I am a skincare addict of 20+years. Serums, retin-A's, sunscreens, eye creams, face wash, Vitamin…read moreA,B,C & E...over the counter, fancy department store and pharmaceutical grade...I have tried them all probably once in my lifetime. Almost like Yelping, skin care is a full time passion of mine! A bonus of living part-time in Asia though is that I now have better access to the great skincare lines of Korea and Japan specifically that are not available to me in the United States. And thus, let me introduce the Zino brand. Easily found in Mannings and other shops at a reasonabe low price for skincare, the Zino brand (from Korea) has one self standing shop in Hong Kong (ONLY ONE!) at Windsor House in Causeway Bay (across the street from the entrance of IKEA). Kind of tucked around one of the curves on one of the shopping mall floors, the shop is small, but they sell all of the Zino products. Often at Mannings, they will not have the complete line. The complete line can be found at this one store. Also, unlike buying a bit blind at a retail store where you can only read info on the box (and 85% of the time, non of it is in English), you can talk to a Zino rep about the product. Zino is not considered a high end brand, so unlike the SK-II, Dior, Sulwhasoo, etc. kiosk's you see everywhere in Hong Kong, it is kind of unusual for this brand to have a store. Despite these facts though, Zino is an excellent brand. I found out from the rep at this store (who spoke little English, but we figured it out with the help of my husband to interpret) that prices are the same at this Zino store and Mannings. If Mannings puts it on sale, they will put it on sale at this store too. So you would always get the best price. Zino is not the most expensive, slickest marketed skin care line on the planet, but the products work. Life is short, I 've done the research and Zino works for me. Skin care products do not need to be super expensive to work, it is a false understanding out there in the world. Lots of their product line has all the great stuff you want...snail, hyrolonic acid, Vitamins A,B, C or E, etc. The eyelashing enhancing serum is now something I cannot live without (in the US, you need a presciption for pharmaceutical grade stuff like this to grow your eyelashes longer and here in Hong Kong, anyone can buy it!) Also the Hydra Snail B5 serum is the real deal on hydration. I liked discovering this shop because I felt like I was at the Zino temple and I also was able to ask more in depth question to someone who is paid to understand the brand extensively.

Sasa is like the Ulta of Hong Kong (if you are from America and are familiar with Ulta). THere are…read moreseveral Sasa's around Hong Kong. Their selection from store to store can vary and is not consistent based on the size of the store it seeems, so just know that. But if you are a skin care guru like myself and like to dabble in all things beauty and skin care, Sasa is a good place to spend some time and browse around. Lots of Korean, Chinese and Japanese skin care brands you cannot easily find in the US. They sell a vast variety of brands from low end like Nutrogena & Burts Bees to high end like SK-II and La Mer, and many brands in between. Skin care appears to be about 65% of their business model, with make-up lines, lotions, shampoos, etc. making up the other 35%. It is not that their prices are any less expensive necessarily, simply they have more brands and more variety in one store. Skin care can be tricky and you can get lost in a sea of serums, masks, lotions and creams if you are not knowledgable in places like this. Sasa has a website in which you can look at brands in English that appear only in another language when you are looking at the packaging in the actual store. They do appear to have a membership program that rewards you for your loyalty as well. Sasa is a good way to look at a lot of skincare

I heard that the black pearl face masks are pretty cheap here. So i got some.. maybe more than i…read moreneed. It's clean, the staffs are friendly and prices are not that bad.

There are Sasas everywhere in Hong Kong, and I think that they are a good place to look for asian…read morebrand cosmetics. They had an extensive mask selection at this one, and I felt that the collection was pretty complete in general. I would consider this similar to Sephoras in the US (but there were not as many of the popular US brands represented, of course). This location is just a few feet from the subway station, which was super convenient. I had been hearing a lot about japanese mascaras, and found the one I was looking for at Sasa. They take visa cards, and speak English.

Etude House is a Korean cosmetics and skincare brand that I learned about through my friend in the…read moreStates. I stumbled into this location while wandering around TST and found my experience to be a solid one. The sales women are very helpful, not pushy and can speak English. You can receive free samples after meeting certain purchase minimums, which they display at the register. I purchased the "My Lash Serum" which is apparently great for growing lashes, several eye liners both liquid and pencil, and the Collagen moistfull essence-in-pact powder. You will find that many of their products only come in one color, but they allow you to test any product, which generally is translucent enough to fit most (Asian) skin tones. I am generally looking for Asian cosmetic products that are hard to find in the States, and I highly recommend this brand and store for it's cute packaging, affordable prices, and stress-free shopping experience (compared to Sasa)!

