Kayali and Huda Beauty share a founder — Huda Kattan — but operate as entirely separate brands with distinct identities. Understanding the relationship between the two helps explain Kayali's rapid rise to global prominence.
The Kattan Family
Huda Beauty was founded by Huda Kattan in 2013 and quickly became one of the most successful beauty brands in the world. Huda's sisters — Mona and Alya — joined the business and became integral to its growth. Mona in particular developed a deep expertise in fragrance.
Mona Founds Kayali
In 2018, Mona Kattan launched Kayali as a separate brand under the Huda Beauty parent company. The decision to create a standalone fragrance brand — rather than simply adding a fragrance line to Huda Beauty — reflected Mona's belief that perfumery deserved its own dedicated universe.
Shared Infrastructure, Separate Identity
The two brands share distribution infrastructure and some marketing resources, which gave Kayali immediate access to Huda Beauty's vast global retail network. However, Kayali has always had its own aesthetic, its own philosophy, and its own community of fragrance devotees distinct from the core Huda Beauty audience.
What This Means for Kayali Customers
The Huda Beauty connection means Kayali has scale and distribution that most indie fragrance brands take years to achieve. It also means rigorous quality control and formulation standards. For customers, this translates to a brand that combines the creativity and authenticity of an independent house with the reliability and availability of an established beauty company.