Katrina Rosales
Kayali is a fragrance brand founded by sisters Huda and Mona Kattan in 2018. The brand is inspired by the Middle Eastern tradition of fragrance layering, with Mona Kattan stating that scent is our most transformative part of our beauty routine. It has the power to completely change how we feel. The brand has been described as a globally renowned Middle Eastern brand and has experienced significant growth since its launch, with its perfumes trending on social media. In 2025, Huda Beauty sold its ownership in Kayali, with Mona Kattan becoming CEO and jointly owning the company with growth equity firm General Atlantic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founder | Mona Kattan |
| Co-founder | Huda Kattan |
| Year founded | 2018 |
| Parent company | Huda Beauty |
| Headquarters | Dubai |
| Perfumes inspired by | Middle Eastern layering heritage |
| Perfumes reflect | Unique personalities, infinite possibilities, memories, moods |
| Perfumes aim to | Inspire confidence, creativity, and self-expression |
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What You'll Learn
Kayali is the brainchild of Mona Kattan
Kayali is a luxury fragrance collection that includes best-selling perfumes like Eden Juicy Apple 01 Eau De Parfum. It is inspired by the rich layering heritage of the Middle East and encourages its customers to express their personalities and celebrate the infinite possibilities, memories, and moods that wearing beautiful perfumes can bring.
The brand was founded in 2018 by sisters Huda and Mona Kattan, who are Iraqi-Americans now based in Dubai. Huda Beauty, the cosmetics line by Huda Kattan, has since sold its ownership in Kayali, with Mona Kattan set to run it as an independent company with General Atlantic.
Mona Kattan has said that her mission since day one has been to "create a fragrance brand that inspires confidence, creativity, and self-expression". She believes that scent is the most transformative part of a beauty routine and has the power to completely change how we feel. She is passionate about bespoke beauty and wants Kayali to be about discovering unique fragrances for every layer of a person's personality.
Mona Kattan's passion for perfume is evident in her social media accounts, where she has shared extensive fragrance collections. Her enthusiasm for layering fragrances is inspired by the Middle Eastern tradition of fragrance layering, which she has embraced since the brand's inception.
Kayali has enjoyed significant success, climbing to the number four spot in US Fragrance rankings for 2023, alongside brands like Dior and Saint Laurent. This success has been fuelled by social media, with fragrance fanatics on Instagram and TikTok pushing the brand to new heights.
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The brand is inspired by the Middle East's layering heritage
Kayali is a fragrance brand inspired by the Middle East's rich layering heritage. Founded by Iraqi-American sisters Huda and Mona Kattan in 2018, the brand is an offshoot of Huda Beauty, a powerhouse cosmetics brand. The Dubai-based brand has since become an independent company under Mona Kattan's leadership, with backing from General Atlantic.
The brand encourages customers to express their true characters through fragrance and to layer different scents to reflect their unique personalities and moods. This concept is inspired by the Middle Eastern tradition of fragrance layering, where multiple perfumes are combined to create a unique, signature scent.
Mona Kattan, who is American-born to Iraqi immigrants, believes that "scent is our most transformative part of our beauty routine. It has the power to completely change how we feel". She has spoken about her passion for bespoke beauty and the idea that a single scent should not define a person, as we have many different moods and occasions.
The brand's success has been driven by its encouragement of scent layering, with influencers creating 'layered combo' fragrance mashups that have gained significant attention on social media. Kayali's annual EMV totals have grown exponentially since its launch, surging from $1.5M in 2018 to $39.0M in 2023.
Kayali's fragrances include a range of floral, fresh, fruity, woody, and musky-scented notes. One of its best-selling perfumes is the Eden Juicy Apple | 01 Eau De Parfum, a fusion of crisp red apples, sweet berries, and fresh floral notes. Another popular scent is the Vanilla | 28, which combines jasmine and vanilla orchid with a warm, woody base and a touch of Brazilian tonka bean and brown sugar.
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Kayali encourages scent layering
Kayali is a fragrance brand founded by Huda Kattan and her sister, Mona Kattan, in 2018. The Dubai-based brand is inspired by the Middle East's rich fragrance-layering heritage. Mona Kattan, who now runs the company as CEO, believes that "scent is our most transformative part of our beauty routine. It has the power to completely change how we feel".
The brand encourages its customers to layer different perfumes to create a unique fragrance that reflects their personality and mood. This concept of layering is central to Kayali's ethos, challenging the idea of having a 'signature scent'. Instead, Kayali invites its wearers to express their true characters through fragrance and create a bespoke beauty experience.
