We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends

"Holy Sh*t, We're Being Lied To": Huda Kattan, CEO of Huda Beauty, Speaks Out

Dec 20, 2024

In a candid conversation, Huda Kattan shares her journey from Tennessee to becoming a beauty mogul. She reflects on the realization that U.S. media often serves specific agendas. The chat delves into the importance of diversity in the beauty industry and Huda's staunch activism regarding Gaza. She confronts the silence of celebrities on pressing issues and firmly states her stance against using her brand for any supportive narrative of genocide. Their dialogue explores the intersections of identity, culture, and social justice.

09:43

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Quick takeaways

Huda Kattan's journey from a broke makeup artist to a successful CEO showcases resilience and authenticity within the beauty industry.

Her activism emphasizes the importance of social responsibility, particularly concerning humanitarian issues like the situation in Gaza.

Deep dives

Huda Kattan's Entrepreneurial Journey

Huda Kattan, the founder and CEO of Huda Beauty, shares her remarkable journey from being a broke makeup artist to leading one of the fastest-growing cosmetics brands globally. She emphasizes her passion for beauty and confronts the skepticism she faced from friends and family regarding her lack of business skills. Huda's determination to succeed is evident as she turned her creative talents into a thriving enterprise, now followed by over 54 million people on Instagram. Her success story illustrates the power of resilience and authenticity in carving out a unique path in a traditionally competitive industry.

Intro

2min

Reflections on Minority Experiences and Outspoken Identities

2min

Breaking Cultural Norms: A Journey of Self-Expression

2min

Navigating Childhood in a Hostile Environment

4min

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If you’ve followed Mehdi’s career, you know he’s interviewed heads of state, members of Congress, homicidal mercenaries, and even terrorists. But this may be Mehdi’s most intimidating guest yet — Huda Kattan — the superstar beauty influencer, activist, reality TV show host, and founder and CEO of international beauty brand 'Huda Beauty'. Funnily enough, Huda was also nervous to sit down with one of her personal role models.

Huda opens up to Mehdi about growing up in Tennessee and the moment she realized that US media is oftentimes propaganda: “That was the moment where I was like, holy shit, we are being lied to. We're being told stories for the sake of specific agendas.”

They also talk about the launch of 'Huda Beauty', the lack of diversity in the beauty industry, celebrities who have stayed silent on Gaza, and Huda's activism on Gaza and Palestine. “You don’t want people who support genocide to use your products?” Mehdi asks. “Absolutely not. You’re not allowed.” Huda replies.

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