10 US Beauty Brand Expansions into the Dubai and UAE Market

The Dubai and wider United Arab Emirates (UAE) beauty market is experiencing a significant influx of US based beauty brands and retailers, driven by the region’s high consumer spending power, digital savviness, and growing demand for prestige and “clean beauty” products. The expansion is characterized by two primary strategies: the entry of major US beauty retailer Ulta Beauty and a coordinated launch of cult favorite brands through the established regional retailer Sephora Middle East.

Key trends include the dominance of clean beauty brands, the influence of celebrity backed lines, and the adoption of experiential retail concepts like “beautytainment“. This report details the expansion of the top 10 US beauty brands and the strategic entry of Ulta Beauty, highlighting the dynamic transformation of the UAE beauty landscape in 2024 and 2025.

1. Introduction: The UAE Beauty Market Context

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) beauty market is a high growth sector, with the UAE serving as a critical hub for regional entry and distribution. The market is projected to reach $60 billion by 2025, with an 18% growth rate, underscoring its importance to global beauty conglomerates. UAE consumers are highly engaged with global beauty trends, often driven by social media and international influencers, making the market receptive to new, high profile US brands.

The expansion efforts are primarily focused on Dubai’s premier retail locations, such as the Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall, and leverage the existing infrastructure of major retail partners.

2. Key Retailer Expansion: Ulta Beauty’s Strategic Entry

The most significant retail development is the planned entry of Ulta Beauty, the largest beauty retailer in the United States, into the UAE market. Ulta Beauty’s expansion, in partnership with the Alshaya Group, is scheduled to begin in late 2025, following its initial launch in Kuwait, and is designed around a large scale, experiential retail strategy. Flagship locations are planned for the Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall, where the retailer will introduce its signature “beautytainment” concept with dedicated activation areas for events, demonstrations, and immersive experiences. As part of this rollout, Ulta Beauty will bring over 80 new brands to the Middle East, including the exclusive regional launch of Polite Society, a new venture from the founders of Too Faced. This entry is expected to intensify competition in the beauty sector and further diversify the product offerings available to consumers in the UAE.

3. Top 10 US Beauty Brand Expansions (2024-2025)

The majority of US brand expansions have been facilitated through an exclusive partnership with Sephora Middle East, which acts as a powerful gateway for brands seeking immediate regional scale. The following table summarizes the top 10 US beauty brand expansions, highlighting their launch details and strategic focus.

Rank	Brand Name	Launch Date	Primary Channel	Key Strategy/Focus
1	Glossier	Oct 2024	Sephora Middle East	Cult favorite products, minimalist aesthetic
2	Kosas	Sep 2024	Sephora Middle East	Skin centric “Clean Beauty” movement
3	Ilia Beauty	Oct 2024	Sephora Middle East	High-performance clean makeup
4	Saie	Oct 2024	Sephora Middle East	Clean beauty & dewy makeup
5	Rhode (Hailey Bieber)	2025	Sephora Middle East	Skincare essentials, celebrity backed brand
6	Tatcha	Aug 2025	Sephora Middle East	Luxury Japanese inspired skincare
7	Summer Fridays	2024-2025	Sephora Middle East	Skincare-makeup hybrids, pop-up events
8	Tower 28	Aug 2025	Sephora Middle East	Sensitive skin friendly clean beauty
9	Bubble Skincare	Sep 2025	Sephora Middle East	Gen Z focused, affordable skincare
10	e.l.f. Beauty	Nov 2025	Sephora Middle East	Affordable prestige & mass-market reach

Analysis of Brand Expansion Trends

The recent wave of US brand expansion reveals several key strategic trends:

A. The Dominance of “Clean Beauty” and Skincare

A significant portion of the expanding brands, including Kosas, Ilia Beauty, Saie, and Tower 28, fall under the “clean beauty” category. This reflects a global shift towards transparency, natural ingredients, and ethical sourcing, which has found a strong foothold among health conscious UAE consumers. The focus is increasingly on skincare and skin centric makeup, as seen with Rhode and Tatcha.

B. Celebrity and Influencer-Driven Brands

The market is highly receptive to brands with strong founder narratives and celebrity backing. Rhode, founded by Hailey Bieber, is a prime example, leveraging its founder’s global profile for a high impact launch. Similarly, the success of brands like Summer Fridays is often amplified by strategic pop up events and engagement with regional influencers.

C. Mass-Market and Prestige Diversification

While many launches target the prestige segment, the entry of e.l.f. Beauty and Bubble Skincare signals a growing focus on the mass market and Gen Z consumer segments. e.l.f. Beauty, a major US corporate entity that acquired Rhode in 2025, is leveraging its expansion to capture a broader demographic with its affordable yet trendy product lines.

