In the US we have Black Friday; in China, there’s 11.11. What started as Single’s Day, dreamed up by a group of college students who wanted to create the anti-Valentine’s Day, has turned into the biggest sale day in the WORLD. Just how big is it? Last year’s 11.11 sales event was estimated to have generated RMB 1.1 TRILLION. Queue-it puts it into perspective: Last year’s Alibaba gross merchandise volume was approximately USD 84.5 billion, which equaled more than six times that of Amazon’s Prime Day and about ten times that of all online retailers combined for Black Friday.

To make the most of your online shopping experience, check out these Taobao tips.

Local vendors in Beijing aren’t missing out on the big holiday either. Check out these 11.11 deals around town.

The Opposite House

They’ve got deals on restaurants and rooms in their mini-program: from RMB 11.11 hand-crafted gelato at Frasca, RMB 11.11 Union-Apello Spritz cocktails, RMB 11.11 American-style General Tso’s Chicken at Superfly, and their ever-so-popular blink box at RMB 388 – where you can win everything from cocktails at Union, night brunch (RMB 598), afternoon tea at Union (RMB 498) – to a night stay at The Opposite House valued at RMB 2,682.

The Regent Hotel

They’re offering room packages that are great for your next staycation. For RMB 1,111 you can get a one-night stay in their deluxe room. That’s roughly 40 percent off from their regular price. Or, for RMB 2,222, you can get a one-night stay in one of their executive suites, including all the perks.

We Love Wine

Wine Pimp Jacquelin has multiple 11.11 wine deals at the moment for all the winos to stock up before the holiday season. To join one of her groups where you can see daily deals on wines, add her on WeChat at JacquelinWinePimp or scan the QR code in the poster below.

Dark Feminine Energy With Inko

On the night of 11.11 Inko invites sisters to unlock their inner mysteries and embrace the untold fires within. Together you’ll go on a transformative journey with them as you set your feminine shadows free through dance and rituals. For more information, scan the QR code below.

InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun

InterContinental is selling dining vouchers to all its outlets. From RMB 11 beverage vouchers, RMB 111 dining vouchers that include their afternoon tea, tapas lunch sets, and tipsy hours weekend free flow, RMB 177 dining vouchers for Aperitivo set, lunch at Char, dim sum, and their famous Bee Brunch. Scan the QR code below to check out all their 11.11 deals.

Greenwave

A great water filter at home can make all the difference between having smooth skin and having itchy dry skin – especially during the winter months. Greenwave is selling their top-up card this 11.11. Valid until Oct 16 of 2024, you get RMB 3,300 free when you top up with RMB 3,000 during their 11.11 promotion. Or RMB 5,600 free when you top up RMB 5,000.

That’s Mandarin

This award-winning Mandarin School is offering discounts on their group classes, private classes, and 1-1 online courses for 11.11. If you’ve ever thought about learning Mandarin, this is a great time to get started.

Images: Courtesy of vendors, Pexels

In today’s day and age, it seems like every week there’s a nifty new app that will gives you the lowest price on groceries, access to better shared cars and taxis, and translates languages more quickly and accurately. But there are some true essentials that lead the pack, which are pretty indispensable for maximising life here in Beijing.

JSS
Designed with expats in mind and focusing on high-quality English customer service, JSS offers same-day grocery and food delivery from expat-friendly restaurants and grocery stores like Jenny Wang’s. JSS truly tries to connect with its customers, which is why it launched its Brand Ambassador program.

Sherpa’s
Sherpa’s provides a food and grocery delivery service but only works with top-quality restaurants, which means a less wide range of options compared to its Chinese-language counterparts but mainly consists of western-friendly selections. Sherpa’s couriers are trained to ensure a quick, courteous, and correct delivery.

Meituan
Meituan is one of several local food and grocery delivery apps that gets the job done when you’re in a pinch. They generally deliver within the hour and offer a much wider range of restaurants and grocery stores than the earlier two expat-friendly English language apps, if you can navigate its Chinese interface. Plus, you can also rent the yellow Meituan shared bikes using this app!

