“I know we are about to cancel the mask mandate, so I just bought several [lipsticks],” she said. “I haven’t carefully put makeup on for quite a long time.”

A saleswoman at Giorgio Armani Beauty in Mong Kok’s Langham Place said she had noticed more women buying lipstick recently.

Chloe Deng, who works at an international professional services firm, said she was eager for the masks to come off, saying: “My cosmetic products, especially the lipsticks, can finally be used.”

The 35-year-old added the policy change would be good for the psychological development of her young son. The first coronavirus cases emerged in the city in January of 2020, and authorities imposed the mask mandate that July. Her son was born in August 2019, so for most of his life he has been learning how to interact socially with people while they were wearing masks.

“Now he can finally see the faces of his teachers and friends in kindergarten. He can observe how people talk with their mouths. This is good for him to learn to express and interact,” Deng said.

But Zoe Zou said her family would continue to wear masks for at least another month as a precaution, adding she had grown used to having them on.

“My son is about to take final exams. I don’t want him to be infected by the coronavirus or any other virus,” she said.

Angus Wong, 40, said he would only wear a mask on public transport but would buy fewer of them.

“I still need to wear masks on the subway or in hospital, so I still need to stock some masks at home – but not that many,” he said.

Sam Ip, a project officer working for a Hong Kong-based think tank, also expressed mixed feelings towards the decision.

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“I am happy about it. But I also feel sad about it, as it came too late. Part of me may question whether the decision is made based on political considerations, rather than science,” he said.

City leader Lee was repeatedly asked on Tuesday whether his announcement was prompted by neighbouring city Macau’s decision to lift its general outdoor mask-wearing rules. Lee insisted the move was part of an overall assessment of all factors, including the local coronavirus situation and the decline in cases of flu and other respiratory viruses.

Business mogul Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, described the axing of the mandate as a “happy day” for all Hong Kong people.

“The announcement is sending a message to the world that Hong Kong is truly back. People can really live a normal life here and tourism can start again,” he said.

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The entertainment tycoon said it was “better late than never”, while acknowledging the decision had been a long time coming.

“If we continue to wear masks, how could the outside world see our happy faces when we say ‘Hello Hong Kong’ to them,” he asked, referring to the government’s campaign launched to attract tourists

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said he had been urging the government to make the change for months. But he also said he would wear a mask when in a crowded environment or while travelling on public transport.

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Although there would be no compulsory measures for catering personnel to wear masks, suggestions would be made to those working in kitchens, and other service staff, to put on the protective coverings, Wong said.

“I believe the hotels and large restaurants in the city should have certain regulations to require their staff to wear masks when dealing with food. Residents should not be worried about that,” he said.

Additional reporting by Zhao Ziwen