YouTuber Manny MUA talks about his journey from wearing his mom's lipstick to being a top beauty influencer with his own makeup line

YouTuber Manny MUA talks about his journey from wearing his mom's lipstick to being a top beauty influencer with his own makeup line

YouTuber Manny MUA talks about his journey from wearing his mom's lipstick to being a top beauty influencer with his own makeup line,

Manny Gutierrez, known online as Manny MUA, is a makeup artist, YouTuber, and the CEO of cosmetics brand Lunar Beauty.
As part of Insider's Beauty Files series, we spoke with Guiterrez about everything from his earliest makeup memories to his current favorite products, which include e.l.f. concealer and NARS foundation.
Gutierrez also shared some common misconceptions about being an influencer, and said that those looking for drama within the beauty community will always find it.
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Manny Gutierrez, known online as Manny MUA, holds many titles.

The YouTuber, influencer, and makeup artist is also the CEO of cosmetics brand Lunar Beauty, which he founded in 2018.

To learn more about the man behind the makeup brush, we spoke to Gutierrez for Insider's new series Beauty Files, which takes readers beyond the beauty world they see on online.

Gutierrez told us all about his favorite products, earliest makeup memories, and what he thinks of the online beauty community.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Manny Gutierrez shares how he got into makeup as a toddler

Amanda Krause: Let's go all the way back. What is your first beauty memory?

Manny Gutierrez: I remember when I would watch my mom do her makeup before she would go to work and before she would take me to school.

I would just sit there watching her constantly apply makeup in her vanity, and I'd always be like, "Oh my god this is so cool" — like seeing her transform with this full face on and just getting to put her best foot forward.

When she was gone, I would grab her lipstick and put it all over my face thinking that it was for me. And I looked like a hot mess. I was like 3.

Krause: A lot has changed since those days, and I'm sure there are so many huge beauty moments you're proud of, but I'm also wondering if you have any big beauty regrets.

Gutierrez: Oh my gosh — so when I first started, the first makeup item I ever even purchased was a Wet n Wild brown lip liner, thinking that it was a brow pencil because I had no idea what it was.

I would use that lip liner in my brows thinking I was hot s---, right? It looked so horrible because it's such a warm, warm, warm brown — I have cool, black hair — and it was the reddest-undertone brown you've ever seen. I wouldn't even follow the shape of my brows; it was just horrible.

Gutierrez reveals the makeup items he loves — and the one he thinks is going out of style

Krause: Well, that might be a regret now, but it's always fun to look back. The beauty industry moves quickly, and there are always new trends and products. Is there one product that's really stuck with you?

Gutierrez: I have my own brand, Lunar Beauty, and I created a product called Life's a Drag. It's an eye-shadow palette that's half-neutral, half-bright, and it's the one product I use literally every single time I do my makeup.

Krause: In that same realm, do you have one beauty trick or hack that's never failed you?

Gutierrez: Because I'm oily, I always bake my face and under my eyes with powder. [Baking is a makeup technique in which you set your foundation with generous amounts of loose powder to achieve a matte and crease-free finish.]

Krause: I feel like when I first learned about baking I was so skeptical of it, but it can definitely be a game-changer.

Gutierrez: When I found baking I was like, "Oh my god, this changed my life!"

I was so oily and my makeup wouldn't last all day, so I remember when I discovered that for the first time, I would bake areas on my nose and forehead, and my makeup would look so much better and more fresh throughout the day.

Krause: What are the least and most expensive things in your beauty routine?

Gutierrez: I've recently been obsessed with the e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer. It's $6, and probably the cheapest thing I use when it comes to my routine. I use it all the time.

The most expensive thing I use would probably have to be in the foundation realm, because they can get pretty pricey. Sometimes I use the NARS Natural Radiant foundation [$49], or the Dior Airflash [$62]. I'm not gonna spend tons of money on a bronzer or blush, but a good base is important to me, so I will spend some money on a really good foundation.

Krause: I'm with you on the e.l.f. concealer. I use it every day and have gotten so many people into it.

Gutierrez: It's so good! I've used it before, but I recently did a partnership with e.l.f. and I was using it again and I was like, "Why don't I use this more often?" I just 10/10 would recommend it. I wish they had more shades, but it's so good.

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Krause: Is there a beauty trend or product that you think is overrated?

Gutierrez: I feel like liquid lipsticks are kind of going out of style — the really drying, last-10-hours liquid lipsticks. I have liquid lipsticks [Lunar Beauty sells them], but they're a comfort-matte finish where they feel super hydrating and still last long. I think the time of drying liquid lipsticks is so over.

Gutierrez gets real about the internet beauty community, and what it's like to be an influencer

Krause: Speaking of Lunar Beauty, what's something most people wouldn't know about owning a beauty brand, and being an influencer?

Gutierrez: I think people have the misconception that you're not a big part of the brand. They're like, "Oh they're just getting an investor and the investor is doing it all and they're just the face of it." But that's not how it is for me and a lot of other influencer brands.

You're in there, doing all the work yourself, putting all the money upfront, and working your hardest to make something amazing for your audience and your people. So I think that's a big misconception: that it's so easy to do.

It's so hard to juggle time management and knowing when to be off because you're constantly on. You don't have a boss telling you what to do.

Not only is it Manny MUA and CEO of Lunar Beauty, I still wanna have a normal life being just Manny.

Krause: Though some people see the beauty community as a creative space, others find it to be full of drama. Do you think the internet beauty community is as toxic as some people say it is?

Gutierrez: There can absolutely be toxicity in the community, but I think that applies to every single community.

I've figured out in my life that you will find what you seek. If you're looking for drama and people that are going to be toxic, you're going to find that.

But if you're looking for the positivity, happiness, and beauty of the beauty world, you'll find just that. If you don't give that toxic energy attention, it won't be there for you.

Krause: I agree. I'm personally always so inspired by going on TikTok and seeing that there's so much creativity still out there.

Gutierrez: Absolutely! It's crazy that sometimes the smallest influencers are the most creative, most amazing, and so great and kind, and they just need a chance.

Krause: What fellow member of the beauty industry do you most admire?

Gutierrez: My best friend Laura Lee. She is someone in the beauty space who I look up to immensely and I'm always so inspired by what she does and how amazing she is with her family. That for me is what it's about.

Is there an influencer, makeup artist, or celebrity you'd like to see featured in Insider's Beauty Files series? If so, reach out to akrause@insider.com with your suggestion.

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