This is a long overdue post that I have been meaning to write since exactly one month ago - when Miss Curator came back from a holiday in Germany and a few friends asked what are the best things to buy in Germany.

So here are a few suggestions:
Truth:  Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Haribo 
Myth:  Rimowa (ok, only if the Euro is REALLY cheap, which is like, now)

However, one thing that you definitely should not miss are the Dr Haushka skincare products.   Dr Hauschka is available in Hong Kong at Lane Crawford and Joyce Beauty, but you can find it in Germany in all the local pharmacies for half of the price.

Dr Hauschka's skincare products are all made in Germany using plant extracts without synthetic chemical emulsifiers and feature fragrance mixtures from natural botanical essential oils.  They feel soft and soothing on even the most sensitive skin, and the fragrance of plant extracts is very relaxing for a stressful mind.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Dr Hauschka brand, here are a few things that Miss Curator loves and would highly recommend:

• Rose Day Cream
• Revitalising Mask
• Renewing Night Conditional (30-day)

One thing to watch out for is the climate difference between German and Hong Kong - which means some of the cream products might be a bit too thick and "sticky" for use in Hong Kong (especially during the more humid seasons).

Happy shopping!

VICHY skincare friends and family sale this weekend with up to 50% off.  Enjoy special offer by presenting this invitation.

Happy shopping!

Jurlique Friends & Family Sale from 15 October 2014 (Wednesday) to 18 October 2014 (Saturday), with up to 50% off.

Print and present this invite for entry on 15 and 16 October.  The 17 and 18 October sessions are open to public.

Happy shopping!

Kartell's Blooming Sale is now on until 26 July at their flagship store on Wyndham Street. Get up to 60% off on their modernist furniture from Italy.

Kartell is a leading design company founded in 1949 by Giulio Castelli and now run by Claudio Luti. It is one of the symbols of Italian design around the world. Kartell is most famous for their plastic contemporary furniture.

Those of you who are less interested in designer furniture would perhaps be familiar with these jelly shoes designed in collaboration with Moschino?

A good piece of designer furniture could be an investment that goes up in value. Its good quality and classic design could also last for many years to come.

Kartell's Blooming Sale is definitely not to be missed by furniture / design lovers out there!

Happy shopping!

In order to make way for a brand new concept coming in October 2014, The Pawn will be having a sale on all its furniture, wall art, lamps, decorations, kitchen equipment and crockery on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th July from 11:00am - 6:00pm.

20% of all sales will go towards Liberty Asia's fight to end slavery in Asia.

Happy pawning!

Apple products (including iPhones, iPads and various versions of the Mac computers) are very rarely on sale.

Other than the Asia-only Red Sale that takes places once a year around Chinese New Year, the most common ways of getting a tiny discount on Apple products are:

• Student discount - if you have any friends or relatives who are still students and have an ".edu" email address, then you can get a small education discount from apple.com
• Corporate discount - if you (or your friends) work for one of those few companies with a corporate package with Apple (Miss Curator only knows of one bank at the IFC), then you can get a small staff discount at the Apple Shop by presenting your staff ID card.

Of course, you may also get one of those free coffee mugs or shopping bags from Broadway or Fortress from time to time... if you even want one, that is.

Perhaps very few people are aware that you can also get discounts on some of the Apple products during the Lane Crawford sale.  If you happen to be looking to get an iPhone 5C or and iPad Air, then you should definitely go check out Lane Crawford's electronics section in their Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay or online store.

These items are currently on sale with around 10% off at the following prices:

• iPhone 5C 16GB - HK$4,190 (~10% off from HK$4,688)
• iPhone 5C 32GB - HK$5,090 (~10% off from HK$5,688)
• iPad Air Wifi + Cellular 32GB - HK$5,190 (~10% off from 5,688)

Happy shopping!

Le Creuset's 4th Anniversary Sale will start tomorrow at their Central store on Wyndham Street.

You can get 50% off everything in the store if you have the number "4" in your Hong Kong ID card number. (If you don't, find a friend who does!)

This offer begins tomorrow and will end on 6 July.  The store is open from 11am to 7pm from Monday to Saturday, and from 12 noon to 5pm on Sunday.

Allow for extra time, and be prepared for very long queues.

Happy shopping!

Related Posts:

• Le Creuset February Promotion
• Le Creuset at Harrods.com

Miss Curator is a big fan of Moleskine. 

Despite all the new technology where you can now store all your notes, sketches and snapshots in one smartphone or tablet, there is still something special about keeping a little notebook.  A cold electronic device just can't beat a nice notebook that you can touch and feel.  Bringing a notebook to business meetings would also make you look both professional and stylish.

If, like Miss Curator, you like to keep your notebook with you in your bag all the time, you want a high quality one that doesn't fall apart after just a month.  A sturdy hardcover would keep your precious information neat and safe.

And if, you are one of those rare individuals who still use a fountain pen, then you would also understand the importance of good paper with sufficient weight and thickness.

