Standing out in the saturated universe of beauty (valued globally at $450 billion and expected to grow by 5% per year until 2030, according to McKinsey & Company’s annual report) is a challenge for all brands. Therefore, the rise and consolidation of Huda Beauty is astonishing in a world where we see different cosmetic brands being born and dying every week. Last May, the Cosmetify platform crowned Huda Beauty the most popular brand of the first quarter thanks to its huge social presence, with 67.6 million followers and an engagement rate of over 1,095%. Additionally, he highlighted the launch of his viral powder Ube Powder which revolutionized TikTok earlier this year and contributed to a 22% increase in searches. Spate’s trends report from last December indicated that Huda Beauty was the second-fastest growing brand on the networks in the United States (behind Laura Geller) with an average of 261.7 thousand monthly searches on Google and a 31.4% increase over last year. On TikTok the company has an average of 22.9 million weekly visits, an increase of 79.1%, and the main hashtag linked to the brand is #makeuptutorial (2.6 million average weekly visits), which coincides with how its founder became famous through these tutorials.
She is Huda Kattan (41), daughter of parents who emigrated from Iraq to the United States, grew up in Oklahoma, studied economics at the University of Michigan and went to Dubai (where she currently lives) to work in a consulting firm. She soon got tired of finances and decided to change direction to dedicate herself to her great passion: makeup. He trained in Los Angeles and opened a restaurant in 2010blog beauty (one of the most famous on the Internet) and a channelYouTubewhich has more than four million subscribers. In 2013, disappointed not to find perfect false eyelashes on the market, she launched, together with her sisters Ayla and Mona, her own line (with a loan of $6,000) sold exclusively at Sephora and Kim Kardashian quickly made them popular. Four years later, the company was valued at $1.2 billion, and according to Forbes, today Its turnover amounts to more than 200 million dollars a year with a popularity on the networks that far exceeds other brands launched by celebrities, such as Rare Beauty or Kylie Cosmetics. British fashion journalist and critic Suzy Menkes called Huda Kattan in an article about Rowing as a global phenomenon, makeup icon and influencer exceptional.
From his networks he supported the Palestinian cause on several occasions, also risking, as he made clear, commercial disruptions and significant business losses. In recent times, Huda Kattan has also been a great supporter of Miss Palestine, who she considers the symbol of an “invisible people”. Its positions against genocide and some conspiracy theories about Israel led some social media users to boycott the company months ago, calling for Huda Beauty to be banned from Sephora. However, the brand continues to boast financial and viral strength and does not appear to have particularly noticed these political attacks.
The awards for his career are numerous. Named by Forbes as number 11 among The 100 most powerful female entrepreneurs of 2025 in the East and as one of the “Self-Made Women” in the United States; the magazine Fortune he included it in his list “40 Under 40“; and was awarded the TIME100 Impact Award and named one of the “25 Most Influential People on the Internet” by TIME. Furthermore, last June the brand achieved a fundamental milestone by repurchasing the minority share of TSG Consumer Partners, (the San Francisco-based fund that had invested in the company in 2017) and recovering 100% of the capital. This wasn’t the only recent move by Kattan’s holding company as, earlier this year, the company sold its Kayali fragrance line to General Atlantic and the brand’s co-founder, Mona Kattan, Huda’s sister.
Is the trick a harmless filter?
