Ultimate Hong Kong Beauty Guide – Quality Products & Services for Less

Shocked by the prices of beauty maintenance regimes in Hong Kong? Not sure where to compromise on your beauty products while you’re living here? 

We know that sinking feeling all too well. But, since we’ve been there and done the product hunting already, we’ve put together this ultimate guide to Beauty in Hong Kong. 

From your hair, brows, and lashes, down to your shellac’d toes; we’ve got everything you need to know about keeping beautiful in this city. 

Ultimate Hong Kong beauty guide

In this article, we’ll give you the lowdown on everything beauty-related in Hong Kong, covering:

• Buying makeup in Hong Kong
• How to find high-quality shampoo at better prices
• The best hairdressers in Central 
• Finding a dentist that’s not going to cost the Earth
• Our recommendations on Botox injections

and more, leaving you ready for the best beauty products and best beauty services in Hong Kong? Let’s do this.

Where to buy high-quality, well-priced makeup and beauty products in Hong Kong

What you need to know:

• We’re all about a balance of price and quality – your face isn’t somewhere you want to cut corners, but we’re also super conscious about paying for the product rather than mindlessly buying these products at department stores.

The beauty stores we like: 

Some of the beauty stores we like include:

• Cult Beauty -it’s an excellent UK website that sells top-class makeup from some of the biggest brands in the biz. Shipping is quick, and the website is super user-friendly, stocking names we love like Hourglass, Huda Beauty, and Benefit. 
• Want to walk into a shop and test shades? Kiko Milano is up there with the likes of NARS and MAC for quality beauty and makeup, but it’s a fraction of the cost. Check out one of its four locations across the city. 
• Another UK brand, Selfridges, stocks some of the top luxury and high-street brands like Chanel, bareMinerals, and Kylie by Kylie Jenner. Even better, you can get your beauty and makeup products shipped for free with the Selfridges+ Global membership – for just $420; you get international shipping at no extra cost for a year.  
• For Western and Asian high street brands at great prices, check out Strawberrynet. The site is pretty full-on, and you’ll need to pick your way through, but there are bargains to be had with brands like Stila, Covergirl, and Urban Decay. 

Summary:

• You can avoid the huge price tags with the right websites and some local knowledge about where’s worth checking out.
• To learn more, read our dedicated makeup guide.

Our favorite Cult Beauty makeup products

What you need to know:

• When we first landed in Hong Kong, we went shopping for makeup, as you do. Unfortunately, the prices in the big brand stores were pretty horrifying, so we had to find a better alternative. 
• Years before SavvyinHK became a thing in our searching and testing; we found Cult Beauty, a London-based online store that hit all the buttons.  

The beauty items we like: 

Some of our favorite Cult Beauty makeup products are:

• We love Huda Beauty and we love the Power Bullet Matte Lipstick, which comes in 24 shades and should last for at least seven to eight hours before you need a touch-up.
• We love the look of all the Charlotte Tilbury Palette of Pops range of eyeshadows, but the one that we always seem to reach for is The Golden Goddess. It blends really well and can take you from day to night with the shimmery elements. 
• To get a flawless base, you need a good beauty regime and some fantastic sponges, which is where the Beauty Blender Rosie Posie comes in. They’re soft on your skin and blend super well.
• The six shades of Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder give a great glow and very nearly perfect coverage.

Summary:

• Cult Beauty sells carefully selected quality products, and they have plenty of reviews which makes it easier to choose. 
• Because you’re shipping to Hong Kong, you’ll see 20% sales tax knocked off the price when you checkout. 
• To learn about the complete list of our Cult Beauty favorites, read this article. 

Where to buy affordable, quality shampoo and haircare in Hong Kong

What you need to know:

• It’s not cheap to buy high-quality shampoo anywhere in the world, but Hong Kong, true to form, is more expensive than most.
• Frustrated with pricing, we went on a mission to find out how to get our hands on high-quality shampoo at better prices in Hong Kong.

