28 most creative ads for cosmetics playbooks you can copy
Struggling to craft cosmetic ads that actually convert? Zeely AI has studied top-performing creative ads for cosmetics playbooks to identify exactly what works and why.
What are ads for cosmetics?
Ads for cosmetics are short stories told through beauty. They show makeup, skincare, or fragrance in a way that clicks with everyday life while lifting the product into something desirable.
A cosmetic advertisement isn’t just about showing a lipstick or a cream. It’s about sparking recognition: this feels like me. That’s why strong beauty ads blend lifestyle cues, textures, and identity. They make a brand memorable and position products as part of a routine, not just a purchase. Returning customers spend 67% more than new customers; acquisition costs 5–10x more than retention.
Why are cosmetic ads so powerful?
Cosmetic advertising works because it plays directly into how people see themselves. A swipe of lipstick or a skincare ritual is identity, confidence, and aspiration. Good cosmetic brand marketing leans on subtle triggers: the calming effect of neutrals, the energy of reds, the memory jolt of scent or sound.
This is beauty ads psychology at work. When done well, these details boost recall, drive purchase intent, and build loyalty. TikTok found an average short-term ROI of 11.8 and 75% of advertisers saw their highest ROI on TikTok. People don’t just buy the product — they buy the story they want to live in.
28 best cosmetic ad examples
Julia Roberts — Lancôme “La vie est belle” refresh
Lancôme brought Roberts back in 2025 with a stripped-back look: tailored black suit, rooftop skyline, and the fragrance bottle as the star. The result is elegance without noise.
Why it works
- A familiar face in a new setting sparks fresh recall
- Minimal frames focus all attention on scent and story
How to use it
Keep your set simple. Film one trusted face in an unexpected place. Let a single line of copy close the ad, then linger on your product.
Kristen Stewart — Chanel makeup fall
Chanel cast Kristen Stewart in its fall makeup campaign, blending moody lighting and classic tones around her face. The shots highlight her skin, lips, and eyes as the storytelling canvas.
Why it works
- A known face anchors trust and cuts through noise
- Styling balances legacy and modern edge, so makeup feels timeless, not trendy
How to use it
Frame close facial moments. Use one key makeup move (lip, shadow, or glow). Then fade into your product in soft focus. Test against benchmarks: aim for CTR above the 1.81% Beauty & Personal Care average on Facebook traffic ads.
Bottega Veneta — “Craft is our language” 2025
Bottega Veneta’s “Craft Is Our Language” campaign leans into hand gestures, tactile textures, and the Intrecciato weave as visual metaphor. Emotion lies in the making, not flash.
Why it works
- Craft cues prompt trust in quality
- Gesture focus is universal, cuts language barriers.
How to use it
Highlight one craft motion (twist, touch, pull). Use macro shots of material and skin. Build your ad around one sensory gesture. Keep your edit under 15 seconds and track for at least a 20% higher video completion rate compared to your static creative.
Bottega Veneta — summer 2025 “Playful proportions”
In Summer 2025, Bottega injected playful scale and surreal sets, where models lounge on oversized props, textures exaggerated, movement teasing form. The visuals feel familiar yet uncanny.
Why it works
- Visual surprise stops scroll
- Contrast of scale gives luxury a fresh voice
How to use it
Pick one product, place it in an unlikely juxtaposed prop (giant chair, soft sculpture). Let the environment echo your brand tone. Push this into short-form video; monitor engagement and aim for 3–5% above your baseline click-through rate to justify the creative lift.
Shiseido — SS/AW 2025 global makeup campaign
Shiseido’s 2025 SS/AW campaign rolls out in 90 markets with its Revitalessence foundation and powder, marrying soft textures with bold clarity. The visuals balance modern design and emotional softness.
Why it works
- Consistent global rollout strengthens brand cohesion and reach
- The refined aesthetic underscores premium positioning
How to use it
Anchor one hero SKU in multiple light moods (cool, warm, neutral). Rotate those into your ad sets over 7–10 days. Track which light direction drives 2× higher CTR relative to your baseline.
Shiseido — Ultimune 2025 relaunch
Shiseido reintroduced its signature Ultimune serum in 2025 with campaign visuals built on subtle motion, skin close-ups, and luminous textures that bridge tradition and innovation.
Why it works
- The brand leans on its heritage while feeling fresh
- Macro texture + motion hold attention in feeds
How to use it
Film short loops (2-5s) of your product interacting with skin or light. Use those loops as hooks before revealing full product. Measure video completion rate increase, aiming for at least +15% over prior static ads.
Pat McGrath Labs — AR try-on pop-up experience
Pat McGrath Labs teamed up with Google to build in-store AR mirrors letting customers try shades virtually. The concept merges virtual and physical, letting users “wear” looks before buying.
