Huda Kattan Huda Boss Interview
Huda Kattan Is Disrupting the Beauty World — and Starring in Her Very Own Show!
It’s early 2013 and Huda Kattan is anxiously preparing for the debut of her self-titled beauty line, Huda Beauty. With a modest five false eyelash styles — each packaged in soon-to-be-iconic boxes featuring Huda’s eyes — the introductory lineup is smart way to test the waters in a fiercely competitive industry. The immediate success, however, makes it clear that lashes are merely a sneak peek of much, much more to come.
Fast forward five years, eight eye shadow palette launches, and countless #FauxFilter foundation sales, and Huda Beauty continues to thrive. Once a family affair — older sister Alya was her first investor, younger sister Mona is the global president, and husband Chris is the COO — the demand for more products has rapidly grown the brand's staff and helped position it as a global beauty leader. Now, with Huda Beauty charging full-steam ahead, the 34-year-old beauty mogul is ready to add another venture to her résumé: a reality show aptly titled Huda Boss.
MADE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
If you happen to be one of @hudabeauty's 25 million-plus Instagram followers, you'll know that the brand relies on social media as more than just a crucial marketing tool. Instead, it's a way for Huda and her team to stay connected with and receive feedback from fans. Their comments help shape, troubleshoot, and inspire future launches — a fact that sets the brand apart. "Social media has always been at the core of our DNA," Huda told POPSUGAR. That's why it should come as no surprise that Huda Bossis staying close to home: Facebook Watch, the social networking site's on-demand video platform, is producing and hosting the new reality show. "It only made sense to partner with Facebook Watch as opposed to a regular television network, as this allowed us to really connect with our audience."
Because beauty is a universal language, Huda Beauty's passionate fanbase is spread across the globe. And as a current Dubai resident herself (Huda was raised in Tennessee), it was even more important that the show be readily available. "Being based in Dubai and having a very global audience, we wanted to launch a show which was accessible anywhere in the world. We wanted a platform that would encourage users to engage with each other, build a community, and also allow you to view content on the go," Huda said.
"We wanted a platform that would encourage users to engage with each other, build a community, and also allow you to view content on the go."
KEEPING IT REAL
So what exactly can you expect to see on Huda Boss? Let's just say a healthy mix of realness, behind-the-scenes content, and — you guessed it — a look at future launches. "The scary part is that sooo many of our upcoming product releases are going to be revealed on the show!" Huda said.
Makeup aside, there's a certain level of transparency that comes with signing on to a reality show, but Huda assures us that nothing is held back — raw emotions, financial talk, and embarrassing dad jokes included. "To be honest, I don’t think we realized what we signed ourselves up for until the cameras actually started rolling! It was definitely an interesting experience being filmed for most of the day, completely unfiltered," she told POPSUGAR. "I think the show is as real as it can get, and that is what we wanted. As a brand, we aim to be as transparent as possible, so it only made sense to film every part of our journey over the last few months with the same vision in mind."
"Whether we’re creating a new product, doing a campaign shoot, shooting a tutorial, or just crazy moments in the office, people feel like they’re part of it, which is super important to me."
Even with hours of footage captured to bring the show's first season to life, there's still one thing you won't ever see: Huda and her family losing sight of their original mission and the crucial fan connection that helped make them famous. "This is something that has always been one of my main priorities!" Huda said. "First and foremost, I'm a beauty blogger and probably the biggest makeup junkie you'll ever meet! I see myself as everyone's 'big beauty sister' — and that is something I want to maintain."
According to Huda, her fans are responsible for the brand's success, so it's important that they see what it really takes to bring Huda Beauty to life and shelves across the globe. "Whether we’re creating a new product, doing a campaign shoot, shooting a tutorial, or just crazy moments in the office, people feel like they're part of it, which is super important to me." So whether you sound off in the show's comment sections, ask a question in an Instagram Live, or tweet her with your next big idea, just know she's always listening.