key makeup artist for Columbia TriStar in London, working on major film and television productions.
When she relocated to New York in 1999, her career continued to flourish. She worked across television shows, stage productions, movies, advertising campaigns, and fashion shows. Her client list reads like a roll call of cultural icons: Robin Williams, Hugh Laurie, Geena Davis, Jenna Redgrave, Shaquille O’Neal, and Idris Elba himself. She also collaborated with legendary fashion and lifestyle brands, including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, BET, and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
What distinguishes Norgaard’s artistic philosophy is her belief that makeup should enhance — not obscure — a person’s natural beauty. This principle, evident in her work from the earliest stages of her career, later became the cornerstone of her own brand identity.
Entrepreneurship: Make Up Your Mind and Kim Elba Cosmetics
Hanne Norgaard is not merely a practitioner of beauty — she is a builder of beauty businesses. In 2007, she launched Make Up Your Mind Inc., a beauty services company of which she serves as president and founder. The business offers a broad range of services: on-location makeup for shoots and events, personal styling, hair services, and one of its most distinctive offerings — makeup parties, where clients host gatherings to learn beauty techniques and develop their own personal style.
Make Up Your Mind became a platform for Norgaard to share her expertise with everyday people, not just celebrities — a democratizing impulse that reflects her broader values around beauty as empowerment.
Her second major entrepreneurial venture is Kim Elba Cosmetics, her own personal cosmetics line. The brand sells paraben-free and cruelty-free products, positioning itself firmly within the ethical beauty movement at a time when conscious consumerism is reshaping the entire industry. The brand name — a nod to her years as Hanne Elba — reflects her complex, authentic identity rather than any desire to trade on a famous surname.
Together, these ventures have established Norgaard as not just a skilled artist, but a businesswoman with vision, values, and staying power.
Marriage to Idris Elba and Co-Parenting with Grace
Hanne Norgaard and Idris Elba met in London when both were working professionals — she as a rising makeup artist, he as an actor still building his name. They married in 1999 and moved together to the United States in pursuit of professional opportunities. Their daughter, Isan Elba, was born in 2002.
The couple separated in 2003 and officially divorced, though Hanne retained the Elba surname professionally. What is perhaps most admirable about the story of Hanne and Idris is not the marriage itself, but the co-parenting relationship that followed. Despite the end of their romantic relationship, both parents have remained publicly supportive of their daughter. The two were seen celebrating Isan’s 16th birthday together in 2018, and when Isan was named Golden Globe Ambassador in 2019 — a milestone that made international headlines — both parents celebrated the achievement openly.
Hanne has never sought to profit from or weaponize her association with one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors. That restraint speaks volumes about her character.
Isan Elba: Raising a Golden Globe Ambassador
Isan Elba, born in 2002, is the daughter Hanne raised with intention, love, and considerable sacrifice Isan grew up to become a socially conscious young woman who was selected as the 77th Golden Globe Ambassador in 2019 — a role that brought her considerable public attention. She has spoken openly about her passion for mental health awareness and social justice.
Idris Elba himself has shared stories about the deep bond between father and daughter — including the candid admission that Isan briefly stopped speaking to him after she narrowly missed a role in his film Beast. That kind of real, human father-daughter dynamic speaks to the stable, grounded upbringing Hanne worked hard to provide.
Life After Idris: Faith, Community, and a New Chapter
A decade after her divorce, Hanne Norgaard found love again. She married Pastor Andrew L. Friar II in 2013, with the ceremony reportedly taking place on a yacht against a stunning beachfront backdrop. Together, the couple leads Heart Strong Ministry in Georgia — a faith community whose mission centers on helping people make decisions of the heart, drawing them closer to spiritual purpose and personal fulfillment.
Hanne serves as the First Lady of Heart Strong Church, a role she embraces alongside her continued work in beauty and entrepreneurship. This chapter of her life represents a full integration of her professional ambitions, personal faith, and community leadership — a portrait of a woman who has evolved without losing her core identity.
She is also a blogger, educator, and lecturer, sharing insights on beauty, wellness, and personal development with audiences who seek her expertise beyond the makeup chair.
Hanne Norgaard’s Net Worth and Professional Standing
Hanne Norgaard’s estimated net worth sits at approximately $900,000, derived from her cosmetics brand, her makeup services business, educational ventures, media appearances, and years of high-profile professional work. While this figure is modest compared to the celebrity circles she has moved in, it represents something more valuable in the beauty industry: wealth earned entirely through craft, not circumstance.
She has also made television appearances, including on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and has been associated with Procter & Gamble’s My Black is Beautiful initiative since 2009 — a platform that celebrates diverse beauty standards and advocates for changing societal perceptions of Black beauty.
Why Hanne Norgaard Matters
In a media landscape that too often defines women by their relationships to famous men, Hanne Norgaard’s story is a necessary corrective. She was a skilled, formally trained professional before she married Idris Elba. She built businesses, mentored clients, and grew her brand after the marriage ended. And today, she leads a faith community, raises a remarkable daughter, and continues to advocate for inclusive, empowering beauty — all largely outside the glare of celebrity coverage.
Hanne Norgaard’s life is a study in quiet excellence: a professional who let her work speak, a mother who raised a Golden Globe Ambassador, and an entrepreneur who built cruelty-free beauty businesses rooted in authentic values. She is, in the truest sense, far more than a footnote.
