Leah Kateb Shares The Skin Care She’ll “Never Go Without”
The Love Island USA star has “perfected” her beauty routine. Here, she shares her essentials.
Leah Kateb is known for smelling good, whether it’s fans telling her so IRL or her now-boyfriend Miguel Harichi complimenting her scent during their days in the Love Island USA villa. It only made sense for Kateb to join fragrance brand Skylar as the re-founder and chief creative officer back in July 2025. “I really just make scents that are going to get you compliments,” she says about her role.
The 26-year-old launched her first signature scent, Double Dates, back in October. Now, she’s back with a new warm eau de parfum: Pomegranate Princess. “I really wanted something that felt perfect for spring and summer, but still had that edible feeling,” she says. “Pomegranate scents are so rare, and we really perfected it. It took a few mods to get there, but it is just such a good scent.”
Beyond her perfectly scented reputation, Kateb has made a name for herself in the fashion and beauty industry, constantly landing on Pinterest mood boards and best-dressed lists. Her fashion is always delightfully surprising, but for glam, she finds that consistency is key. “I love fun makeup looks on other people, but I’ve seen it all on myself at this point. I’ve had so many people do my glam, and I always go back to my basics,” she says. “My outfits are the vibes. Let’s focus on the ’fits. I also feel like my glam is just perfected. I don’t need to change it.”
Ahead, Kateb shares all the details about Pomegranate Princess — plus, the makeup and skin care products that she always comes back to.
Leah’s New Go-To Perfume
Whenever Kateb posts a “smell good routine,” people pay attention. Her go-to fragrances have a habit of going out of stock as soon as she shares them. Now, she has a new eau de parfum to add to the lineup: Skylar’s Pomegranate Princess ($96).
The summery scent has notes of pomegranate, strawberry, and whipped frosting — a delicate balance of warm aromas that took about eight months to perfect. “Once it settles on your skin, it’s such a delicious, warm scent. But initially, it’s very juicy and fruity,” Kateb says of the final product.
She recommends layering Pomegranate Princess with different scents to play round with the “flexibility of the notes” — how you pair it can help you tap into the “fresh vibe” or embrace the sweetness “for the gourmand girls.”
Leah’s Makeup Bag Necessities
Kateb has perfected her glam routine, so much so that she usually opts to do her own makeup for major events and carpets. The one beauty product that always comes with her? Lip liner. “My boyfriend makes fun of me because I have 50 lip liners in my bag all the time,” Kateb says.
Her current fave is actually a drugstore find: a $10 Maybelline lip liner in the color On It. “It’s so good, and it stays for so long. I have trouble finding liners that last,” she says.
Although she’s down to play around with a few other shades of this lippie, Kateb generally sticks to her go-to makeup must-haves. There is one exception: Lately, she’s been embracing baby pink blush trend, specifically the Dew Blush ($26) from Saie Beauty. “I love it. I used to think that it was not good for my skin tone. I was married to peach for so long, and I love a sun-kissed look, but that’s what’s fun about makeup — you get to play with it.”
The Skin Care She’ll “Never Go Without”
Kateb has sensitive skin that’s slightly acne-prone, even after being on Accutane when she was younger. So when it comes to skin care, she doesn’t like to get too creative. “I don’t switch it up. My skin doesn’t like it,” she says. Over the years, she has found some holy grail products that she’ll “never go without.”
SPF is her No. 1 go-to. “I’ve started using mineral sunscreens, and I feel like I’ve been breaking out less,” she says. Her dermatologist recommended two different formulas from Colorescience — one powder, and one liquid — to keep her protected.
After washing her face, she applies Avene Cicalfate+ ($26), a cream that has been a staple in her routine for years. Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Cream ($62) is another fave. She skips the trendy under-eye patches. “I feel like those are placebo. I’ve yet to use any that are good.”
Hydrinity’s RetaXome Daily Retinal Hydrator ($145) — in moderation — is another one of her tried-and-trues. “I use retinol, probably four days out of the week. I don’t put it on all the time because I do have really sensitive skin,” she says.
