Who Is Huda Kattan? Meet the Huda Beauty Makeup Brand Founder and Social Media Influencer
In July, the Huda Beauty founder repeated false claims that Israel was allegedly was 'behind' World War 1, World War II, the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 in video posted to her TikTok. This led to people calling for Sephora to remove her products from their stores.
TikTok has since removed her video, but per CNN, she claimed, 'All of the conspiracy theories coming out and a lot of evidence behind them — that Israel has been behind World War I, World War II, September 11, October 7 — they allowed all of this stuff to happen. Is this crazy?' (The State of Israel was established in 1948, three years after World War II ended.)
Kattan added, 'Like, I had a feeling — I was like, 'Are they behind every world war?' Yes.'
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Sephora responded to people's urges in a statement on August 7, sharing, 'Sephora is driven by its mission to create a welcoming and inclusive shopping experience for all. We recognize that comments from one of our brand partners have raised concerns and want to be clear: promoting hate, harassment, or misinformation does not align with our values or code of conduct. We take this matter very seriously and can confirm we are actively reviewing this issue internally, including working with the brand.'
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Kattan:
1. She's an Oklahoma Native
Kattan was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in October 1983, and is one of three daughters of Ibrahim Kattan and Susu Al Qazzaz, who are immigrants from Iraq. She went to Dartmouth High School before getting her bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. At college, she met her husband, Christopher Goncalo.
2. She Wasn't Always a Beauty Mogul
Before launching her brand with her two sisters in 2013, Kattan worked in finance, but was 'miserable,' per Forbes. She quit her job to become a makeup artist and launched her blog in 2010. One year later, the first Huda Beauty product was launched in Sephora in Dubai — false lashes. Her products were sold in the United States in 2025. Now, Huda Beauty sells over 140 products. According to Forbes, her products bring in around $200 million in annual sales.
Sephora Responds to Huda Beauty's Huda Kattan's Anti-Israel Scandal: 'We Are Actively Reviewing'
3. She's Won Multiple Awards for Huda Beauty
Kattan has received multiple awards and recognition for her company, such as the WWD Beauty Inc Indie of the Year Award, the TIME100 Impact Award, and the International Author Excellence Award. She's also been featured in Allure's Best of Beauty roundup, Glamour's Beauty Awards and more.
4. She's Open About Getting Work Done
Through the years, Karran has been candid about going under the knife. In 2013, she got a nose job, and in January 2022, she shared photos of her 'lip-volution,' where she shared a photo of her pout in 2006, before getting 'botox, fillers and a plastic surgeon.'
5. She's Faced Other Controversies
In 2017, Kattan announced Huda Beauty was launching its #FauxFilter" foundations and was accused of copying Rihanna's Fenty Beauty foundation collection image, which had a similar name, Pro Filt'r.
At the time, she told PopSugar, 'I think every creator of products out there has their own goal. Sometimes [two brands] can have similarities, but truly, it comes down to the actual finish and use of the product. There are usually more differences than similarities [between products] and there is always a different audience for each!"
Years later, in 2022, Huda Beauty was accused of using disapproved substances in her Neon Obsessions Pressed Pigment Palette. Consumers claimed that the brand attempted to conceal the ingredients by placing a small disclaimer on the back of the eyeshadow palette that it was 'not intended for the eye area.' Huda Beauty settled the lawsuit for $1.93 million and paid $1.2 million in legal fees to the plaintiffs. They also agreed to discontinue the pallet and not to reintroduce similar products, as well as to offer refunds.
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