Why it works
- Reduces friction in shade choice
- Promotes sharing and social proof in real time
How to use it
Launch a “mirror + QR link” hybrid. Encourage users to share their look. Track how many try-on sessions convert to clicks, aiming for 5–8% conversion lift over static image ads.
Huda Beauty — UGC remix challenge
Huda Beauty invites its community to remix a signature look using its products, tagging the brand, and turning submissions into paid ads. This turns fans into collaborators.
Why it works
- UGC amplifies trust
- Remix cycles extend ad life
How to use it
Run a 7-day remix challenge. Pick the top 10 videos and whitelist them into your ad rotation. Monitor cost per video view and aim for ≥20% lower CPV than your usual UGC.
Tower 28 — creator co-pilot program
Tower 28 launched a Creator Track, giving micro-influencers briefs, usage rights, and tiered rewards. Those creators’ content feeds directly into Tower 28’s ads.
Why it works
- Creators feel ownership, not just sponsorship
- Fresh content flows continuously
How to use it
Set monthly briefs (effects, styles, palettes). Offer creators usage rights + performance bonus. Plug their best outputs into ads and aim for 30% lower CAC than standard paid content.
Saie — planet beautiful multi-brand initiative
Saie launched the Planet Beautiful campaign in 2025 with partner clean-beauty brands to recover 1 million pounds of plastic waste as a shared cause. The visuals mix product shots with environmental storytelling.
Why it works
- Purpose frames build emotional depth without overpromise
- Shared mission gives creative a broader footprint beyond beauty buyers
How to use it
Pair your hero product with a small environmental or community action and film both. Promote collaboratively across brands. Track incremental lift in click-through and aim for a 10–15% higher CTR on cause-linked creative over your baseline.
Photo source: Saie
Merit — minimalist “5-minute routine” storytelling
Merit centers its visuals on a simple routine: one stick, one balm, a swipe done in 5 minutes. The campaign emphasizes ease, width of tones, and natural finishes.
Why it works
- It meets the audience where they are, with short attention and time
- Reinforces brand identity: beauty that “just works”
How to use it
Create a 10–15 second “routine reel” of your hero products on a clean face. Lead with the fastest transform. Monitor performance: aim to hit ≥1.81% CTR in traffic campaigns. If not, swap order or pace.
Kosas — TikTok “Brow team” influencer activation
Kosas launched its Brow Team collection on TikTok using influencers who demo shades live, join duets, and push swipe-up links. The campaign leaned into community and authenticity.
Why it works
- Live texture demo = trust
- Duets and remixes = unpaid reach
How to use it
Seed product to 10 creators with instructions to film a brow transformation in 30 seconds. Whitelist top performers. Aim for 30% lower CPA versus static ads by leveraging social proof.
Jones Road — TikTok “What the foundation” demos
Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road went viral with raw TikTok demos of its WTF foundation, showing product texture in real light with unscripted reactions. The ads leaned into honesty, not polish.
Why it works
- Raw demos build trust faster than glossy edits
- Founder presence adds authority
How to use it
Film in daylight, no filters, no heavy edits. Invite users to duet with their results. Track conversion lift: aim for ≥25% lower CPA on raw UGC versus brand-shot creative.
Youthforia — TikTok “Makeup you can sleep in”
Youthforia’s playful tagline — that you can literally sleep in its foundation — spread fast on TikTok, reinforced by bold palettes and playful packaging.
Why it works
- Memorable promise that sparks debate and shares
- Bright visuals capture Gen Z’s “dopamine look”
How to use it
Pick one provocative product truth and make it your tagline. Encourage users to test or prove it on camera. Watch for viral hooks that push CTR past 2.2%, above the category average.
Eucerin — Real Family Skincare Stories
Eucerin campaigns highlight sensitive skin care through everyday family stories with eczema flare-ups, daily hydration routines, and visible relief.
Why it works
- Empathy earns permission to educate
- Family framing widens product use cases.
How to use it
Film three families with real skin stories. Keep the lighting honest and finish with product in use. Aim for video completion rates 15% higher than your baseline, since storytelling increases dwell time.
Estée Lauder + Perfect Corp — virtual try-on integration
Estée Lauder partnered with Perfect Corp to build iMatch™ Virtual Shade Expert and AR lip shade tools; online users who try these see 2.5× higher conversion rates
Why it works
- It bridges digital and physical experience
- People buy when they see the product on themselves
How to use it
Embed AR try-on tech (e.g. YouCam) into your product pages or social ads. Use it as a hook — “Try before you buy.” Monitor how virtual try-on users convert: aim to beat your baseline conversion by 1.5–2×.
Photo source: Perfect Corp.
Perfect Corp — 3D multi-tone AR blush try-on
Perfect Corp’s new 3D multi-tone AR blush tool lets customers experiment with layered blush effects in realtime, blending matte, shimmer, and satin textures.
