Manuel is the Founder and CEO of the beauty line, Jay Manuel Beauty. In 2017, the brand opened its first retail location at Roosevelt Field Mall. Later that year, he was one of the judges for Miss Universe 2017. In 2020, he released his first book, The Wig, The Bitch & The Meltdown.
Manuel was born in Springfield, Illinois to a mother of Italian and Czech descent and a South African father of mixed Cape Malay descent. He was raised by adoptive parents in Toronto where he attended Dr Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute and York University.[citation needed] Before entering the fashion industry, Manuel was a pre-med student and also studied opera.
He has worked in "the business of managing to aesthetic" for seven years. He has worked as a makeup artist and stylist for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Victoria's Secret, Revlon, and CoverGirl. Manuel has also worked with noted fashion photographers such as Herb Ritts, Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, and Francesco Scavullo. He has been a makeup artist and stylist to celebrities such as Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Iman, Alicia Silverstone, Rebecca Romijn, Rupert Everett, Bridget Moynahan, Angela Bassett, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mýa, Kim Cattrall, Natalie Cole, Toni Braxton, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Vanessa Williams, Patti LaBelle, Rosario Dawson, Pink, David Bowie, and Jennifer Lopez.

Return to Jay Manuel Autograph Profile