Time to get familiar with these brands!
One scroll trough Instagram is all it will take for you to realise how important makeup and skin-care is to Arab women. However, Middle Eastern consumers today are not just buying, they are innovating and creating – changing the beauty game one day at a time.
Usually when people think of Arab beauty brands, they think of Iraqi-American Huda Kattan and her namesake label, Huda Beauty. However, other women from the region have left their mark on the cosmetics industry, nine of whom made Forbes’ ‘Women behind Middle Eastern brands’ list.
Huda Kattan
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Rank: 1
The beauty mogul holds the top spot on Forbes power-list and it is not hard to know why. Huda’s beauty label has had an international impact, and is currently valued at $1.2 billion. She launched Huda Beauty in 2013 with her two sisters when she couldn’t find false eyelashes to buy. Now, the brand’s product line includes everything from eyeshadow pallets to eyeliners and even body glitter.
Fouz Alfahad
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Rank: 11
With 2.8 million followers, Fouz know better as @TheRealFouz is one of the regions biggest beauty influencers. But that’s not all, the Kuwaiti stunner has joined the beauty industry, launching her own cosmetics company, BY Fouz, which is available to buy exclusively on Boutiqaat.
Ascia Al Faraj
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Rank: 13
The Kuwaiti-American fashion blogger is one on the Middle East’s biggest influencers. With 2.7 million Instagram followers and countless collaborations with brands like Aigner and Riva Fashion, Ascia launched her own labels. Her businesses consist of: Desert Baby a fashionable and safe goodies brand for newborns-toddlers and Seoul Kool, a curated skin-care label offering the best Korean beauty brands.
Maha Morley-Kirk & Elle Hardy
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Rank: 17
Founded by Maha Morley-Kirk and Elle Hardy in early 2015, Pinky Goat is a UAE-based company, which started online and can now be bought in over 100+ stores across the GCC. Pinky Goat offers three animal-free collections of Natural, Glam and luxurious 3D Silk lashes.
Mouna Abbassy
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Rank: 18
This Moroccan skincare line was founded by Mouna Abbassy back in 2013, after moving to Dubai. She wanted products that were simple and natural, and felt like she couldn’t find that where she lived. Her beauty brand, Izil, which means “pure” in the Berber Amazign language, is inspired by traditional Moroccan recipes. Her hair, face and skin products are free of parabens, synthetic colours, and preservatives, and uses natural ingredients like argan and prickly pear seed oils, ghassoul clay, and roses
Penelope Shihab
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Rank: 30
The Palestinian-Jordanian scientist founded MonoJO, a biotech company that uses research to create a variety of products, from cosmetics to pharmaceuticals, with unique ingredients from the Middle East.
Bassma Boussel & Dalila Sebti
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Rank: 42
The Moroccan beauty brand was founded by Bassma Boussel, wife of Egyptian pop-star Tamer Hosny and Dalila Sebti. The brand offers several beauty products, including: Lip plumper, Lip scrub, Argan oil, Face mud, Oud elixir, Moroccan black soap and more.
Chaymae Samir
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Rank: 51
Chaymae is the women behind Sunday Ivy, a line of cruelty-free, latex-free, and vegan beauty tools. The beauty brand, which promises a “flawless airbrushed look without breaking the bank,” also gives out a portion of its proceeds towards educating young girls around the globe.
Sarah, Nora & Dana Al-Ramadhan
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Rank: 54
The three Kuwaiti sisters launched Apotheca Beauty in 2012, a company that supplies Middle East retailers with premium, hard-to-find beauty brands. The aim was to create a contemporary apothecary of sorts to cater to serious beauty and skincare connoisseurs. Some of the beauty brands that they helped bring to the region are: Anastasia Beverly Hills, Sarah Chapman, Lime Crew and Malin + Goetz.
Images: Instagram
