Huda Kattan Says Beauty Brands That Aren’t Inclusive Won‘t ‘Be Around Very Long’

There's a good reason Huda Kattan is one the Internet's most-followed beauty gurus. (Photo: hudabeauty.com)
There’s a good reason Huda Kattan is one the Internet’s most-followed beauty gurus. (Photo: hudabeauty.com)

On top of a long, impressive list of titles, Huda Kattan is one of the most influential women in beauty right now. She’s relatable, talented, and really knows how to create extraordinary products that people obsess over.

Starting her career out in finance, Kattan eventually realized her heart wasn’t in it. She began to explore the world of makeup and fell in love. Since then, she’s developed a cult following on just about every social media outlet there is, attracting more than 20 million followers on Instagram alone. Her makeup tutorials are out of this world, and Kattan even has a collection of beauty products that have also developed a massive following. Bottom line: When this woman does anything, people want to listen, take note, and learn more.

While the current lineup of Huda Beauty is already popular, her upcoming launch may be her best yet. On the brand’s Instagram page, the #FauxFilter foundation made a mini appearance. From the looks of it, the shade range will cover the fairest to the deepest complexions.

#repost @beauteaspilled ❤️❤️❤️ Who's excited for our foundation? #hudabeautyfauxfilter

A post shared by shophudabeauty (@shophudabeauty) on Jul 24, 2017 at 10:16pm PDT

In fact, there are already 30 foundation shades, with more to come. “We wanted to have 30 foundations, because I didn’t want anyone to be left out and there are certain spectrums where people, unfortunately, do get left out,” Kattan tells Yahoo Beauty. “If you are on either end — very fair or very rich in tone — you get left out, and that’s heartbreaking to me. I don’t want anyone to feel like they can’t participate in this, and if I have any control over that, I want this to be inclusive.”

Kattan recently hosted an intimate beauty event in New York City where we were given the chance to try out products from Huda Beauty, including the soon-to-be released foundation. Our very own Jacqueline Laurean Yates, as well as Instyle‘s fashion and beauty editor-at-large, Kahlana Barfield, were color-matched and were in awe of how seamlessly the dark shades blended with their skin.

Getting the foundation shades right was important to Kattan, and she recognizes how vital it is for beauty brands to have diversity at the forefront of conversations when creating new products. “If brands don’t get that, they are not going to be around very long,” she says. “I don’t care if they have been around for years; they are going to have to erase what they have. You have to be diverse — it’s 2017! If you don’t get that by now, I can’t help you.”

The 33-year-old beauty guru, who now resides in Dubai, also has had the pleasure of learning about how differently beauty is perceived in the Middle East. “Because Middle Easterners are so big on social media now, they are getting a little bit more into a global type of way of doing beauty,” says Kattan. “But before, it was really challenging for me, because I was trained in the United States, and I would go there and notice wedding makeup is basically like everyday makeup there. It’s crazy; there’s no light glam. You go to the grocery store with lashes on, full glam, and it’s perfectly normal. You’re not necessarily expected to, but it is welcomed.”

But Kattan’s biggest beauty secret actually has nothing to do with makeup at all. “At the end of the day, I have always tried very hard to be as authentic as possible,” she says. “There’s no existence without being authentic. I am able to finally express who I am, and it’s liberating.”

If authenticity is the motto Kattan is living by these days, we will follow suit because she’s an amazing example of when keeping it real goes right.

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