Malaysia among top five countries for most affordable cosmetics

Canada tops the list, ahead of the US, Turkey and Malaysia. But how much do the prices differ? Photo: 123rf.com

The price of a lipstick can vary – sometimes even double – whether it’s purchased in Turkey, in France or in Thailand.

The British cosmetics comparison website Cosmetify has compared the cost of five iconic beauty products in different countries worldwide. The findings show that it’s better to stock up on beauty essentials in Canada rather than in China when it comes to affordability.

To draw up its ranking, Cosmetify chose five iconic beauty products sold worldwide: Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum, MAC Cosmetics Retro Matte Lipstick, Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup SPF10, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade and Nars Sheer Glow Foundation.

The platform then compared the prices of these products in 50 different countries.

For the total basket of goods – including all five beauty products – Canada tops the list as the most affordable place to buy (US$259/RM1,049) ahead of the US (US$265/RM1,073), Turkey (US$281/RM1,138) and Malaysia (US$285/RM1,154).

At the other end of the scale, the most expensive basket was found in China (US$41/RM166) which comes in narrowly ahead of Thailand (US$395/RM1,599), Taiwan (US$381/RM1,543), the United Arab Emirates (US$351/RM1,422) and Denmark (US$342/RM1,385).

Cosmetics are relatively affordable in Europe

In Europe, France takes 10th place with a total cost equivalent to US$315,44 (RM1,276), between Germany (US$313/RM1,269) and Italy (US$316/RM1,281).

In general, and with just a few exceptions, European countries fall between sixth and 14th place in the list of most affordable countries for beauty buys.

When it comes to the individual products, Cosmetify’s research shows that you’re better off buying Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum in Canada (£100/RM548) rather than in China for (£174/RM953) for equivalent concentrations.

It’s also better to pick up Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF10 in Canada (£30/RM164) rather than in Taiwan (£52/RM285).

MAC Cosmetics Retro Matte Lipstick doubles in price between Turkey (£11/RM60) and Thailand (£22/RM120).

While price variation is less striking for Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, it’s still more affordable in the US and Mexico (£16/RM88) than in the Netherlands (£24/RM131).

Note that the price of each product – for the same measurements and shades – was compared on brand websites in 50 different countries, or from the Sephora site when these prices were not available.

Local currencies were then converted to British Pounds using XE.com on Nov 9,2020. – AFP Relaxnews

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