Beauty-preneur Manna Kadar [INTERVIEW]

We’ve featured a myriad of beauty professionals over the years and although each cosmetics professional is unique in their own way, there is always a constant. They absolutely love what they do and are driven to succeed, Today we’re featuring the creator of the “7 Minute Face,” Manna Kadar. Her list of accomplishments is vast. She’s “the self-made, self-funded minority mom-preneur behind the fast-growing Manna Kadar Beauty family of brands, including; Beauty and the Bump, Manna Kadar Beauty, Goddess by Manna Kadar, Haute Dog Luxury Pet Products, Mason Man Skincare, and Manna Kadar Luxe Bath and Body.” 

She was inspired to start her business after being an entrepreneur for 15 years with retail outlets, she wanted a business that could reach women globally. In this Luxe Beat Magazine exclusive interview she shared with me what it’s like to be a beauty-preneur in the midst of pandemic, her favorite beauty tips (of course!) and which competitor’s product she has in her cosmetics arsenal. 

My personal Manna Kadar Beauty product experience…

It wouldn’t be prudent of me to not test at least one product in the Manna Kadar Beauty line in my quest to provide a proper interview. I chose the Sea Minerals Champagne Charcoal Body Scrub. Ooh, la la! I love bubbles…particularly those cultivating in a glass of Champagne. When I saw the Champagne-charcoal combination, I was curious. At first glance, one doesn’t expect those two ingredients to pair well. Champagne and caviar, yes. Champagne and strawberries, absolutely! But Champagne and charcoal? So off to my product testing lab…my shower. 

This product delivers! 

The Sea Minerals Champagne Charcoal Body Scrub was lushous. It was the perfect sugar-scrub consistency that makes it easy to extrapolate from the jar. It held on to it’s exfoliation particles which provided enough time to scrub and rinse. I didn’t feel the need to rush, as with some other scrubs that dissolve as soon as they meet water. The fragrance was subtle and that is always a winner for me. I’m allergic to dyes and fragrances and extremely particular on the products I use. This product didn’t bother me in the least bit. It was a winner! 

Who is Manna Kadar?

Manna is a skincare trailblazer. Her three-step, award-winning Beauty Simplified System the “7 Minute Face,” quickly gained the attention of national outlets such as E! News, Good Morning America, and The Today Show. Her innovative approach to both beauty and business earned her a spot among the “Top 40 Under 40 Beauty CEO’s,” along with being named 2018’s USC Alumni Member of the Year. The Manna Kadar brand made Inc. Magazine’s 2020 “Top 5,000” list and is listed among the fastest-growing enterprises in the LA Business Journal. Leading with heart, Kadar sits on the boards of Goodwill and USC’s Women in Business while giving back nearly 10% of annual profits to philanthropic organizations. 

She started in Paris…

My favorite city in the world…Paris. Manna was born in the City of Lights and when she was five she moved to Lincoln Heights, California and was raised by a strong single mom and grandmother. Growing up in a tough neighborhood, she witnessed first-hand the everyday battle to survive, viewing education and enterprise as a way out of the struggle. At age 16, she purchased her first inline cosmetics store at the local mall. At age 18, she became one of a handful of students accepted into college. Kadar stayed close to home, studying Finance and Distribution Management at USC. A natural-born entrepreneur, she used what she learned in the classroom to grow her mall-based cosmetics chain to 7 stores in 6 years. After college, she sold her beauty business to enter the world of corporate banking. Over the next 6 years, Kadar excelled rapidly, yet missed the fulfillment and purpose that entrepreneurship provided. In 2007, she exited the finance world, taking everything she learned and applying it to her new venture: developing a chain of tanning salons that would one day lead to the Manna Kadar Beauty empire.  

Hello Beauty Bar

In an effort to creatively maximize revenues, Manna turned her tanning salon lobby into a beauty bar. The idea quickly gained traction, giving Kadar her first opportunity to develop an original cosmetics line. By really listening to the needs of her customers, she was able to craft products that delivered real-world beauty solutions, growing the small company into a family of six brands with more than 600 SKU’s in 40,000 stores nationwide – all without outside investment. 

“When you look good, you feel good!”

Manna’s motto is, “When you look good, you feel good!” She realized that statement means something different to everyone, so she designed products to suit multiple concepts of beauty. From minimalist to glam. Understanding that makeup can feel time-consuming and too technical for some, she developed her signature three-step Beauty Simplified System, coordinating instructions with numbered products to streamline application. More than the opportunity for profits, Manna is drawn to the hope and self-confidence she can encourage in others through her work. She has found that providing people with multi-functional, high-quality cosmetics can change their whole outlook on life, helping them become the best version of themselves. 

The beauty items she can’t live without!

In the beauty category, the Manna Kadar Beauty Lip Oil is a must. She says, “There is a hint of color that gives your lips life, oils to keep your lips hydrated all day and is mask-friendly and no transfer of color. For skincare her Fresh Instant Perfecting Mask is top of her list.

For a Manna Kadar Beauty newbie, interested in trying out her product line, she recommends the Dream Palette. This multi-functional, all in one palette is just that, “A dream come true.” She says, “It has eyeshadow, blush, contour, highlight all in one convenient palette. All the colors are wearable and pigment-rich. It’s my go-to for daily use and takes the guesswork out of figuring out what colors are complementary.”

Her favorite competitor’s product…

There aren’t many brand leaders that care to share their favorite competitor’s product, but Manna didn’t hesitate. She kindly replied, “We have a great community in beauty where we are not competitors but complementary products. One of my faves is Laura Mercier Loose Setting Glow Powder.”

Beauty-biz meets COVID-19

We’re all living in a world of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic and Manna has embraced this challenge as an opportunity and said, “We were hard hit initially with many millions of dollars of cancellations of orders, however, I recognized that I needed to find the opportunity through this challenge. As a result, the brand has exciting new products that will be launched this year that are a reflection of what the consumer will need functionally in beauty now and moving forward.”

Philosophical Beauty Tip

When asked to share her favorite beauty tip…she took the philosophical approach to say, “When someone compliments you, simply embrace the kind words and say, Thank you!” her actual beauty tip followed. “Take care of your skin and exfoliate 1 to 2 times a week. Your makeup will look flawless if you give it a good foundation (no pun intended!)”

What is she binge watching now? 

Octonauts and Bubble Guppies with her kids.

How does Manna Kadar define luxury? 

Luxury is an experience or item that brings great value and enhances your life. To me, luxury doesn’t correlate to things necessarily. The greatest luxury I have is time.

What’s on the horizon for Manna Kadar Beauty?

Manna tells me to “stay-tuned for new innovative product launches” and I’m going to do just that. Thank you Manna for taking the time to share your story with our Luxe Beat Magazine audience. We’ll be keeping watch as your business continues to grow!

To learn more about Manna Kadar and the Manna Kadar Beauty family of brands visit MannaKadarCosmetics.com. Get to know Kadar @anna_with_an_m on Instagram and discover the latest product releases and brand developments @MannaKadarBeauty.