Let's call Kit Mecca Cosmetics' little sister. If you're familiar with the Mecca stores then…read moreyou'll feel right at home in the Kit Cosmetics concession that is in the first floor of the CBD Myer store. They stock an entirely different set of ranges to Mecca and most tend to fall into a lower price point than some of the higher end brands you'd find in Mecca stores. But the quality and curation of only the best of the best remain (they're owned buy the same people). And true to their staff ethos, I've always encountered professional and eager to help staff in this concession. Plus they've never been overly pushy or those kind of sale people to follow you around endlessly once you've indicated you're just browsing. Pro Tip: looking for new makeup products but not sure where to start? Book in for one of their makeup application appointments. The cost is redeemable on product and you'll walk out feeling like a million dollars.

Sure: Mecca has some hot competition on their toes with as ephors opening in Sydney this December,…read morebut for now, this is as good as it gets for us cosmetic loving dames and gents in Brisbane. Of course there's always that other shop, open 24/7 a.k.a the World Wide Web but you'll be pleased and/or surprised to note Mecca have recently dropped their prices quite heftily to fall in line with US prices. And they've always been generous with samples. As a dame with sensitive and often reactive skin, the ability to really test a product, be it makeup or skin care, before I buy is appreciated. Pair this with customer service from the staff that 9 times out if 10 goes above and beyond and it's a bricks and mortar store I'm more than happy to give my Monopoly money (read: paycheck) to. As Fleur pointed out the staff don't pounce straight away. They will ask but I've always found them to be respectful of my space once I say I'm just looking. Similarly, if you do need a hand they'll be ready! If you are to visit either of the Mecca's in the Mall, this is my pick. There's just a little more range than the Queens Plaza store.

I went into the store a few weeks ago to do a makeup tutorial. It was my first time doing one and I…read moredidn't really quite know what to expect. I was helped by a lady named Mindy and at first, the tutorial was quite good and engaging. But later on, when I was struggling with my eyeliner, she snatched the brush out of my hand and started mocking me, proceeding to tell me that I was doing it wrong in a very frustrated and annoyed tone. I thought the point of the tutorial was to learn more about makeup and get a better feel for some of the products I don't have much experience with. I spent the rest of the time feeling embarrassed and stupid, especially after continuing her rude behaviour. It made me want to leave and ruined an experience I received as a gift and was relatively excited about. I was disappointed because friends who had done tutorials at other Mecca stores had been telling me how great tutorials were but that was really undermined by my experience.

Just went for a drive out of the city and found this place - the Hummingbird special for lunch was…read moredelicious, and the coffee was really good too. The also have a wide range natural supplies.

My second favourite store has also opened in QLD recently. I love sephora, all your makeup needs in…read moreone spot. I didn't need anything as am well stocked from USA but I still bought a couple of items. I had to sign up To their r and program despite me being signed up online already. Annoyingly Australia doesnt recognise the USA program where I am VIP. It's a massive shop and the staff were not harassing me every minute which was pleasant.

I went into sephora today with three friends and while it is great that we have a walk in store in…read morequeensland now i found the customer service lacking, as did the three people i was with. When asked the price of an item a staff member (who i was advised was a contractor in similar clothing after) was rudely told to go ask someone else. When i went to the manager, i felt that her response was abrupt and unapologetic. I went to the front counter to pay for my purchases, i was advised there was no bags, at all. i found the staff did not know what they were talking about, abrupt and unfriendly. Another girl in my group went up for a separate transaction and had a similar experience where she felt the staff were under trained and quite abrupt. STICK TO THE ONLINE STORE.

If you are after cheap and cheerful cosmetics, just for something to buy, then Cosmetics Plus is…read morethe place to get your kicks. It has plenty of marked down prices for cosmetics, mainly Maybelline, Revlon, Rimmel and other fairly unknown brands. It's perfect for stocking fillers at Christmas for a teenage girl. I know I bought some stuff from here for stocking fillers for my nieces. In addition to cosmetics they have a range of fruity coloured wigs. So if you ever needed to dress up as Katy Perry ('California Gurls' style), then you'd find the blue wigs, the pink, the purple and more here. They also sell some other accessories including scarves and wallets. It's all a bit mixed-up in here, but it is a good place to go if you're buying for young tweens.

I went to this store yesterday when I went to the counter to purchase my bra I was served by…read morebrunette girl with tattoo on arm she didn't say hello she was rude she didn't at least smile I wasn't getting good customer service I felt treated differently I never coming back to this store anymore

For a foreigner to the Moorooka area, stepping into this store is like entering another world. In…read morefact, I recently spent some time in the Caribbean and this is the closest I've come to being transported back there. Naune Universal Cosmetic Shop is packed from floor to ceiling with products for the African head of hair. Dark and coloured hair extensions, shampoos with bases of things like olive oil, beeswax for dreadlocks and a whole range of creams for coarse hair, containing things like cocoa butter, hemp seed oil and coconut oil. As a blonde-haired individual, I'd probably look a bit slick wearing any of these products, however, I find that a lot of these hair moisturisers work just as well on the skin. Whichever type of hair you have, take a wander in this store--it's fascinating and you never know what you'll find.

You can't pick the right time to come here.... usually it's been so busy you can't navigate the…read moreaisles. Today it wasn't Packed so I could get near the makeup. But to make it hard at least 6 staff tried to help me... I get so annoyed when I am asked more than once, just let me shop in peace! They stopped selling one of my go to items but I am sure I will find a replacement (or just buy on my next LA trip). Hot tip... make sure you sign up for a reward card, you can also use it in their Asia stores.

Good range of products but the music is so bloody loud! I will come back another day when it…read moredoesn't sound like a jet engine is going I my living room!

Mecca Maxima, the monster version of Mecca Cosmetica, has opened in Carindale and I couldn't be…read moremore delighted. The store brings a range of hip and brilliant cosmetics and skin care products like Kit, Stila, Smashbox, NARS, Mario Badescu and Too Faced to the 'burbs, so I no longer have to make a trek into the city (or shop online without the opportunity to cover my hand in testers) to get my killer make-up fix. I dropped in to Mecca for the first time recently when I decided to be indulgently lazy and see if I could get my face done up for an event that night. I didn't have a booking, but they managed to squeeze me in. Apart from the girl who reacted with a bit of a "1-2-3 NOT ME" attitude when I asked about a makeover, the girls at Mecca Maxima Carindale are all really friendly and personable - a couple of them kept coming over to check up on my "work in progress", and I was given a bottle of delicious Schweppes Agrum to drink while I was in the chair. When I'd first entered the store I was greeted warmly by one girl in particular, and I complimented her awesome eyebrows. She ended up being my make-up artist, so I was more than happy with how my eyebrows turned out! We had a great time and she did an excellent job with my insane eyeshadow. The deal with in-store makeovers is that you then have to spend a minimum of $90 on any product/s. I was more than happy to do that, picking up a couple of the products that Emily had used on me - if anyone sees me out and about in the next few weeks, I'll probably be wearing a Stila sparkle liquid eyeliner because I just about lost my mind over how brilliant they are. So I guess the deal works in reverse, too - if you go into Mecca Maxima and spend over $90, do yourself a favour and see if they can fit you in for a makeover while you're there! Or if you have plans to do a bit of spending, call ahead and book in to get done over while you're in there. It was a heap of fun, I felt like a bombshell all night, and I have some shiny new products that I know do a good job.

From the owner: Shop the exclusive edit of over 100 beauty brands across makeup, skin care, body, hair, nail &…read morefragrance at MECCA, Mecca Cosmetica & Mecca Maxima.