"Make-up trends are born from people, from what you see on the street" Interview with Manuele Mameli

If you’ve spent time in the Italian make-up bubbles on social media in recent years, you already know exactly who we’re talking about. Manuele Mameli is one of the most established make-up artists in Italy and internationally, and he has worked with stars such as Ludovica Coscione, Annalisa, Chiara Ferragni, Clara and Alessandra Amoroso. Also skilled in content creation, he is now an entrepreneur as well. In fact, he has launched his own brand of brushes (and more), Doubleum. We welcomed him into our Milan spaces, and his quick wit and ability to be in front of the camera impressed us, though not too much. It all already shines through on his Instagram profile, and this was simply further confirmation.

Interview with Manuele Mameli

With him, we started from the very beginning of his story and career. "My professional journey began while I was studying at university," he tells us. "To support myself and be more independent from my parents, I started working in a beauty salon in my hometown, Cagliari. That’s where I also began doing make-up, because I already felt I had a natural inclination for it, without ever having taken any courses." After all, when talent is there, it shows. "So I started experimenting with friends and family, and I also noticed interest from clients," he continues. Everything changed at a very specific moment. "Someone asked me to do a promotional week for a luxury brand here in Milan, as a make-up artist for their best clients," and from that moment on Manuele Mameli and the world of make-up never parted ways. "That’s how it started. I joined their team of travelling make-up artists across Italy. It was great for me because I travelled a lot while doing make-up, something I had an innate passion for," he concludes with a smile.

A sort of love at first sight, then, a chance epiphany. "If I hadn’t taken this path, I would have continued the studies I interrupted. I was studying communication sciences, journalism, and my dream was to write about fashion. Over time I also had the chance to write articles on topics related to my work, so beauty. In a way, I ended up fulfilling that dream too." A happy ending story, without a doubt. And his communication skills proved very useful in this change of direction as well. Speaking of inspiration, the world of social media comes back into the conversation, and we stay on the topic.

"I would be foolish not to say that social media is the first thing that inspires me. But not only that," he admits. "I really enjoy observing everyday people and how they choose to enhance their appearance with make-up. Those are the inspirations I try to work with: ideas from people outside the industry, reinterpreted by a professional who does this for a living." According to him: "Trends are born from people, from what you see on the street that catches your attention. In most cases they’re make-up looks created by people with strong personalities who want to express themselves to the people they meet. They unleash their creativity and personality through make-up. That’s the part that fascinates and inspires me the most." Actual trends, the ones we see on TikTok, are something else: "I follow them and I don’t. I’m fascinated by the fact that we need to give something a name to make it go viral. A recent one is Zara Larsson’s make-up, very vibrant. I had a lot of fun recreating it. What I don’t like, instead, are trends that push users to create DIY products, like homemade face masks. Especially considering how many beauty products we already have on the market, which are excellent, with very strict regulations, especially in Europe."

Manuele Mameli’s brand, Doubleum, in the words of its creator

Crowning 15 years of career comes his brand, Doubleum, highly anticipated and sought after. "The dream of creating my own brand has always been there, but I didn’t feel like I had the right skills and I was extremely busy. The things I was doing were so exciting that I didn’t want to take space away from them." Then came the turning point: "There was a moment when my body said enough and asked me to slow down. When I did, the desire to create my own brand came back. I wanted to launch products designed and envisioned by me, based on my experience on set. I wanted to transform the products I use professionally and make them easier for the people who follow me on social media and appreciate my work." The first products? The tools of the trade, brushes and sponges. "This is actually the hardest path, because people are often hesitant to buy tools that seem professional. I wanted to design brushes that are professional but also easy to use, making product application simpler. Because a product can be as good as you want, but it still needs to be applied with good brushes. Fifty percent of the result comes from that. They’re inseparable elements that go hand in hand."

Accompanying Doubleum is a communication approach that highlights the importance of gesture. "Despite this, I actually love applying products with my hands," he admits with a smile. "I had the honour of working in Pat McGrath’s team, and she uses her hands a lot. For certain products, the sensoriality is incredibly emotional. What I enjoy the most is applying skincare on the face with my hands, because it feels like a treat for the client." In his vision of the profession - and consequently of his brand - contact with the public and with everyday, “normal” make-up habits is always essential. So we asked him for a basic professional tip to easily improve our routine. "The most common mistake is using too much product from the very first step. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is free to express themselves through make-up however they like. What I mean is that everything should be done step by step, so you can better control the product. Whether it’s foundation, blush or concealer, especially concealer," he laughs. "This way it’s easier to calibrate the result on your skin, and in the end you’ll probably use 50% less product with a better result."

We keep searching for more tricks of the trade. "In my work bag," he explains, "there’s always an eye drop solution to brighten the eyes, which are often red on models and tend to dull the brightness of the make-up. I also carry very particular cotton swabs that I have shipped from China, extremely thin like toothpicks. I use them for graphic lines and they can never be missing, because no one can be that precise. I also love a brightening eye contour cream and I always bring a small trash bin for used cotton pads. I like my set-up to be perfectly tidy." Finally comes the traditional and hopeful question about the future. "There will be new launches, hopefully soon. In the best-case scenario in March, in the worst-case scenario in June. They’re two face products, so no longer tools but actual products. And then more to come. Timelines in Italy are very long though, especially for someone as picky as I am. If I don’t have the exact formula I like, the product exactly how I want it, we don’t move forward. It’s a very long process, but I hope the first part will arrive in March," he concludes. And we can’t wait to discover it.