A Beauty Junkie's Guide to Online Shopping

A Beauty Junkie’s Guide to Online Shopping

Top makeup and skincare picks from Althea, Zalora, Sephora & Lazada

For many beauty junkies and makeup lovers in Singapore, aside from beauty counters at department stores, Sephora may be one of our best friends. Enter the world of online shopping of Zalora, Althea, Sephora, iHerb, Lazada and what do we have? A whole new, bigger world of beauty brands now as accessible as going to Orchard, and at attractive prices. No longer are we confined to the limited beauty brands available in Singapore’s brick-and-mortar stores, shopping online has allowed us to lay our hands on many raved beauty products we could only purchase while on vacation.

If you aren’t familiar with the online beauty scene, fret not, because Cardable has done the tedious bit of prowling through several online stores to pick out some of the best beauty brands either not available in Singapore stores or at great savings online. Well, or both.

You’ll see a fair share of Western and Asian beauty brands because as much as we love our Japanese mascaras and Korean sheet masks, we adore the pigmented eyeshadow palettes, sea salt hair sprays and liquid foundations as well.

And when you are done for the day, don’t forget the most important part – cleansing your skin. Cloversoft’s calming water-based organic cucumber makeup removal wipes (S$7.95/pack of 40 sheets) is infused with nourishing Vitamin E, certified organic aloe vera. These unbleached bamboo wipes pack a powerful punch of active organic and wild-crafted botanicals to dissolve make-up, cleanse and moisturise your skin while keeping your pores clean.

We like that these Cloversoft’s cleansing facial wipes are also safe for use near delicate eye area and lashes so there is no need to buy a separate eye remover. Best of all, there are no harsh chemicals so this is suitable for all stages of your life, even during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Every wipe is made from biodegradable and sustainable unbleached bamboo cloth so it’s gentle to our environment at the same time. Check out Cloversoft’s promotions here!

Ready for the ultimate beauty junkie online shopping guide?

1. ALTHEA

A Korean beauty site started by a Korean with the aim of bringing K-beauty to Southeast Asia, Althea has been steadily rising in popularity. We can see many reasons why too, the most obvious reason being the huge trend with K-beauty along with all things Korean (food, K-pop, drama, travel…you get the drill). Althea carries over 100 Korean beauty brands selling skincare, makeup, hair and body products. Althea also features Korea’s trending items and its best sellers for shoppers to stay updated with the popular products.

The flourishing K-beauty community has witnessed many small and great brands exploding with popularity, many of which aren’t big enough to be stocked up in physical stores yet.

If you’re big on korean beauty and makeup, you may have heard of these smaller brands before. If not, you can thank us later for introducing you to these amazing brands!

Bonus tip: Check out Althea’s latest promo codes and deals on Cardable before you make any purchases!

Althea Beauty Brands Highlight

Althea Mamonde Piolang
Credit: Althea

MAMONDE

Mamonde is a floral-inspired natural Korean beauty brand. Dedicated to translate the invigorating properties of flowers into skincare and makeup that is filled with concentrated floral extracts instead of fragrances, every ingredient used in every Mamonde product was cultivated specifically by the team of horticultural experts at their very own garden in South Korea.

One of Mamonde’s best-seller is the refreshing Rose Water Toner that is made from 90.89% Bulgarian Damask Rose water that soothes and hydrate your skin while cleansing away dirt and dead skin cells. Best of all, Mamonde stays true to its promise and uses pure floral extracts in their products – there are no synthetic pigments, animal oils or mineral oils, making this perfect even for those with very sensitive skin. Check out the over 200 5-star reviews over at Althea here!

PIOLANG

Go ahead, indulge your skin with the famous 24K Gold Wrapping Mask from Piolang! Containing 99% pure gold to exfoliate dead skin cells, brighten and improve the elasticity of the skin, this mask also makes your skin smoother, shinier and bouncier. Are you ready to go for gold?

Althea

See all of Althea's promo codes!

Get deals here!

