Huda Kattan and Saint Levant donate $210,000 from Palestine-inspired lip oil to Gaza medical relief

The National

4 days ago

Huda Kattan and Saint Levant have redirected all proceeds from their recent Huda Beauty product campaign to support emergency medical relief in Gaza.
In a statement released on Friday, the two said the full amount raised, $210,000, will be donated to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) due to the worsening humanitarian situation and the need for life-saving aid on the ground.
'From the start of this partnership, we committed to donating 100 per cent of all sales from this collaboration to support the preservation of Palestinian agriculture,' they wrote.
'However, as the crisis in Gaza continues to worsen – with food and aid blocked – support on the ground has become even more crucial.
'As a result, we've made the decision to redirect the full amount of $210,00 to MSF (Doctors Without Borders) to support their life-saving medical work.
'At a time where we are witnessing genocide in Gaza, we are trying to find a way to make impact where we can. Please continue to use your platforms to spread awareness – you are making a difference.'
Shift after backlash
The pair recently launched a new shade of Huda Beauty 's Faux Filler Lip Oil and named it Kalamantina – a reference to Palestinian clementine oranges. A promotional photoshoot featured Kattan and Saint Levant posing in front of a car overflowing with the fruit.
Pulitzer Prize-winning Palestinian writer Mosab Abu Toha publicly criticised the campaign's messaging, questioning the decision to use clementine oranges, while people in Gaza endure starvation and continued Israeli attacks.
'Do you really care about Gaza?' Abu Toha wrote in a widely shared Instagram comment, which has since been removed. 'My people are being killed while trying to get food.'
While some fans praised the campaign for its cultural messaging and commitment to Palestine, others echoed Abu Toha's concerns. They called out the imagery as 'tone deaf'.
The Kalamantina release, named after Saint Levant's single of the same name, was described by Kattan's brand Huda Beauty as a tribute 'for the homeland'.
The announcement stated that a donation would be made to organisations supporting 'Palestinian agriculture and cultural preservation'. The brand did not, however, specify the amount or whether it would reflect a percentage of the product's proceeds.
Friday's announcement marks a shift from cultural investment in the occupied West Bank to direct humanitarian response in Gaza. MSF has been active in the enclave throughout the Israel-Gaza war, operating under difficult conditions with limited supplies and damaged facilities.
The pair's statement did not directly address Abu Toha's comments, which came as suffering in Gaza ' reaches new depths ', according to more than two dozen countries.
At least 59,587 Palestinians have been killed and 143,498 wounded since the war began in October 2023. According to a report by Unicef in May, more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured in the enclave.
Saint Levant (real name Marwan Abdelhamid) has Palestinian roots and has long been a vocal advocate for Palestine, including during a widely praised Coachella performance last year. Kattan donated $1 million to aid efforts in Gaza in 2023. Both reiterated the importance of public pressure.
'Please continue to use your platforms to spread awareness,' they wrote. 'You are making a difference.'