Huda Beauty is a coveted beauty brand that includes an array of must haves from makeup, skincare, fragrances and tools. Co-Founded by Iraqi American sisters Huda Kattan, Alya Kattan and Mona Kattan, they created an ever growing billion dollar beauty empire that is one of the fastest growing brands. With an assortment of over 213 products that are sold at Sephora, Harrods in London and on its own site, we caught up with Mona Kattan, Co-Founder and President of Huda Beauty and their fragrance brand KAYALI, from her home in Dubai, the brand's headquarters to talk about her role in the company, new launches, how she is navigating COVID-19 and how KAYALI's fragrances transport you to your favorite destinations.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about the brand Huda Beauty. How did it come about and how did you and your two sisters come together to be a part of the company?
MONA KATTAN: Huda Beauty began in 2013. Huda was beauty blogging and working as a makeup artist and I had launched a network of salons in Dubai. She started playing around with creating her own false eyelashes and they were unlike anything on the market. My sister, Alya and I encouraged her to start selling them and everything started to take off from there. To this day we continue to focus on innovation and unique products for our Huda Beauty community!
AM: What is your role at the company and how would you describe your day to day activity?
MK: As Global President I lay the groundwork for our future. We have grown very fast so have had to think long and hard about how to regionalize, where to open new offices, communications and marketing and hiring. As of recent, Covid has also changed many aspects of consumer behavior and it’s my role to help navigate and adapt as needed. We are fortunate that we are small enough that we can pivot easier than most.
I am also the founder and face of our fragrance brand, KAYALI. I’ve learned how hard being the face of a line is - you wear so many hats. From setting the vision, discussing formulas, shooting campaigns, working on expansion and development! It’s exciting and a lot of work. I absolutely love fragrance though so this is a role I’ve passionately embraced over the last few years.
AM: What are the roles of your sisters at the company?
MK: Huda is of course Founder, CEO and Face of the Huda Beauty brand! She primarily focuses on product development and content while keeping the company running from a financial perspective. Alya is officially our Chief Instagram Officer but oversees all social channels including YouTube, Facebook and Tik Tok! If you are a fan of Huda Beauty, you know this is a huge job because we are very active on social and it’s core to our business. This is just the tip of the iceberg for them though, because as a small company no job is ever too small for one of us to tackle!
AM: Huda Beauty is available at Sephora. What was it like when you first heard that it would be carried in this store?
MK: We were beyond ecstatic! We walked into our meeting with Sephora with one set of false eyelashes - that’s it. They took a leap of faith with us and we were determined not to fail - which was enough to drive us harder than we had ever worked before.
AM: We like that Huda Beauty is inclusive in its assortment as it pertains to its range of foundations and concealers. How important is that to you as a brand and what is the developing process like when it comes to making sure that you are shade accessible?
MK: Inclusion is core to our brand. Having grown up in the southern part of the US, I looked different than those around me but this difference taught me the importance of having role models you can relate to. We want everyone to be able to relate to us and to feel welcomed within our brand family, so having few shades just wasn’t an option. Having a wide variety of shades means it takes us longer to finalize each product, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
AM: As we are all at home during COVID-19, how important is it to still incorporate your beauty routine whether it’s using skincare, applying makeup or utilizing fragrances in order to keep sanity in a time where so many things are unknown?
MK: Continuing with some sort of beauty routine gives me a sense of sanity and brings normalcy to my day! It also makes me feel put together even if I’m not leaving my house. Skincare is important all the time, but during this time it has also been a nice distraction and indulgence. Fragrance is one thing I simply can’t live without no matter what; it has such a way with impacting my mood and during quarantine it’s been really impactful!
AM: How are you passing your days personally as well as running a business that is still working on new assortments and staying in touch with your customers and fans?
MK: Right before COVID, I launched my YouTube page so I have spent a lot of time creating new content from the comfort of my home! YouTube has also been a great way to connect with people all over the world during a difficult time. I also enjoy reading - I love a good motivational or self help book - also perfect for staying positive now!
AM: Fragrances are the perfect way to showcase a feeling as well as to transport you. Can you walk us through these fragrances and how you can feel like you’re doing a bit of wanderlust to your favorite destination – even though we’re all in our own bubbles at the moment?
MK: I love how fragrance can take you back to a specific memory and uplift your mood. This summer, as travel is looking different than it did in summer's past it has been fun to play around with fragrance and memory! For example, want to travel to Bora Bora after your bath? Spritz some KAYALI Vanilla or Soleil Blanc from Tom Ford which have hints of vanilla, coconut, orchid and jasmine notes that can take you there! Or want to relive or imagine you’re waking up in Provence - layer a fragrance with lavender, rose de mai, basil, rosemary or sage such as the KAYALI Elixir | 11 or Rose 31 - Le Labo! It may seem a bit silly, but I truly enjoy experimenting with scent.
AM: What are your favorite fragrances?
MK: My all time favorite fragrance is KAYALI Deja Vu | White Flower 57! Creating this juice has been a labor of love and passion. It took me 56 different attempts in the lab to get it right and the comfort and happiness I find when I spritz myself with the perfume is hard to beat!
I also love Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjan! He is a genius when it comes to perfume and I absolutely love him. Baccarat Rouge 540 is one of the most beautiful perfumes; it’s filled with notes of Jasmine blossoms and musks; it’s amazing!
AM: What are your go to 3 must have products from Huda Beauty?
MK: WISHFUL Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub - This has been life changing for me. The pineapple and papaya enzymes mixed with the AHAs and BHAs gives me super bright and glowing, even-toned skin!
HUDA BEAUTY Legit Lashes Double-Ended Mascara - I am lucky to have nice lashes, but this mascara really amplifies them. I love that the wand is double sided.
HUDA BEAUTY Silk Balm Hydrating Lip Balm - This is our newest liquid lip balm that feels like a balm but looks like a gloss! It’s packed full of hyaluronic spheres for an ultra-hydrating treatment that works into your lips throughout the day. It comes in 1 universal shade that is absolutely stunning on everyone.
AM: We know that you’re in Dubai, when things are open again – can you tell us where we can find you dining, shopping and working out?
MK: My favorite restaurant is definitely Il Borro at the Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel! They have incredible food and the service is always amazing. I workout at home actually, so, nothing will really change there. If I go shopping, it’s normally to Dubai Mall. They have absolutely everything I need!
IG @MonaKattan
PHOTOS COURTESY | Mona Kattan
Read the July Issue #55 of Athleisure Mag and see The Business of Beauty Mona Kattan in mag.
