Beauty at a (low) price

FOR the average beauty junkie, spending over S$200 for an eye cream wouldn't give rise to a new worry line. Since La Prairie broke the S$1,000 mark with its Cellular Cream Platinum Rare several years ago, the price of skin creams have escalated so exponentially that opting for a face-lift might almost be cost-effective.

But as the likes of La Mer and Cle de Peau Beaute defy logic with their astronomical price points, more modest skincare marques are touting increasingly impressive formulations. US skincare company Pond's has recently re-emerged here, bolstered by products that contain premium ingredients that could be found in more expensive concoctions.

"When we did decide to enter Singapore again, as with entry into any other market, it was a decision not based on timing or priority; rather, we had to conduct in-depth research and studies to fully understand the market before making the decision to enter," says Umesh Shah, vice-president of Unilever International, the parent company of Pond's. The brand left Singapore in the 1990s.