If you ask anyone in the Middle East to name the biggest OG influencer in the region, you know the name Huda Kattan is the first on their lips.
And rightly so, the Iraqi-American debuted on social media in 2010 when she quit her finance job to become a makeup artist and launched a YouTube channel to post tutorials.
Fast-forward three years to 2013, the savvy girlie took the plunge and launched Huda Beauty with a $6,000 investment from her sister. Turning a passion into a career is something we stan.
When Huda launched Huda Beauty, the first store to carry her products was Sephora Dubai Mall in the UAE. Now 11 years later, the social media sensation is rebranding including unveiling a new gondola at the very first Sephora where Huda Beauty launched in 2013, located in the iconic Sephora Dubai Mall in the UAE. Talk about a full-circle moment.
With this exciting new chapter for her brand, I was eager to meet with Huda, who calls herself your big beauty sister in her IG bio, to learn more about the woman behind the empire. And one thing I was itching to find out was what she’s REALLY like.
From her boldly going bare-face to highlight how great her Easy Blur Foundation is, to reposting her fans’ reviews of HB products with her commentary, and taking part in funny skits with her sister, Mona, she comes across online as authentic and genuine, someone we all want to be besties with.
As someone who has interviewed numerous celebrities throughout my career, I have encountered names that are thought of as sweet as pie to give off mean girl vibes to others, who are known for being villains who are actually demure and cutesy. So, it’s safe to say when going to an interview trying to get a real feel of the person from the social persona, expect the unexpected.
Despite being followed around by a team of photographers, stylists and PRs, I’m introduced to Huda in front of the crowd, she leans in for a hug and comes across genuinely excited to speak to me.
Having the unique capability to make it seem like it’s just you and her having a catch-up, the self-confessed “open-book” revealed to me that she is “boring” and likes the “small things”. A girl after my own heart.
When I quiz Huda on sharing so much with her followers and if there’s something her fans may be surprised about, without faltering eye contact she spills: “I am really boring, I like the normal things and the really simple things.”
She goes on to share with me how she recently celebrated her birthday and started by claiming it to be “simple” before adding, “actually, it’s not that simple” as she details hosting her friends in a fancy hotel room where they all dressed in bath robes and ate dinner, refreshingly self-aware (and tbh sounding pretty chilled for a millionaire to spend her bday). Honestly, it makes me like her even more.
There’s no denying she’s a boss and you may think she’s just a figurehead of her brand but she tells me she is “a little addicted” to work because it’s so “fun” – something she puts down to her workforce, she tells: “I work with an amazing team, they make my job easier, I am blessed, the most important thing is to surround yourself with the right people who can be truly invested in your vision, I get to work with amazing people and I can’t wait to go to work on Monday.”
Surprisingly, day-to-day she’s just like us task-orientated girls, “I do have things that make me feel really good, like having a to-do list and getting things done, that makes me feel good, it’s lame but I do. When I feel like I’m getting things done I feel good.” Instead of thinking this is a spiel, I can tell from her smile and eyes that this is legit and it makes me think: I’d love to see her bullet journal collection.
Known as an inspiration to many, especially those in the region with entrepreneurial dreams, when I ask Huda the message she has for Cosmo readers, her response is anything but rehearsed and comes from the heart: “It might sound a little cheesy but don’t give up on your dreams, there are so many people out there who think things cannot work or be done but be relentless, don’t make a plan B, keep plan A in mind and keep focusing on what you think is true. I always feel like people always give up just before they succeed – so, don’t give up on your dreams.”
After interviewing the entrepreneur, I can confirm Huda in real life is the same as Huda on social media, and believe me, that’s RARE. In a world where social media can feel overly curated, Huda Kattan is a refreshing reminder that authenticity always wins.
ATTN: Beauty mogul Huda Kattan is releasing a podcast click here to read all about it.