Huda Kattan is one of the few beauty founders who feels just as present today as she did when she first launched false lashes from her living room. Over the years, she’s balanced the gloss of running a billion-dollar brand with a willingness to be candid, political, and even experimental.
As she celebrates her birthday, it’s a fitting time to reflect on how she’s grown from a Dubai-based blogger into one of the most influential voices in global beauty. Here are the real reasons people continue to respect her — inside and outside the industry.
Huda Consistently Links Her Brand To Charity
When Huda Beauty partnered with Saint Levant on the limited-edition Kalamantina Faux Filler Lip Oil, the campaign wasn’t just about a glossy launch. Proceeds went directly to Doctors Without Borders in Gaza, raising $210,000 in emergency funds.
It’s not her first move of this kind either: after regaining full independence for her brand in early 2025, Huda marked the milestone by donating 1 million AED to UNRWA for Palestine.
Also, earlier in 2023, she and her family pledged $1 million to humanitarian organizations on the ground. What stands out is the consistency — philanthropy isn’t a one-off press stunt, it’s embedded into how she chooses to do business.
Huda’s Big Sister Energy
Huda’s podcast captures what many fans call “big sister energy.” She gets personal about self-worth, career burnout, and the reality of maintaining confidence in an industry that thrives on comparison.
The same openness shows up on her Instagram, where she often posts side-by-side edited versus unedited images to highlight how misleading beauty standards can be. In interviews, too, she has spoken candidly about pressure, vulnerability, and building self-worth beyond appearance.
That willingness to be transparent — instead of performing a picture-perfect founder role — makes her advice feel lived-in rather than rehearsed.
Her Hands-On Approach Makes Huda Beauty A Global Favorite
Huda’s first product was a set of lashes she personally tested, and she has never stepped away from that hands-on approach. She is known for trialing viral TikTok hacks on herself, filming the process, and reporting back honestly if they work or flop.
That same testing mindset drives her product development. The result? Huda Beauty was named the most popular beauty brand in the world for the first quarter of 2025, proving she’s still shaping the global conversation around beauty.
She Built & Reclaimed Full Ownership of Her Business
It’s easy to forget how rare it is for a founder to buy back full control of their company after bringing in investors. Huda did just that in 2025, regaining ownership from TSG Consumer Partners.
For a creator-led brand, it was a bold move — one that underscores how much she values steering her company on her own terms. In an industry where founders often step aside once a business grows too large, Huda chose to remain firmly at the helm.
She Continues to Speak Out For Palestine Despite Backlash
Huda has been outspoken in her support for Palestine, using her platform to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza once and again.
Her advocacy hasn’t come without consequences: she has faced waves of criticism, boycott calls, and even pushback from major retailers.
Recently, Sephora confirmed it was reviewing her remarks after mounting pressure to remove Huda Beauty products from its shelves. Still, she hasn’t wavered. For Huda, speaking out isn’t a matter of convenience or branding — it’s a matter of conviction, even when the cost is personal or commercial.
She Proudly Represents Her Iraqi Heritage
Huda often refers to her Iraqi heritage, not as a side note but as central to her story. She built her business in Dubai, and her global rise has opened doors for Middle Eastern beauty aesthetics on the international stage. For many in the region and diaspora, her visibility is about more than cosmetics — it’s representation in an industry that rarely spotlights Arab women at the forefront.
Conclusion
Taken together, these qualities explain Huda Kattan’s lasting appeal. She treats business as both a platform for beauty and a channel for impact, she’s candid in ways most founders wouldn’t risk, and she hasn’t let scale dull her sense of identity. Whether you follow her for the products, the advice, or the philanthropy, she remains a case study in how influence can be used with both ambition and conscience.
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