Huda Kattan

The clues that Huda would one day become one of the most influential figures in global beauty were visible long before she launched her first product. Born on 2nd October 1983 in Oklahoma City to Iraqi parents, she grew up in Tennessee and Massachusetts, navigating two cultures and developing a fascination with glamour, style and transformation. Her father worked as a teacher and her mother ran a beauty salon from home, and Huda often found herself experimenting with make-up long before it was part of any career plan.

After earning a finance degree from the University of Michigan–Dearborn, she took a job in the corporate world, but the pull towards creativity proved too strong. She left to train in make-up artistry in Los Angeles, honing her skills on friends and clients before relocating to Dubai in 2006 when her father accepted a teaching position there. The move placed her in the heart of a city where luxury and beauty were integral to daily life, and gave her the backdrop to start building a very different future.

In 2010, encouraged by her sister Mona, she launched a beauty blog, Huda Beauty, sharing tutorials, tips and reviews in a voice that felt approachable and personal. Her knack for explaining techniques in a way her audience could relate to quickly grew her following, and her accompanying YouTube channel brought her warmth and personality to millions more. Three years later, she spotted a gap in the market for high-quality false lashes and, with a small initial run sold through Sephora, created the first Huda Beauty product. A celebrity endorsement from Kim Kardashian sent sales soaring, and the brand’s identity as a global beauty player was born.

From there, Huda expanded her line to include lip products, foundations, highlighters and more, later adding the skincare brand Wishful and fragrance house Kayali. She remained deeply involved in product development, often testing formulas on herself before launch. The approach paid off: by 2025, Huda Beauty products were sold in more than 150 countries, and her Instagram following exceeded 54 million.

Huda’s reach extended beyond commerce. In 2018 she fronted Huda Boss, a reality series on Facebook Watch that gave audiences an inside look at the family dynamics and decision-making behind the brand. In 2022 she was recognised with a TIME100 Impact Award for her advocacy around authenticity in beauty marketing, including a public petition for greater transparency in photo editing.

Philanthropy became a core part of her work. In 2020, Huda Beauty donated $500,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and matched contributions to Doctors Without Borders for COVID relief. The brand supported Stop AAPI Hate, provided one million meals during Ramadan, and donated $100,000 to India’s covid crisis. In 2023 she committed $1 million to humanitarian aid in Gaza, and was named to the BBC’s 100 Women list for her global influence and social impact.

Away from the spotlight, Huda has been open about her own health challenges, including endometriosis and PCOS, using her platform to raise awareness and support for others living with the conditions. It is this combination of vulnerability, business acumen and creative vision that has made her both a pioneer and a trusted voice in the beauty world – a founder who built an empire from a blog, and in the process redefined what it means to be a global beauty entrepreneur in the digital age.