Manny MUA calls out Makeup Revolution for copying his Moon Prism highlighter
16 March 2020, 12:08
Beauty influencer, Manny MUA, has made a YouTube video addressing Makeup Revolution reportedly copying a highlighter from the brand he is CEO of, Lunar Beauty. The brand currently has 500,000 Instagram followers since its launch in 2018.
Even with coronavirus taking over the world, YouTube drama stops for no one. The beauty guru in question this time? Manny MUA aka Manuel Gutierrez, who has made a video over the weekend accusing Makeup Revolution of ripping off one of his Lunar Beauty products. But what better way to spend your quarantine time, hey?
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In the 14-minute long video, Manny explains how he's received 'many DMs and many comments' from fans about Makeup Revolution's newest product, the Glass Mirror Illuminator (part of their Glass Skin collection, inspired by the Korean beauty trend) - a compact highlighter that bares a striking resemblance to one from his own company Lunar Beauty, the Moon Prism Powder highlighter.
He goes on to explain: “The reason they are saying that it’s so similar because of the actual component itself. The facets, everything about it.
“I created this compact…it is custom-tooled.” He continues, "I’m not the first to come out with a prismatic compact. Absolutely not. I’m not the first bitch to do it. I’ve been inspired by other prismatic things.
"But I want to create something that was cool and unique in its own way…and pay thousands of dollars to get this created by this factory, it’s super, super unique.”
“To have another brand allegedly copy my design is so frustrating, especially when it’s a big brand who has a big budget, who have deep pockets. This, to me, is not making it your own…in my opinion, this is copying.”
Both products have a crystal-inspired packaging and fans have been quick to point out that they even have the same ridges, as well as containing a very similar formula of compact highlighter and mirror inside. The 28-year-old's version retails at £27, while Makeup Revolutions comes in at a remarkably lower £8.99 - so we can totally see why he's concerned about sale losses, particularly since he expressed concern that they'd worked together previously.
While this style of packaging is by no means original (MAC pioneered it with their Sheer Mystery Powder in 2010), Makeup Revolution have a history of getting themselves into hot water with dupes of more high-end products.
TooFaced fans will remember the launch of the 'I Heart Chocolate' palette - a cheaper alternative to the iconic Chocolate Bar palette, which had exactly the same design, pan layout and shades of the original.
That isn't to say though that the makeup guru, made famous as the first male face of Maybelline, hasn't had his fair share of criticism too, after just recently he was dragged by Swedish YouTuber Eveline Blomfeldt for 'copying' her makeup looks and taking credit for them to his large following, while she was actually creating the original designs with no publicity to her 951 followers.
But, in the current debacle, the YouTuber hasn't said whether he'll be taking legal action against Makeup Revolution, and 'hopes the brand will do the right thing and reach out' to him so they can work on a solution together.
Is Manny right to be hacked off about this one? Let us know your thoughts...