Online vs In-Store: Why I Am Ditching Physical Beauty Stores

I am a sucker for good deals.

I love scouring through different places for the best deals.

Some might even say I’m a little overboard.

(I usually look for the most value-for-money tissue boxes by counting their price-per-ply. That probably says something.)

Ever since I’ve been introduced to the world of online shopping, I’ve been sucked into the black hole of price comparison, especially for products which I consider essential.

As such, skincare became one of the categories in which I spend quite a bit of time doing ‘research’ on, as they play an important role in maintaining the last bit of my depleting youth.

I enjoyed having this extra knowledge, and I’ve always felt as pleased as punch whenever I saw the cost savings I manage to achieve from these good deals.

However, I would still witness many people crowding in these physical beauty retailers whenever I visit the malls.

It often perplexed me – so many good deals online, why are people still going to these stores?!

Some money could be saved, guys!

And then I realised why-

Not everybody is as cheapo as me.

So…… as a wise man once said: Good deals must share!

Therefore, I would be sharing some of the savings I’ve personally achieved from the products I’ve used.

Disclaimer: I understand that skincare routines are highly personal, and this might not apply to everyone.

Also, some might still prefer visiting brick-and-mortar stores for a different kind of retail experience.

Therefore, just hoping to put this info out there for a few others who might be benefitting from it! 🙂

Cost Savings I Managed to Achieve From Buying My Skincare Products Online

As you can see from the table above, each product has cost savings of at least 20%.

Calculating the total cost difference brings the total savings to 40.4%.

That’s like almost half!

Cost savings liddis where to find?

Where to Shop for Beauty Products Online

From the list of beauty products mentioned in my skincare routine above, you can see that most of my current products are Korean brands.

However, I do have a few websites I visit when I am looking for international brands too.

These websites mostly have suppliers from the countries of origin, allowing them to purchase directly from these brand offices.

By purchasing large quantities from these offices, these companies are able to secure a good discount as compared to retail prices, allowing cost savings to be passed to the customers.

Note: There are a few websites out there that could be selling imitation goods, so please do your due diligence when purchasing products online.

Save money without destroying your face ah.

Althea Singapore

I used to purchase a lot of my products from Althea Singapore.

They offer free shipping from their Korea warehouse from just $29, a very reasonable (and easy) amount to achieve.

They also offer hassle-free 30-day returns, and all their products are nicely wrapped and delivered.

Hush.sg

Hush.sg is another Singapore-registered company that offers direct imports from Korea.

You can also earn rebate points with every purchase, where these points would be used to offset your next purchase.

It’s like cheap products getting even cheaper. Huat ah.

Cocomo

Cocomo was founded in 2015, and also offers a pretty good range of K-beauty products at great prices

On their website, the Cocomo team also provides articles on latest beauty trends and skincare tips.

Shopee (Global Free Shipping)

Shopee is my current go-to website for my skincare products.

Their range is the widest I’ve seen so far, with some products offering an additional 10% cashback, making these deals even more attractive.

In addition, Shopee regularly holds events for users to earn coins, which could be used to offset any purchases. These promos often allow the product prices to be very price competitive.

Highly recommended!

Note: There are some retailers that might be slightly more dodgy on this site. As always, check out the track record of the merchants before getting anything.

iHerb

iHerb is my favourite website when it comes to all things natural and organic.

It has over 30,000 products, and regularly offers sitewide discounts.

I usually get my facial oils and masks from them.

For facial oils, I’ve made a switch to affordable ones on iHerb, which performed as well as certain brands which easily cost thrice as much.

Lookfantastic

Lookfantastic is another which frequently offers sitewide discounts, and covers a good range of beauty brands and products.

I’ve previously gotten my Foreo device (silicon face brush) from this site at a very good price!

Asos Face + Body

Apart from fashion, ASOS has a category named ‘Face + Body’ which includes a range of skincare and beauty products.

It is a good site to explore when you’re buying certain western beauty brands.

Time to check out some skincare while shopping for clothes!

Beauty Bay

Beauty Bay is a UK-based company that also offers a wide range of international products, covering cult beauty brands such as Anastasia Beverly Hills, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, and The Ordinary.

If you’re interested in big brands like this, do give this site a look!

Online VS In-Store: Places to Get Beauty Products At A Cheaper Price

The wonders of the Internet has brought us many great things, and has allowed us to compare prices between different retailers before making our shopping decisions.

Are you buying your products in stores, or online? Any other good deals to share?

Let us know in the comments below!