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No conversation about face primers can leave out Benefit Cosmetics’ the POREfessional face primer. It’s a holy grail face priming product because of its pore-muting, silky smooth, translucent finish that fits all skin tones.

best reviewed beauty products_benefit porefessional

We see it in Singapore priced at SGD54 for the full-sized tube, a whopping SGD91 for the double-sized one. The travel size isn’t that much of a consolation, being priced at SGD21 for a mere 7.5ml.

This is where we have globalisation (psst, and Brexit, which caused the pound to drop to a three-decade low) to thank, because we discovered that the POREfessional face primer is sold cheaper in the UK as compared to Singapore and even Benefit Cosmetics stores in the US where the value size is priced at USD44 (SGD62.35). In the UK, both John Lewis department and Benefit Cosmetics stores price the full size at GDP24.50 (SGD43.86) and value size at GDP31.50 (SGD56.44). Another UK-based department store chain, House of Fraser, also carries the product (full size) at the price of GDP24.50 (SGD43.86).

Being Singaporeans, we sure have a knack for taking advantage of price differences. We’ve been told that many have been stocking up on the POREfessional face primer when traveling in the UK! Our correspondents at Airfrov also let us in on the fact that many of their customers have been requesting for travellers to get the product for them from the UK and the US. It’s because we understand that not settling for a given price, especially for a pricey Benefit Cosmetics product, and sourcing for lower prices definitely makes your purchase much more worth it!

For those who travel and end up over-spending, here are some tips to help you take advantage of cheaper prices overseas.

  • Know what to buy at different destinations: It’s good to know what brands and products to buy in different cities like beauty products in Korea, luxury brands in Europe, electronics in the US, as they’re cheapest in their country of origin.
  • Tax-free shopping: Have your passport with you when you roam around town overseas because you’ll need it with you to be eligible for a tax refund for the items you purchase. Some stores are tax-free stores where you can get an immediate tax refund upon payment, while others require you to get your tax refund at the airport before your flight home.
  • Shop at outlets: Outlet stores and malls are strewn across the globe from the UK to Japan to Dubai. An outlet store sells products directly from the manufacturer, which explains why goods are being sold much cheaper. An outlet mall houses various outlet stores, which is super convenient because you can all your cheap shopping done in one place!
  • Ask your friends to buy it for you: Usually close friends wouldn’t mind helping you get one or two small items back from where they travelled to if it’s easily accessible. (We don’t advise troubling mere acquaintances, though!)