Women just never think their lips are big enough, even when they are really big. The first thing I always hear from women when they sit down with me is, 'I need to fill my lips.' It's almost crazy how many women say that to me.
— Huda Kattan
I grew up in Tennessee. I loved to wear full glam. I used to want to wear flash lashes every single day. I remember wearing them once and someone was like, 'Are you wearing false lashes?' I felt embarrassed. In the U.S., it's perceived as though you're trying too hard.
We are more than one part of ourselves.
I realized that my purpose really is to inspire people.
I have to buy three of everything. It doesn't make any sense, but I have to. I'm worried I might lose it, and if I lose it, then I have a backup and then I have a backup to my backup.
Being happy, being healthy, is the most important thing.
I've worn pretty much every hat in the beauty industry, from blogger to makeup artist to YouTube influencer to Instagram influencer to journalist.
The minute you decide to do what you love to do, you have made a life plan for yourself and a career choice.
We know now data is so powerful, and you can learn so much about yourself and creating product with data.
I think my story relates. When I started out, all I had was my passion and grit.
I like things on my desk that are pretty and make a statement. It's important that whatever is on my desk inspires me because that's where I spend a lot of my time working and creating things.
I'm hairy.
I can understand getting compared to the Kardashians.
My makeup will stay on from morning until late and people are always like, 'How? What do you do?' It comes down to - and I know this is going to sound so bad - but really layering lots of makeup properly. That's the key if you're partying, working, or a mom or whatever - this is foolproof.
I always felt like a misfit.
Being women behind a massively growing business is not an easy task, and the journey to find the right investors and to secure true partners has proven that.
I want to shake things up, I want people to talk about it. It's really important that our brand flips the industry upside.
It's hard being in the public eye.
I feel the same way about makeup that I do about food - I don't want the big companies to give me my food. I want the niche mom and pops who care about their food making it. I don't want the Kraft cheese, I want the niche cheese.
Although we represent this almost drag-like beauty at Huda Beauty, I'm not only this person who is made up and always likes to wear their hair flawless and their makeup flawless.
I don't think I knew what 'Vogue' was as a child. I grew up in a little town in Tennessee, so that wasn't something we ever would think of.
In the Middle East, I can't walk down the street without being recognized. In the States, I'm totally fine going out.
I'm not on my phone when I eat.
Going to school and formal education wasn't all that impactful to me, but it was the people that I met at school that really made such a difference.
I need to love what I do, because I'm going to give 110 percent. I'm going to be working from 6 in the morning until 10 P.M., so I need to make sure I like it.
I get Botox and fillers; I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
As long as I can be physically healthy, I don't mind being curvy.
I'm so in love with Chanel's perfume bottles. I grew up seeing my mom use Chanel No. 5, so it's quite sentimental to me.
I fell in love with Instagram.
There's something sexy about a lip with a hint of red in it.
I have had my fair share of nights out.
We think big and we dream big.
That was honestly one of the biggest learnings for us: to stay true to the value we believe our company offers, and to not allow people to undercut us just because we're women.
Huda Beauty is doing so well, we've grown like crazy.
In Dubai, people respect you if you wear lashes to the grocery store. I've been at the gym at 5 in the morning and seen full glam, which, I think working out with your full makeup is just crazy.
I would never buy skin care from a makeup brand - full transparency. It feels like the opposite of makeup.
The more focused you are, the more powerful you will be in the long run.
The eyes are so telling. That's how you engage with people and bond with them. I love direct, strong eye contact.
Over the years, I've really put in the time to achieve flawless skin.
I definitely understand a lot of what I want and what I don't want. I'm very clear on that, and I think that's been very beneficial.
I drink bullet coffee, and I make it myself because I hate coffee. I get a shot of raw coffee, mix it with butter from grass-fed cows and coconut milk. It's amazing!
A lot of beauty brands, they'll really infiltrate the States. But going out of the States, they struggle.
I feel like I've mixed my Middle Eastern and Western loves together.
Fun gets people going; fun gets people excited.
Anytime I think about my office, I think about creativity.
We didn't grow up superwealthy.
To start my makeup, I like to put a nice amount of foundation on, and it's really important that it's not oily so it actually sticks to the skin.
Kids used to tell me I was weird all the time. When I got older, I wanted to embrace my name and I put it on everything. And I also wanted to embrace being weird.
A lot of people don't always know how successful our brand is and we don't ever talk about it. But it's exciting to see the brand resonate so well with people.
With Huda Beauty Angels, we're investing a portion of our personal family wealth to women-led brands that we believe in!
