Kayali
Mona Kattan's fragrance brand built on the Middle Eastern tradition of scent layering. The number one fragrance at Sephora in 2025, spun off from Huda Beauty with General Atlantic backing.
Kayali became the number one fragrance brand at Sephora in 2025, ahead of Sol de Janeiro and YSL Beauty. Its best-selling product, Yum Boujee Marshmallow | 81, generated an estimated $11 million or more in omnichannel sales at the retailer by mid-2025. The brand’s earned media value hit $26.6 million in the first quarter of 2025 alone, a 108% year-over-year increase.
Mona Kattan, Huda Kattan’s sister and co-founder of Huda Beauty, founded Kayali as a fragrance line within the family company in 2018. In February 2025, she partnered with private equity firm General Atlantic to acquire Kayali from Huda Beauty and operate it independently, with the proceeds funding Huda Kattan’s buyback of TSG Consumer Partners’ stake. The deal gave both sisters complete ownership of their respective brands.
At a glance:
| Founded | 2018 (under Huda Beauty); independent since February 2025 |
| Founder and CEO | Mona Kattan |
| Global President | Jessica Hanson |
| Ownership | Mona Kattan and General Atlantic (since February 2025) |
| Revenue | Not publicly disclosed |
| Headquarters | Dubai, UAE |
| Retailers | Sephora (US, globally), Sephora at Kohl’s (1,100 stores), Boots (402 stores), Selfridges, Harrods, Space NK, kayali.com |
| Products | 42 fragrances, $32 to $235 |
The Story
Mona Kattan was born in Oklahoma to Iraqi parents and moved with her family to the UAE in 2003. She studied finance, briefly worked in investment banking, and co-founded Huda Beauty with her sisters in 2013, managing operations and strategy while Huda served as the public face.
The fragrance obsession started with her first paycheck, which she spent on two perfumes. After moving to Dubai, she discovered the Middle Eastern tradition of layering perfume oils, oud, and bakhoor, the aromatic wood chips mixed with frankincense and sandalwood that families in the region burn with custom blends passed down through generations. She eventually built a personal collection of more than 5,000 perfumes.
When she pitched a fragrance brand built around layering, investors and consultants rejected it. “Everybody thought I had three heads,” she has said. Kayali launched in November 2018 at Sephora with four fragrances. The name means “my imagination” in Arabic, and the number in each fragrance name represents the exact number of formulation rounds it took to perfect that scent, so Vanilla | 28 took 28 tries and Yum Boujee Marshmallow | 81 took 81.
The Strategy
Layering as a category, not a gimmick
Every Kayali fragrance is designed to be worn alone or combined with others, a concept that came from centuries-old Middle Eastern tradition but was foreign to most Western consumers in 2018. Industry consultants told Kattan the idea would fail. Fragrance layering has since become an industry-wide movement, with brands from Chanel to niche houses adopting the approach. Kayali started it.
Gourmand fragrances for the TikTok generation
Kayali leaned into gourmand scents, the sweet, edible-smelling fragrances like vanilla, marshmallow, and pistachio gelato that appeal to Gen Z’s preference for warmth and nostalgia. TikTok fragrance layering videos became a major organic growth driver, pushing the brand’s earned media value up 406% year-over-year in 2023 to $39 million, with $17.8 million of that coming from first-time Kayali mentions.
Sephora first, then everywhere
Kayali launched as a Sephora exclusive and built its base there before expanding. As of 2025, the brand is in Sephora standalone stores, 1,100 Sephora at Kohl’s locations, 402 Boots stores across the UK and Ireland, and luxury retailers including Selfridges and Harrods. The first dedicated website, kayali.com, launched in October 2025.
From bakhoor to independence
In February 2025, Huda Beauty sold its ownership stake in Kayali to Mona Kattan and General Atlantic, making Kayali a fully independent company. The proceeds funded Huda Kattan’s buyback of TSG Consumer Partners’ minority stake in Huda Beauty. The first major collection as an independent brand, Freedom, launched in November 2025 with four new scents, and the product range has expanded beyond perfume into bakhoor collections, body sprays, and discovery layering sets.
The Numbers
Kayali does not disclose revenue. What is publicly known comes from earned media data and Sephora performance metrics.
