Thai Beauty: 5 Recommended budget-friendly Thai makeup brands and where to find them

Over the recent years, more and more Thai cosmetic brands have increasingly pushed themselves toward success, becoming popular brands that can compete with overseas makeup brands. There used to be a common preference for makeup brands from abroad, but today it is not always the case. Thai brands have developed their quality and also succeeded in marketing. Today I will recommend 5 of them !

 1 ) Srichand
Authentic Thai brand specialized in powder with its long history starting from just a small pharmaceutical shop near Wang Burapha Palace in the 1940's. The owner developed the formula from "Srichand" Thai pink powder great for controlling oily skin which prevents rashes and gives a very unique scent. The brand revived with the new generation's marketing and development, making a big comeback into the market. If you are looking for a souvenir that is uniquely "Thai", then this one is a great choice.

Recommended product : Srichand Translucent powder 10 g. The price is 280baht.
Where to find : Watsons , Boots, all supermarkets, Eve and Boy.

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2) COSLUXE

Founded only in 2011, COSLUXE has become my favorite brand for eye makeup because of its affordable price and surprisingly worthy quality. Having tried eyeliners from various brands in Thailand and abroad, I decided this brand's eyeliner is the best. It crazily stays all day without smudging and very easy to apply.

Recommended product: COSLUXE Trust me Wink Auto Pencil Eyeliner. This one is a glitter liner available in many shades from basic to bold. The price is around 200-250 baht.
Where to find: Watsons ( Siam Square ) , Eve and Boy (Siam Square) 

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3 ) U STAR Cosmetics

U STAR started as a single-level direct sell brand many decades ago then now available in many convenient stores. It offers cosmetics of all types in affordable price and good quality. (Although the packaging is a bit fragile for me.)

Recommended product : U STAR Cheek cream (250baht). The color is so pretty and long-wearing.

Where to find : All branches of TOPS Supermarket, 7-11

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4 ) Sivanna Colors

This brand is so cheap and releases new items regularly. Some products are just so-so, some are worth more than the money. The eyeshadows last long enough and pigmented. Well, after all, you get what you pay.

Recommended products: Eyeshadows, blusher, highlighter & shading palette

Where to find: Watsons (Siam Square), markets, TOPS Supermarket

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5) mee Cosmetics

This brand is quite new in the market, but has gained some popularity among Thais recently. They claim to be made in Korea but it is a Thai brand and people usually misunderstand the other way. The eyeliner is quite worth the try!

Recommended products: mee Underline 9 Seconds Auto Pencil Eyeliner

Where to find: Watsons , Eve and Boy

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What are other brands in Thailand that you like ?

CHUENG UNG LAK : Local Chinese-based Thai food worth trying on Rama IV Street.

CHUENG UNG LAK is another local Thai-Chinese restaurant worth trying which is located in the heart of Bangkok.  It is a small restaurant in one block of a town home on the busy Rama IV Street, not so far from Lumpini Park and MRT Lumpini Station. 

Once you reach the front of the place, a delicious scent of grilled pork and soup invitingly touches your sense until you cannot resist to walk in. 

CHUENG UNG LAK has 6 menus available, and all of them offer delicious, local, and unique taste, especially Moo Satay or Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce. It is made of pork marinated in Thai herb, curry powder, coconut milk, and other ingredients, then grilled until cooked looking yellow and smelling so mellow. When eating, people usually dip it in the peanut sauce and eat with toasted bread & sour salad (mainly cucumber.)

Well, you may see Pork Satay a lot in Bangkok, but I would say this one is distinctively one of the best I can find.

The second menu is Praram Long Song or Pork cooked with vegetables with special Gravy on rice. This is the old kind of food that is super difficult to find these days in Thailand. Actually, I have not seen anywhere selling it but here, so if you visit Chueng Ung Lak, you may wanna try once.

Another menu to try is Chinese-based Thai food called Krapoh Pla or Fish maw in Red Soup. This restaurant uses real fish maw serving it in a big pot which could have filled my stomach for 2 meals. It costs 80 baht. I said it's real because some sellers use pork skin instead of fish maw and sell it in a cheap price, so be careful!

The soup is sticky and a little dense with salty & sour tastes that go along so well together. I really recommend it.

If you travel by MRT, get off at the Lumpini station and walk straight toward the Rama IV high way. The restaurant is almost at the end of the road connecting to the high way.
 I put a location here. >> CLICK

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Street vendors Vs.State order : Bangkok’s recent crackdowns on stalls

Since a couple decades ago, as far as I could remember, street vendors are everywhere to be seen in Bangkok. After the school bell rang, I and my buddies ran fast toward the side of the road just to see  what those sellers had to offer us that day. If you have visited Bangkok once or more, I am sure it is a common sight to see street food hawkers and you might have tried some, as well.