2. Zalora

We can guess what you’re thinking. “Isn’t Zalora an online apparel store?” Majority of it, yes, but Zalora actually carries some beauty brands that are pretty hard to find in stores (or the selection is tiny)! It should be a pleasant surprise for beauty junkies, for they carry a mix of Western and Asian beauty brands, from budget buys to high-end cosmetics. What’s more, Zalora often run promotions and special deals with certain credit cards, so you can get more with the same amount of money! If you’re looking for some great drugstore products, Zalora may just have something for you.

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Zalora Beauty Brands Highlight

Zalora Makeup
Credit: Zalora

SIGMA BEAUTY

Sigma is a beauty brand more well-known for its makeup brushes, as they are of good quality with a reasonable price tag. Some of their products even have beauty patents, a reassuring sign of their confidence in their own products. We’re lost at what to recommend since all their brushes are fantastic, so why not get a Sigma 6-pc Skin Care Brush Set to start off?

AUSTRALIS COSMETICS

Australis Cosmetics is a cruelty-free beauty brand from Australia with attractive, value price points. Some of their products are also great substitutions for other high-end products, including the AC on Tour Kit and the Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder.

LIERAC PARIS

Lierac is a line of French skincare products that strives to be at the forefront of dermo-cosmetic research to create pioneering and innovative products. It’s best-selling products includes the Lierac Hydragenist Moisturizing Oxygenating Replumping Rescue Mask for moisturising and refreshing the complexion while smoothing wrinkles and fine lines while the Dioptipoche Eye Gel is targeted to improve eye puffiness. Lierac also carries a good range of men’s skincare products!

ZALORA

See all other Zalora promo codes here!

Get deals here!

3. Sephora

We can’t leave Sephora out of this, there are simply too many brands exclusive to Sephora that beauty junkies should not miss out! Besides Sephora’s iconic black-white striped stores in Singapore, its online store is well stocked with brands from all over the world, some of which are online exclusive. Out of this lot, there are several brands with firm cult favourites that would catch a beauty junkie’s attention.

For the benefit of those who don’t know, we’re glad to share some beauty knowledge on certain brands with their most popular, best-selling products. For Sephora members, you’ll be glad to know that you can accumulate points on your card for both online and physical store purchases!  

One last tip, make your online shopping experience with Sephora even better with Sephora promotions and discounts, updated at Cardable regularly.

Sephora Beauty Brands Highlight

Credit: Sephora

BLITHE

Blithe is a Korean skincare brand. The Pressed Serum Crystal Iceplant is one of its best-sellers on Sephora’s website, but what caught our eyes is the Patting Splash Mask, a rising trend in K-beauty, where users take a capful of the Splash Mask to pour, splash and pat onto their faces, followed by splashing and rinsing off with water from the shower. Still unsure of how it works? Here’s a tutorial on Youtube for clearer instructions!

PIXI BEAUTY

Pixi is a popular UK beauty brand started by makeup artist, Petra Strand. Being a busy working mother, she has developed her products to be about multi-tasking, flaw-fixing and youth-enhancing for women who are constantly on-the-go. Many of her products are huge favourites in the beauty scene and highly recommended by beauty gurus, such as the Glow Tonic and the Rose Oil Blend.

OUAI

Ouai believes that good hair starts from within, and its products are designed precisely to nourish hair and bring out its natural beauty. Try its Wave Spray, a texturising mist to volumnise and boost hair hold, or the Hair Oil to smooth out frizz and protect hair from sun damage (definitely essential in sunny Singapore!).

Sephora

See all Sephora promo codes here!

Get deals here!

4. Lazada

Lazada probably isn’t the first place a beauty lover would think of when he/she is shopping for skincare and makeup. However, Lazada works like a marketplace, which gives rise to assorted beauty brands and products, mostly at a discounted price. The products range beyond just skincare and makeup, it also stretches to beauty tools, supplements, haircare and fragrances. Lazada may be a good site to place your bets if you can’t find a certain brand at any of the above three websites. And as any good bargain hunter would do, make the most out of your buck by seeing the list of Lazada promotion codes you can use!

