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“THIS is NOT a FILTER” – Huda Beauty’s new slogan represents everything the brand encapsulates. Huda Beauty is one of the most successful brands within the beauty industry and the creative director and leader deserves the credit: Huda Kattan. Kattan is a revolutionary within the industry and has spent quality time working to perfect formulas and the cohesive vision of the brand. In 2021, Kattan took to social media to announce that a major shift was coming to the brand – no filters. In a world dominated by social media, photoshop, and heavy editing – especially within the beauty industry – this was a massive move with a large risk. This change in the brand's campaign and marketing has led to a distinct vision  and a niche that the brand is now recognized for. 

 

Huda Beauty was founded in 2013 by Huda Kattan and her sister. What started as a small business dedicated to false eyelashes has now grown into a multi-media conglomerate that rakes in over 200 million in sales annually. Huda Beauty has amassed cult followings through their classic and dependable products. Their iconic “Easy Bake Loose Setting Powder” and snappy campaign utilizing #NoFilter has allowed for a resurgence of the brand on social media and within the professional beauty space. Kattan, a makeup artist herself, has a deep appreciation for the art and creative vision tied to makeup. Through her leadership, Huda Beauty is continuing to dominate the industry. 

 

When Kattan announced that she was terminating the use of filters and editing in her marketing campaigns, the industry was noticeably shaken. In an Instagram-dominated world, filters are seemingly the norm, however, that doesn’t erase the potentially negative impact they can have. Psychology Today reported the following from several studies: “Thus, it seems that investing in editing one’s self-presentation on social media is often a harmful practice for young women. And the more one does it, the more damaging it tends to be.” Huda Kattan’s stance against filters is helping to create a conversation among young girls and industry professionals about the use of filters in beauty campaigns. 

 

Aside from the positive influences Huda Beauty’s #NoFilter movement brings to social media, it is also a brilliant business move. This angle has allowed her to find a distinct niche within the industry to promote and build a dependable product line with something that most brands lack – a story. Since the change, Huda Beauty has been entirely focused on the blur and that no filter filter. Arguably the brands most successful product to date is the “Easy Bake Loose Setting Powder” which is known for its smoothing and filter like appearance. Just recently, Kattan rocked the industry with the double release of her “Easy Blur Airbrush Foundation” and “Easy Blur Silicone Free Smoothing and Pore-Minimizing Primer.” With hundreds of videos flooding TikTok reviewing the foundation, it was clear once again that Kattan had another hit on her hands. It should be noted that as with any beauty release, there are certainly consumers who are unhappy with how a product interacts with their skin. However, the majority of consumers were wildly impressed with the blurring properties of this product. Huda Beauty is a groundbreaking force in the industry and is constantly testing and challenging norms. With the double release of her foundation and primer she broke an internet makeup rule of not mixing water and silicon-based products.

 

Huda Kattan is a visionary with the ability to propel her company to greatness. She is committed to its quality over cash grabs – the release of the “Airbrush Foundation” did not come quickly, with Kattan reporting she and her team “ worked so hard on over 100 renditions to create this weightless real-life filter foundation." Kattan is a perfectionist when it comes to her launches and the quality is clear to see. She is also working to release and capitalize on social media trends, which can be observed through the two blonzing shade extensions to her “Blush Filter” line – “Latte” and “Coco Loco.” “Blonzing” is a trend relatively new to 2024 and is described as “lean[ing] into more reddish brown brick tones to really capture both the natural flush of a blush and the deepness of a bronzer.” Kattan is quick to catch and dominate trends and consumers are consistently excited to see whatever she produces. 

 

It is exciting to see a brand create initiatives that push and grow the beauty industry. Huda Kattan is spending the time needed to curate a successful brand in a competitive global marketplace. Huda Beauty is a brand to watch and is certainly a good indicator of what's hot in the industry at a given moment. Kattan’s focus on “no filters” and natural enhanced beauty is something special and real that is specific to the brand's image, and contributes a positive force to the industry.