Huda Kattan

Huda Kattan is an American makeup artist, beauty blogger, and entrepreneur. She is the founder and majority owner of Huda Beauty, a cosmetics brand that consistently ranks among the top sellers at Sephora and Ulta Beauty worldwide. With over 50 million Instagram followers and a YouTube channel that draws millions of tutorial views, she remains one of the most influential figures in the beauty industry. Her current focus includes expanding Huda Beauty into body care and preparing a documentary series about her life set to premiere in late 2026.[edit]

Huda Kattan was born in Oklahoma City to Iraqi immigrant parents. Her father worked as a professor and her mother was a homemaker. The family moved frequently during her childhood, living in Tennessee and Massachusetts before settling in Dallas, Texas, where Huda attended high school. She has described herself as a tomboy who later discovered a passion for makeup, often experimenting with her mother's cosmetics. Her Iraqi heritage influenced her aesthetic sensibilities, though she did not pursue beauty seriously until after college.

Huda earned a finance degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and worked briefly in finance after graduating, but found the work unfulfilling. She quit after three months and enrolled at the Make-Up Designory (MUD) in Los Angeles, where she studied professional makeup artistry. In 2006, she moved to Dubai to work as a freelance makeup artist, building a clientele among celebrities and socialites. She also worked as a makeup artist for the Dubai royal family. In 2010, she launched a beauty blog called Huda Beauty on WordPress, posting tutorials, product reviews, and tips. Her honest, relatable content quickly gained traction. A turning point came when she created a tutorial on how to achieve Kim Kardashian's makeup look that went viral, attracting millions of views and establishing her as a go-to beauty influencer.[edit]

In 2013, Huda Beauty released its first product: a line of false eyelashes called Huda Beauty Lashes. The initial launch sold out within hours, creating a sensation. This marked the brand's breakthrough moment. The company expanded into lip products in 2015 with Liquid Matte Lipsticks, which became bestsellers. In 2017, Huda Beauty launched the FauxFilter Foundation, a full-coverage foundation that became a top seller. After a minority investment from TSG Consumer Partners, the brand was valued at over $1 billion. The New Nude Eyeshadow Palette, released in 2018, generated massive hype and sold out repeatedly. That same year, Huda was named one of Forbes' Top Beauty Influencers.

Huda Beauty expanded into skincare in 2019 with the Wishful line, focusing on skin-clearing products. In 2020, the company launched Kayali, a fragrance line created with her sister Mona. Despite the pandemic, online sales grew. The brand introduced Glowish, a clean-beauty line, in 2021, and Huda was listed on Forbes' America's Richest Self-Made Women. The Easy Bake Loose Baking Powder, released in 2022, became a viral product. Huda Beauty celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023, and Huda launched a podcast, The Huda Boss. In 2024, the company introduced Life Liner, a waterproof eyeliner. Huda was named to the TIME100 Next list in 2025. As of 2026, Huda Beauty continues to be one of the top-selling brands at Sephora and Ulta Beauty, with new product launches planned.[edit]

Huda is known for her glamorous, full-coverage makeup looks, often featuring dramatic lashes, bold lips, and flawless skin. Her personal style is elegant and polished, favoring neutral tones and designer brands. She is portrayed in media as a self-made entrepreneur who built a billion-dollar brand from a blog, often cited as a role model for aspiring beauty influencers and businesswomen. Some outlets have criticized her for promoting unrealistic beauty standards, but she has defended her content as aspirational. Her social media voice is warm, encouraging, and relatable, frequently using phrases like Hey babes! and You are beautiful. Fans, often called Huda Babes or Huda Beauties, regularly recreate her looks and participate in product launches with immediate purchases.[edit]

