Summary
Huda Kattan, recognized as one of Forbes’ Self-Made Women in the US, A Times 100 People of the Internet, and honored among the 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen in the Middle East, is the Founder and CEO of Huda Beauty, one of the fastest-growing beauty brands in the world. As an entrepreneur and celebrity makeup artist, Huda has always had a lifelong passion for beauty. This motivated the launch of her beauty blog in 2010, which became a top beauty blog in the world. Her journey from a makeup enthusiast to the helm of a multi-million-dollar beauty brand has made her one of the most recognized figures in the beauty industry, with millions of followers on social media and a loyal global customer base.
Biography
Huda Heidi Kattan was born on October 2, 1983, in Oklahoma City to Iraqi parents and is the eldest of four siblings. The family relocated to Cookeville, Tennessee and later to Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Kattan attended the University of Michigan–Dearborn, majoring in finance. After completing her degree, she worked in finance but found little satisfaction in the field. In 2006, she moved to Dubai with her father, who had secured a teaching position there.
Huda Kattan
A few years later, she relocated to Los Angeles to study makeup artistry, working with clients like Eva Longoria and Nicole Richie. Subsequently, she returned to Dubai and joined Revlon as a makeup artist. In April 2010, Kattan launched a beauty blog named “Huda Beauty” on WordPress, sharing makeup tutorials and tips. “I’ve always been extremely passionate and the type of person who loves sharing information,” she shares on her official website. “When I first started my career in beauty I was working as a makeup artist which I absolutely loved but I still felt like something was missing. I wanted to help others by sharing the tricks I had learned and acknowledge all of the incredible talented makeup artists, photographers and models in the industry. I knew that beauty sometimes felt a bit unattainable and cold and I really wanted to change that. Ultimately, Hudabeauty.com became a place for people to feel beautiful and comfortable, and to share their own inspiration and thoughts around beauty.”
2013 was the turning point for Huda as she and her sisters Mona and Alya worked together to create a collection of false eyelashes under the Huda Beauty brand name, which would later launch at Sephora in Dubai Mall. Huda’s experience in the beauty industry has allowed her to expand the range to include liquid lipsticks, lip contour pencils, textured eyeshadow palettes and complexion products – all of which have been best-sellers across the globe.
“Working as a makeup artist, I wasn’t satisfied with the style and quality of lashes that were available at the time so I often ended up stacking and customising the lashes myself to suit the client’s eye shape,” she shares on her website. “After receiving several messages from people wanting to buy the lashes I had customised, my sister Mona suggested I start my own line. My older sister Alya was actually the initial investor; she invested $6,500 for our first batch of products. I have been a blogger, I have created social content, I have worked as a makeup artist, I have worked with manufacturers to create products in the lab, and I am the face of a brand. My experience in the industry has allowed me to really appreciate and understand the industry and look at it from different angles. We have a very engaged community who are always telling us what they want to see, so we take a lot of inspiration from the comments we see on social media and only create products that there is a demand for.”
The brand’s success was bolstered by celebrity endorsements, including Kim Kardashian. Huda Kattan’s ability to pinpoint and meet the diverse beauty needs of her consumer base propelled the beauty brand’s rapid growth. Huda Kattan has amassed over 54 million followers on Instagram by 2025. She was named one of Time’s 25 Most Influential People on the Internet in 2017 and was ranked number one on Cosmetify’s Beauty Influencer Rich List in 2021. In 2018, Kattan co-founded the fragrance line ‘Kayali’ with her sister Mona. In February 2025, Huda Beauty sold its stake in ‘Kayali’ to Mona and private equity firm General Atlantic.
Vision
Huda Kattan’s vision for Huda Beauty focuses on inclusivity and empowerment. “As a brand, we are fun yet sophisticated, and we are always innovating! Any time we create a new product, we raise the bar and make sure that whatever we are creating will fill a gap in the industry,” she says. “We want every product to serve a purpose; if there isn’t a need for something or there is already an amazing product available, then we won’t create a new one. I’m not motivated by money, so the bottom line doesn’t matter to me. It is about giving people the power to them express who they want to be no matter who they are, or where they are from.”
Huda Kattan also advocates for transparency regarding retouching and editing in beauty imagery, encouraging brands to disclose such practices to combat unrealistic beauty standards. Huda Kattan also uses her platform for philanthropic efforts, supporting causes such as racial equality, humanitarian aid, and COVID-19 relief. In 2021, Huda Beauty donated $100,000 to the “Help India Breathe” initiative and has contributed to food drives and medical assistance programs globally.
Awards and Recognition
Huda Kattan’s entrepreneurial achievements have got significant recognition. In 2017, she was named one of Time’s 25 Most Influential People on the Internet, highlighting her impact on digital culture and beauty trends. Forbes also listed her among the “Richest Self-Made Women” and “Top Three Beauty Influencers.” Her contributions to the beauty industry were further acknowledged in 2021 when she received Glamour’s “Women of the Year Entrepreneurial Gamechanger” award. In 2023, Kattan was included in the BBC’s 100 Women list, celebrating her as one of the most influential women globally.
References
- “4 Crazy Beauty Hacks From Huda Kattan That Really Work”. Forbes.
- “The price of beauty is now measured by Instagram followers (and she has more than Leonardo DiCaprio)”. CNBC.
- “10 Reasons Huda Kattan Is the Baddest Beauty Blogger in the Game”. Cosmopolitan.
- “Sephora urged to drop Huda Beauty cosmetic line after its founder accuses Israel of causing all World Wars”. Fox News.
- “Beauty Blogging in Dubai”. The New Yorker.
- “9 Facts About Huda Kattan”. Vogue Arabia.
- “Is Huda Kattan the Most Influential Beauty Blogger in the World?”. The New York Times.
- . “How Huda Huda Kattan Turned Blogging Into a Beauty Empire”. Allure.
- “Huda Kattan”. Forbes.
- “Huda Kattan Has 21 Million Followers, a Cult Makeup Line, and Something to Say”. Glamour.
- “Huda Kattan spills the beans on how she built her beauty empire”. Vogue India.
- “#CNILux: Huda Beauty – Making Its Mark”. Vogue Italia.
- “All made up! The indie makeup brands that are catering to women of colour”. The Guardian.
- “The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet”. Time.
- “Instagram Rich List 2017 – The Platform’s Highest-Earners Revealed!”. Hopper HQ.
- “Top Influencers of 2017: Beauty”. Forbes.
- “Fortune 40 under 40”. Fortune.
- “The Beauty Influencer Rich List”. Cosmetify.
- “Instagram Star Huda Kattan Gets Her Own Reality Show on Facebook Watch”. Variety.
- “Beauty mogul Huda Kattan donates one million meals to new UAE campaign”. Arab News.
- “Huda Kattan donates $500,000 amid US protests”. Arab News.
- “‘Enough is enough’: Huda Kattan’s mission to stop ‘toxic’ beauty standards”. Emirates Woman.
- “Huda Kattan Stands in Solidarity with Asian Americans in the Protest of Racism”. Vogue Arabia.
- “Huda Kattan Donates One Million Meals to the Region’s Largest Ramadan Food Drive”. Vogue Arabia.
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