JingDong (JD)
In the realm of shopping, JD is great for household products and groceries, where you can find almost everything from spinach to stereos. It’s a Chinese-language app but if you can figure it out, it could save you lots of time and effort searching for a brick-and-mortar store for what you need.

Weidian
This is WeChat’s answer to TaoBao, which offers listings by small local business owners with artisanal crafts, foodstuffs, or supplies. Sustainable brands started by expat entrepreneurs such as The Bulk House, KIYANI Botanics, Greeniche, Dancing Yak Handicrafts and The Green Room are some examples of stores you can find on it.

TaoBao
TaoBao is so ubiquitous that it needs no introduction. And if you were first introduced to BaoPals – the English language expat-friendly version of the local app – you really should try TaoBao because of its easy image search function, which we explain in this article here.

Xianyu
A sister to TaoBao, Xianyu is the secondhand version of the popular shopping app and offers plenty of gently-used, practically new clothes, furniture, and other goods. This is great for kids’ stuff which they tend to outgrow quickly. This article tells you all about it!

Dazhong Dianping
Dazhong Dianping or simply Dianping, is essentially what I call the Chinese Yelp, which offers guides for lifestyle and entertainment including restaurants, hotels, cinemas, through business listings, ratings system, and comments section. You can check the app for reviews and recommended specials before you choose a restaurant, helping you and your family to avoid unpleasant surprises. Additionally, paying through the app usually grants you a discount.

Dear Translate
This is editor Mina Yan’s pick of all the free translation apps that are out there right now, and there are a lot. It has a camera translate function that quickly translates the text in front of you and also has an awesome conversation translation function. Best of all, of course, it’s free!

Pleco Chinese Dictionary is probably the best offline Chinese – English dictionary. It integrates dictionaries with an amazing amount (over 110,000) of frequently-updated entries and example sentences with Pinyin, document reader, flashcard system with fullscreen handwriting input, and a live Optical Character Reader (OCR). It also includes audio to help your pronunciation and displays stroke order diagrams showing you how to draw each character.

Tell us which apps you can’t live without here in Beijing (aside from WeChat and Alipay…) in the comments below!

KEEP READING: 5 Free Learning Apps to Help Level Up During Summer

Images: Pexels, Vivienne Tseng-Rush

With nothing but commitment and determination, Aissatou Avom decided to become a self-taught tailor at the age of 20. Despite the overload of work, she took things into her own hands and thrived even when all odds were against her.

Her successful journey started with nothing but sewing magazines to guide her.

With basic knowledge passed down from her mom, Avom wasted no time becoming the tailor she is today. She started off with making clothes for herself, but then it quickly piqued the interest of those around her, as they saw how beautiful her designs are. She slowly progressed as she opened her own shop back in Cameroon and gave online classes. Although she was juggling two jobs at once, she was dedicated to her passion.

Even under pressure, Avom did not wither. Instead, she persisted and continued to learn. As she always says, “learning doesn’t stop at school because learning is a lifelong journey”. And with these inspiring words, she continuously takes them by heart and implements them into her daily life by always trying to enhance her intellect.

Although she doesn’t sew here as much as she used to back in her home country, she is always happy to sew at her friends’ requests, and the results always leave them rejoicing at her masterpieces. Most of these pieces primarily include African-style clothing, and her nightgowns are nothing short of amazing

Not only does she train others, but she also inspires those around her on the importance of learning new skills.

Below is a picture of Alex Lemos, a student of Pakistani Embassy College Beijing (PECB), posing in an exquisite pink dress styled with African designs made by none other than Avom. Fabulous is the only word I can use to describe this picture.

Patience, commitment and dedication are needed in learning any skill. Although it may seem difficult at first, it is truly beneficial and rewarding, because not only does the new skill fill you with pride, but it may also save you money and time!

Whether it’s learning how to sew or getting a custom designed piece for your own closet, Aissatou Avom is happy to hear from you. To get in touch, scan the QR code below.

Images: Alex Lemos, Aissatou Avom

Last week, I talked about a skincare routine for kids to fight dry skin in Beijing’s arid climate. But as an adult, I myself have suffered all sorts of skin maladies since arriving here almost three years ago. Without turning you off your breakfast, just a few of the skin issues I’ve faced included, from top to bottom, a flaky scalp, acne and scarring, cracked lips, and mild hives.

