Dark, but still with plenty of glam, Huda Kattan’s latest Huda Beauty launch is all about going grunge. With the 90s beauty trend dominating fall-winter 2023 makeup mood boards, the look is all about creating an edgy look, typically characterized by dark smoky eyes and bold lip colors in deeper shades. Just released, the full Huda Beauty Pretty Grunge makeup collection includes an 18 shades eyeshadow palette, metallic face gloss, limited edition lip contour pencil, quad of mini matte liquid lipsticks, and a gothic glam duo of black lipstick and balm.
Speaking with Vogue Arabia, the beauty mogul shares more details on her 90s-inspired makeup collection, and why she’s ready to explore her grunge persona.
Why grunge?
The 90s have made a comeback, and the trend overtook the runways, so it was only a matter of time before it transcended into beauty. As a brand, we love to have our own take on trends, so we combined the grunge aesthetic with our glam identity and created Pretty Grunge. This year, I decided to accept myself fully, and it’s made us ready to shake the beauty industry up and break the rules a little bit more! Our Pretty Grunge collection does that as it encourages you to embrace who you are and rebel against and redefine stereotypical beauty standards.
Talk us through the Pretty Grunge collection.
The hero of the collection is the eyeshadow palette – it effortlessly takes you from glam to grunge. Grunge beauty isn’t all about the eye, so we added two limited-edition ‘black’ shades, one in our iconic Liquid Matte Lipsticks and the other in our Silk Balm gloss for major grungy lips. We also created two nude limited-edition shades of our mini Liquid Matte Lipsticks, Maverick and Rebel, for a softer take on grunge. Finally, the Face Blush Gloss is a lightweight gel gloss that gives a subtle blush, adding a pretty flush to any look.
What makes something grunge, in your opinion?
I’m obsessed with grunge, but I’m a glam girl, so full grunge isn’t something I’d wear. Grunge has attitude and is synonymous with a more laid-back and rebellious vibe, but it also carries this incredible sense of raw, unapologetic power – iconic. The palette embodies this attitude with innovative textures and ultra-pigmented shades, allowing you to be glam, grunge, or both! That’s the beauty of this palette: whoever owns it can be as creative as they like; the important thing is that they are unapologetically themselves.
What’s your step-by-step guide for taking a preppy look to grunge?
Think of it like you’re taking your look from day to night! You go a little darker and bolder by swapping out lighter shades for deeper, moody colors and maybe adding a defined lip! You want your eyes to be the focus, so don’t be shy and create a dramatic smoky eye to embrace that fearless grunge attitude. For the ‘pretty’ side, incorporate shimmery eyeshadows and highlighters for a captivating look!
Were you that grunge-y girl in the 90s? Or is she only coming out now?
Adding some red streaks when I was 17 is the grungiest I got. I was a quintessential 90s girl: white jeans, jean jackets, wedges, and oversized sunglasses – you name it, I wore it. I was all about the bling and glossy lips. It was a fun and memorable era, but I think not being grungy back then is why I’m obsessed now. I think it’s such an inspiring movement that aligns with everything I believe in. I want to be unapologetically myself.