Lazada Beauty Brands Highlight

Lazada Makeup & Beauty
Credit: Lazada

PONY EFFECT

PONY EFFECT is a makeup line started by Pony, a Korean beauty guru with a huge following on her YouTube channel. If you have seen her videos, you would probably know that she’s not afraid of using bright colours, resulting in a brilliant, bright, and beautiful makeup collection!

THANK YOU FARMER

Thank You Farmer is a fairly new brand that has gained more attention in the past year. Its brand vision doesn’t promise quick solutions, but rather, healthy and beautiful skin naturally and gradually. If you’re keen to try some products from this skincare brand, Back to Iceland Cleansing Water is great for removing light makeup, and the True Water Light Gel Cream is an ideal moisturiser for our hot and humid weather!

MAKE P:REM

make p:rem is a brand that carries innovative beauty products that are not just effective, but are convenient to use as well. Think the likes of its in-shower face pack, where you apply a thick layer before you start your shower, and wash off as the last step of your shower, or the Radiance Peeling Sleeping Pack, a gel consistency sleeping mask that also contains exfoliating properties.

KEVYN AUCOIN BEAUTY

Kevyn Aucoin Beauty was started by Kevyn Aucoin, an American makeup artist, photographer and author. The philosophy behind its products is to emphasise and bring out the true beauty in women, as trends will come and go. One iconic product worth a consideration is the Sensual Skin Enhancer.

PAYOT

The French women often make beauty seem effortless and chic, and one of the french brands that help to preserve the beauty of French women is PAYOT. With a long history of over 100 years, the brand continues to formulate its high quality products with careful experiments and rigorous selection of ingredients in its laboratory. The results? Cult products like the Pâte Grise L’originale, an overnight spot treatment for blemishes.

LAZADA

See all Lazada Singapore's promo codes here!

Get deals here!

5. iHerb

With a huge range of organic and natural products, it is no surprise that iHerb has a huge range of popular beauty brands too. Free shipping is available for orders over S$55.65+ so it is worth adding some of the brands you’ll like to try from iHerb, especially when they are having a special sale or with the latest iHerb promotions. From K-beauty, J-beauty to organic skincare products, here are some brands worth checking out!

iHerb Beauty Brands Highlight

iHerb
Credit: iHerb

Acure Organics

Based on plant stem cell and proprietary green since innovation, Acure Organics are made from made from Certified Organic ingredients, and are gluten-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free, artificial colours-free and preservatives-free, making the products gentle on your skin and hair.

The ingredients used are also free from palm oil and palm derived ingredients (source). Even its packaging are sustainable with at least 70% recycled material with plant-based inks.

Some popular products to try are the Acure Radically Rejuvenating Rose Argan Oil and Acure Brightening Facial Scrub.

LuLuLun 

One of Japan’s most popular facial masks brand, LuLuLun has sold over 50 billion masks sheets since their brand was started in 2011. Created on the basis that facial care masks can be used daily, LuLuLun’s masks are made of fragrance-free, artificial colouring-free, mineral oil-free and high quality ingredients. With an unique 3-layer of 100% woven cotton microfiber that is just 0.6mm thick, making it easy for the skin to absorb the goodness of the ingredients of LuLuLun facial masks.

Hot-selling products include the Lululun Precious Resilient, Glowing Skin Face Masks and the Lululun Precious Hydrate Aging Skin Face Masks.

iHerb

See all iHerb promo codes here!

Get deals here!


With online shopping becoming a norm among Singaporeans, we see no lack in variety if you know where to look for what beauty brands. We certainly hope this article has helped you, beauty junkie or not, to expand your choices on beauty buys in Singapore. Set a budget for yourself though! Some of the deals available at these online sites can be very tempting!

Another tip for avid online shoppers – Sign up for a credit card geared towards online shopping to maximise your rewards with every spending! Read our guide on Best Online Shopping Credit Cards in Singapore for some recommendations.

Happy shopping!

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