If I was living in Hong Kong, I know I’d be a lot more broke because of the endless choices of beauty brands and products. Walk into any Mannings and Watsons and you’ll find they seem to have twice more products than what we are accustomed to. It’s not just these drugstores which can be found on just about every major street corner. It’s also their Sasas and the many beauty product outlets located in major MTR stations.
A lot of beauty brands which only have counters at departmental stores in Malaysia have stand-alone stores in Hong Kong, e.g. Biotherm, Astalift, Paul and Joe, Laneige and brands which can be found at Sephora (bareMinerals, Fresh and Bliss). There are a lot more staff manning these outlets or counters than in Malaysia.
NARS at Harbour City seemed to be having an event with their international make-up artist in attendance (my presumption) as there were lots of customers over the weekend. I haven’t had a close look at their counters/products even though I know this is like everyone’s favourite beauty brand.
Just about every NARS counter I have walked past always has customers and it’s really different over in Hong Kong compared to Malaysia where counters can have slow days even on weekends. In Hong Kong, it looks like there are customers at the counters every minute.
Lancome is everywhere in Hong Kong, so much so that it must be one of HK women’s favourite beauty brands. They have stand-alone outlets in so many malls here that I have lost count. They were promoting their latest “Rouge In Love” Collection available in 27 shades and 3 “themes” – “Jolis Matins”, “Boudoir Time” and “Tonight Is My Night.”
One thing I’ve noticed about GWPs in Hong Kong is that you don’t need to spend as much as in Malaysia in order to be entitled to them. Just take the above example where you only need to purchase a foundation/compact to receive a 4-piece gift set whereas in Malaysia you’d probably need to purchase more than just a foundation/compact which is RM160 at most.
Vichy is alive and well in Hong Kong and I think the brand has a lot more prestige here than in Malaysia as it’s not merely a drugstore brand here. It has its own counter at Langham Place so I guess it is doing much better here than it was in Malaysia.
Fujifilm’s Astalift, a brand that has only recently become available in Malaysia has its own stand-alone outlet in Langham Place. However, as with most beauty products, their products in Hong Kong are a lot pricier than in Malaysia which makes me really glad I am living in Malaysia as I can feed my appetite for beauty products without being more broke.
Melvita outlets in Hong Kong look like mirror images of Malaysian outlets. They look so much alike that for a second there, I thought I was back home. I didn’t step into any of them but I’ve a feeling that like most everything else, their products are more expensive than in Malaysia.
This is my favourite beauty kiosk of all – Beyond Organic at Festival Walk. It is so stylish and different from the norm. I love how it looks from above, it really makes me want to go take a closer look. Beyond Organic is also available at stand-alone stores in some malls.
Oh yes, Fancl is also everywhere and seems quite popular but I don’t know what they are famous for. If anyone knows, please let me know.
