SPOTLIGHT: UAE-Based Label Manifest Beauty Puts Customers in Control

Under the Spotlight:

Juicy lip products by Manifest Beauty, a California and Dubai-based beauty brand.

The Setting:

Dubai, UAE, and California, USA.

The Frame:

Juicy plumping oils, luscious lip bundles, and innovative lip plumpers—all clean, vegan, and cruelty-free.

Manifest Beauty in Three Words:

Empowering. Clean. Radiant.

About the Founder

Tamara Bakir, founder and artistic director of Manifest Beauty, studied psychology with marketing at London Metropolitan University and later completed an executive program at Harvard University. Before entering the beauty world, she worked in real estate but always dreamed of pursuing cosmetics.

“My itch to create a cosmetics company came from the constant feeling that certain products could be better,” Bakir tells Scene Styled. “I felt there were gaps in the market.” Her passion for makeup and skincare naturally guided her career pivot. “I knew if I were to ever launch a company, it would be in the cosmetics space.”

With angel funding secured, the leap felt inevitable. “It was now or never,” she recalls.

Despite having no formal training in the beauty industry, Bakir launched Manifest Beauty two and a half years ago. “When your vision of the future is strong enough, you don’t need to know how it will happen. What we lack in knowledge can be filled with passion and determination.”

From Real Estate to Cosmetics

Bakir credits her real estate background with giving her an edge in business. “Everything in business is sales and marketing. It’s not enough to make great products if they’re hidden behind a tree,” she explains.

Her sales expertise played a critical role in the brand’s rapid growth. “My superpower has always been selling. I can sell the hell out of anything I believe in,” she says. “That’s why we grew so fast—a relentless approach to sales and marketing.”

Another lesson from real estate? Being customer-focused. Bakir prioritizes customer feedback through focus groups before launching any product. “We want every product we release to become a new favorite in someone’s makeup bag.”

The Muse

The vision for Manifest Beauty came to Bakir during a Dr. Joe Dispenza retreat. “In meditation, I saw myself in my dream home surrounded by family, love, and abundance. Across the room were Manifest Beauty products,” she shares. “Tears streamed down my face. I didn’t fully understand what it meant, but I knew I had to create this company.”

Manifesting Manifest Beauty

As the name suggests, Manifest Beauty is rooted in manifestation and visualization. “You are the creator of your reality,” Bakir asserts. “You have to flip the old adage ‘seeing is believing’ on its head.”

Inspired by Einstein’s idea that problems can’t be solved with the same mindset that created them, she believes true change begins with a shift in perspective—a value woven into her brand.

Manifest Beauty incorporates spirituality into its identity, offering weekly vision boards, manifestation tips, quotes, and hacks on its Instagram. “We aim to empower our community.” Products are also categorized by emotions, with labels like ‘Dream Big Energy.’

Bakir’s Manifestation Routine

“I spend 60-90 minutes every morning in mindfulness practice. I journal gratitude and script—a technique I learned from Natasha Graziano, where you write diary entries of future events as if they’ve already happened. Then, I meditate, usually using Dr. Joe Dispenza’s meditations,” she shares.

“The only thing standing between me and my dreams is limiting beliefs. I work daily to remove anything that makes me feel small, incapable, or unworthy.”

Tamara Bakir’s Ideal Lip Combo

“Huda Beauty’s Lip Contour in Warm Brown paired with our Big Pout Energy Crystal Clear Lip Oil. It gives that classic Emily Ratajkowski/Kylie Jenner everyday lip, which I love.”

The Products Through Bakir’s Lens

“All our lip products and shades are tested on women of all ages, skin types, and tones. We believe every woman should have access to our entire range,” Bakir explains.

In campaigns, Manifest Beauty highlights real women alongside professional models, selecting individuals with “great energy” because, according to Bakir, “good energy is true beauty.”

Behind the Scenes

Bakir challenges the idea that effective products require “chemical stimulation.” Certified vegan and cruelty-free, Manifest Beauty products bear the Leaping Bunny certification and contain zero toxic ingredients.

“I’m proud to say our products deliver results without harmful additives,” she notes. The formulas feature natural ingredients like Colombian chili, cinnamon extracts, and moisturizing jojoba oil. This blend nourishes the lips while providing a gentle plumping effect—proof that effective beauty can be clean.

Tamara Bakir’s Stand-Out Product

Bakir’s favorite creation is the Big Pout Energy Lip Plumper. “I loved the idea of lip plumpers but never found one that worked without burning, drying, or being sticky,” she explains. “I knew if we could address these issues, we’d have a winner—and I was right.”

Within three months, the product won the Cosmo Trend Award at Cosmoprof Las Vegas and later earned the Beauty Innovation Lip Product of the Year award.

In Bakir’s Words

“A woman is at her most beautiful when she’s in love, happy, confident, and in love with life. That glow can’t be created with makeup, and it can’t be faked. As Sophia Loren said, ‘Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful.’”