What not to buy in China

- Cosmetics

NO NO NO NO NO. Even if one day you stumble upon a Sephora in Shanghai and be bowled over by the stuff that you can't find in your home country (thankfully there are 2 Sephoras in Singapore now), DON'T ever buy cosmetics in China. The tax for these goods is extremely high, which explains why if you ever happen to have the misfortune to be shopping at DFS Changi around the same time as China-bound flights are about the depart, you have to queue at least 20 minutes to pay for your one bottle of perfume. And the Chinese know no limit when cosmetics are so cheap. On China flights, our inflight sales do particularly well.

I can safely say all cosmetics there are 50% more than what you find elsewhere. For a makeup base that costs RM80 costs RMB240 (~RM120) in China, and for lipsticks that usually cost S$45 will cost about RMB300. Drugstore brands like La-Roche Possay and Avene are not spared the high tax too.

Yesterday I was so shocked at seeing the RMB101 (~$20) pricetag on a small Sally Hansen bottle of nailpolish in Carrefour that I have sworn off even browsing through cosmetics in China. Do you know how cheap that nailpolish is in the States? Answer: US$4.


Other things you should not buy in China:
- Milk, just in case.
- Eggs - a friend told me that on top of all the things China fakes, they fake eggs too wtf.
- "Branded" electronic products
- Imported luxury goods e.g. clothes, handbags



What you could buy in China:
- Shampoo
- Body shower gel
- Women's supplies *erhem* (read: HALF-PRICE!)
- Batteries (Duracell, Eveready)
- Tea leaves
- pirated DVDs
- duvet
- home decor (beautiful display pieces made of wood but depending on where you live, it might prove tricky for you at the customs)
- and of course, Silk.