Huda Kattan, at 34, is a dynamic force in the beauty industry, known for her innovative approach and inspiring success story. Wearing a turquoise apron adorned with red cherries, Kattan stands amidst a pink, retro kitchen that she has meticulously styled for Instagram-worthy photos. This setup is to promote her latest cosmetic product, a loose finishing powder named Easy Bake. Priced at $34, this product is the newest addition to Huda Beauty’s impressive portfolio, which includes over 140 items such as eyeshadow palettes and lip gloss, collectively generating at least $200 million in annual revenue.
Kattan, who recently traveled from Dubai to New York for the product launch, reflects on her brand’s success with Forbes, noting the excitement of seeing her brand resonate so well with people. She emphasizes the limitless nature of ambition, stating, “Nowadays, you’re only limited by your dreams. We think big and we dream big.”
Late last year, Kattan, along with her cofounder sisters Alya and Mona, sold a minor stake in Huda Beauty to TSG Consumer Partners, a strategic investor known for transforming beauty brands into global successes, such as IT Cosmetics and Smashbox. Forbes estimates Kattan’s net worth at $550 million, largely due to her majority stake in Huda Beauty. The sisters allocated $10 million from the deal to establish HB Angels, an investment fund supporting early-stage entrepreneurs, particularly women.
Born in Oklahoma to Iraqi immigrants, Kattan faced challenges growing up in a predominantly white and Baptist town. Bullied for her ethnicity, she used to tell classmates her name was Heidi. Cosmetics provided solace, and by age 12, she was already heavily invested in makeup. Kattan’s early struggles with self-confidence and her desire to embrace her unique identity motivated her to embrace her name and her “weirdness.”
After studying business at the University of Michigan Dearborn, Kattan relocated to Dubai for a finance role at Robert Half. Discontented with her finance career, she transitioned to makeup artistry, training briefly in Los Angeles before returning to Dubai, where she initially worked for free. In 2010, she launched a beauty blog that quickly gained traction, leading her to create her own line of false eyelashes. With a $6,000 loan from her sister and $10,000 of her own savings, Kattan began producing synthetic and faux mink lashes in Indonesia. The debut of her lash line was a hit, and Kim Kardashian’s endorsement propelled her sales to $1.5 million in the first year, escalating to $10 million the following year.
Huda Beauty, with its direct-to-consumer model, is rapidly expanding its in-store presence and is the top-selling cosmetics brand at Sephora in the Middle East. By the end of 2018, the brand aims to be in over 900 U.S. stores and 600 globally. Kattan plans to open a U.S. office by year-end and anticipates 2018 revenues of approximately $300 million.
Kattan’s vision extends beyond makeup. She aspires to transform Huda Beauty into a conglomerate rivaling industry giants like L’Oréal and Estee Lauder. Despite numerous acquisition offers from major conglomerates, Kattan remains focused on building her brand. Her next venture includes launching a standalone perfume brand later this year. Kattan’s goal is to demonstrate that even those from modest beginnings can achieve greatness, reflecting her broader ambition to inspire and prove the potential for success.
