British beauty brand Refy is celebrating its fifth birthday with a major milestone: a full-scale Middle East expansion. The entire product range, from the cult-favorite Brow Sculpt to Lip Sculpt and Lash Sculpt, will launch online at Sephora.me on Nov. 1, with in-store availability across the Gulf Cooperation Council region from Dec. 1.
“I keep saying to everyone in the team, I feel like this is the year,” Hunt said in an interview. “There’s just an energy about this year. I feel like we’re about to take it up to a whole new level.”
This expansion is a response to community demand. “It’s been an ask for so long from our community for us to be more accessible within the Middle East,” Hunt explained. “What a way to celebrate. Refy is about to turn five years this week.”
Hunt, who cofounded the brand with Jenna Meek, sees natural alignment between Refy’s ethos and the region. “The Middle East is a place which is full of innovation, and it inspires me so much,” she said. The brand prepared for launch through social media dialogues and online focus groups with Middle Eastern customers.
While some might question whether Refy’s “simplifying beauty” approach will resonate in a market known for sophisticated makeup, Hunt isn’t worried. “I know that the Middle East are beauty obsessed, and they truly are experts,” she said. “But I feel like there is also an element of simplicity, there is an element of ease. The products have been designed with so much innovation to truly do all of the hard work for you so you can spend more time doing other things that you love.”
Hunt will travel to the UAE in a few weeks to participate in Sephoria and meet the community in person. “That’s the one thing that lights me up the most,” she said. “I’ve even seen friendships form at Refy events — people arrive solo and leave with new connections. To me, that is what this brand is all about.”
As Refy enters its sixth year, Hunt remains focused on building a legacy brand. But for now? “The Middle East is our entire focus as a business,” she said. “I want to make sure our community is so proud of what we bring to it.”
