Iranian women exert considerable effort to highlight their facial features using expensive makeup despite the veil that they have to wear and the hard times that they endure.

Daily makeup is probably more common among women in the Islamic republic of Iran compared to those residing in some western countries, according to Shanghai Daily.

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With its female population exceeding 38 million, Iran is the second-biggest cosmetics market across the Middle East based on revenue. It is just a step behind Saudi Arabia, the seventh biggest cosmetics market in the world.

Tina Zarinnam, a 30-year-old fashion designer, said Iranian women put on makeup the moment they get up from sleep. Although they feel sick, she said these women strive to look beautiful when they are out and about.

Estimates by makeup professionals put Iranian women's mascara purchase to about one tube per month. French women, in contrast, buy one tube every four months.

According to French Luxury brand Lancome, it has recently returned to Iran after being away for some decades. Its return has been marked by a celebration attended by around 400 industry types and artists to a distinguished hotel in Iran.

Since the Islamic revolution in 1979, this was the first time that a big Western name had launched itself in such a high-profile manner. The US had implemented a trade embargo in the 1980s and since then, no American cosmetics brand had been in the official Iranian market until Lancome came back.

Official distributors control only 30% of the Iranian market. The remaining 60% is operated by bootleggers who illegally import and sell cosmetics and makeup in small stores and bazaars.

Iran has been hard hit by Western sanctions, and this has partly caused the country to suffer a severe economic downturn. For this reason, Iranian women consider makeup as a small escape from their daily problems despite its high price.

The Iranian market is still unsaturated. Caprice brand founder and director Vista Bavar said there is still plenty of room for luxury products including makeup to compete with the 20 Iranian and international brands present in the market.

TagsIran, women, makeup, beauty, cosmetics