The shampoo stores we like: 

We found 5 ways to purchase shampoo in Hong Kong. Some of our favorite stores for buying shampoo include:

• Shampoo.hk: They have bricks-and-motor stores and stock professional ranges with more than 1,500 products to keep your tresses content. The staff are very knowledgeable and give great advice on which products might be best for your hair, too.
• Strawberrynet: Offers discounted prices on select brands and products. Brands they sell include; Aveda, Goldwell, Joico, and Living Proof.
• Lookfantastic is a great option if you have hair with specific needs. For example, Lookfantasic will have the answers to tight curls, colored hair, or afro hair.

Summary:

• For the complete guide to where to buy the best affordable shampoos, no matter your hair type, check out our detailed article on the topic.

The best hairdressers in Central Hong Kong

What you need to know:

• You’ll always find the better-priced anything outside of Central – it’s one of the first lessons of Hong Kong as a newbie – but sometimes you just need the convenience of a blow-dry on your lunch break. 

The hair beauty places we like: 

• Tommy Hair Design is a small, intimate salon that knows how to work fast. They rely on word-of-mouth for their client to find them, and they’re always busy. 
• For everything from a quick trim to a very decent blow-dry, head to Michele Rene in Central. The brother and sister pair who run it will give you a blow-dry for as little as $158 to get you ready for the evening, and they also sell Kerastase products. 
• Do the full pamper in quick-time at La Belle salon, where you can get your manicure as you get your curly blow on. Prices are super competitive, which is a rarity in Central Hong Kong. 
• Need some highlights and felt like you were high looking at the prices? At Mina Dev’ Wil, prices start at $500, and the place has a fun salon vibe to boot. 

Summary

• In Central, you can get a fast blow-dry or root touch-up after work or on an extended lunch break with some super value places that know how to give excellent service and get you in and out quickly. 
• To see our complete list of favorites, check out our articles on the best hairdressers in Central.

The best-priced dentists in Hong Kong

What you need to know:

• There are a lot of dentists to choose from in Hong Kong, with a range of prices to boot. We’ve checked out nine that come highly recommended. 
• Check through your health and medical insurance to see if dental treatment is included, or you can pay extra to have it added on. 

The places to add Beauty to your smile that we like: 

In our article dedicated to the best dental clinics, some of the clinics we recommend include:

• Caritas Dental Clinics are affordable thanks to a government subsidy and offer a high standard of care. It’s possible that you’ll wait a little while for an appointment, though. 
• From orthodontics to aesthetics, Conrad Dental Care Centre’s two clinics have the well-priced services you’re looking for. 
• Dr. Paul of Dr. Paul Leung Dental Clinic (PLDC) was trained in the USA, and it shows in his standards of care and modern practices.  
• Smart Dental Centre is one of the best dental clinics in Hong Kong, with a range of locations, including a Specialist Centre right in Central for more complicated procedures. 
• You’ll find a lot of expats go to Smith & Jain Dental and Implant Practice. It’s got four branches, including one in Central, and is known for being very kid-friendly. 

Summary

• You’ve got a lot of choices when it comes to restoring the beauty to your smile or simply maintaining it. 
•  To learn more read our complete article on the best dental clinics.

Where to go to get safe and affordable Botox in Hong Kong

What you need to know: 

• You should always go to a skilled and qualified injector for botox – there can be problems and complications if you use someone who isn’t fully trained. 
• Our ultimate guide to botox in Hong Kong has all the details you need and answers all the questions you have about Botox. 

The beauty places we like: 

• Dr. Winnie Mui is a Botox expert at Medispa and will leave you looking flawless. She has a range of different brands available at different price points and is sure to put you at ease. 
• Calm Medical doesn’t have a minimum spend for Botox, which is unusual for Hong Kong and super helpful if you just want a small patch up of past work. 
• Dr. Stephanie Lam at Central Health has higher prices than the previous two but offers a luxury experience along with it. Expect to pay at least $3,000 for a session. 
• For a real top-class experience, check out Skin Central’s Botox expert Dr. Carmen Lam. It’s one of the most expensive Botox sessions in the city, but you get outstanding service and expertise.  

