A beauty mogul's guide to luxury self-care in Dubai

Dubai is synonymous with luxury and pampering, and Huda Beauty founder Huda Kattan knows where to find it. Here are her Dubai picks, from heavenly massages to crystal shopping.

In just half a century, the Emirati city of Dubai has gone from a small fishing village on the banks of the Dubai Creek to a thriving metropolis synonymous with over-the-top luxury. It's home to the Burj Khalifa – the world's tallest tower – and Deep Dive Dubai – the world's deepest pool – and it's now building the $2bn (£1.64bn) mega-mall Dubai Square, the largest in the world.

Beauty blogger, makeup artist and entrepreneur Huda Kattan worked in finance before founding the billion-dollar cosmetics brand Huda Beauty – beloved for its wildly popular eyeshadow palettes and viral products like the Easy Blur foundation. In 2023, she was featured on the BBC's 100 Women list.

But even though it plays hard, Dubai doesn't forget to take care of itself; it was recently named the World's Best Spa Destination 2024 at the World Spa Awards.

To get to the heart of this burgeoning capital of self-care, we spoke to makeup artist-turned beauty mogul Huda Kattan, who has called Dubai home since 2008.

For Kattan, who was born and raised in the United States but lived in the UAE for two years as a child, moving to Dubai was a homecoming. "It's an extremely fast paced, multicultural environment," says Kattan, who travels endlessly around the globe for her work as the founder and CEO of Huda Beauty cosmetics. "It's probably one of the fastest-moving [cities] I've ever seen. When I go to New York, New York is way too slow for me."

Kattan, whose brand headquarters is in Dubai, loves hitting the spa in her downtime. "[It's] the best," she says. "It's about going to the spas, enjoying the massages, doing the hammams, the facials. It's about investing in yourself for sure."

And Dubai's foothold in the beauty world is also growing. Dior opened its first spa in the city in 2024 and the five-star Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab hotel with its three-storey spa will open in 2025. "Dubai is definitely getting a lot more credibility in beauty," says Kattan. "I have big celebrities asking me, 'What is happening in Dubai? What are all the treatments that people are doing?'"

But self-care in Dubai isn't just about spa treatments; its glamorous shops are a strong prescription for retail therapy, while its stunning coastal panoramas refresh mind, body and soul.

Here are Kattan's favourite ways to indulge in self-care in Dubai.

Kattan experienced her first-ever massage in Dubai 16 years ago and was instantly hooked. "I'd never had a massage in my life until I moved here," she says. "When I got my first massage, I fell asleep and was snoring and slobbering. I was like, 'What is this? This is the best experience of my life'. I now have them regularly."

Visitors will find a massage to suit every budget, from designer spas to at-home mobile massages. Kattan is a fan of both, but enthuses that those looking to splurge can’t go wrong with the Guerlain Spa at the One&Only The Palm hotel found on the tip of the manmade Palm Jumeriah island.

The Guerlain Spa features a leafy Arabic courtyard resplendent with regal fountains and a marble lobby with its own mini Guerlain boutique. Kattan was smitten from the moment she first stepped through the door. "[It's] like a movie. It's amazing," she says.

Kattan usually goes for a deep tissue massage, while her husband, Portuguese businessman Christopher Goncalo, prefers the Thai massage technique. Kattan says she used to enjoy Swedish massages, but now she seeks out a sports massage treatment. "I don't even want the relaxation anymore. I want them to work me out," she says.  

Website: https://www.guerlain.com/ae/en-ae/guerlain-spa-one-and-only-the-palm-dubai.html

Address: One&Only The Palm West Crescent, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Phone: +971 4 440 1040

Instagram: @guerlain/

Hammams – steam-filled public bathhouses – have been part of Middle Eastern culture as early as the 7th Century, serving not only as a place to wash off the desert sand, but a space to socialise.

While modern plumbing has since been introduced, getting scrubbed clean in a room full of steam is still a hallmark of the Middle Eastern spa experience.

Kattan recommends the Talise Ottoman Spa on the West Crescent of The Palm. "I went on my birthday. It was just the best experience," she says.

The cleansing ritual at Talise Ottoman Spa takes place in a domed marble room decorated in mosaics, where clients recline on a heated marble bed to have their skin exfoliated with a kese mitt, then revived with their choice of a honey, lavender and mint mask, or one made with purifying rose or gold.