Why it works
- Depth and realism drive confidence in purchase
- Keeps users engaged longer inside the app
How to use it
Deploy the tool in your own app or webflow. Invite customers to play and save their looks. Track session length and click-through: aim for 20–30% longer engagement vs static product pages.
Lush — influencer + QR integration campaign
Lush’s holiday campaign tied influencer content (YouTube, Pinterest) to QR codes embedded in the videos. Viewers could scan directly to product pages.
Why it works
- Influencer trust + direct click bridge reduces friction
- QR codes in video sync digital and IRL journeys
How to use it
Ask creators to include a short QR flash (2 secs) near video end that maps to your product. Record how many scans convert to visits. If scans >1% of views, consider scaling that campaign.
L’Oréal — #JoinTheRefillMovement
L’Oréal launched its global, multi-brand #JoinTheRefillMovement campaign to normalize refillable beauty across its portfolio, pushing sustainability as ritual.
Why it works
- It turns an industry issue (waste) into a beauty story
- Multi-brand scale amplifies reach without competing messages
How to use it
Build a campaign around one refillable SKU. Show the act of refilling as a ritual. In ads, test refill + original vs only original. Track which audience gives 10–20% higher repeat purchase rate for the refill version.
Dior — “Diorshow” 2025 beauty campaign
Dior’s 2025 Diorshow campaign features ambassadors Deva Cassel and Willow Smith, blending bold makeup looks with artistic, high-contrast visuals.
Why it works
- Fresh faces + legacy brand = modern prestige
- Strong contrasts and lighting anchor visual identity
How to use it
Use one striking lighting setup (e.g. spotlight or silhouette) focused on eyes or lashes. Launch a teaser reel, then full reveal. Compare eye-look creative performance; aim for ≥1.5× CTR over your baseline.
The Ordinary — “The truth should be ordinary” campaign
In 2025, The Ordinary rolled out a campaign that publishes a free digital archive exposing skincare myths, tying education to authenticity.
Why it works
- It shifts brand from “just products” to trusted voice
- Myth-busting invites deeper engagement
How to use it
Pair one hero product with one education asset (fact check, myth vs reality). Use that as your hook. Test this against pure product shots; aim for 15–25% higher dwell time and higher CTR among informed audiences.
Photo source: Contagious
Glossier — “Feeling like Glossier” campaign
Glossier’s “Feeling Like Glossier” ad series leaned into soft palettes, everyday routines, and real user stories to evoke mood more than product. Their focus was on how wearing it feels.
Why it works
- Mood over features resonates with emotional buyers
- Minimal aesthetic aligns with their brand promise of “skin first, makeup second”
How to use it
Layer product moments over lifestyle visuals (bedroom, window light). Use voice-overs about how users feel using it. Test this mood approach vs utility ads and aim for 20% higher engagement on the winner.
Glossier — Paris pop-up activation 2025
Glossier’s Paris pop-up in 2025 became more than retail — it was an experience. Fans queued to get in, took photos in branded corners, and shared the concept widely.
Why it works
- Physical immersion builds brand devotion
- Every guest becomes a content creator
How to use it
Design a pop-up with Instagrammable corners tied to product experience. Encourage on-site UGC. Measure post-event ad lead upticks and aim for ≥30% lift in remarket campaign CTRs originating from those visitors.
Photo source: Random Studio
Fenty Beauty — Soft’Lit naturally luminous foundation
Rihanna fronts the new Soft’Lit Naturally Luminous Foundation in 2025 — shots lean into dewy skin, warm neutrals, and ease. The visuals feel like real skin, not overworked glam.
Why it works
- The “natural glow” anchor feels premium yet accessible
- Rihanna’s presence gives instant brand signal
How to use it
Film close macro skin moments mixed with makeup application. Use natural light transitions. Compare that against conventional glam shots; aim to surpass your baseline CTR +5–10%.
Rare Beauty — “Soft pinch” blush campaign
Rare Beauty’s “Soft Pinch” blush roll-out leans into tenderness and ease: models applying the product with a pinch, blended to soft flush.
Why it works
- It frames product use as part of self-care, not just makeup
- The gesture cue (pinch) becomes a mini visual hook
How to use it
Film the pinch move in macro detail, then zoom out to show the final look. Use that gesture as your ad “hook.” Track conversion on gesture vs full-face ads, aiming for ≥20% lift.
YSL Beauty — “Forever youth liberator” 2025
YSL Beauty’s anti-aging “Forever youth liberator” campaign features glowing skin, elegance, and a motion around the face to suggest renewal.
Why it works
- The rhythm of face motion ties to the “liberation” metaphor
- It balances luxury with emotional promise
How to use it
Animate subtle face motion (tilt, breath, skin shift) in video. Use that motion as your thumb-stop. Compare it to static spots and aim for ~2× video CTR over static.
