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United States Huda Kattan has transitioned from a makeup artist and blogger to the founder of a global cosmetics empire, Huda Beauty.
Private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners acquired a small minority stake in Huda Beauty in 2017, in a deal that valued the company at $1.2 billion. Huda Kattan later bought back this minority stake, regaining full ownership of Huda Beauty.
Huda Beauty announced Kayali's transition into a standalone fragrance powerhouse, with Mona Kattan, Huda's sister and driving force behind Kayali, partnering with General Atlantic, a global growth equity firm, to support its growth.
Huda Kattan's Huda Beauty partnered with 'Love Island USA' reality television star Huda Mustafa to promote the brand's new Easy Bake Duo product, highlighting a highly requested collaboration.
Huda Beauty strengthened its partnership with Harrods, launching a new beauty counter at the luxury department store after Kattan returned as CEO and oversaw a brand redesign.
Huda Kattan's Huda Beauty launched a new product and campaign collaboration with a Palestinian musician, details of which were shared on Instagram.
Huda Kattan was born on October 2, 1983, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Iraqi immigrant parents. Her early life included moves to various U.S. states before she pursued a finance major at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. Finding her finance role unfulfilling, Kattan shifted her career path to become a makeup artist. In 2006, she moved to Dubai with her father and later relocated to Los Angeles to study makeup, where she worked with celebrities such as Eva Longoria and Nicole Richie. Kattan returned to Dubai and was employed by Revlon as a makeup artist, gaining experience in the beauty industry.
In April 2010, Kattan launched her beauty blog, “Huda Beauty,” posting makeup tutorials and tips that laid the groundwork for her future business. Building on the blog’s success, she founded the Huda Beauty cosmetics line in 2013 with her two sisters. The brand’s initial product, a line of false eyelashes sold through Sephora, quickly gained popularity, notably after being worn by Kim Kardashian. This success led to an expansion of Huda Beauty’s product offerings to include eyeshadow palettes, liquid lipsticks, lip liners, highlighter palettes, foundations, concealers, baking powders, and liquid eyeshadows. By 2017, Huda Beauty was valued at $1.2 billion after private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners acquired a minority stake.
Kattan’s strong presence on social media has been central to her brand’s growth. She has amassed nearly 53 million Instagram followers, leveraging this platform to directly connect with consumers without traditional advertising spend. Forbes recognized her as one of the “ten most powerful influencers in the world of beauty” and Time magazine named her one of “The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet” in 2017. Her influence extends to impacting product sales, demonstrated by a Foreo product selling out in Dubai after she featured it on her YouTube channel. In 2018, Kattan further expanded her media presence with a Facebook Watch reality series, “Huda Boss,” showcasing her family and business operations. Huda Kattan continues to be a prominent figure in the beauty industry, with Huda Beauty generating approximately $200 million in annual sales and her brand, Kayali, launching a fragrance line in 2018.
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