However, right after the coup took place in 2014, the self-elected junta administration vowed to bring back the state’s order and cleanliness to Bangkok footpaths by getting rid of street vendors, as a part of the “Return Happiness to Thailand” Campaign. The “regulating” operation took place in major vending areas, not only making vendors follow strictly the laws, but also cancelling of designated vending areas, and crackdowns on old markets where unlicensed vending had been long practiced.

But the problem lies in the fact that the majority of street hawkers rely on their daily incomes to make ends meet. The simple act of prohibiting vending without any sincere support can be counted too irresponsible, for, crucially, the hawkers have always lived that way because law enforcement has never been strict and they were let to do so for decades. City officers, in accordance to their sphere of influence in different areas, illegally take commission fees from sellers who want to trade. And of course, the state always has realized this and sometimes taken part in it too. My point is that I do not think it is right to still maintain the way it used to be. I know, it makes the streets unclean, messy, and at times pedestrians are forced to walk on the streets instead of the footpaths. (Take Siam Square as a clear example.) But chasing them away without any true supports like proper subsidies or relocating them in good spots would be an act too irresponsible, for the state also has always played along in this bribery game. Some more proper mechanism to support street vendors should be provided.

(Siam Square footpath before the crackdown. Soooooo messy)

(Pratunam area)

(Protesters against the government crackdown. Picture from matichon.com)

Restaurant review:"Juni Sushio" Affordable sushi restaurant in Nonthaburi, Thailand

In Thailand, eating out in a nice Japanese sushi restaurant can be money-consuming, yet it does not always have to be so.

If you are a fan of salmon sashimi and sushi, Juni Sushio, is a place worth trying. It is a small but busy restaurant located near Central Plaza Chaengwattana, Nonthaburi province. The owners, at first, started the business in a tiny townhouse block without an air-conditioned. After a short period of raving reviews, they grew and opened another branch which is where I am writing about. Overall, to give a clear picture, it is not a fancy Japanese restaurant that offers the best premium quality of salmon, but, as a customer, I feel they are very delicate about their service and food, and the food quality you get is really worth the money you pay. I guess this is why they always have a lot of regular customers coming again.

The food

Their main dishes are salmon sushis, both raw and slightly grilled. A variety of menus are available in single dish and sets. The fish is fresh and tasty. I have nothing to complain much. They have created their signature menu, like Juni Sushio grilled salmon sushi, which is slightly grilled salmon topped with mayonnaise and sweet & sour sauce. If you are not a fan of sushi, you can opt to try bento set menus, those that come with meat, rice, Miso soup, and salad.

Price

Reasonable. One person can be full with affordable price of 6-8 $. 4 bites of sushis can cost only around $6 (may be higher or lower depending on what you order and of course, how much you eat.) No service charge. They have a member card which collects points every time you pay and you can use it to get discount or exchange for another dish.

Atmosphere & service

The restaurant is a room on the first floor of the building which looks ordinary from the outside. Inside the place is very clean and organised. They have around 10 tables, and a sushi bar for customers to see. Decorated in simple style with some Japanese decorations.

Location

Located in a small street right next to Central Plaza Chaengwattana.

Soi 24, Khao Mu Ban Si Chai Thong 3/2, Pak kret, Pak kret District, Nonthaburi 11120

Click here for the location

I get no sponsorship for writing this. I just love the restaurant and gotta share :)

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Kaotommad is the underrated Thai dessert.

Kaotommad is the underrated Thai dessert.

Thailand is said to be a heaven of food for its various reasons. Be the street food you can find anywhere just within your sight, plenty of choices to choose, or the unique taste you cannot find anywhere else.

if you happen to visit Thailand, don't miss Thai desserts I would introduce here.
Countless Thai desserts use coconut milk as a main ingredient which gives them such a mellow taste. One of these is Kao-tom-mad.  It is made of sticky rice fried with fresh coconut milk, added with banana and black beans inside. Wrapped in young banana leaf, it will be steamed until cooked, coming out with a fresh, rich coconut scent.
Similar food like Kaotommad can also be found in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries, since we share a lot of mutual food cultures.

It is easy to find in street markets. However, my tip is look for old lady peddlers with stuff carrying on their shoulders. They tend to be very well at cooking traditional Thai desserts.