K-beauty has had its moment. Now Chinese beauty brands are quietly taking over shelves, and a new store in Singapore is making it easy to see what the fuss is about. SkinSha, at Plaza Singapura, stocks more than 60 C-beauty brands — including several with huge followings in China but little presence here, plus a handful fronted by actors your favourite C-drama fans will recognise.
The focus is on affordable products that suit Singapore's climate. Watercome's bodycare line starts at $9.90 for an AHA skin-smoothing body wash, paired with a $16.90 brightening body lotion designed not to feel sticky in humid weather. For something more scientific, GUYU (founded 2016, anti-ageing focused) sells a $49 eye cream that comes bundled with a photonic massager to help it absorb — a nice bit of tech for the price.
Celebrity tie-ins are a big draw. DearIrean, fronted by actor Hou Minghao, does haircare and bodycare with clean scents that reportedly last up to six hours; its Floating Water Hair Eau De Parfum was already sold out on one recent visit, though the $14.90 shower wash is still around. For the boyfriend or husband, Inoherb — endorsed by Zhang Linghe and built on Traditional Chinese Medicine ideas — offers men's cleansers like the Dark Tea Oil-Control Cleanser ($9.90) and a blemish-care version at $8.90.
Beyond skincare, there's a full drugstore-style haul waiting. Makeup picks include Veecci's 11-colour eyeshadow palette at $13.90 and glue-free false lashes at $11.90. Nail lovers get quick-dry polish at five bottles for $10 and press-on nail sets at two for $10, each kit including glue tabs and a mini file. Fragrance fans can pick up a 30ml Inside Flow Eau de Parfum for $39.90, while Mooekiss lip glosses and glazes ring in under $10 each.
There's a wellness corner too: heat packs and eye masks for neck, shoulders, knees and even period cramps, from $7.90 — and, as a bonus, they'd earn their keep on a winter trip to Hokkaido or a ski holiday in China.
The deals are where things get genuinely cheap. During a recent visit there was a buy-1-get-1-free promotion on skincare masks, bringing the GUYU Centella Edelweiss hydrating mask down to $2.95 a piece. Worth scanning the shelves near the till before you pay.
For travellers and locals alike, this is a low-risk way to explore brands you'd otherwise only see on Taobao or in a Chengdu mall — no flight required. Prices mostly sit between $9 and $50, so you can experiment freely, and C-drama fans can shop their favourite stars' endorsements in person. One more thing for the north: SkinSha is set to open a second outlet at Northpoint City by the end of 2026.
Story via The Smart Local
