I don’t know Singapore like a book. Having lived here for 23 years, it never fails to stun me how little I know about my home country. For instance, I had no idea there were bicycle cafes and a fishery port in this little red dot!
Out of curiosity, I decide to compile a list of local brands and stores that belong to the ‘under the radar’ category to see if anyone might’ve heard of them. Did yours make the list?
Winter Organics
Winter Organics is conceptualised for two types of people: a) people with acne-prone, sensitive skin and b) people who want to build a socially conscious skincare collection.
Certified Cruelty Free and Vegan under PETA, and organic by Australian Certified Organic Processor 11690, it’s a Singapore brand manufactured in Down Under Australia.
The Chamomile Facial Cleanser pH5 has a whiff of honey citrus, but a peek at the key ingredients list reveals something different. It’s made of aloe barbadensis leaf juice, sea buckthorn and chamomile flower extract.
Winter Organics is a relatively new brand; it has only one product under its belt. Let’s keep our fingers crossed — and toes for good measure — that it’ll launch more skincare products to protect us from the sun, wind and sea!
Chamomile Facial Cleanser pH5, $25.90
The Paper Stone
One blogger says, if Smiggle is for children, then The Paper Stone is for adults. Right on. If you frequently shop at heartland malls, odds are, you’ve seen The Paper Stone.
Known for its brightly-coloured and illustration-packed journals, the store is usually crowded with stationery enthusiasts during the start of each school term.
If pretty stationery is your cup of tea, you don’t want to miss the 24-hour flash deal specials that happens on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Fun fact: The Paper Stone has branched out to the Philippines!
Coconurture
When news broke that there were more eczema cases in hospitals, a little part of me wanted to holler at the crowd and turn their attention to organic coconut oil — specifically, the ones at Coconurture.
An online health food store that manufactures its products in the Phillipines, I’ve always been surprised by the number of wellness junkies who have never heard of the brand.
I recommend the Coco N Zema® Eczema Oil Flare Relief and Intense Scalp Treatment for those who want to get started on living a more organic lifestyle.
Go Buy Lah
A personal anecdote: I once bought a ukulele at Go Buy Lah for less than S$20. Don’t bother clicking on the cross button to search for it, because I already did, and it’s completely sold out.
But that’s not to say that you should give this store a miss. There are other items that might catch your fancy. Say, the Mistura Pellicano Pui Ebony red watch or the cuddly bean bag chair.
What sets this online store apart from most of its competitors is not just its Costco-esque wide variety of products. Rather, it’s that there’s no minimum purchase required for free shipping, and the option to pay cash on delivery.
Cats Socrates
Most knick-knack lovers know Cats Socrates like the back of their hand. It’s cosy. It’s charming. It’s run by two cat shopkeepers named Zoo-Zoo and Chestnut. Zoo-Zoo is friendlier.
Cats Socrates is like the care package you never knew you needed. Chock-full of beautiful trinkets and soothing music playing in the background, it’s the sort of store you envision in Switzerland, not Singapore.
Warning: no one is ever known to leave the store empty-handed. There’s a strong possibility that you’ll burn a colossal hole in your pocket.
Don’t keep the best things to yourself. If you know any store in Singapore that deserves more attention, give us a heads-up on our Facebook page! We’d love to hear about them.
Also read: 10 Secret Free Things To Do In Sentosa That Will Make You Want To Visit It This Weekend
