Most of us would recognise Mona Kattan as some of the profitable girls within the magnificence business. Not solely as a result of she co-founded Huda Magnificence and launched Kayali, a model that paved the best way for the Center Japanese perfume-layering tradition within the West, but additionally as a result of she’s a trend-setter and passionate advocate for feminine illustration in enterprise.
However behind all that may be a heat, bubbly persona, which I seen virtually instantly after hopping on a Zoom name with the entrepreneur on a chilly Monday afternoon. Tuning in from sunny Dubai, Mona joined together with her tremendous glowy pores and skin and a formidable quantity of vitality, regardless of the 4 hour time distinction. However no matter reverse climate circumstances and our totally different heritage (I grew up in Kazakhstan), I felt an virtually prompt connection – particularly as somebody who’s additionally moved midway throughout the globe to pursue my ardour.
Born and raised within the US, Mona, alongside together with her sister Huda Kattan, began her magnificence journey from a really younger age. She shared that each sisters have been concerned in magnificence pageants from the age of three till seven. “I used to be such a girly woman rising up. Me and Huda each used to like enjoying with dolls and had make-up events,” she recalled.
However earlier than the sweetness moguls based Huda Magnificence, Mona’s profession took her in all places from funding banking to proudly owning a magnificence salon. Having based Kayali in 2018, she’s now often known as a ‘fragrance princess’ within the Center East, amassing 2.8 million followers on Instagram (and counting). To search out out extra about her journey, I chatted with Mona on every little thing from her relationship with magnificence and psychological well being, the inspiration behind Kayali, reconnecting together with her Center Japanese roots and her hopes for the sweetness business.
Learn MoreHuda Magnificence founders, sisters Huda Kattan and Mona Kattan, put their friendship to the take a look at by enjoying GLAMOUR’s Bestie Take a look at
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“Shifting to Dubai was an enormous a part of my inspiration behind beginning the model as a result of though I am initially Center Japanese, I used to be actually not related to my roots in any respect.”
Once I grew up within the States, I used to be not accustomed to the traditions and the rituals – there was such an enormous disconnect. And after I moved to Dubai, I fell in love. Individuals use fragrances as part of their rituals, a number of instances a day [as opposed to once a day]. It is one thing that they do with intention. It is not an afterthought. There’s totally different [fragrance] rituals you do at a marriage or on Fridays, which is taken into account a holy day. I like seeing it’s a software and never simply one thing that you just do proper earlier than you permit the home.
I do really feel like I am type of torn between being an American and being an Arab, however I wished to share this with my associates that I grew up with [in the US] that they have been lacking out on this. So I used to be like: “let me type of merge the 2 worlds and go someplace within the center and create a model that connects to my roots.” In 2023, we’re lastly launching a venture that I have been engaged on for 5 years. It is actually going to present folks a style of the Center East – I am unable to wait to share it with the world.
“I actually really feel like magnificence is a software and perfume, particularly, is a superpower.”
I really feel like we type of helped begin [the fragrance layering trend]. Once we first launched [Kayali] in 2018 and we have been pitching to retailers, we have been telling them the model is all about layering totally different fragrances collectively and mixing-and-matching. We acquired a lot criticism and so they have been like: “It’s not going to work, you’re loopy.” And now we see it throughout TikTok and Instagram. I’m obsessive about the perfume group [on social media]. They’re so inventive and I simply love that individuals are experimenting.
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If you layer, [the fragrances] get extra advanced and begin lasting lots longer. It is extra particular person as properly, since nobody else goes to scent such as you. And seeing folks observe one thing that we have been doing within the Center East for hundreds of years is tremendous thrilling.
“Males are nonetheless the choice makers behind the merchandise we’re shopping for. I might like to see that change.”
I’d like to see the sweetness business dominated by girls leaders. Proper now, it is nonetheless dominated by males [with] girls making up in all probability 95% of all customers. I might like to see that change.
In my earlier job, I used to be really an funding banker. And one of many most important causes I left was as a result of I used to be by no means handled the identical. My complete group was all males. I bear in mind going to conferences and they might communicate in their very own language and fully disregard that I used to be there. [And although the beauty industry is] a lot better, it’s nonetheless a problem.
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I bear in mind, even after we first began Huda Magnificence, at first it was simply me, Huda and Alya within the enterprise. After which when Huda’s husband, Chris, joined, he would be part of our conferences, and we simply noticed that, on the time, folks would make extra eye contact with him. They’d begin disregarding that we have been there. You’ll simply see that males would respect males extra. And I do suppose [the narrative] is unquestionably altering. However once more, not quick sufficient. We have to be part of the change. I believe the entire world has a protracted strategy to go. In Dubai particularly, it is actually inspiring to see what they’ve achieved for girls. Now we have so many ladies ministers, and as an Arab lady, I’m so proud to see that progress taking place. However as we glance round, a variety of our neighbouring international locations are actually behind and there must be a variety of progress made.
“I spend means longer placing on my fragrances than I do placing on my make-up.”
Day-to-day, I am a fast glam woman. Make-up on a median day? 5 to 10 minutes. Fragrances? Most likely a great half-hour. But when I am going out, I’d say I’d need a minimal of an hour and a half. In a super state of affairs, I might say two to a few hours can be nice.
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“I believe the one factor that Huda taught me that actually helps me lots was that much less is extra.”
She taught me to be much more light-handed with my make-up and to cease perhaps 5 steps earlier than I usually do, as a result of I’d simply hold including it on and on and earlier than you recognize, it’s an insane mess. She’s excellent at serving to somebody improve their magnificence. One other factor she taught me was that should you can’t good it – mix it. For instance, should you can’t make the right winged liner match, simply mix it out.
“I truthfully suppose if I ever retire, I’ll in all probability change into a therapist.”
When you go to my uncover feed, you’ll in all probability discover extra issues on psychological well being and private improvement than on magnificence. Actually talking, I believe that’s why I’m obsessive about fragrances. I’m an emotional particular person and I believe there’s a correlation [between emotions and fragrances] as a result of it’s all so associated.
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I believe I’ve all the time gravitated in the direction of offering magnificence to folks. Earlier than we began Huda Magnificence, I really had a magnificence salon and after turning into older and reflecting I used to be like: “Why do I do what I do?” and I realised I like making folks really feel good. I like watching folks’s confidence enhance and seeing the best way they really feel and carry themselves change. So yeah, I believe [when it comes to] magnificence and psychological well being, there’s a giant correlation. There’s additionally a detrimental aspect the place requirements can put an excessive amount of stress on folks, and it’s actually vital to discuss it as a group.
For extra magnificence content material from Glamour UK Commerce Author Denise Primbet, observe her on Twitter @deniseprimbet and Instagram @deniseprimbet.
