Nahj Ep#9: How Mina Al Sheikhly Turned Audience Trust into a Beauty Brand

In Episode 9 of Nahj (نَهْج), Ameer Albahouth sits down with Mina Al Sheikhly to talk about how a creator’s relationship with her audience became the foundation for a beauty brand. Mina did not start with a factory, a large team, or a clear business background. She started as an interior designer, then became a content creator who loved photography, beauty, and sharing honest opinions with her community.

Over time, one question kept repeating: “What mascara do you use?”. That question became the beginning of By Mina Al Sheikhly. Instead of creating another beauty product for everyone, Mina studied what women were actually struggling with. Different eye shapes. Different lashes. Heavy formulas. Mascara that smudges. Luxury products that feel too expensive. Affordable products that work, but do not feel premium. Her answer was simple but difficult: build a mascara brand that solves real problems, feels premium, stays affordable, and speaks to Arab women in their own language.

This episode explores what it takes to build a product-led brand with trust, patience, research, and belief.

6 Key Takeaways from Mina’s Journey

1. Audience Trust Can Become a Business Foundation

Mina’s brand did not come from guessing. It came from years of listening. Her followers trusted her because she was honest about the products she used, the ads she accepted, and the quality she believed in. That trust later helped her move from recommending products to creating her own.

2. The Best Product Ideas Come From Repeated Questions

The idea started with one repeated question: “What mascara are you wearing?” Mina noticed that her lashes became part of her identity online. When people kept asking, buying, and giving feedback, she saw a real market gap.

3. One Product Does Not Fit Everyone

Mina realized that most mascara brands sell one product to all women, even though lashes and eye shapes are different. Some people have straight lashes. Some have short lashes. Some need volume. Some need lift. This insight pushed her to design mascara around real user needs, not a generic beauty standard.

4. Research Comes Before Launch

Before launching, Mina spent three years developing the product. She researched factories, formulas, brushes, packaging, pricing, and customer behavior. She studied how women actually use mascara and discovered that many mix two or three mascaras to get the look they want.

5. Belief Matters Most When the Numbers Are Scary

Launching 55,000 units during COVID could have been a disaster. Mina’s team was worried. Her friends were shocked. But her partner believed in her vision, and that belief pushed her to sell the stock instead of giving up. The risk became part of the brand’s story.

6. Arab Brands Can Compete With Global Brands

Mina is clear about her mission. She does not want people to see Arab brands as less than international ones. Through By Mina Al Sheikhly, she wants to prove that Arab beauty brands can be premium, trusted, and proudly local.

For her, the goal is not only to sell mascara. It is to build a brand with Arab talent, Arab language, Arab understanding, and global-level quality.

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