The controversy behind Huda Beauty's absence from Sephora's 'Experts' campaign
Huda Kattan is the founder of Huda Beauty.
Image: Instagram
Global beauty retailer Sephora has reportedly excluded Huda Beauty from its upcoming fall “Experts” campaign after founder Huda Kattan faced backlash for comments she made on TikTok that were criticised as antisemitic.
Kattan, who built Huda Beauty into one of Sephora’s top-selling artist-led brands, had originally been lined up as one of the main figures in the September campaign, alongside beauty heavyweights like Gucci Westman, Patrick Starr, and Mario Dedivanovic.
But according to Puck’s Rachel Strugatz, her absence from the campaign “will speak volumes.”
It’s worth noting that Huda Beauty products are still available for purchase at Sephora.
The fallout began in July when Kattan posted a video to her 11 million TikTok followers, repeating unfounded conspiracy theories.
In the since-deleted clip, she said: “All of the conspiracy theories coming out and a lot of evidence behind them. That Israel has been behind World War I, World War II, September 11, October 7. They allowed all of this stuff to happen. Is this crazy? Like, I had a feeling — I was like, ‘Are they behind every world war?’ Yes.”
TikTok removed the video for violating its hate-speech and misinformation policies, but the backlash had already begun.
Advocacy groups, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), condemned the comments and called on retailers like Sephora to review their partnerships with Huda Beauty.
In August, Kattan addressed the controversy in a TikTok video, saying she intended to speak out for Palestinian rights.
“It’s no secret that I have been speaking out about Palestine for quite some time… As things escalated and the more that I learned, I’ve always tried to use my voice,” she said.
Sephora, which is owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the same company that owns brands like Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, and Louis Vuitton, released a statement emphasising its values.
“Sephora is driven by its mission to create a welcoming and inclusive shopping experience for all. We recognise that comments from one of our brand partners have raised concerns and want to be clear: promoting hate, harassment, or misinformation does not align with our values or code of conduct. We take this matter very seriously and can confirm we are actively reviewing this issue internally, including working with the brand,” a spokesperson told Cosmetics Business.
Despite the controversy, Kattan has also made headlines for her philanthropic work.
In July, Huda Beauty released a limited-edition Faux Filler Lip Oil inspired by the Palestinian kalamantina fruit, in collaboration with Palestinian rapper Saint Levant.
The lip oil quickly sold out, raising $210,000, which was donated to Doctors Without Borders to support emergency medical relief in Gaza.
The situation has fueled heated debates online.
One viral post on X, viewed nearly three million times, called for a boycott of Sephora, simply saying: “It’s simple. Boycott Sephora.”
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