The success of Kayali's layering concept can be seen in the brand's exponential growth. Influencers and fragrance fanatics have embraced the idea of layering, with Kayali featuring prominently in their layered combo fragrance mashups on social media. This has helped to propel the brand to new heights, with its annual EMV totals surging from $1.5M in 2018 to $39.0M in 2023.
Kayali offers a range of fragrances, including floral, fresh, fruity, woody, and musky scents, that can be layered to create an infinite number of combinations. For example, Kayali VANILLA | 28, with its radiating jasmine and vanilla orchid atop a warm, woody base, can be layered with ELIXIR | 11, which has notes of ripe red apple and fresh, dewy fruitiness. The result is a scented symphony where the vanilla and musk marry with the florals, creating a unique and captivating aroma.
With its focus on scent layering and self-expression, Kayali has disrupted the fragrance industry and become a globally renowned brand. The brand's invitation to celebrate the infinite possibilities, memories, and moods that fragrances can evoke has clearly resonated with consumers, who are embracing the art of scent layering to reflect their unique personalities and enhance their beauty routines.
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The brand is now independent from Huda Beauty
Kayali, the fragrance brand, was founded in 2018 by sisters Huda and Mona Kattan, as an offshoot of their cosmetics brand, Huda Beauty. The brand was inspired by the rich fragrance-layering heritage of the Middle East, where the sisters live and run their businesses from. Mona Kattan has expressed her belief that "scent is the most transformative part of our beauty routine", and that it has the power to change the way we feel. She also believes in the importance of bespoke beauty, and the idea that people should be able to express their true characters through fragrance.
In February 2025, Huda Beauty sold its ownership in Kayali, with Mona Kattan set to run the brand as an independent company. Commenting on the sale, Huda Kattan said:
> "This is such a pivotal moment for Kayali, and we are very excited for the next chapter of Mona and Kayali’s journey. It has been such an amazing experience working so closely with Mona over the years – I have loved every minute of it. And I am also so excited to see what the future holds as Kayali continues to grow."
Mona Kattan also expressed her enthusiasm for the future of the brand, stating:
> "This is an incredibly exciting moment for Kayali. From day one, my mission has been to create a fragrance brand that inspires confidence, creativity and self-expression. As we transition into an independent company, our partnership with General Atlantic will unlock new opportunities, expand our global presence, and continue disrupting the fragrance industry with bold innovation."
Following the sale, Mona Kattan partnered with growth equity firm General Atlantic to jointly own Kayali. The new partnership will provide the resources and expertise to accelerate the brand's evolution and drive forward its expansion.
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Kayali's success is partly due to social media
Kayali is a fragrance brand founded by Huda and Mona Kattan in 2018. The brand is inspired by the rich fragrance-layering heritage of the Middle East and aims to allow people to express their true characters through fragrance.
The success of Kayali can indeed be partly attributed to social media. The Kattan sisters have a strong presence on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, where they often share their passion for perfumes and their extensive fragrance collections. This has helped to generate interest and buzz around the Kayali brand.
Additionally, Kayali has effectively leveraged social media influencers and creators to promote their products. For example, in 2023, Kayali collaborated with fragrance enthusiasts with smaller followings but high engagement rates, such as Roxy (@roxslayofficial on Instagram) and Christine Ndolo (@dazzlinfragrances on Instagram). These creators helped to showcase Kayali's perfumes to a dedicated audience of fragrance enthusiasts, contributing to the brand's exponential growth.
The use of social media platforms, particularly short-form video platforms, has played a pivotal role in Kayali's success and momentum. This has allowed the brand to connect with a wider audience, build a community, and showcase their unique value proposition of layering fragrances to reflect different moods and personalities.
As a result of these successful social media strategies, Kayali has experienced exponential growth in its annual EMV totals. In 2023, the brand surged to $39.0 million in EMV, climbing to the number four spot in the US Fragrance rankings, alongside heavy-hitters like Dior and Saint Laurent. This remarkable achievement underscores the pivotal role that social media has played in Kayali's success and ascension within the highly competitive fragrance industry.
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Frequently asked questions
Kayali is the brainchild of Mona Kattan and was founded in 2018.
Mona Kattan is the sister of Huda Kattan, the founder of Huda Beauty.
Inspired by the rich fragrance-layering heritage of the Middle East, Mona Kattan invites people to reflect their unique personalities and celebrate the infinite possibilities, memories and moods made reality by wearing perfumes.
"My mission has been to create a fragrance brand that inspires confidence, creativity and self-expression," said Mona Kattan.
