DUBAI: A brand new bottle of Chanel No. 5 Eau De Parfum costs $172 in Canada. But to acquire that same perfume in the United Arab Emirates, you have to fork out over $185, according to new data by beauty price comparison website Cosmetify. MAC Cosmetics’s Retro Matte Lipstick, meanwhile, can be had for $19 in the United States or $26 in the UAE.
The new report by Cosmetify aims to highlight the economic discrepancies when it comes to purchasing beauty products by looking at the most expensive countries to buy the five most iconic beauty products — Chanel No. 5 Eau De Parfum, MAC Cosmetics Retro Matte Lipstick, Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF10, Anastasia Beverley Hills DIPBROW Pomade and the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation.
According to the research, the UAE is the fourth most expensive country to purchase beauty, while China is the most pricy. Thailand and Taiwan are third and fourth, while Denmark rounds out the list at number five.
Still, according to a study by Research & Markets, the UAE cosmetics market is forecast to cross $3 billion by 2025.
The reason for this, states the study, is “increasing demand from the youth population, growing adoption of western culture and lifestyle and an increasing number of beauty salons across the country.”
Meanwhile, those who wish to stock up their makeup bag for less can consider traveling to Canada, the United States, Mexico or Malaysia, which boast the world’s lowest prices when it comes to purchasing cosmetics.
