The global star from the

It’s impossible to have a round-up of the best beauty brands worldwide, let alone within the UAE, without leading with the cosmetics sensation by make-up artist-turned-bloggerturned beauty mogul Huda Kattan. Based in Dubai, her lashes, eyeshadows, lip colours, illuminators and, most recently, foundations, are on the wish-lists of women globally.

‘I moved to the UAE permanently in 2008,’ she tells Friday. ‘It was a time of self-discovery and what the UAE represented for me at the time was limitless opportunities. I take a lot of inspiration from His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. He is such a visionary and an unstoppable force. I really admire that he has created an incredible environment that empowers everyone to live limitlessly. ’

The UAE already is the Middle East’s beauty hub, she adds. ‘The UAE won’t necessarily be the owner of “beauty”, but I think Dubai will be the owner of “modern beauty”. You can get the very best products here; some of the best Hollywood doctors and dentists practice here, and because the city is very young, it leads the way with beauty trends.’

‘The team has been working on amazing products that will be launching next year. We’re really focused on perfecting the formulas.’

Huda’s remit goes beyond social media posts and creating new products, however. ‘Ultimately, we are on a mission to change perceptions of beauty and make a difference to the face of the industry,’ she says.