It is fair to say that the beauty realm is booming in the Middle East and a number of talented individuals are tapping into the billion-dollar industry. Beauty blogging with how-to videos and product reviews are rife across the globe and here in the Middle East, we have our own set of rising stars making waves. Style.com/Arabia selects the top ten Instagram stars to follow for your daily dose of beauty.
Huda Kattan
Instagram: @hudabeauty
Followers: 12.8M
Based: Dubai
Huda Kattan is the undisputed queen of blogging in the Middle East and boasts one of the top 20 beauty blogs worldwide. Huda Beauty is a daily must-visit for the beauty maven. A constant stream of hair, makeup, and nail how-to tutorials, as well as product must-haves, and a few Huda tips thrown in for good measure have ensured that Kattan’s blog takes the top spot. The workaholic covers topics like contouring, lip plumping, eyelash perfecting, eyebrow tattooing, and an array of other beauty tricks.
Joelle Mardinian
Instagram: @joellembc1
Followers: 4.1M
Based: Dubai
TV personality and beauty entrepreneur Joelle Mardinian has a varied and insightful account. She promotes a healthy lifestyle from every angle. Followers can expect sneak peeks of her workout routine, beauty product favorites (including her own Joelle Paris product line), and a glimpse of life in front of the camera.
Sondos Alqattan
Instagram: @sondos_aq
Followers: 2M
Based: Kuwait
Sondos Alqattan has got makeup application down to a fine art. An avid product tester, she cherry-picks her favorites for her fans and includes how-to videos. She features perfect contouring kits, top skincare picks, and a multitude of tried and tested eyeshadows and lipsticks in between.
Dalal AlDoub
Instagram: @dalalid
Followers: 1.6M
Based: Kuwait
A fashion and makeup blogger, Dalal AlDoub is known for her luminous complexion. She posts her all-time makeup favorites to her account and is an expert when it comes to color combinations. Expect a violet shadow and a bright pink lip to make a welcome appearance, paired with a precision set of eyebrows, of course.
Mona Kattan
Instagram: @monakattan
Followers: 1.3M
Based: Dubai
Huda Kattan’s fabulous younger sister, Mona, carved out a name for herself in the industry when she opened The Dollhouse beauty salon in Dubai. Expect up-to-the-minute reports on pretty hairstyles, henna, flower crowns, and lust-worthy nail art.
The Real Fouz
Instagram: @therealfouz
Followers: 1.1M
Based: Kuwait
With her mass of chestnut tresses, Fouz AlFahad is nothing short of being a hair inspiration. Here, she documents her every move including which beauty salons she frequents for her favorite hair therapy. Whether you want to find out the secret behind the perfect nude lipstick shade, or the nail color du jour, she has it covered.
Maya Ahmad
Instagram: @themayaahmad
Followers: 854K
Based: Beirut
Lebanese makeup artist Maya Ahmad boasts a stunning Instagram account. The brunette beauty ensures that all of her videos and photos are hi-res, perfectly aligned, and attention grabbing. She knows how to incite a double-tap everything she uploads.
Sonia and Fyza Ali
Instagram: @soniaxfyza
Followers: 498K
Based: London/Dubai
Sonia and Fyza Ali are a gorgeous sister duo who run a joint Instagram account that boasts almost 500K devoted followers. Fyza was trained by Kim Kardashian West’s makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, and showcases her artistic skills on her little sister and muse (and Kim K doppelganger), Sonia.
Nilo Haq
Instagram: @nilohaq
Followers: 135K
Based: Saudi Arabia
The editor-in-chief of the enormously popular Saudi Beauty Blog, Nilo Haq picks the best in beauty for her avid Instagram followers. From inspiring how-to videos to the latest products and beauty events, she has beauty covered from every angle.
Shahnaz Al Jumaily
Instagram: @shahnazsaleem
Followers: 110K
Based: Dubai
Fairly new to the beauty scene, 18-year-old Shahnaz Jumaily is an Iraqi beauty blogger and YouTuber who is steadily gaining a devoted list of followers. The brown-eyed beauty’s Instagram profile features mini hair tutorials alongside snaps of her favorite beauty products and selfies.
—Elizabeth Whiston-Dew
