The Arab Beauty Empires Reshaping The Make-up Market

From pro-artist precision to viral innovation, Arab brands are redefining global glamour. These disruptive powerhouses aren’t just selling makeup – they’re building beauty empires

It’s strange how beauty is so often dismissed as a frivolous pursuit, a distraction for women, when in reality it’s so much more. Beauty is not just about how we look. It’s a reflection of identity, a language of self-expression, and, at times, an act of cultural resistance. Nowhere is this more evident than in the rise of beauty brands redefining the landscape – particularly those emerging from the Arab world. And it’s not just the powerhouse names like Huda Beauty, which have transformed the global industry. It’s also the quieter disruptors – Basma Beauty, Green Bar and others – reshaping how the world understands what Arab beauty really is.

For years, ‘Middle Eastern beauty’ has been reduced to a single, hyper-glam aesthetic: bold brows, smoky eyes, layers of full-coverage foundation and dramatic lashes. Propelled by the Kardashian-Jenner influence and mainstream media, this look was exported and cemented as the ‘Arab’ style. While it’s true that many women across the region enjoy this aesthetic, it has never told the full story. The real problem lies in how the beauty industry, both at home and abroad, leaned into that stereotype. Walk into many beauty stores across Arab cities and you’ll find shelves curated to serve this look, ignoring the fact that Arab women are not a monolith – and neither are their ideas of beauty.

Now, a new generation of founders is reclaiming that narrative. They are creating products that reflect the full spectrum of Arab aesthetics, from dewy minimalism to eccentric liner, from ritualistic skincare to futuristic play. They are drawing on heritage – ingredients, artistry, storytelling – as the very foundation of their brands. And in doing so, they are showing the world the diversity of Arab beauty. Take Basma Beauty, which offers a stripped-back, breathable approach to make-up. Founded by Basma Hameed, the brand centres on simplicity without compromising on efficiency. Its hero product, the foundation stick, is designed to offer coverage without suffocating the skin. It’s make-up for women who want flexibility and ease – not always about glam finish.

Then there’s Green Bar, founded in Bahrain by Reem Al-Khalifa. Green Bar works with natural, region-sourced ingredients, producing small-batch body and face products from locally harvested herbs. Its mission is clear: ‘to bring awareness to the healing potential of the plants in this geographical area, connecting people to the land, and bringing awareness to the environment.’ It honours heritage by reviving forgotten ingredients, celebrating what grows close to home, and treating skincare as ritual. As Reem puts it: “We aim to manifest products that reinvent the use of forgotten ingredients, for a modern world.” Green Bar reminds us that Arab beauty has always encompassed skin, scent and spirit. At the other end of the spectrum are innovators like Simi and Haze Khadra, the Palestinian twin sisters behind SimiHaze Beauty. Their brand is playful, futuristic and distinctly of the digital age. With eye stickers, balmy blushes, and bold pigments, they’ve tapped into a generation that sees make-up less as camouflage and more as accessory. Beauty as something to experiment with, reinvent, and discard.

Similarly, Hindash Cosmetics, created by Jordanian make-up artist Mohammed Hindash, reflects his meticulous approach. His gradient palettes – seamlessly fading from one shade to another – position make-up not as a blunt tool but one of creative freedom, refusing to limit the user to a single look.

Orebella, founded by Palestinian model Bella Hadid, has expanded this redefinition through fragrance. At first glance, her line appears simple, but its concept is radical: treating scent as skincare, ritual, and story. Built on the Ôrelixir base – snow mushroom with five nourishing oils (camellia, almond, olive, jojoba, and shea) – the formula hydrates skin while extending fragrance. And, of course, there is Huda Beauty, the benchmark for Arab beauty brands. Founded by Iraqi-American Huda Kattan, what began as a Dubai-based blog has become a billion-dollar empire.

Huda’s unapologetic full-glam aesthetic helped define the ‘Instagram look’ of the 2010s and established her as one of the most influential beauty moguls in the world. But her impact extends beyond eyeliner and contour palettes. She has used her platform to spotlight issues affecting Arab women, proving that beauty can be both a tool of self-expression and a vehicle for advocacy.

Her sister, Mona, extended this vision into fragrance with Kayali, a house that blends centuries-old traditions of Middle Eastern perfumery with modern storytelling, layering scents the way Arab women have for generations. Taken together, these brands break down the myth that Arab beauty can be contained in one aesthetic. They span glamour, minimalism, futurism, ritual, artistry, and heritage. And globally, this shift matters. Because it doesn’t just diversify product shelves – it chips away at the tired clichés that have defined Arab women in beauty and fashion for decades. Where representation was once dictated elsewhere, often exoticised or erased, Arab founders are now telling their own stories. They are not only reshaping the aisles of Sephora but reimagining the cultural narrative of what Arab beauty really means.

Lead Image Credits: Huda Kattan shared her story as a beauty entrepreneur when she appeared on the July/August 2024 cover of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia

Imagery Supplied

Photographed by Michel Takla. Styled by Nour Bou Ezz.

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia January 2026 Issue