Mona Kattan on KAYALI, Middle Eastern Heritage and Her Lifelong Love of Perfume

Mumbai: Perfume has evolved far beyond the final spritz applied before stepping out. From niche fragrances and gourmand compositions to musk, layering, projection and sillage, scent has increasingly become a form of personal expression — something that can influence mood, evoke memories and become part of an individual’s identity.

Few beauty entrepreneurs have embraced that evolution as closely as Mona Kattan, founder and CEO of KAYALI and a familiar face from Dubai Bling. Her relationship with fragrance began during childhood and deepened after moving to Dubai, where she encountered the central role scent plays in Middle Eastern culture.

After helping build Huda Beauty with her sister Huda Kattan, Mona eventually channelled her longstanding passion for perfume into KAYALI, which launched in 2018. The brand was shaped by the meeting point between her Middle Eastern heritage, Western upbringing and experience in the global beauty industry.

In an interview with HELLO! India Associate Editor Dayle Pereira-Alemao, Kattan spoke about the emotional side of fragrance, the lengthy process behind KAYALI creations, skin chemistry, perfume layering and the ingredients she believes deserve more attention.

For Mona Kattan, Fragrance Begins With Emotion

For Kattan, creating a perfume is rarely about simply selecting an attractive ingredient. The emotional response she wants the fragrance to create often comes first.

She explained that scent can transport people to particular memories, change their mood or allow them to express another side of their personality. That emotional connection becomes the starting point for many of her fragrance ideas.

She cited Eden Sweet Peach | 35 as an example. Her longstanding affection for fruit, particularly peaches, inspired a fragrance intended to combine brightness and playfulness with softness and sensuality.

The creative process can work in the opposite direction as well. Sometimes an ingredient sparks the concept, while at other times a memory or emotion leads the search for the right notes.

For Kattan, however, the important element is that there is a genuine emotional idea behind the finished fragrance.

How Middle Eastern Culture Shaped Her Relationship With Perfume

Although Kattan eventually entered the beauty business, her interest in fragrance existed long before she became an entrepreneur.

Moving to Dubai intensified that fascination. She discovered a culture in which perfume is not restricted to special occasions but can be incorporated into everyday life and used as an expression of hospitality, generosity and affection.

That experience eventually influenced the philosophy behind KAYALI.

The brand’s name comes from the Arabic word associated with “my imagination”, reflecting the idea that fragrance should allow people to experiment rather than be confined to a single signature scent.

Layering is particularly important to that philosophy. Instead of treating a fragrance as a fixed identity, wearers can combine different compositions to create something that feels more individual.

Some KAYALI Fragrances Take Years to Perfect

Developing a fragrance is not a process Kattan approaches with a fixed deadline.

According to her, some concepts move relatively quickly, while others require years of experimentation. Small changes to floral, musk, woody or vanilla notes can significantly alter the final composition, meaning the development process often involves repeated testing and modification.

Kattan described herself as a perfectionist when it comes to approving a fragrance. Each creation is assessed at different stages of its development, including the initial opening, the heart of the fragrance and its eventual dry down.

One of the clearest examples is Déjà Vu White Flower | 57, which reportedly went through more than two years of development and 57 modifications before reaching its final form.

That modification system is built into KAYALI’s fragrance naming. The number attached to each perfume reflects the number of modifications made during its development. Eden Sweet Peach | 35, for instance, reached its final version after 35 modifications.

Why the Same Perfume Can Smell Different on Different People

Skin chemistry is another major factor in how Kattan approaches fragrance.

The same perfume can produce noticeably different results depending on the person wearing it. Factors including the skin’s natural chemistry, moisture levels, body temperature and other products applied beforehand can influence how individual notes develop and how long a fragrance lasts.

That is why Kattan recommends testing perfume directly on the skin rather than making a decision based solely on a paper blotter.

The first spray represents only the beginning of a fragrance’s development. As the top notes fade, the heart and base notes become more prominent, changing the overall character of the scent.

This is also where layering becomes particularly personal. Two people can combine the same fragrances and still produce different results because the compositions interact differently with their skin.

Mona Kattan Doesn’t Believe in Having Just One Signature Scent

For someone whose career revolves around perfume, Kattan’s own fragrance wardrobe is predictably experimental.

She said her choice changes according to her mood, activities and the feeling she wants to create. Rather than restricting herself to a single fragrance family, she enjoys warm compositions, florals, musks, vanillas and deeper woody scents.

She also frequently layers fragrances, including different KAYALI creations and perfumes from her personal collection.

Her relationship with scent extends throughout the day. Kattan said she applies perfume to her skin, clothes and hair and may add or change fragrances depending on her mood.

Perhaps most tellingly, she even wears perfume to bed.

For Kattan, fragrance is therefore not simply the last step in getting ready. It can be a private ritual and a way of establishing the mood for the day.

Musk Could Have a Bigger Role in Fragrance

When asked about ingredients that could become more prominent in the fragrance landscape, Kattan pointed to musk.

Although musk has a long history in perfumery, she believes its versatility is sometimes underestimated. Rather than representing one fixed olfactory profile, musk can be interpreted in a variety of ways.

It can feel soft and comforting, clean and creamy, bold and sensual or reminiscent of a second skin.

Kattan expects consumers to explore those different interpretations more openly, particularly as fragrance becomes increasingly connected to individuality and personal expression.

The Dry Down Is Just as Important as the First Spray

A perfume’s opening may create an immediate impression, but Kattan places considerable importance on what happens hours later.

She personally wears fragrance modifications for extended periods to observe how they perform over time. She tests them on skin, clothing and hair and returns to them later in the day — sometimes even the following morning.

The objective is to make sure the fragrance remains appealing as its composition changes.

KAYALI works with perfumers at DSM-Firmenich to balance the top, heart and base notes while evaluating factors such as projection, longevity and layering compatibility.

For Kattan, one of the clearest signs that a fragrance is ready is simple: she keeps wanting to smell it again.

Fragrance as an Extension of Personal Style

Mona Kattan’s approach reflects a broader transformation in the way perfume is understood today. Fragrance is no longer necessarily an invisible finishing detail that sits behind clothing, makeup and accessories.

Instead, it can become part of the identity a person wants to create on a particular day.

Her philosophy around emotion, layering and experimentation places perfume alongside fashion and beauty as another form of self-expression. Whether someone prefers a soft musk, a rich vanilla, a floral composition or a fruity scent such as Eden Sweet Peach, the emphasis is increasingly on discovering what feels personal.

For Kattan, that freedom to experiment is at the heart of KAYALI — and of her own lifelong fascination with scent.

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