Karen Lee
Jan 15, 20202 min
Updated: May 9, 2023
So, you may have heard, we're selling limited edition run of graphic tees that feature nine women. When I came up with the idea of celebrating some of the greatest female founders in the beauty industry, past, present, and future, I thought of each representative as a mini case study. Each one of them changed the industry in a fundamental way in such that their mark is still everywhere you look (or will be very soon). I hope you enjoy my blurbs about each of them, and will include links for you to learn more.
-Karen
Huda Kattan is a makeup artist, turned social media mega-influencer/blogger, turned CEO of a billion dollar beauty company. She quickly became the first of her kind. She is the first cosmetics brand to emerge from the age of influencers. Her vision, strategy, and trajectory is still unmatched in the world of beauty influencers.
The 2008 financial crisis touched the lives of virtually everyone. It was a waking up moment for Huda Kattan. She switched career paths and pursue her passion of makeup. Which is simple to write, but takes immense courage.
Nowadays you look around and it seems like everyone is an influencer. Many people make a living out of it. But I think what will always hold true is that, if you are not passionate about what you're doing, you'll never be fulfilled. You have to forge your own path.
By the numbers, Huda isn't the "biggest" influencer out there. But her ambition is what has made her an outsize influencer. Her entrepreneurial spirit from the get-go when she decided to make the kinds of false lashes, she wanted but couldn't find. She approached Sephora in the Middle East and they picked her up. There's no magic moment for going out on a limb and trying to start a business. You don't wait until you've reached X number of followers. Huda started her brand when she was struggling, there was no guarantee of success.
Huda's ambition hasn't left her yet. She's basically striving for world domination, and honestly, I can't wait.
Learn more:
Huda Kattan on Life at 28 | Bustle
Huda Kattan and Anna Amuroso Transcript from Girlboss Radio | Business Insider
How Huda, Mona, and Alya Kattan Built Huda Beauty Out of Dubai | Entrepreneur
Next up: Emily Weiss
Previously: Charlotte Tilbury