4. The Top 10 Ranking

1. Glossier: From DTC Darling to 600+ Sephora Doors

Glossier has shifted from a pure DTC model to a full omnichannel model, signing its first wholesale deal with Sephora. In early 2023, the brand rolled out into about 600 Sephora stores across the US and Canada, plus Sephora’s website and app, while continuing to grow its own retail fleet in cities like Seattle, Los Angeles, London, and Miami.

2. Kosas: Clean Color Scales into the Middle East

Clean makeup brand Kosas has rapidly expanded from niche retailers into major chains, now stocked at Sephora, Mecca, Credo, Nordstrom, Net a Porter, and more than 220 retail partners globally. In September 2024, Kosas launched exclusively at Sephora Middle East, going live online on 9 September 2024 and entering regional stores from 16 September 2024, marking its first major push into GCC beauty hubs.

3. Ilia Beauty: Ulta, Gulf Sephora, and a $200M Target

Clean makeup label Ilia Beauty has used wholesale to go mainstream, entering Ulta Beauty on 30 August with digital placement and front of store displays, and rolling out full fixtures to 500+ Ulta stores by the end of September. By 2024, Ilia had grown from presence in 80 Sephora US doors in 2019 to large gondolas in 700+ Sephora stores, with leadership projecting around $200 million in annual sales as the brand also moves into over 40 Sephora Gulf Coast stores in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

4. Saie: Clean Makeup Moves Into Mass‑Accessible Retail

Clean, sustainable makeup brand Saie has expanded from prestige channels into wider distribution via Sephora and Kohl’s shop in shop concepts. Through the Sephora at Kohl’s partnership, Saie now reaches hundreds of suburban doors with hero items like Dew Blush, Glowy Super Gel, and Slip Tint, bringing clean formulas to a more mass market customer while retaining premium positioning.

5. Rhode: Hailey Bieber’s Brand Goes Transatlantic

Rhode by Hailey Bieber has scaled from a US first DTC model into a fast growing global skincare label, using international e commerce and tightly curated drops to build demand market by market. Within nine months of launch, the celebrity backed brand began shipping to Canada in March 2023, then opened online in five key European markets, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Ireland, via its own site.

6. Tatcha: $100M Sales and a Global Unilever Platform

Luxury skincare brand Tatcha, founded in San Francisco, was acquired by Unilever for a reported about $500 million as it was on track for $100 million in net sales in 2019. The deal plugged Tatcha into Unilever’s global prestige network, accelerating expansion across Sephora and Asian markets while positioning it alongside brands like Dermalogica, Kate Somerville, and Murad.

7. Summer Fridays: $150M in 2024 and Global Sephora Leadership

Influencer founded Summer Fridays has grown into a global skincare player with an estimated $150 million in revenue in 2024, driven by both DTC and retail. Around 40% of sales now come from its own site and app, while about 60% flows through partners like Sephora, Ulta, Cult Beauty, and Mecca, with a 2024 international push into Europe and Asia, and eco focused initiatives such as carbon neutral shipping.

8.Tower 28: Clean, Sensitive‑Skin Makeup with Strategic Sephora Growth

Tower 28, positioned as clean makeup safe for sensitive skin, has leveraged Sephora as its primary global growth engine. While Ilia’s team notes that brands like Tower 28, Kosas, and Saie are not yet present in Sephora Middle East, that absence highlights their next expansion frontier as awareness of “clean” formulas builds in the region.

9. Bubble Skincare: Gen‑Z Mass Retail Breakthrough

Gen Z focused Bubble Skincare has rapidly moved from online buzz to mass distribution via big‑box and drug channels, including major US retailers such as Walmart and Ulta (distribution referenced across industry coverage, though exact current door counts vary by market). The brand’s strategy centers on affordable price points, bold packaging, and high social media engagement, making it a key US export in teen skincare even as it begins to test further international rollouts.

10. e.l.f. Beauty: 77% Net Sales Growth and Billion‑Dollar Scale

Value driven e.l.f. Beauty has evolved into a global powerhouse, posting 77% year‑on‑year net sales growth in fiscal 2024 to reach about $1.02 billion in revenue. The company reported 71% net sales growth in Q4 alone and 21 consecutive quarters of net sales and market share increases, citing 115% international growth driven by key markets like Canada and the UK, and upcoming expansion with e.l.f. into Sephora Mexico and Naturium into Ulta.

5. Conclusion

The expansion of US beauty brands and retailers into the Dubai and UAE market is robust and strategically executed. The market is maturing rapidly, moving beyond simple product availability to offering diverse, experiential, and trend-driven retail environments. The dual-pronged approach—Ulta Beauty’s large-scale retail entry and Sephora’s curated brand launches—ensures that the UAE remains a top-tier destination for global beauty expansion.