Summary

• Be sure to ask the right questions before you go ahead with any Botox or other invasive beauty treatment, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
• Read our complete article on Botox here.

Where to go for dermal filler injections in Hong Kong

What you need to know:

• There’s a whole range of different filler brands that can last from six months up to two years; we’ve got all the details and more in our full guide to dermal fillers in Hong Kong. 

The beauty places we like: 

• Dr. Winnie Mui – the very same one who’s a whizz at Botox at Medispa – is also adept at offering dermal filler injections. You can even get advice on a combination of both treatments. 
• As you’d expect from an aesthetics and beauty clinic, Central Health also offers dermal fillers at their practice – you can expect similar service and prices as for Botox. 
• Skin Central is another clinic that offers dermal fillers along with Botox from their resident expert Dr. Carmen Lam. 

Summary

• Take care when picking where to get your fillers in Hong Kong – they last a while, so you want to use an expert doctor. 
• Combining fillers with Botox can be a beauty solution when you want to work on different parts of your face.

The beauty salons for adding some beauty to your nails

What you need to know:

• For good value, you might need to eschew the luxury spa atmosphere, but you’ll be in and out with great nails and cared-for nail beds all the same. 

The nail beauty places we like: 

• Nail20 does the best shellac in town and it’s not unusual to have a couple of technicians working to get you served lightning-fast. It’s always busy, so call ahead. 
• Located in four locations across Hong Kong, Nail 88 is super value if you don’t need luxurious touches when getting your nails made beautiful.
• Kitty Lee’s Nail and Beauty in Central Hong Kong will always try to squeeze you in for nails – or any other beauty service they offer. You’ll find plenty of funky nail art here, too.  
• Queen’s Nail has two spots in Wan Chai and does great nails and many other beauty services. It’s still cheap, but there’s more of a spa-style feel to the place. 
• New customers get a 30% discount at Pikapika Nails, and for that, you get lovely nails and fast – what more do you need? 

Summary

• Want to learn more? Read our article Nails – The 5 Best Affordable Nail Salons in Hong Kong.

Where to buy beauty and skincare products for great results in Hong Kong

What you need to know:

• Our top pick for pretty much any brand you need for your skincare is Cult Beauty. 
• We covered them at the top when we looked at makeup, and they slay it again with some of the best skincare products for your beauty regime, no matter your budget. 

The beauty and skincare products we like:  

• The acid exfoliator from Alpha H called Liquid Gold is a bestseller on Cult Beauty for a reason – it’ll reduce your fine lines and imperfections over time and really works. 
• Vitamin Nectar Glow Juice Antioxidant Face Serum from Fresh smells delish and restores moisture while adding antioxidants to your skin. 
• Laneige is a Korean skincare and beauty brand, and we adore their Water Bank Moisture Cream. It works as a great base for makeup and isn’t at all greasy. 
• Oskia’s Renaissance Cleansing Gel goes from gel to oil in your hands and is perfect for removing makeup and giving your skin a boost of Vitamin A at the same time.

Summary:

• Building a good skincare regime is vital, and Cult Beauty lets you tailor your routine to your needs with the best brands and products around.
• Want to learn more? Read our article dedicated to the best Cult Beauty products.

Finally

We are dedicated to helping make life in Hong Kong more affordable and more enjoyable. So, what’s more fun than some pampering and self-care to boost your wellness? 

We’ve really done our homework on Beauty in Hong Kong. We have tried and tested many salons and products for you, and our wealth of knowledge is compacted down here for you. 

We hope our beauty tips help you look fantastic while living in this exhilarating city. Think we’ve missed something? Want to add one of your favorites to our lists? 

Leave a comment below, and we’ll investigate!

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