When the Huda Beauty brand first began in 2010, it was simply a fun beauty blog created by Huda Kattan. Kattan initially had a job in the finance industry, but she left to pursue her passions in the beauty sphere, after her continued successes in the golden era of beauty and fashion bloggers. Fast forward to 2024, Huda Beauty is now one of the most well-known and successful beauty labels in the world. Never forget, Kattan claims to have never spent money on advertising and yet has a multimillion brand to her name. The defining moment in Huda Beauty’s story came in 2013, when Kattan and her two sisters created their own line of false eyelashes. Kattan, who was then working as a makeup artist, found that the existing falsies on the market weren’t up to her standards. And the rest, as they say, was history.
In addition to being the face of the brand, Kattan was the CEO of Huda Beauty for seven years, before stepping down from her position in 2020. But now in 2024, the OG mind that led to the success of the Huda brand is back at the helm. Earlier this year in February, Kattan announced her return as CEO.
Below, GRAZIA Singapore speaks to the founder on her reprised role as CEO of Huda Beauty and the company’s latest launch, the Blush Filter Liquid Blush. With finely-milled micro-pearls, the new blush gives you an airbrushed flush that’s buildable and easy to blend. While you might expect a liquid blush to feel heavy, the formulation of this one from Huda Beauty is lightweight and soft, while still delivering a radiant glow. See how Kattan personally uses the blush to create an ombré dream that’s prime for the hotter months.
Tell us more about the newly launched Blush Filter Liquid Blush. What makes it a uniquely Huda Beauty product?
Honestly, I’m super excited about this launch. We called it Blush Filter because it gives a gorgeous blush to the cheeks with a filtered and ‘airbrushed’ finish! This formula is so easy to use as it is buildable and has this super sweet and delicious candy scent to fit the shade names. I’m obsessed with ombre blush, so I’ve been having fun experimenting with the five shades as they suit every skin tone. My go-to combination right now is Cotton Candy on the top of the cheekbone and Peach Sorbet right under. It creates this beautiful 3D effect on the cheek!
How will the blush work in Singapore’s hot and humid climate, especially on sweaty and oily skin?
They are cream blushes, so it really depends on how cream products hold on your skin. I always set with our Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder because I’m obsessed with the finish. I’d recommend setting with a loose powder to make sure the blushes stay all day!
What beauty tips do you have for local beauty enthusiasts, to have their glam last all day through Singapore’s unforgiving humidity?
Make sure you choose the right setting powder! Dubai is also extremely humid during the summer, so I use our Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder. Sometimes, I even bake a little longer with it to give my skin the extra hold. I also recommend keeping our Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Powder in your bag for on-the-go touch-ups—I don’t go anywhere without it!
How much do trends within the beauty industry impact the creations at Huda Beauty?
We usually plan our launches way in advance, so we can’t really follow trends. Sometimes, I see a trend, and I’m like, “Oh, that would be cool to do!”, but product development takes a long time because we always want to make sure the formulation and the shades are perfect for every launch. So we start working on new products months, sometimes a year, before the actual launch.
What sort of trends do you foresee taking over the beauty scene in the near future, especially in Asia?
I would love for ombré blush to start taking over all social platforms. People have been experimenting more with it, and I would love to see a full complexion and blush moment. I tried this trend recently, which is complexion and no eye makeup, and I loved it!
Congratulations on returning to Huda Beauty as the brand’s CEO! What made you decide to return to the brand at this juncture?
Thank you so much! I’m so happy to be back! Honestly, I felt like when I stepped down as CEO; I brought on incredible people but at the cost of sacrificing things that were super important to me and for the business. So, I decided to come back, relearn how to be a CEO, and get more involved in what was important to me, which is product development and content creation. I’m honestly very excited to show the world what’s next for Huda Beauty!
During your four years away from the brand, what lessons have you learnt that you will be bringing with you to Huda Beauty now that you’re back?
Honestly, I’ve learned always to follow my gut and trust my passion for my work and the brand. Ultimately, if I have a specific vision for something, I stick to my initial feelings and ideas and do everything to make it happen!
What plans do you have for the brand, now that you’re reprising your role as CEO? Any upcoming projects that fans of the brand should look forward to?
I don’t want to spill all our secrets, but we’re going through amazing changes including a rebrand and we’re finally taking Huda Beauty to where we want it to be. Stay tuned!
Huda Beauty’s Blush Filter Liquid Blush launches 7 June here.
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