10 Arab-Founded Beauty and Fashion Brands That Deserve a Spot in Your Cart Right Now
Photo: Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Why Arab-Founded Brands Are the Real Deal
Here at سوق البنات, we spend a lot of time discovering brands. We talk to founders, test products, and ask hard questions about what's actually in the formula and what's just marketing. And over and over again, the brands that stop us in our tracks share something in common: they were built by Arab entrepreneurs who were tired of not seeing themselves — or their communities — reflected in the products available to them.
That frustration has produced some genuinely extraordinary things. Skincare lines built around ingredients that have been used in Arab households for centuries, finally formulated with modern cosmetic science. Fragrance brands that translate the oud-and-amber language of Middle Eastern perfumery into something American customers can access without flying to a souk. Fashion labels rethinking what "luxury" looks like through a non-European lens.
These aren't brands riding a cultural moment. They built the moment. Here are 10 you should know.
1. Huda Beauty
Founded by: Huda Kattan (Iraqi-American, Dubai-based) What they do: Full makeup and skincare line
You probably already know Huda Beauty, but the origin story deserves repeating. Huda Kattan started as a beauty blogger in Dubai when the platform barely existed, built a following by sharing the bold, full-coverage, eye-forward aesthetic she grew up with, and turned it into one of the most successful beauty brands on earth. Her products are designed to perform for deeper skin tones without apology — and they do. The Legit Lashes mascara and GloWish Luminous Powder are perennial favorites in our community.
2. Farsali
Founded by: Sal Ali (Libyan-American) What they do: Skincare-infused makeup hybrids
Farsali built its reputation on one product: the Rose Gold Elixir, a rose hip and 24k gold-infused serum that went viral before "going viral" was even a standard metric. Sal Ali's genius was in creating products that sat at the intersection of skincare and makeup — a category that barely existed when he started. The brand is now a staple at major US retailers, and the founder's story of building from scratch in the US as a Libyan-American immigrant remains genuinely inspiring.
3. Joelle Paris
Founded by: Joelle Mardinian (Lebanese) What they do: Haircare and styling products
Joelle Mardinian is one of the most recognized names in Middle Eastern beauty, and her product line reflects decades of professional experience. Her haircare range — particularly the argan oil treatments and heat-protective serums — has built a devoted following among US customers who've discovered it through Arab-American communities and diaspora social networks. The formulas are serious, and the results show.
4. Warda Studio
Founded by: Fatima Al-Rashid (Saudi-American) What they do: Modest fashion, hijabs, coordinated sets
We mentioned Fatima earlier in our modest fashion feature, and she deserves a full entry here. Warda Studio's approach to fabric and texture is genuinely different from most modest wear brands — she treats hijabs and abayas as luxury fashion objects, not afterthoughts. Her limited-edition drops sell out fast, and the brand's aesthetic has influenced a broader conversation about what modest dressing can look like in an American context.
5. Shiffa
Founded by: Dr. Lamees Hamdan (Emirati) What they do: Luxury clean skincare
Shiffa (the Arabic word for "healing") was founded by a physician who wanted to create skincare that was both medically sound and rooted in the plant-based remedies of the Arab world. The brand's hero product, the Healing Body Oil with sea buckthorn and rosehip, has a cult following among women who've tried everything else. It's pricey, but the formulation is genuinely sophisticated. Available through select US stockists and our own marketplace.
6. Kayali
Founded by: Mona Kattan (Iraqi-American) What they do: Layerable fine fragrances
Mona Kattan — Huda's sister — built Kayali around an idea central to Arab fragrance culture: layering. In the Middle East, wearing a single scent is almost unheard of. You build a fragrance wardrobe, layering notes to create something personal and complex. Kayali's line is designed explicitly for this, with each fragrance in the collection formulated to interact beautifully with the others. For American customers new to layering, it's an accessible and genuinely exciting entry point.
7. Noor Collective
Founded by: The Mansour sisters (Jordanian-American) What they do: Modest fashion, styling content, e-commerce
Noor Collective started as a styling account and grew into a full brand, which is a very 2020s origin story — but what sets it apart is the consistency of the aesthetic vision. The Mansour sisters have a specific point of view: modest dressing that's relaxed, layered, and informed by American streetwear as much as by Arab fashion traditions. Their drops are small, thoughtful, and consistently sell out. Follow them now before the waiting lists get longer.
8. Basma Beauty
Founded by: Basma Hameed (Iraqi-Canadian, US-based) What they do: Inclusive makeup with medical-grade pigment expertise
Basma Hameed's story is remarkable. After surviving a childhood accident that left her with burns on her face, she became a leading expert in paramedical tattooing and color correction for skin of all tones and types. Basma Beauty, her makeup line, reflects that expertise — particularly in its concealer and foundation range, which was built from the ground up to work for undertones that mainstream brands have historically ignored. The brand's commitment to real inclusivity (not the marketing kind) has made it a genuine community favorite.
9. Hana Al-Mulla
Founded by: Hana Al-Mulla (Kuwaiti-American) What they do: Contemporary modest fashion, power dressing
Hana's brand came up in our modest fashion feature, and it belongs on this list too. What she's doing with the abaya silhouette — deconstructing it, reconstructing it, making it work in American professional contexts without diluting what makes it culturally meaningful — is genuinely interesting design work. Her pieces are investment pieces in the truest sense: you'll wear them for years.
10. Raena Beauty
Founded by: Varya Reutova with Arab market roots What they do: Personalized skincare built on Middle Eastern consumer data
Raena is a bit different from the others on this list — it's a tech-forward skincare brand that built its formulation approach on skincare data from Middle Eastern consumers, a demographic that has historically been underrepresented in clinical skincare research. The brand's personalization quiz accounts for skin types common in Arab and South Asian populations that standard Fitzpatrick scale-based tools miss. For US customers with those backgrounds, the results can feel almost uncannily accurate.
Support What's Real
One thing we believe deeply at سوق البنات: buying from Arab-founded brands isn't charity — it's smart shopping. These founders know their communities, they've tested their products on real people with real skin types and real style needs, and they're building something with actual cultural stakes.
So next time you're restocking your beauty shelf or refreshing your wardrobe, check this list first. Your cart will thank you — and so will the entrepreneurs who built something worth buying.
Browse our full collection of Arab-founded and Arab-curated brands at سوق البنات. New brands added regularly, because the talent doesn't stop.
