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30 October 2016 | beautystorebusiness.com Fearlessness is not necessarily a char- acteristic one would associate with the beauty industry. But when it comes to breaking away from family expectations and bucking the system, it certainly seems appropriate. Manny Gutierrez, the glitzy Instagram-influencer known to his followers as Manny MUA, is well known for his fast climb to stardom, winning over fans with his playful personality and signature makeup artistry. But his path to fame and high-profile collabora- tions was anything but straightforward. Gutierrez started as a pre-med student, but he quickly found that his interest in contouring was replacing organic chem. "I loved the medical field, but it wasn't something I was thinking about con- stantly," he says. Needless to say, his decision to trade in scrubs for a bomber jacket and Quay sunnies was met with some resistance by family and friends. "I decided to pursue beauty because that was a real passion of mine," he explains. Of course, deciding to follow his dream of becoming a makeup artist was only the first step. When Gutierrez started his YouTube channel in 2014, he walked into a heavily saturated market dominated by females. "It was very hard in the beginning to start working with brands because male beauty gurus were such a far-fetched thing," he says. "You have to be thick-skinned in this industry because people will hate and want to drag on you every which way they can." Gutierrez' talent and charisma helped him overcome the odds, and he is now succeeding in this competitive industry with 2.3 million Instagram followers and 1.5 million YouTube subscribers. His hardcore fans, the self-proclaimed Mannyacs, are captivated by his every move—which is perhaps what prompted Makeup Geek CEO/owner Marlena Stell to contact Gutierrez. What started as a casual lunch invitation via Twitter turned into an amazing partnership. "Marlena brought up the idea of a collaboration," Gutierrez says. "I was so small at the time, less than 50,000 subscribers on YouTube. But she said that she really believed in me and saw great things for my future. So I said that I would love to collaborate and the rest is history." Gutierrez' collaboration with Makeup Geek allowed him to step into the pro- duction side of the business and manu- facture his own unique palette containing six signature shades as well as three of his favorite MUG shades. The pal- ette was a huge success and sold out immediately—a testament to his reach and loyal fan base. Most recently, Gutierrez partnered with Ofra, where he created three signa- ture shades of liquid lipstick. "I met the owners and they were really intrigued by me and loved what I stood for online. We worked together a few times and, after some successful campaigns, they asked if I wanted to collaborate with them," he says. "At the time, they'd only done a liquid lipstick with Kathleenlights, so it was pretty amazing to be considered for a second collaboration." Going forward, Gutierrez' objective is to instill in the public's perception that men can and do rock a fierce, flawless face. "The message I would love my Mannyacs to take away from me is that being yourself is all that matters," he says. "Love yourself enough to try. And if you don't succeed, at least you tried— and that's all that someone could ask of you." While his long-term goal is to cre- ate his own brand, for now Gutierrez will continue to slay us on a daily basis. ■ Karen Wilhelmsen is a writer and editor based in Orange County, CA. "Love yourself enough to try. And if you don't succeed, at least you tried." Bold and Brassy With a future (and highlights) so bright they could blind us, it-boy Manny MUA divulges how he slays the makeup scene. MANNY'S ESSENTIALS Keep skin hydrated all season long with these necessities. Moisturizer: "I like the Benefit Cosmetics' Total Moisture Facial Cream for soft- looking skin." SRP: $42, benefitcosmetics.com Lip Balm: "The Sara Happ Lip Slip keeps lips from getting crusty throughout the day." SRP: $24, sarahapp.com Hydrating Setting Spray: "For a refresher, I like MAC's Prep + Prime Fix+." SRP: $23, maccosmetics.com y M li C M C lo S benefitcosm Hydrating Settin g Spray: "For a refre I like MAC's Pre Prime Fix+." SR maccosmetic ng Settin g Get Connected! MannyMua733 @MannyMua733 @MannyMua733 facebook.com/MannyMua733