Earned Media Value (EMV):
| Year | EMV | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $1.5M | Launch year |
| 2019 | $4.3M | +186% |
| 2020 | $9.1M | +111% |
| 2021 | $10.8M | +19% |
| 2022 | $17.1M | +58% |
| 2023 | $39.0M | +128% |
| Q1 2025 | $26.6M | +108% YoY |
Sephora performance: Number one fragrance brand at Sephora in 2025. In 2023, Kayali ranked number four among all U.S. fragrance brands, nearly tying Dior and Saint Laurent.
Funding: The General Atlantic deal terms were not disclosed. Goldman Sachs advised Huda Beauty and Raymond James advised General Atlantic on the transaction.
What You Can Learn
The experts are sometimes wrong about what consumers want. Every investor and consultant told Mona Kattan that fragrance layering would fail, and it became the defining trend of the fragrance industry within five years. When the people being asked for advice have no experience with the culture behind the idea, their skepticism reflects their own blind spots, not the idea’s viability.
Your cultural background is a competitive advantage. Kayali’s entire product concept comes from Middle Eastern fragrance traditions that are centuries old. For any online business founded by someone from a non-Western background, the practices of your culture may be exactly the innovation that a global market is missing.
One product can define the brand. Yum Boujee Marshmallow | 81 became the number one fragrance at Sephora and generated more earned media than most brands’ entire product lines. The number 81 in the name, representing 81 formulation rounds, communicates the care behind the product in a way that no marketing claim could.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Kayali mean?
“Kayali” means “my imagination” in Arabic, chosen by founder Mona Kattan to reflect the personal nature of fragrance.
What do the numbers in Kayali fragrance names mean?
The number in each name represents the exact number of formulation rounds it took to perfect that scent. Vanilla | 28 took 28 rounds, and Yum Boujee Marshmallow | 81 took 81.
Who owns Kayali?
Mona Kattan and private equity firm General Atlantic jointly own Kayali as of February 2025, when the brand was acquired from Huda Beauty and became independent.
Where can you buy Kayali?
Kayali is available at Sephora stores globally, 1,100 Sephora at Kohl’s locations, 402 Boots stores in the UK, Selfridges, Harrods, Space NK, and kayali.com.
Is Kayali part of Huda Beauty?
Kayali launched in 2018 under Huda Beauty but became independent in February 2025 when Mona Kattan and General Atlantic acquired it.
Who founded Kayali?
Mona Kattan founded Kayali in 2018 as a fragrance line within Huda Beauty, the family company she co-founded in 2013 with her sisters. She had spent years collecting more than 5,000 perfumes and wanted to build a brand around the Middle Eastern tradition of layering scents.
When was Kayali founded?
Kayali launched in November 2018 at Sephora with four fragrances. The brand operated under Huda Beauty until February 2025, when Mona Kattan and General Atlantic acquired it and ran it as a standalone company.
What is Kayali’s revenue?
Kayali does not disclose revenue. Its best-selling product, Yum Boujee Marshmallow | 81, generated an estimated $11 million or more in omnichannel sales at Sephora by mid-2025, and the brand’s earned media value hit $26.6 million in Q1 2025 alone.
What is Kayali’s valuation?
Kayali’s valuation has not been publicly disclosed. Mona Kattan and General Atlantic acquired the brand from Huda Beauty in February 2025 with deal terms kept private, advised by Goldman Sachs and Raymond James.
Sources
- Beauty Independent, “Sol de Janeiro, Kayali Top Sephora Fragrances,” 2025. Sephora rankings, Yum Boujee Marshmallow sales estimate.
- CreatorIQ, “How Kayali Took Over Fragrance,” 2024. EMV trajectory, TikTok growth, creator-driven marketing data.
- Business of Fashion, “Kayali Bought by Co-Founder and General Atlantic,” February 2025. Independence deal, advisory firms.
- General Atlantic, “Huda Beauty Announces Kayali’s Transition Into a Standalone Fragrance Powerhouse,” February 2025. Deal structure, Mona Kattan as CEO.
- Business of Fashion, “How Layering Transformed the Fragrance Market,” 2024. Layering concept origins, industry skepticism, Mona Kattan quotes.
- Perfumer & Flavorist, “Kayali Launches First Dedicated Website, Announces 5x Retail Expansion,” October 2025. DTC launch, Kohl’s expansion, distribution details.
- TheIndustry.beauty, “Kayali Expands Distribution in Boots Following Rapid Growth,” 2025. UK retail expansion.
- Grazia ME, “Mona Kattan: Dubai Bling Star, Kayali Founder,” 2023. Personal background, fragrance collection.
- Entrepreneur Middle East, “The 100: Mona Kattan,” 2024. Career milestones.