Mi Ming Mart was founded by celebrity/ politician Erica Yuen. The Central store is the newest…read morelocation of the 5 stores. Despite the feminine interior design of the store, there are many things that are suitable for both sexes. I stumbled upon Erica's YouTube channel 4-5 years ago when I started watching beauty videos. Back then, she was probably one of the first few local celebrities or "beauty gurus" as the YouTube community calls it, creating videos introducing skincare, makeup and healthcare products in Hong Kong. I used to have skin allergy problems when I was younger. As such, I've always been careful with the skincare products I use. I always look for products that do not have artificial fragrance and chemicals. Erica's concept of choosing chemical-free products for her store is exactly what I've been looking for all these years. The skincare industry these days just use marketing techniques by giving you statistics and telling you they have this exclusive formula. Honestly, can you even search for these so-called exclusive ingredients and formula on the Internet and prove them right? What I like about Erica is that she hand-picks and introduces many different brands of products that are hard to find in Hong Kong. She also carefully studies the ingredients to explain to her viewers and customers why such natural ingredients are important and others are bad for the skin. If you watch her videos, sometimes it can get a bit scientific... but I'm convinced! Her products aren't cheap, but for something that gives me results these years and given her hard work on researching for products, I'm willing to pay a higher price. Mi Ming Mart is truly a "mart" as she doesn't just sell skincare or beauty products. There are also other products such as health supplements, healthy snacks, laundry care, home fragrance, etc. For those who are living overseas, they also have an online store!

SASA has franchises throughout Hong Kong and Kowloon…read more Prices vary - you have to check how much things cost elsewhere. I found fewer Japanese skincare products at this location - a few years ago, Japanese skin care products were actually less expensive in HKG than in Japan. It was an ok location, nothing more. Research your prices, ladies!

Think I have the right store. One I went to was small, tight to walk round and very busy. The…read moreassistant helped me find the SkII facial essence my friend asked me to get for her. It was hidden away. Paying - they have queues for cash/octopus and another for cards, both busy queues that they have staff pointing to which till to go to, there were only three. Sasa is worth going to if you want cheaper products, from skincare, make up and perfume.

Every girl knows Sasa - hell, every girl loves Sasa. Sasa is home to affordable skincare, makeup…read moreand everything in between. They even sell toiletries like cotton wipes and toothpaste - seriously, Sasa's got everything. I think one thing people don't know is that besides affordable products that are mostly imports from Korea and Japan, Sasa also stocks high-end brands like La Prairie and La Mer. They're way in the back of the store and displayed behind locked cabinets, so you will have to ask the sales ladies to help you with them. The advantage of buying high-end products here is that they are usually cheaper than if you buy them at the actual stores. Products from brands like these are no doubt expensive, so why not get the exact same thing for cheaper? The disadvantage, though, is that you don't get the A-list treatment that you would if you were shopping in, say, Lane Crawford. You probably won't get to sit down in a lush chair and allow the sales lady to let you try all their products, knowing you have your eye set on just one thing and nothing else. You likely won't be able to leave with free testers either - but who cares, if you're able to buy something with about a $100 knocked off its price? My mother has bought skincare gifts for friends from here before and they have no idea she got a better deal for them at Sasa! I've found that the sales ladies at Sasa aren't the most helpful people on earth - for example, I've asked for their cotton pads and they just kind of point vaguely in the direction that it's in. If I'm in a hurry, I usually have to try my luck and ask for where something is rather than scanning all the aisles and looking for myself because Sasa is quite big and if I'm not familiar with that particular branch, it would take me a while to locate what I want. All in all, I would choose going to Sasa over Watsons and Mannings any day. The items are cheaper, and for things like makeup, there's a much larger variety for you to choose from! However, speaking of price, some things are cheaper at their competitor, Bonjour. Bonjour isn't as varied as Sasa though and between the two, you're more likely to find what you want at Sasa!