Huda Beauty has gone from being a celebrity brand to becoming a movement in its own right with the motto “beauty is built starting from oneself” (Beauty is Self-Made). The brand is, in part, responsible for the return of powders in makeup and a pioneer in betting on cosmetic filters as the most harmless alternative to the abuses of real and digital retouching. Your posts and campaigns on TikTok with the phrase This is not a filter show the immediate effects of its famous Easy routine three steps (primer, foundation and powder) to achieve the desired porcelain skin. The company has gone further and eliminated the use of filters and digital retouching from its social networks because it supports a realistic representation of beauty. “For me, beauty has evolved a lot over the years. When I was younger, beauty was about fitting in and to do that I would hide the parts I didn’t like. Makeup gave me confidence, but it also became a way to hide my insecurities. Now I see everything differently. True beauty is being authentic, accepting your quirks and showing your true self. It has a lot to do with the confidence, kindness and energy you put out into the world,” Kattan answers a questionnaire from Fashion S. In an interview with Vanity Fair Last November, Kattan confessed the reasons why she rejects aesthetic and digital retouching: “In 2021, I was one of the first to say no to filters: they play with your mental health, and they did the same with mine, because I have never felt pretty. I turned to a trainer to learn to love myself. With aesthetic medicine you can fall into the same vortex, because it is never enough, as in my case. Before, I used a lot of fillers, but in 2019 I started a “rehabilitation” program and brought my daughter with me so that she could hear the truth and not make the same mistakes as me.”
What is the secret to your success?
The McKinsey reportThe state of fashion: beauty( The state of fashion: beauty ), indicates that although “influencer” brands have the advantage of generating recognition and visibility, a brand’s permanence in the market depends on something else because buyers care about two things: the effectiveness of the product and maintaining a shared aesthetic vision with the company. Huda Kattan is aware of the phenomenon and redoubles her efforts to know and understand her community. “I’m very active on social media, more than you might imagine. Every day I check messages, read comments, pay attention to hashtags and I see the TikToks and Reels that people create with our products. I love seeing how they use Huda Beauty, it’s inspiring and very motivating for me and my team. If they say something isn’t working, we fix it. If they ask for a specific tone, texture or formula, we find a way to make it happen. There are products that we made because we saw them in a video someone made! Every day I listen to what they ask and, above all, I try to find out what is missing in their makeup routine. I think about how a product will make them feel, how it will fit into their lives, and whether it will truly solve a problem or add value to their routine. It’s not about creating for the sake of creating, but about offering something they will use and love. We grow with our community and that only happens if we stay connected, humble and open to feedback,” says Kattan Fashion S.
The founder is also involved in the entire process of creating her products. “From the initial idea to the final product that lands in your hands. I work closely with the product development team and we spend months testing the formulas in the lab to make sure everything is perfect. I’m very meticulous and, really, I don’t release anything on the market unless it’s exactly how I imagined it. This level of detail is what sets us apart. It’s not just about the formula, but also the story behind each of the creations, the marketing, the packaging, the campaign… I’m very passionate about everything. present. It has to reflect the brand, but also myself. This authenticity is very important because if I didn’t feel proud to put my name on it, I wouldn’t launch it,” says Huda Kattan.
What do makeup artists think?
“It’s a bold brand, aimed at an audience of thirty-somethings with formulations that work well on the face. I like their eyeshadows because, although they contain a large amount of pigments, they blend easily and leave a silky texture. The powders matte without drying or stiffening and do not alter the base underneath. Finally, they have a contouringwith a powder/cream texture that blends seamlessly and, well applied, really feels like the shadow of your face,” says Isabel Auernheimer, film, TV and television makeup artist. According to Spate, her most searched product on Google is Easy Bake Powder (34.1k monthly searches), famous for setting makeup, blurring expression lines and offering a matte finish. And Huda has been a pioneer in the comeback of powders. “It’s one of our most emblematic products and honestly, it’s an amazing powder because it blends, sets, and lasts all day, but it’s not noticeable on the face. “Plus, we’ve created so many shades that it’s easy to find one that suits each person’s nuances,” says Kattan. It is true that you have a predilection for derivatives of the naked ? “It’s true. It’s a timeless tone that looks good on everyone and works for every occasion. I try to create shades that people use every day and become part of their look. I’m not against bold moments, like a nice pink or red, but nude, with all its variations, is always there. There are so many skin tones and undertones to find the right one.nakedperfect for every person is an art. My desire is to create shades that are inclusive and flattering to everyone,” concludes Kattan.
