Huda Kattan
Huda Kattan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Huda Heidi Kattan October 2, 1983 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, beauty blogger, makeup artist |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Known for | Creator of Huda Beauty cosmetics line |
Huda Heidi Kattan (born October 2, 1983) is an Iraqi American entrepreneur, beauty blogger, and professional makeup artist. She is best known as the creator of the cosmetics line Huda Beauty.
Early life
Kattan was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as one of four siblings to parents of Iraqi descent. Her family moved first to Cookeville, Tennessee and subsequently to Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She pursued finance studies at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. After encountering limited achievements in finance, she shifted her career focus toward makeup artistry.
Career
In 2006, Kattan relocated to Dubai with her father, who had accepted a teaching role there. She later moved to Los Angeles to undergo formal makeup training, working with high-profile clients such as Eva Longoria and Nicole Richie. Upon returning to Dubai, she joined Revlon as a professional makeup artist. Encouraged by her sister, Kattan launched a beauty blog titled "Huda Beauty" in April 2010, where she provided makeup tutorials and advice.
By 2013, Kattan had established the cosmetics brand "Huda Beauty," initially introducing false eyelashes through Sephora. These lashes quickly gained popularity, with celebrities like Kim Kardashian among their users. Operating from Dubai, the brand broadened its offerings to include eyeshadow palettes, liquid lipsticks, lip liners, highlighters, foundations, concealers, baking powders, and liquid eyeshadows.
Her Instagram following surged to over 54 million by 2025. In 2017, she led the "Influencer Instagram Rich List," earning $18,000 per sponsored post. Often referred to as "a Kim Kardashian of the beauty influencer economy," Kattan was recognized by Forbes as one of the "ten most powerful influencers in beauty" and featured in Time magazine's "25 Most Influential People on the Internet" in 2017. Her endorsements have notably influenced regional markets; for instance, a Foreo product she promoted sold out rapidly in Dubai retail outlets. In 2020, she appeared on Fortune's 40 Under 40 list and secured the top position on Cosmetify's Beauty Influencer Rich List in 2021.
In 2018, Kattan starred alongside her family in the Facebook Watch reality show Huda Boss. The brand also initiated a campaign in 2021 that contributed one million meals within the UAE.
Philanthropy and activism
Kattan has actively engaged in philanthropic initiatives through Huda Beauty. In June 2020, she pledged $500,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The following year, she and her company launched a petition advocating for transparency regarding image retouching within beauty advertising to challenge harmful social media beauty norms. Huda Beauty has supported causes including the Asian American community, Médecins Sans Frontières, and food programs such as 100 Million Meals. Kattan has publicly condemned alleged atrocities in Gaza and contributed $100,000 in May 2021 to Help India Breathe for COVID-19 relief efforts.
In November 2023, she donated $1 million to humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, including Doctors Without Borders and Human Appeal.
Personal life
Kattan met her spouse, Christopher Goncalo, during their high school years. The pair relocated to Dubai in 2006, tied the knot in 2009, and welcomed their first child in 2011. She practices Islam. Her sisters hold significant positions within her enterprise: Mona Kattan co-founded Huda Beauty and established Kayali fragrances, while Alya oversees the brand's social media efforts. Huda acts as the prominent face of the cosmetics line, whereas Mona concentrates on fragrance creation. Kattan maintained a friendship with actress Eva Longoria for more than ten years but experienced a rift in 2024 due to Longoria’s endorsement of Israel.
Controversy
In July 2025, Kattan shared a video on her TikTok profile expressing solidarity with Palestinians and disseminating antisemitic conspiracy theories that blamed Israel for incidents such as World Wars I and II, the September 11 attacks, and the October 7 attacks. TikTok subsequently removed the video, and French beauty retailer Sephora declared it would conduct a review of its collaboration with Kattan.
Awards
In November 2023, Kattan was recognized on the BBC's annual list of 100 Women.