Huda Beauty: Celebrating a Decade of Winning The Makeup Game

“Why can’t we be the next Estee Lauder of our time?” Kattan, 37, said herself, back in 2013. Huda beauty is now one of the world’s leading makeup brands, ranking above Drunk Elephant and Too Faced, according to the Cosmetify Index. 

Makeup blogger and artist in Dubai, Huda began posting tutorials online, finding more clients for her business. In a recent post, she stated, “It was a passion project that grew from my love of makeup and beauty. I really wanted HudaBeauty.com to be a platform for me to share everything I discovered with whoever wanted to listen.”

As beauty enthusiasts became loyal to Huda Beauty, Kattan saw a gap in the market for false eyelashes, the boom of their success. She originally stuck different lashes together, so it was difficult for her to explain her lash ‘creation’. Gaining a loan of $3,000 in 2013, it was possible to create a set of false eyelashes, tailored to what her fans desired; selling her first Huda Beauty product in Sephora, expecting to sell 7,000 units a year, but hitting that in a week. Meeting instant victory and selling out within the first day, Huda Beauty now sells more than 140 products, estimating $200 million in annual sales. 

Huda Beauty lashes were seen on the Kardashians, the powerhouse of beauty. Huda tells Yahoo!, “since we have very distinct lashes I can see that many of the celebrities who wear them once choose to buy them and use them over and over again.” 

After three years of creating her brand identity, working tirelessly at her kitchen counter, Huda launched their most skyrocketing product yet, their lip contour, retailing at $24. With a creamy, blendable formula, one fan said, “Huda Beauty’s Lip Contour Set really is a beautiful lip product and my favourite to wear at the moment. It’s easy to use, comfortable to wear, and looks great.”

Huda re-released their sellout showstopper lip contours in April 2021 in 12 different shades retailing at $19. Posting on Huda Beauty, the brand said, “We added a nourishing complex of soybean and licorice to naturally plump your pout while keeping it creamy and comfortable. And did we mention the wear on these is insane: they are totally waterproof, transfer-proof, and last 9-hours on your lips!” Although the brand isn’t vegan, using products such as beeswax, it is entirely cruelty-free.

By 2018, it was time to up the game. Kattan released her sub-brand with her sister, Mona, ‘Kayali’, translating to ‘my imagination’ in Arabic. The brand introduced four scents, retailing at $118 per 100ml, all about layering. Huda said, adding a personal touch to the perfumes, “Part of the culture in the Middle East… is when you go to someone’s house,… as part of the tradition, they bring a tray to you with their home fragrances they’ve created with a local perfumer and you spray yourself and do your own little mix… when you leave, you smell like that person’s house,”. Although this was a risky move for Huda Beauty, today, their Vanilla scent is almost always sold out. 

Still, there was no stopping the Huda Beauty storm. Wishful skincarelaunched onto Huda Beauty, on February 4th 2020, along with other retailers such as Boots, Harrods, Sephora and Cult Beauty, on February 18th. According to the Evening Standard, industry experts predicted in a few years, Wishful Skin could become a $100 million business in terms of global sales, hand in hand with Huda Beauty. 

“It’s always been my dream to create simple but powerful solutions that really work and actually make a difference.”HUDA KATTAN

Continuing to use her social media to her strength, Kattan found more than 20% were pleading for skincare products via the Huda Beauty blog. Since creating the first product, the ‘Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub’, Huda Beauty has developed an entire range of skincare. In an interview with Emirates Women, she says, “It’s always been my dream to create simple but powerful solutions that really work and actually make a difference.” Her top three products from the skincare line are the ‘Clean Genie Cleansing butter, Get Even Rose Oil and their “hero product”, Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub. 

After seven years of constructing her global beauty empire, Kattan stepped down from Huda Beauty and Nathalie Kristo took over. In a YouTube video, Kattan states, “I’m not going anywhere! In some ways, I will be more involved than ever before, but in areas where my attention can leave a lasting impact on our community,” admitting she never wanted to be the CEO. 

This month, Huda and her sister Mona celebrated their 10th anniversary, going back to where it started at the Sephora Dubai Mall, celebrating with her fans. Posting to her 52 million followers via Instagram, one fan commented, “Huda Beauty was the first makeup brand I’ve ever tried and I’m glad to be obsessed with it till this day!”

In the words of Huda, “The sky’s the limit, we’re going to do some amazing things together.”