Milk Makeup — sound-first ASMR launch
Milk Makeup pushed its Nite Glow pads with an ASMR video: tapping, swiping, gentle skin sounds layered over slow visuals.
Why it works
- Sound first content boosts repeat views
- Texture + rhythm feel visceral
How to use it
Produce a 15–30s texture video with close-up swipe, taps, and skin response. Run it muted and sound-on. Track sound-on view rates; aim for ≥30% lift in completion on sound version.
Sephora — “Skin obsessed” multichannel campaign
Sephora’s “Skin Obsessed” campaign in 2025 frames skincare as something overwhelming — and steps in as the guide. One spot shows a traveler held up at TSA with too many bottles; another shows someone lost in product reviews before Sephora helps simplify. There are social, CTV, and streaming layers.
Why it works
- It gives permission to feel overwhelmed and offers a solution
- The narrative is deeply relatable and human-first
How to use it
Find one friction moment your audience faces (choice overload, lack of clarity). Center your ad around that moment, then resolve it with your brand. Test it against “feature” ads and aim for at least 15% lower CPC on the empathy-led creative.
NATRUE — natural cosmetics week 2025
NATRUE’s “Natural Cosmetics Week 2025” is a global awareness campaign. For one week in November, brands, scientists, retailers, and consumers spotlight the real power of certified natural cosmetics, blending education, social activations, and behind-the-label content.
Why it works
- It lets brands lean into trust and transparency with collective scale
- It transforms marketing into movement
How to use it
Launch one “behind the label” mini video or post tied to your hero product. Use that in your paid funnel that week. Compare CTR of the educational creative vs pure product ads — aim for 10–15% lift on the narrative version.
How Zeely helps you produce cosmetic ads fast
Well, after seeing all those beautiful, glossy campaigns from global brands, it’s time to come back down to earth. If you run a small cosmetics business, you know the question that lingers: How do I make a viral ad without a film crew, a studio, and hundreds of thousands of dollars?
The truth: you don’t need to.
This is where AI in advertising changes the rules. Gartner’s 2025 findings show that generative AI is transforming how marketing teams create and operate making content faster, more personalized, and more cost-effective. What used to take weeks of scripts, edits, and approvals can now be done in an afternoon.
Zeely AI works as your copilot. Drop in a product URL and instantly get ready-to-use ad scripts, voiceovers, and UGC-style edits. The workflow is compressed to hours, not weeks:
- Scriptwriting → automated and tied directly to your product
- Voiceover → generated in a natural, brand-true tone
- Edit → short-form cuts designed for TikTok, Meta, or YouTube
- Launch → multiple versions ready to test live
The best part? You’re still in charge. Zeely adapts to your aesthetic, whether that’s luxury minimalism, playful Gen Z vibes, or clean skincare calm, so the ads still feel like you.
How to run Facebook ads for cosmetics with Zeely AI
Running Facebook ads for cosmetics can feel like guesswork. But with Zeely, you don’t need to think like a media buyer, you act like a founder who knows their product, and the tool makes the rest doable.
Step 1: Drop your product URL
You start by pasting your link. In seconds, you’ve got ad copy and video scripts ready — no staring at a blank page.
Step 2: Choose your look and feel with AI avatar
You choose from a library of AI avatars. They are models with natural lip-sync technology, voiceovers, and expressions. They deliver your script in a way that feels human, polished, and tailored to your brand. Whether your vibe is luxury minimalism or playful Gen Z, you see it come alive without needing a film crew.
Step 3: Generate multiple versions
You create several variations at once. That way, you keep your audience interested and avoid ad fatigue without burning extra hours.
Step 4: Create static and video ads
You don’t have to pick one format. With Zeely, you can quickly spin up scroll-stopping videos and clean static posts, so your campaigns have the range to perform.
Step 5: Go live and track what matters
You launch your campaign and watch the essentials: clicks, costs, sales. No jargon. In 2025, the average Facebook traffic ad sees a 1.71% CTR and $0.70 CPC. With your variations and refresh cycles, you can aim to beat those numbers instead of settling for them.
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The bottom line
The 28 most creative ads for cosmetics prove how powerful beauty storytelling can be. From Julia Roberts in a black suit to a TikTok challenge that spreads like wildfire, the best ads make people feel something first and buy second. But you don’t need celebrity budgets or a global media plan to play the same game.
With Zeely, you already have what you need: ad scripts, AI avatars, multiple versions, and simple tracking, all in one flow you can manage yourself. That means less time guessing and more time selling.
If you have ever wondered how to turn your product into an ad that feels memorable and performs like the big brands, the answer is simpler than it looks. You do not need to wait. You just need a clear tool that makes it doable.
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