# Kayali (company)
**Kayali** (Arabic for "my imagination") is a Dubai-based fragrance brand founded in 2018 by [Mona Kattan](https://www.edgepedia.org/mona-kattan), initially as a sub-brand of her sister [Huda Kattan](https://www.edgepedia.org/huda-kattan)'s cosmetics company [Huda Beauty](https://www.edgepedia.org/huda-beauty) and, since February 2025, an independent company co-owned by Mona Kattan and the private equity firm General Atlantic.[1](https://us.kayali.com/pages/about-us) • [2](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/dubaibased-huda-beauty-sells-fragrance-line-kayali-to-cofounder-and-general-atlantic-3872497) The brand is built around gourmand and Middle Eastern-inspired scents designed to be layered together, and it became the number one fragrance brand at Sephora in 2025.[3](https://femfounded.org/case-studies/kayali/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2018, by Mona Kattan as a fragrance sub-brand of Huda Beauty[1](https://us.kayali.com/pages/about-us) |
| Name | "Kayali" translates to "my imagination" in Arabic[4](https://www.vogue.in/content/meet-kayali-the-new-perfume-brand-by-mona-and-huda-kattan) |
| First collection | Collection 01 (November 2018): Vanilla 28, Citrus 08, Musk 12, and Elixir 11, sold separately and designed to be layered[5](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/huda-beauty-kayali-perfumes) |
| Ownership | February 2025: Huda Beauty sold Kayali to Mona Kattan and General Atlantic; General Atlantic took a 57% stake, Mona Kattan the remainder, and she remains CEO[2](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/dubaibased-huda-beauty-sells-fragrance-line-kayali-to-cofounder-and-general-atlantic-3872497) • [6](https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-pro-rata-3c22ec60-eafa-11ef-89ca-434569b6b183) |
| Retail standing | Number one fragrance brand at Sephora in 2025, ahead of Sol de Janeiro and YSL Beauty[3](https://femfounded.org/case-studies/kayali/) |
| Pricing and range | About $140 for a 100-milliliter bottle; roughly two dozen fragrances as of 2024[7](https://jo.fashionnetwork.com/newsPdf/downloadPdf/?id=1662602) |
| Perfumery partner | Geneva-based perfume house Firmenich (now dsm-firmenich)[8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIOlG59dIXE) |
## Founding and the layering concept
Mona Kattan, Huda Beauty's global president and sister of founder Huda Kattan, had long been the fragrance enthusiast of the family; she bought her first perfume at age 14 and, after moving to Dubai more than two decades ago, immersed herself in the region's scent culture.[9](https://www.admiddleeast.com/story/ad-exclusive-mona-kattan-gives-a-tour-of-her-zen-kayali-hq-in-dubai) She and Huda launched Kayali in November 2018 as a sub-brand with its own look, distribution, and communications strategy, deliberately distinct from Huda Beauty.[5](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/huda-beauty-kayali-perfumes) Kattan has said she worked on the brand for nearly six years before launch.[4](https://www.vogue.in/content/meet-kayali-the-new-perfume-brand-by-mona-and-huda-kattan)
**Layering is the brand's organizing idea.** Each fragrance is formulated to be worn alone or combined with others to create a mood, and the brand publishes mixing suggestions on its website.[10](https://elpais.com/smoda/belleza/2025-06-17/mona-kattan-creadora-de-las-fragancias-kayali-las-firmas-mas-clasicas-del-lujo-no-se-atrevian-a-jugar-con-las-notas-mas-golosas.html) Kattan frames the practice as a Middle Eastern cultural ritual rather than a trend: the traditional sequence starts with a musk base, adds oud, then a favorite perfume, and finishes with bakhoor incense.[11](https://www.voguearabia.com/article/your-signature-scent-is-dead-heres-what-replaced-it) When she pitched the concept to investors and consultants before launch, she recalled, "Everybody thought I had three heads... This is never going to take off."[11](https://www.voguearabia.com/article/your-signature-scent-is-dead-heres-what-replaced-it)
The bottles carry a number stating how many rounds of formulation each scent went through before the final formula was chosen; Vanilla | 28, for example, was the 28th modification.[4](https://www.vogue.in/content/meet-kayali-the-new-perfume-brand-by-mona-and-huda-kattan) • [12](https://confetti.design/audit/kayali-brand-audit) The diamond-shaped bottle design is itself a nod to Middle Eastern scent traditions; Kattan has said she wanted wearers to "feel like the diamond that they are."[13](https://hypebae.com/2024/3/mona-kattan-kayali-perfume-huda-beauty-interview-national-fragrance-day)