Huda Kattan commands a global audience that functions less as a traditional celebrity fandom and more as a highly organized consumer ecosystem driven by digital engagement. Unlike musical artists with specific monikers, her followers identify simply as part of the Huda community or Huda Beauty family, united by an intense participation in product launches and a deep trust in her transparency regarding personal struggles like medical emergencies. This unique dynamic allows her to generate viral moments through brand interactions rather than stage performances, turning every new release into a cultural event. Her influence extends beyond cosmetics, shaping conversations on business ethics and geopolitical activism while maintaining a loyal base that scrutinizes and celebrates her work simultaneously. Despite this massive reach and her status as a Forbes-listed entrepreneur, iFANN's Global Fame Engine has evaluated this person, but they do not currently hold a placement in the published rankings (Global Top 1,000 or a Top-100 scope list).[edit]

Before her beauty empire took off, Huda worked at a fast-food restaurant and later trained as a certified makeup artist at Make-Up Designory in Los Angeles. She speaks both English and Arabic fluently and is a practicing Muslim whose faith guides her business decisions. Her first product, false lashes, was born from her own need for dramatic eyes for a wedding, leading to a career that includes working for the Dubai royal family. A tattoo of her daughters' names adorns her wrist, and despite a fear of flying, she travels constantly for her brand. The New Nude Eyeshadow Palette exists thanks to thousands of fan requests, and she once appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race in 2020. Fans often retell her origin story of leaving a finance job to become a self-made mogul, a narrative central to her legend. In April 2026, she shared hospital selfies about a breast implant rupture emergency, cementing her reputation for radical honesty. Later that year, she accepted the TIME100 Impact Award, further solidifying her status as a global icon.[edit]

Huda married Christopher Chris Goncalo in 2009. Chris is a former professional basketball player turned entrepreneur who handles business operations at Huda Beauty. The couple has two daughters: Nour, born in 2011, and Alya, born in 2014. They reside in Dubai on the Palm Jumeirah. Huda has three siblings: sisters Mona and Alya, who both work at Huda Beauty, and a brother, Khalid. Mona co-created the Kayali fragrance line. Huda has described Chris as her rock and business partner, and she credits her family with keeping her grounded.[edit]

Huda works closely with her sisters Mona Kattan, who co-created the Kayali fragrance line, and Alya Kattan, who serves as brand manager. Her husband Chris Goncalo handles business operations. Major retail partners include Sephora and Ulta Beauty. She collaborated with Jeffree Star on a limited-edition makeup collection in 2019. TSG Consumer Partners invested in Huda Beauty in 2017.[edit]

Huda Kattan has been married to Christopher Chris Goncalo since 2009. They met while Huda was working as a makeup artist in Dubai, where Chris was playing professional basketball. After retiring from basketball, Chris joined Huda Beauty as a business partner, handling operations and strategy. The couple has two daughters, Nour (born 2011) and Alya (born 2014). They reside in Dubai. As of 2026, the marriage is ongoing and appears stable, with no public rumors of separation. Huda has not been publicly linked to any other romantic partners.[edit]

Per iFANN's editorial analysis, Huda Kattan's net worth in 2026 is estimated at $600 Million. The majority of her wealth comes from her ownership stake in Huda Beauty, which was valued at $1.2 billion in 2017 after a minority investment from TSG Consumer Partners. She is believed to own approximately 50-60% of the company. Her annual income from brand profits, salary, and dividends is estimated between $10 and $20 million. Huda also earns from endorsement deals with retailers like Sephora and Ulta, as well as sponsored social media posts, which bring in an estimated $500,000 to $1 million per year. She owns real estate in Dubai's Palm Jumeirah, valued at around $15 million, and a home in Los Angeles. Huda holds minority stakes in other beauty and tech startups. Forbes has listed her among America's Richest Self-Made Women multiple times, with a 2025 estimate of $560 million.[edit]

Huda Kattan and Huda Beauty have won numerous awards from beauty and lifestyle publications. These include multiple Allure Best of Beauty Awards for products like FauxFilter Foundation and Easy Bake Loose Baking Powder, Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards for the New Nude Eyeshadow Palette and Liquid Matte Lipstick, and Brand of the Year honors from Harper's Bazaar Arabia and Glamour. She also won a Shorty Award for Best Beauty Influencer in 2022.[edit]