NEW YORK — Jay Manuel of “America’s Next Top Model” is preparing to launch Manuel Override, a full cosmetic skin and color line designed to enhance products used in consumers’ everyday beauty regimens.
Manuel, who is a judge on the show as well the makeup artist and art director, came up with the concept after receiving hundreds of letters from his fans asking for advice about common beauty dilemmas like the caked look from foundations and under-eye circles. Since he is able to answer only a certain amount of mail, he decided to take his fashion expertise and apply it to women’s daily beauty routines. His line is designed to accentuate women’s makeup so they don’t have to replace their favorite products.
“I’ve worked with lots of women over the years, and the one thing that stuck with me is that women don’t want to get rid of their makeup,” said Manuel. “I wanted to help them use what they normally do and already have, allowing them to stay in their comfort zone, but boost their makeup application. I’m not saying replace your products with mine, like most beauty companies do. These are to be used in conjunction with them, to take the whole beauty application to the next level.”
According to Manuel, women are getting savvier, reading more fashion magazines to find out about the latest trends. Manuel Override is designed for all women, teenagers to women over 50, who are interested in solving problems like blending foundation.
Being launched exclusively in a one-hour special on Sept. 21 on QVC, the six products, ranging from $19 to $49, include a moisturizer, dimension-building powder, powder brush, silicone primer, lip shimmers and brow kit.
Although executives wouldn’t comment, industry sources estimated that the line would bring in about $3 million in first-year retail sales. Manuel’s moisturizer and patented silicone primer are designed to act as silky barriers, preventing the makeup from settling into fine lines. After the foundation application, the Skin Override Complex Infused Eye Concealer and Radiant Dimension, a skin-toned powder that comes in four shades (light, medium, tan and dark), aims to bring back a natural dimension to the skin by providing radiance without the mask effect of traditional foundations. Also in a palette compact are a lip shimmer and moisturizing sealer that can be used to apply lipstick, creating a glossy lip color.
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Manuel has incorporated many of his makeup-artist tricks in skin and color products. For example, the brow kit includes a light brown and dark brown pencil, tweezers, salon scissors, brow brush, brow gel and an instruction book on how to shape the perfect brow.
“Jay’s more than just a celebrity to the general public, but an authority, and the ideas Jay came up with from his experience as a high-profile makeup artist offer a distinct point of view with fresh product concepts,” said Allen Burke, QVC’s director of beauty merchandising.
Although the products won’t bow on QVC until Sept. 21, consumers can see the products in action on Sept. 4 on “Style Her Famous,” a new Style Network show where Manuel will help young women create personal styles using the new line.