Be it setting aside time for a regular facial or investing in quality make-up, beauty is a big part of many people's everyday lives in the UAE.
While the biggest international names are all here, not all of them are made with this region in mind. Colours may be designed around Caucasian skin, while formulas might struggle in intense heat and humidity.
Sitting alongside big-name brands is an ever-growing number of homegrown labels launched, produced in and created especially for the climate in the UAE, Gulf and Levant. From colours designed to suit a range of skin tones to products created to withstand extreme climate, here are some regional beauty houses to know.
Huda Beauty
One of the most famous make-up brands in the UAE, Huda Beauty was launched in Dubai in 2013 by Iraqi-American beauty blogger Huda Kattan and her sisters, Mona and Alya.
It offers everything from primers and colour-correcting creams to lip stains, eyeshadow palettes and foundation brushes. In 2020, Kattan launched a skincare line, Wishful, while perfumes under Huda Beauty take their name from bestselling items such as Easy Bake. Anyone looking on best ways to achieve results or ace a certain look can follow Huda's online tutorials, too.
SimiHaze Beauty
SimiHaze was launched in 2021 by Palestinian twin sisters Sama (now known as Simi) and Haya (Haze) Abu Khadra. Having grown up between Riyadh, London and Dubai, the pair now live in Los Angeles and have set up their beauty brand to be lightweight, cruelty-free and long-lasting.
With fun, tactile packaging, the brand offers a new approach to beauty products, including “stackable” items that can be snapped together for easy portability. Bestsellers include Skin Suede Melting Bronze balm, with a practical cream-to-powder formula that can bronze, sculpt and be used on lips or eyes; Hydra Melt translucent skin balm for a quick hit of hydration; and Colour Glaze Pigment for a sheer wash of colour for lips and cheeks.
Hindash Cosmetics
Hindash is the brainchild of Jordanian make-up artist Mohammed Hindash, who launched the brand in 2021. In May 2025, the Dubai resident became the first regional make-up ambassador for Guerlain, the French luxury perfume, skincare and cosmetics house.
Hindash offers a compact but versatile range of liquid eye colours that can also be used on lips or as blush; plus palettes of rich eye colours, shimmering skin base and matte lipsticks. The website has tutorials sharing Hindash's tricks and tips.
K7L Cosmetics
The Kuwaiti brand was created in 2003 by Areej Sultan Al-Essa specifically with Arab women in mind, and offers products that are built to cope with high humidity. Even the name is rooted in the region, as it is phonetic Arabic for kohl, a traditional version of black eyeliner.
Products include lip and eye primers; brow inks; eyeliners in intensely pigmented colours; and loose or classic pressed powder eye shadow in multiple shades – all waterproof and smudge-proof to get you through even the hottest summer.
Vimi Joshi Beauty
As the former senior global artist for Mac Cosmetics, Vimi Joshi has decades of experience that she has now poured into her eponymous beauty brand. Launched in Dubai in early 2026, it is built around Joshi's know-how in custom-blending colours and formulas for South Asian skin tones, with products including a Shape & Sculpt Lip & Cheek multistick, in Red Bindi or Chai; and a Define & Smoulder eyeliner, in Kali or Terra.
Barkha Beauty
Founded in Dubai in 2019 by Indian make-up artist Barkha Shewakramani, the brand delves deeper into the science behind foolproof beauty formulations – offering products free of parabens and animal testing to boot.
This has resulted in products such as the PH Colour Changing Blush, which creates a custom shade of pink based on your skin's pH; and the Transfer-Proof Liquid Matte Lipstick, which will not budge or feather.
Skin Story
Created by sisters Rashi and Nidhi Sethi, Skin Story was born out of their struggle to find non-toxic, chemical-free make-up that worked with their skin tone.
Based in Dubai, the clean beauty brand is designed for brown skin, is not tested on animals and is free from harmful chemicals. One of its bestsellers is the Legacy Multistick, which has a cream-to-powder finish for a pop of long-lasting colour on lips or cheeks. Skin Story also offers bundle packs, including It Girl, which combines the Legacy Multistick with its Scarlet lipstick and Define eyeliner.
