Have you ever gone travelling, been stuck in-transit in an airport somewhere around the world and spent up on duty free beauty products? I’m sure many of you have. You probably also know that there are a various restrictions on buying duty free beauty products and bringing them back into Australia.
After I spent a few days exploring Changi Airport in Singapore, I wound up at Nuance Watson, the Perfumes and Cosmetics chain that can be found in each of the three terminals within the airport. Nuance Watson stocks some of the world’s beauty brands – Chanel, YSL, Dior and SK-II are just some of the luxe labels available, and in limited edition travel sets that you can’t find – and at a price you can’t get – anywhere else.
While I strolled the aisles of the store and came across some of the aforementioned sets, I thought it was a good idea to look at duty free shopping for today’s how-to. Here, we’ve rounded up our top tips for ensuring you get the best our of your duty free beauty shopping – and that you can actually get to actually use them once you get home.
Know Your Prices (and Your Products): In the excitement of scoring a great bargain at duty free, you may be prone to do a little impulse buying. However, it’s important to ensure that you know you whether or not you are actually getting a lower price than you would back in Australia. Before you travel, do some research into your favourite skincare, makeup and fragrances and their prices in department stores. That way you will know how good your deal really is. It’s also important to consider the products included in limited edition sets and whether or not you will end up using the additional items.
Check the Conversion Rates: I’ve been known to purchase something duty free thinking I’ve scored a great deal, only to find out that once I had added up the transaction and conversion fees from my savings account I, uh, had actually not scored that well at all. Depending on which country you are visiting, begin by working out the current Australian dollar and check the rates that it is currently being sold and bought for. It’s also a good idea to have the calculator on your phone available so you can do a few quick sums to make sure that once you add in your bank fees you aren’t blowing your budget.
Find out the Restrictions: It’s good to note that you can bring beauty products to Australia – in your checked-in baggage – as long as it complies with the regulations set by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Department of Infrastructure and Transport and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (for products with animal/plant extracts). As for buying them duty free, by the time you reach the stores in an airport you will have already checked-in your luggage, which means you are limited to what you can fit in your carry-on baggage. It’s also important to remember that the total amount of products bought in duty free can only add up to $900, otherwise you will be asked to pay the tax.
You can only purchase beauty products at your final layover point. For example, if you are travelling from London via Singapore and then on to Sydney, you can’t bring in any products bought duty free in London, only Singapore, as this is the last point of embarkation before landing back in Australia.
At Changi Airport, however, if you are tempted to take a little more home, or have beauty products that are not allowed on air-crafts (some liquids, aerosols and gels), passengers can drop off their products at a Speedpost station. All you need to do is complete the paperwork along with your receipt, pay a fee depending on where you are sending the products to and be on your way. Genius!
