Manna Kadar Cosmetics was the exclusive make-up sponsor of the 2013 LA Fashion week providing make-up for the runway shows last month. While some might think this was a daunting task (handling every show!), Manna of Manna Kadar Cosmetics takes it all in stride. This could be because of the long-wearing make-up she designed for the everyday woman. Says Manna, “The premise for the line is [that] all the items are long-wearing, double duty so once you put the make-up on, it doesn’t move, it doesn’t smudge.”
Manna got her foot in the beauty industry door at an early age as she owned seven cosmetic stores by the time she was twenty-two while attending USC. Operating cosmetics stores was the best hands-on training for her as she was able to truly test every product constructing her own analysis on what product performed well and what product didn’t. She would go on to take some time off and venture into the financial world as a banker for seven years. But her passion for beauty consumed her and she jumped right back in, acquiring a few more salons and spas. What did she gain overall from this experience? “I kind of learned both sides of the business…the combination of the two is what led to creating Manna Kadar Cosmetics,” says Manna.
AUDREY caught up with a busy Manna in between one of many shows during Fashion Week and we got the lowdown on her collaborative working process with fashion designers, one of her key products and how to achieve beauty “fabulousness” in a mere seven minutes.
AM: Can you tell us about one of the looks you worked on for a show?
MK: One of the big shows we did today was Brigade. They did this Twiggy look, with a fresh face. They did contouring on the cheeks and a peachy, fresh lip.
AM: Do you work with the designers to come up with the look?
MK: Yes, we do. With some of the designers we have a little more creative control. And some [fashion designers] know what they want their designs to look like. We work with each and every designer to make sure the look they have is cohesive with all of the fashions that are being shown.
AM: Tell me a little about your cosmetic line.
MK: The line is called Manna Kadar Cosmetics and it’s been out for about a year and a half…all the products really perform. We have some really great primers that hold on to the make-up and all of the colour products are really highly pigmented. We take all of the talc out of the products so it’s paraben-free. It’s healthy for your skin. That’s what prevents the make-up from moving.
AM: What’s the secret ingredient?
MK: Well, it’s our primers. But secondly all of our lip products, there’s Vitamin E and berry extracts that really keep lips moisturized.
This is one of our key products, it’s called Transfix. It’s a revolutionary product. It turns any eyeshadow into an eyeliner. You can also use it on your brow. It’s a very functional product. We’re really leading with innovation. We have a lot of cool, new stuff that’s not ever been on the market before. We really want to show the industry what we can do and deliver things that haven’t been done before.
AM: Tell me about the seven minute program.
MK: It’s really, really simple. We have all of our bases which are really easy to apply. It’s literally a seven minute make-over. You apply all the bases and because the colours are so highly pigmented, you don’t have to go back and forth, back and forth, etc. Just put the colour on, the colour stays and then you’re done.
I think in my experience in owning my spas, what most women want to know is – how do you do it? [applying make-up correctly] Like every woman loves make-up, but they’re unsure how to apply make-up, or how to apply it properly. I spend a lot of time with educating and really teaching women how to do it. When you look beautiful, you’re more confident and feel better about yourself and that’s what we’re really trying to achieve. Just making that woman stand taller and just be confident throughout the day.
AM: Where do we buy your products?
MK: It’s available on a lot of e-commerce sites. It’s on our website. And other such as blush.com and birchbox.com – a lot of the online outlets, we’re working on mass retail now…and hopefully in the next six months to a year, you’ll see it on the shelves.
Photo Credit: Tony Mills Photography