After going to dermatologists at hospitals and taking medication, as well as trying various facial and body treatments at spas and medical institutes, I’m here to share the skincare routine that is, at least for now, working to keep most of my previous skin problems at bay.

Right off the bat, let me recommend this awesome free app I found to log your skincare routine as well as analyze your skin health and compare daily selfies so you can track how your skin changes over time. It even lets you record the products you use and reminds you when they are about to expire.

Face Wash (Winter) and Makeup Remover: Sober Beauty Blue Moon Cleansing Balm 

This one is great for the colder, drier season when you don’t want to strip your skin of its natural oils. This solid cleansing balm keeps skin plump and moist as it removes dirt and makeup!

Shop Sober Beauty at 10 percent off storewide through this exclusive QR code and follow their WeChat account:

Face Wash (Summer): Vedic Life Pure Clean Foam

The only locally made face wash I’ve found here with prebiotics, naturally formulated by Irina from Vedic Life, who is rebranding her skincare line as Tesori d’Amore Perfume and Cosmetics.

Add Irina on WeChat by scanning the QR code below:

Slow Living Juicy Peach Toner

Audrey Tournier founded Slow Living in China to create skincare that takes the best from nature and science in order to help people reconnect to the rejuvenating wisdom of nature. The Juicy Peach Toner smells good enough to eat and keeps my face hydrated with a few spritzes after a wash!

You can shop online at www.slowliving.life or scan the QR code below. Use discount code CLEANBEAUTY10% for 10 percent off storewide, valid until May 22 at 9pm.

Slow Living Rise & Shine Moisturizer 

A light day moisturizer that isn’t sticky. Perfect for summer!

Scan the QR code to add Audrey – Slow Living on WeChat.

RG Cosmetics Facial Serum Trio

We’re always hearing about serums that should contain the magic ingredient of retinol, hyaluronic acid, or Vitamin C, but why choose between them when you can have them all in this serum trio set from RG Cosmetics? Even my husband likes these because they are super light and have no scent, except for the Vitamin C one.

RG Cosmetics is giving a 10 percent discount on non-promotional items when you quote jingkids with your purchase through WeChat by scanning the QR code below.

RG Cosmetics Pink Clay Mask 

I’ve heard so much about the skincare miracle that is pink clay in recent years, and truly it does clear my skin up! One user even commented that her skin-analyzing device reported increased levels in her skin elasticity and moisture levels, while oil levels went down.

Vedic Life Foaming Body Scrub

Another shoutout to Irina from Vedic Life as I absolutely love this foaming body scrub from Tesori d’Amore, which is the first of its kind I’ve found that foams! So often a scrub sticks to you in the shower and you can still find bits of it afterwards in unmentionable places, but this foaming body scrub just glides off your skin, leaving you smelling like freshly-made caramel!

Just for jingkids readers, Irina is extending a special price for body scrubs – RMB100 instead of RMB150, valid until the end of June! Contact her on WeChat to order yours today!

In my next related article, I’ll reveal the skincare treatment that every well-kept Beijing woman treats herself to regularly, so stay tuned!

KEEP READING: A Skincare Routine For Kids To Fight Dry Beijing Skin

Images: Unsplash, courtesy of the vendors

The past few weeks have been a little… chaotic, to say the least. So, you can be forgiven if you forgot that this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. It’s a little late for TaoBao to help you but don’t worry, all of these local businesses can make sure you get a gift that will make it look like you planned ahead.

For the traditionalist: Blooms are a classic for a reason, Studio Flowers will make sure a perfect bouquet shows up just in time to brighten mom’s day. Bonus points if you send one to the home and one to the office.

For the Domestic Goddess: She makes it look easy (it’s not).  Between work, online learning, and trying to use all the food we panic-bought before it rots, mom is likely to be more than a little stressed. Some aromatherapy might be in order. Local teachers and owners of Tallow Candle can put together a homemade box of candles that smell like anything from baking cookies to fresh-cut grass. All are non-toxic and environmentally friendly.

