Since discovering the Miss Hana (花娜小姐) gel pencil liner during my last Taipei visit, I knew that Cosmed/Watsons/Ximending and I had unfinished business. Armed with a week’s worth of research and P3000 (converted to NTD1765), I set off for my Taiwan trip with the aim of trying out more of their makeup products. You might be wondering: what about Dr. Morita, My Beauty Diary, My Scheming, Naruko, and 23.5N? The skincare brands are slowly making their way to our shores, so we decided to focus on makeup instead! So if you ever find yourself in Taipei, Kaohsiung, or any of Taiwan’s beautiful cities, consider picking up these local finds.

Move over, Japan and South Korea: the newest beauty destination is Taiwan! I’ve been a big fan of Asian Beauty (AB) for a while now, and now the latest trend is moving towards the direction of our northern neighbor. What makes Taiwanese products so exciting is that they offer advanced research, technical expertise, and premium formulations at very reasonable prices, which is obviously a win-win for savvy beauty addicts. Luckily, we needn’t look too far or request for pasabuy to get our dose of Taiwanese Beauty!

Taiwan has become a travel destination for Filipinos due to cheap fares and visa-free access starting October. Think of it as a more laid-back mix of Japan and Hong Kong, with its extensive transportation system, generally kind people, and a somewhat of a smaller language barrier (though learning a little Mandarin helps!)

More importantly, it’s also a haven for beauty shopping!
More importantly, it’s also quite a haven for beauty shopping! Taiwanese brands like Naruko, 23.5°N, and Dr. Morita have been making it to our shores because of the burgeoning beauty industry that Taiwan has. I was recently there for a trip with my family, and I made sure to check out the beauty scene! If you'll be traveling to Taipei, do add these stores to your must-visit list!