Afterwards, visitors can relax in one of the private majlis (cabanas) that surround a pool lit by a glittering chandelier. "You sit there and they bring you a yogurt drink, dates and apricots," says Kattan. "I was, like, I'm sure I'm in the 1600s and I'm a princess."

Website: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/jumeirah-zabeel-saray/wellbeing/signature-talise-ottoman-spa

Address: Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, West Crescent, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Phone: +971 4 453 0455

Instagram: @jumeirah

To truly indulge her senses, Kattan loves visiting fragrance stores.

Bedouins have been crafting seductive fragrances like heady oud from resinous woods or earthy frankincense from the gum of the Boswellia tree for centuries. "Abdul Samad Al Qurashi is I think the most luxurious, and they do really beautiful fragrances," says Kattan of the historic Saudi Arabian fragrance house, known for crafting fine fragrances since 1852. "And Ajmal has a really beautiful store in Dubai Mall. There's also Hind Al Oud. [Fragrance is] a big part of the culture."

But Kattan says visitors don’t always need to splurge on expensive scents; they can seek out lesser-known brands: "You can go to the souqs and buy little ones," she says. "They're not necessarily ones you want to wear on a daily basis, but [the bottles are] cute trinkets. I would go to the souqs and buy the oils [and] ouds, and have [those] on my dresser."

Emiratis enjoy layering their fragrance, starting with a base of oil on the pulse points, then spritzing fragrance all over the body and, finally, capturing the scent of bakhoor incense made from wood chips soaked in fragrant oils. "They put their abaya (robe) on [the bakhoor]. Sometimes their hair will just take a little bit of smoke and it's quite beautiful," says Kattan. "I've experienced it. It's amazing."

Website: https://en-ae.ajmal.com/

Address: Ajmal Perfume, first floor, Dubai Mall

Phone: +971-4-457-4111

Instagram: @ajmalperfumes

Dubai has a global reputation as a go-to destination for luxury jewellery at tax-free prices, but when Kattan craves something sparkly, she splurges on decorative crystals.

"I have crystals everywhere. I'm a big crystal person," says Kattan, who loves placing them on windowsills and in bowls around her home in Dubai. Of the numerous glitzy crystal boutiques scattered throughout town, Kattan has a favourite: "There's one crystal store called OOAKSTONES (One Of A Kind stones)."

Located in Dubai's Alserkal Avenue arts district, OOAKSTONES offers a highly curated selection of crystals, ranging from artisanal jewellery and statement pieces to home decor.

Kattan notes that in Dubai, crystals often cost around one-tenth the price one might spend elsewhere, and she believes visitors should make time for crystal shopping in their schedule. "It's overwhelming and it's amazing and if you're coming to the Middle East [it's definitely something] you should do," says Kattan.

Website: https://ooakstones.com/

Address: Warehouse 20 (Inside Kave), Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

Phone: +971 52 481 6700

Instagram: @ooakstones

From dive-in cinemas and air-conditioned cabanas to loungers emblazoned with fashion brands, Dubai's beach clubs are an unabashedly glamorous affair.

Kattan's go-to beach experience is SAL on the terrace of the seven-star Burj Al Arab Hotel, overlooking the Persian Gulf. "It has a beautiful and calm setting with an amazing view. [It's the] perfect [place] to relax for the day," she says.

SAL is open year-round, though Dubai's beach clubs are most popular during the cooler winter months. The trendy oasis features a stunning infinity pool and is home to the brand-new Sunset Lounge, a chic space with eye-catching mirrored walls. Guests can relax on the club's submerged pool loungers or hole up in one of the private air-conditioned cabanas complete with their own balconies and ensuite bathrooms. SAL also offers several poolside dining menus, with treats ranging from chilled starters and Mediterranean-inspired seafood dishes to decadent desserts, as well as a luxe cocktail list and full shisha bar. Complimentary ice lollies and gazpacho shots add a touch of whimsy to the Gulf's glorious sunsets, and summertime visitors are welcome to stay until dark for a dip under the stars.

Website: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/burj-al-arab-jumeirah/dining/burj-al-arab-sal

Address: Ground Mezzanine Floor, Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Street, Dubai

Phone: +971 800 323232

Instagram: @sal_burjalarab

BBC Travel’s The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.

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