SA's one of the world's best places to score bargain beauty treats

 We may have slipped into a recession‚ but take heart: South Africa is one of the cheapest places in the world to get a beauty fix.

Third cheapest out of 50 countries‚ to be exact - that’s according to the fastest growing online store in Latin America‚ Linio.com‚ which released its 2017 Beauty Price Index on Tuesday‚ comparing the cost of several in-demand beauty products and services from Vietnam to Venezuela.

The list was ranked by the sum of three categories - beauty services‚ cosmetic procedures and products - with the top-scoring countries being those where products and services are most affordable overall.

Only Vietnam and India were found to be cheaper than South Africa in the beauty stakes overall.

At the other end of the scale‚ consumers in Venezuela‚ Switzerland and Norway pay the most for beauty products such as long-lasting lipstick‚ perfume‚ foundation‚ hair dye and anti-aging cream‚ and treatments including haircuts‚ Botox injections‚ breast augmentation‚ manicures and Brazilian waxes.

South Africa offers the least expensive anti-aging creams ($22.81) and Venezuela the most expensive at an astonishing $13‚609.

We’re the third cheapest country when it comes to eyebrow waxes and eye shadow‚ and the fifth cheapest for Botox injections.

And while men generally pay less than women for a haircut‚ globally speaking‚ women get better value in SA: we ranked sixth cheapest for women’s haircuts and 18th cheapest for men’s haircuts.

The US is the place to go for the cheapest perfumes‚ with South Africa ranking number 19 in the fragrance ratings.

Key findings were:

• Developing nations offer the most affordable beauty services‚ but put hefty mark-ups on popular cosmetic products;
• The best deals on top make-up brands are in Canada‚ South Africa‚ USA‚ and Italy;
• Cosmetic surgery is most affordable in Latin America‚ South Asia‚ and the Czech Republic.

“We hope that our index helps people more confidently interpret variations in costs associated with beauty around the world‚” said Linio.com CEO Andreas Mjelde.

“Increasingly‚ the average consumer is a global one‚ and with a better understanding of global markets comes empowerment to travel‚ shop‚ and live smarter.” - TimesLIVE