Like a good pair of shoes, a nice notebook should be an investment that lasts a long time.

Moleskine notebooks are available in major bookstores in Hong Kong including Dymocks, Eslite and Page One.

So why would you buy from their online store?

From time to time, Moleskine would come up with some beautiful limited edition notebooks.  Some of our favourites have included collaborations with Lego, the Simpsons, Star Wars and Shanghai Tang.

If you ever had the experience of trying to buy a limited edition Moleskine notebook at Dymocks or Page One, you would understand that (perhaps due to the expensive store rent in Hong Kong) they don't keep a lot of stock and run out fast.

Moleskine Asia's online store, however, makes available to complete range of their products.  The official website also offer free delivery worldwide.  So for the same price, you get a much wider selection in the online shop than in stores.

And Moleskine notebooks are never on sale in stores anyway

Still looking for ideas for a good Father's Day gift? Here is one of them!

Happy shopping!

As the holiday has ended, this will be the last one of the Miss Curator London Finds series (for this year, that is).

For those of you who is planning (or have friends who are planning) a shopping trip to Europe, here are our favourite tips and tricks:

• What to buy 1:  If your main purpose is to save money, most European brands are roughly 10% cheaper in Europe (including UK) than Hong Kong after VAT refund.  Of course, you would then have to decide whether it's worth the trouble. For example, a pack of Nespresso Fortisso Lungo capsules costs HK$55 in Hong Kong, versus £3 (approx. HK$39) in the UK - but you need to drink quite a lot of coffee to save a substantial monetary amount. That also explains why most people go for the super luxurious items (e.g. Chanel and Hermes bags).  
• What to buy 2:  Surprisingly, even today, there are still a lot of things you cannot buy in Hong Kong.  These include some of the clothes and accessories we mention on this website (which you can buy online), as well as skincare and cosmetics products (not all of which offer international shipping for regulatory reasons).  This time, Miss Curator has gone a bit crazy on hair products.  [Tip: Boots has a huge hair section with lots of amazing products not available in Hong Kong. Also, note that some brands (e.g. Schwarzkopf) manufacture their Hong Kong products in China or other South East Asian countries, rather than their European origin.]
• UK vs Continental Europe:  Depending on the exchange rates, the UK is currently marginally cheaper than continental Europe (e.g. Italy and France). 
  
• Heathrow VAT refund:  There is ALWAYS a long queue for VAT refund at Heathrow Airport, and the minimum waiting time is usually 30 minutes. If your timing is tight, check that your terminal has a VAT refund counter after immigration and pack your new purchases in your hand-carry luggage. Most tourists go for the "pre-check in" queue, which is a lot longer than the "post-immigration" queue. So if it becomes obvious that there is no way you could make the "pre-check in" queue (which could literally go for 2 hours), simply grab your hand-carry luggage and pray that you could get your refund after immigration.
• VAT refund (cash vs credit/debit card):  Travelex charges a steep administration fee for every VAT refund form. So if you don't mind waiting 4-6 weeks and taking up some FX risks, the credit/debit card option would give you a bigger refund.
• Duty free shopping:  Finally, if you have a bit of extra time after immigration, have a wander around the shops inside Heathrow Airport. Being spoiled by zero VAT in Hong Kong, duty free shopping never means anything to Hong Kongers like us. But it does mean a lot in countries where VAT is as high as 20%!

Happy shopping!

If I were to choose only one thing to buy from the UK, the Warming Microbrasion Polish by Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden would definitely be at the top of my list.

This product works as an amazing face scub/exfoliator, although the term "microbrasion" might at first sound intimidating. (But if you have very sensitive skin, then we would suggest that you try a small amount on your hand first.)  Apply a generous amount to damp skin (don't worry, this polish is cheap and lasts a long time), and you will immediately feel a nice warm sensation. Gently massage your face with small circular motion, paying particular attention to nose, forehead and chin (where the annoying black heads usually are).  Rinse away with warm water, and you will  be be amazed by how soft and smooth your skin feels straightaway!

For the best results begin by using the polish three times a week, but not on successive days, then reduce to twice a week as your complexion progressively improves.

I first discovered this wonderful product a few years ago, and recommended it to my own mother and sister.  Since then, I have to stock up for the whole family every time I visit the UK.

We love this face scrub so much that we have tried a few other Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden products over the years, but have so far been unable to find something so wonderful.

Where to get it?

You can get the Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden line of products in Debenhams or Boots in the UK.  At Boots, the regular price is £12 (i.e. ~ HK$150). However, there is always a special deal (either a 3 for the price of 2, or 1/3 off), you can get it for £8 most of the time. A 100ml tube normally lasts about a year.

Boots in Bangkok also stocks the Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden products (including the airport branch).  Otherwise, we sometimes see a few products in 龍城大藥房 on Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.  So keep an eye on it if you happen to be in the store.

Happy shopping!