For Super Mom: Unwinding at the spa isn’t the only way of de-stressing. Sometimes you just gotta’ hit something. Help mom finds her inner warrior and shake up her fitness routine with Warrior One.

For the Cosmo Mama: It’s about the little luxuries. Whether mom has a signature scent, a favorite face mask, or just loves the latest MAC lipstick line, Marsha will hook you up. Send a photo of the product and she will track it down for you!

PRO TIP: Get a few of mom’s favorite indulgences and arrange them into a gift basket for a little extra wow factor.

For the Fashionista: The carpool lane is her runway. For a new Hermès scarf, a classic pair of Channel sunglasses, or chic Kate Spade earrings Po & Liz are my first call. They always let me know what is in stock and available fast. The quality has always been great with easy returns if something is not quite right.

For the Spa Mama: Anything that gives mom one less thing to worry about is always a good idea. Alice Beauty is offering a special on laser hair removal so she can cross shaving off her to-do list this summer. They also offer amazing facials, manicures, and a host of other beauty services. Contact for details, appointments or to get gift certificates.

For the Bunch Mama: …Because she probably is missing free flow right now: If brunch out isn’t an option this weekend, make sure mom has a perfect breakfast in bed cocktail to go with her eggs and waffles with the help of Jacqueline. Whether you need a bottle (or case) of prosecco for the makings for a perfect Aperol spritz or if mom has a discerning palate for Italian reds, Jacqueline will help you find the perfect poison (so to speak) and ship them right to your door in time for a lovely Mothers’ Day tipple.

Images: Pexels, Studio Flowers, Tallow Candles, Canva, Weheartwine

KEEP READING: Panic Groceries About to Go Bad? Try this.

On mildly cool Monday morning at the Marriott Northeast at Liangmaqiao, several vendors were displaying their wares to attract the eyes and hearts of the International Newcomers’ Network Spring Bazaar attendees. This is where I met Dutch international Desiree de Wit. If you are still searching for gifts to give friends then de Wit’s organic towels are just what you want! de Wit and her family have been Beijing residents for three years, they moved here when her husband got a job opportunity. Here’s a Q&A about her business.

When did you start your business, and why?
I started my business a year ago after returning back from a trip to Istanbul. I had lived in Istanbul for 3 years prior to moving to Beijing, and always loved all the Turkish textiles whilst living there. When I moved to Beijing at the end of 2013, I noticed that handmade Turkish towels and blankets were nowhere to be found in Beijing. I returned back to Istanbul in early 2015 and I brought my favorite samples of towels and blankets back to Beijing. They sold out quickly. I continue to source beautiful new textiles for my Beijing customers through my network of vendors in Turkey.

Who are your customers?
Primarily, my customers are Beijing Expatriates and Chinese who have great taste in design and luxury products.

What’s your signature product or products?
My handmade blankets, bath towels, tea towels are the most popular products. The best thing about my towels is that they are handmade, 100 percent organic cotton and multipurpose for the shower, sauna, beach, spa, gym, yacht, or the pool.
– Multipurpose: Use them as a chic sarong, beach towel, wrap to keep you warm, tablecloth or an impromptu picnic blanket.
– Cost Effective and Absorbent: Durable to frequent washing and dry quickly and easily
– Perfect for traveling: Lightweight, easy to carry and occupy little space in your bag or storage
– Eco-friendly: Consume less water and detergent in washing
– Perfect gift for anyone: hostess, teachers, moms, and anyone who loves beautiful luxurious textiles.

Why do you think your customers like your products?
They are all 1) Handmade, high-quality and luxurious 2) absorbent and don’t take up a lot of room in linen closets, and 3) Versatile and multipurpose.

Where do you get your ideas from?
I get inspired by travel, interior design trends and I work with vendors in Istanbul to select my favorite textiles to import to Beijing.

What’s your goal?
My goal is for as many people to have access to beautiful handmade luxurious textiles

How much do your products cost?
My tea towels are RMB 75 each, most towels are approximately RMB 300, and my blankets are RMB 900.

You can get in touch with de Wit (魏德瑞) by calling her on 132 6949 5428, email dewitfamily@mac.com, or WeChat: desireedewit.
 

Photos: Desiree de Wit