In this article
Key takeaways
- Video in 89% of UAE makeup ads (UAE average 71%), and long text: a median of 150 words against 67.
- A gift in 32%, more than three times the UAE average (9%); a discount or an offer in 51%, "limited time" in 34%.
- "Shop now" on 68% of the ads, and "WhatsApp message" on only 11% against 31% of UAE ads overall.
- The median advertised price is AED 200; half of the priced ads sit between AED 139 and 480.
The UAE makeup market in one picture
Makeup takes 5% of all the Arabic ads that targeted the UAE (1,907 ads), against 3% in Saudi Arabia. Across the Gulf, the UAE is first by count: 1,907 of the study's 6,778 makeup ads, then Saudi Arabia (1,748), Oman (1,332) and Kuwait (1,297). The whole Gulf category is in Makeup ads, and ten ready ad texts for it in Makeup ad examples.
The market is spread out: 1,907 ads from 325 pages, about six ads per advertiser, close to the UAE average. No page owns makeup in the UAE. To see who advertises now, open the Advertisers screen in GccFY with "مكياج" (makeup) and the UAE filter. For the UAE market overall, read Facebook ads in the UAE.
Video in nine of ten, and the gift before the discount
89% of makeup ads in the UAE are video, the category's share across the whole Gulf (90%) and clearly above the UAE average (71%). Images are only 7%. The reason is plain: lipstick is seen on lips and foundation on a face, before and after, in ten seconds that a photo cannot say.
And the text is long: a median of 150 words, more than twice the UAE average (67). A makeup ad lists the shades, the products and the whole offer, and often the full range of a beauty store. Emojis appear in 93% of the ads. Then the offer, with the gift before the discount:
- A gift in 32% of UAE makeup ads, against 9% of UAE ads overall: "a free brush with every order", "a free makeup bag", "the mascara as a gift with the set". This sets the category apart in the UAE more than anything else.
- A discount or an offer in 51% (UAE average 40%), and urgency in 34% (UAE average 20%).
- Cash on delivery in 17%, close to the UAE average (15%) and below the category across the Gulf (25%). Free delivery in 15%.
- Instalments in only 1%: the price does not need them.
Buttons and destination: Shop now, not a chat
"Shop now" on 68% of UAE makeup ads, against 39% of UAE ads overall. "WhatsApp message" on only 11%, while it is on 31% of UAE ads and 32% of skincare ads there (UAE skincare ads). The difference is the product: a lipstick shade is chosen from the picture without a question, a serum is asked about. "Learn more" on 7%, and "Book now" on 1%: the trace of beauty salons among the advertisers.
Where we knew the store platform: WhatsApp without a store in 11% of the ads (a third of its share in the UAE overall: 33%), then Shopify (6%) and WooCommerce (1%). For most UAE makeup ads we did not recognise the platform among the eight we classify: brand sites and their own apps. Open the store page behind the ad in GccFY to see the real destination.
Prices in dirhams
Of 131 ads that stated a price in dirhams: the lower quartile up to AED 139, the median 200, the upper quartile from AED 480. The median is below the median of UAE ads overall (AED 299), and the range is wide: a lipstick or a mascara at the bottom, a full set or a salon package at the top. Note that the number of priced ads is small: the category states the offer and the gift more than the price.
The makeup ads that lasted in the UAE
Sort the library by longest running with the UAE filter, and note for every ad that lasted: the product (lipstick, foundation, mascara, a set), the gift that comes with it, the form of the video (application on a face, a shade comparison, an unboxing of the set), and who appears in it. Then open the store page behind the ad to see the price and the available shades. Repeat with "روج" (lipstick), "ماسكرا" (mascara) and "فاونديشن" (foundation). How to read running time.
An honest note on the numbers: the "makeup" group is built from words in the ad text (makeup, lipstick, mascara, concealer, foundation, eyeliner, blusher), and the long texts mention many other products: 43% of the group's ads in the UAE also mention hair, 39% accessories, 24% skin, and it holds some beauty salons. Read the numbers as "ads that mentioned makeup", and narrow the search with your own product word.
Practical steps and copy templates for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah
- Open the GccFY library with "مكياج" (makeup) or "روج" (lipstick) and the UAE filter, sorted by longest running, and watch twenty videos before you film.
- A real application video in natural light, with the shades on different skin tones in the same ad.
- Make the gift the offer (a brush, a bag, a small product), not a bare discount: a third of your competitors do.
- A "Shop now" button to the product page, with every shade on the page: makeup is bought without a question.
- Plan the seasons: White Friday on 27 November 2026 (start mid-November), UAE National Day on 2 December, Eid al-Fitr on 9 or 10 March 2027. The calendar is in Gulf ad seasons.
| Angle | Copy (ours) |
|---|---|
| The gift | "The [product] set for AED [price], and a makeup bag as a gift with every order. Delivery inside Dubai within [time]." |
| The shades | "[count] shades of [name] lipstick for every skin tone: lasts [hours] hours and does not transfer to the cup. See the shades in the video and pick yours." |
| Staying power | "A foundation that holds from morning to the evening out in the UAE heat. Your shade is in stock, AED [price] instead of [price] until [date]." |
| Trust | "Original product, expiry [date], cash on delivery in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, exchange within [period]." |
