This creator-turned-entrepreneur is wildly popular! 🔥

A conversation about makeup is incomplete without mentioning Huda Beauty. Its founder, Huda Kattan, started her journey with a blog in 2010 — in fact, her blog was called Huda Beauty.

Huda was a makeup artist in Dubai when she decided to document her makeup journey on her blog. Her makeup tips, reviews, and tutorials gained incredible fame, making her one of the first influencer-turned-entrepreneurs.

Huda on Instagram: “Growing up, as a brown girl OBSESSED with beauty, I never really had anyone to look up to, and honestly starting out as a blogger in 2010, I felt like an odd ball in the industry—here I was, this Arab-American-Muslim girl blogging about shaving my facial hair and experimenting with weird Beauty Hacks like left over baby food as a face mask. It didn’t feel like I fit in or honestly, like I had a chance of success. But today, here we are, having real conversations about beauty and what we think it has the potential to be, so much more than what we see on the outside, but a feeling of confidence and empowerment. I’m FOREVER grateful to you guys for making things possible, not only for me, but for YOU too! I love that we can celebrate all kinds of beauty and embrace things that once felt odd bc they stood out, but are now special bc they do”

32K likes, 700 comments - Huda (@huda) on Instagram: “Growing up, as a brown girl OBSESSED with beauty, I never really had anyone to look up to, and ho...”

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Huda

But Huda's journey isn't as glamorous as it seems! She had to persistently squash gender and religious bias to get where she is today. In one of her interviews with Forbes, she says, "I’ve been put in multiple boxes as blogging and as an influencer and not really perceived as a businesswoman, and that’s something I’ve really had to grow into. I didn’t necessarily plan initially to be the CEO of the company.”

Read the full interview here.

Watch Huda's first video on YouTube. 👇

Humble Beginnings

Three years after launching her blog, Huda launched her makeup brand Huda Beauty with false eyelashes (insane popularity), eyeshadow palettes, and liquid lipsticks. In 2013, when not many brands were inclusive, Huda's range of foundations catered to diverse skin tones.

But all of this happened years after Huda got fired as a financial recruiter in UAE. When her blog took off, she borrowed about $6,000 from her sister to start developing false eyelashes, which have become so iconic that they fly off the aisles at Sephora even today.

In 2023, Huda completed 10 years of launching a business, and Vogue did a cover feature on her. The conversation shows such honesty and vulnerability that most creators (including the beginners) can relate to.

Read the entire conversation.

What Creators Can Learn From Huda

Focussing on a niche: Huda's only focus was false eyelashes, offering a range of high-quality lashes in diverse styles. She ventured into other products only after their massive success, which laid the foundation for her future products.

Product diversification: Huda advocated diversity and inclusivity from day one, which reflects in her product line. She crafted products for skin tones that were largely ignored by the biggest of brands.

Choosing one platform: Huda started with a blog and moved into YouTube and Instagram only after her blog went viral.

Honesty with content: Huda is one of the most honest creators you'll come across! She doesn't shy away from having difficult conversations, and that's one of the reasons why she built such a huge community.

Huda Kattan's net worth as of today is a whopping $570 Million! 🤯 She actively invests in women-driven businesses and donates towards causes like female empowerment, education, and refugee relief.

She is a classic example of how creators can start small — not just with content but also products. And that with content, you can establish a brand even before launching one.

What do you think about Huda Kattan's journey?