## Products and perfumers
Kayali develops its fragrances with the Geneva-based perfume house [Firmenich](https://www.edgepedia.org/firmenich), now dsm-firmenich, and Kattan has taken training sessions from the house to sharpen her own nose.[8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIOlG59dIXE) • [14](https://www.allure.com/story/mona-kattan-kayali-deja-vu-white-flower-57-interview) Named perfumers include Olivier Cresp, the nose behind Yum Pistachio Gelato | 33, and, for the Freedom Musk Collection, Nathalie Lorson, Hamid Merati-Kashani, Alexis Grugeon, and Florian Gallo of dsm-firmenich.[10](https://elpais.com/smoda/belleza/2025-06-17/mona-kattan-creadora-de-las-fragancias-kayali-las-firmas-mas-clasicas-del-lujo-no-se-atrevian-a-jugar-con-las-notas-mas-golosas.html) • [15](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freedom-collection-just-got-an-upgrade-302782001.html)
The line leans gourmand: sweet compositions built on vanilla, caramel, praline, and fruit, which Kattan argues classic luxury houses had avoided at this level of structure.[12](https://confetti.design/audit/kayali-brand-audit) • [10](https://elpais.com/smoda/belleza/2025-06-17/mona-kattan-creadora-de-las-fragancias-kayali-las-firmas-mas-clasicas-del-lujo-no-se-atrevian-a-jugar-con-las-notas-mas-golosas.html) Vanilla | 28, from the first collection, remains the brand's signature and a widely cited layering topper.[13](https://hypebae.com/2024/3/mona-kattan-kayali-perfume-huda-beauty-interview-national-fragrance-day) • [16](https://www.forbes.com/sites/beamcmonagle/2024/10/10/kayalis-mona-kattan-continues-her-reign-as-gourmand-guru-with-eden-sparkling-lychee39/) Other prominent releases include Eden Sparkling Lychee | 39, Yum Pistachio Gelato | 33, Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar | 42, the Oudgasm collection of Eau de Parfum Intense formulations, and the musk-led Freedom Collection.[16](https://www.forbes.com/sites/beamcmonagle/2024/10/10/kayalis-mona-kattan-continues-her-reign-as-gourmand-guru-with-eden-sparkling-lychee39/) • [17](https://www.fragrantica.com/news/Kayali-Oudgasm-Vanilla-Oud-A-Review-19276.html) • [15](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freedom-collection-just-got-an-upgrade-302782001.html)
## Commercial performance
Kayali sold through Sephora from the start, a distribution Kattan credits with giving a small business a platform to be disruptive.[10](https://elpais.com/smoda/belleza/2025-06-17/mona-kattan-creadora-de-las-fragancias-kayali-las-firmas-mas-clasicas-del-lujo-no-se-atrevian-a-jugar-con-las-notas-mas-golosas.html) By 2024 the brand offered about two dozen fragrances at roughly $140 per 100-milliliter bottle, sold by major retailers including Sephora.[7](https://jo.fashionnetwork.com/newsPdf/downloadPdf/?id=1662602) In 2025, Kayali rose to the top of Sephora's fragrance rankings, surpassing [Sol de Janeiro](https://www.edgepedia.org/sol-de-janeiro) and YSL Beauty, and by the middle of that year its top-selling scent, Yum Boujee Marshmallow | 81, had brought in roughly $11 million or higher in omnichannel sales through the retailer.[3](https://femfounded.org/case-studies/kayali/)
**Social media drove the growth.** The brand built a community of more than 6 million combined followers and rode the PerfumeTok wave, with short-form videos demonstrating layering recipes such as Vanilla | 28 over Eden Sparkling Lychee.[1](https://us.kayali.com/pages/about-us) • [11](https://www.voguearabia.com/article/your-signature-scent-is-dead-heres-what-replaced-it) The timing was favorable: fragrance was the fastest-growing beauty category in 2024, up 12 percent in dollar sales, with eau de parfums up 14 percent.[11](https://www.voguearabia.com/article/your-signature-scent-is-dead-heres-what-replaced-it)
## Separation from Huda Beauty
In February 2025, Huda Beauty announced the sale of Kayali to its co-founder Mona Kattan and [General Atlantic](https://www.edgepedia.org/general-atlantic), making the fragrance line a fully independent company with Kattan remaining as CEO.[2](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/dubaibased-huda-beauty-sells-fragrance-line-kayali-to-cofounder-and-general-atlantic-3872497) General Atlantic carved out a 57% stake, with Kattan owning the remainder; the deal also allowed Huda Beauty's owners to buy back the stake held by TSG Consumer Partners since 2017, returning that company to full founder ownership.[6](https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-pro-rata-3c22ec60-eafa-11ef-89ca-434569b6b183) • [2](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/dubaibased-huda-beauty-sells-fragrance-line-kayali-to-cofounder-and-general-atlantic-3872497) The deal value was not disclosed.[2](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/dubaibased-huda-beauty-sells-fragrance-line-kayali-to-cofounder-and-general-atlantic-3872497) After the split, Kattan said the company would focus on strengthening the team and expanding in key markets, with Europe a priority after strong performance in the United States.[10](https://elpais.com/smoda/belleza/2025-06-17/mona-kattan-creadora-de-las-fragancias-kayali-las-firmas-mas-clasicas-del-lujo-no-se-atrevian-a-jugar-con-las-notas-mas-golosas.html)
## Reception
The brand's reception is divided. Reviewers and industry observers credit it with popularizing fragrance layering among mainstream and Gen Z consumers, an approach later adopted by houses from Chanel to [Louis Vuitton](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-vuitton).[11](https://www.voguearabia.com/article/your-signature-scent-is-dead-heres-what-replaced-it) • [12](https://confetti.design/audit/kayali-brand-audit)
## References
1. [About KAYALI, KAYALI US](https://us.kayali.com/pages/about-us)
2. [Dubai-based Huda Beauty sells fragrance line KAYALI to co-founder and General Atlantic, Reuters via Investing.com (February 17, 2025)](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/dubaibased-huda-beauty-sells-fragrance-line-kayali-to-cofounder-and-general-atlantic-3872497)
3. [Kayali: Mona Kattan Built #1 Fragrance at Sephora, FemFounded case study](https://femfounded.org/case-studies/kayali/)
4. [Meet Kayali, the new perfume brand by Mona and Huda Kattan, Vogue India (November 29, 2018)](https://www.vogue.in/content/meet-kayali-the-new-perfume-brand-by-mona-and-huda-kattan)
5. [Meet Kayali, The New Perfume Brand From Huda And Mona Kattan, British Vogue (November 8, 2018)](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/huda-beauty-kayali-perfumes)
6. [Axios Pro Rata newsletter (February 18, 2025)](https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-pro-rata-3c22ec60-eafa-11ef-89ca-434569b6b183)
7. [Dubai-based Huda Beauty weighs sale of fragrance division, FashionNetwork/BoF](https://jo.fashionnetwork.com/newsPdf/downloadPdf/?id=1662602)
8. [Kayali Fragrances, How It All Started, Mona Kattan, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIOlG59dIXE)
9. [AD Exclusive: Mona Kattan Gives a Tour of Her Zen Kayali HQ in Dubai, AD Middle East (July 19, 2024)](https://www.admiddleeast.com/story/ad-exclusive-mona-kattan-gives-a-tour-of-her-zen-kayali-hq-in-dubai)
10. [Mona Kattan, creadora de las fragancias Kayali, S Moda / El País (June 17, 2025)](https://elpais.com/smoda/belleza/2025-06-17/mona-kattan-creadora-de-las-fragancias-kayali-las-firmas-mas-clasicas-del-lujo-no-se-atrevian-a-jugar-con-las-notas-mas-golosas.html)
11. [Your Signature Scent is Dead. Here's What Replaced it, Vogue Arabia](https://www.voguearabia.com/article/your-signature-scent-is-dead-heres-what-replaced-it)
12. [Kayali Brand Audit, Confetti Design Studio](https://confetti.design/audit/kayali-brand-audit)
13. [Why Mona Kattan Created KAYALI, Hypebae (March 2024)](https://hypebae.com/2024/3/mona-kattan-kayali-perfume-huda-beauty-interview-national-fragrance-day)
14. [Mona Kattan on Kayali Déjà Vu White Flower 57 and Her Fragrance Journey, Allure](https://www.allure.com/story/mona-kattan-kayali-deja-vu-white-flower-57-interview)
15. [Freedom Collection Just Got an Upgrade, PR Newswire (May 26, 2026)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freedom-collection-just-got-an-upgrade-302782001.html)
16. [Kayali's Mona Kattan Reigns As Gourmand Guru With Eden Sparkling Lychee|39, Forbes (October 10, 2024)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/beamcmonagle/2024/10/10/kayalis-mona-kattan-continues-her-reign-as-gourmand-guru-with-eden-sparkling-lychee39/)
17. [Kayali Oudgasm Vanilla Oud: A Review, Fragrantica (November 18, 2023)](https://www.fragrantica.com/news/Kayali-Oudgasm-Vanilla-Oud-A-Review-19276.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Communications and everyday technology › Clothing, footwear, and accessories*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license