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.

I've got mixed feelings for this place--I've come here three times for my three lobe piercings and…read morehave had a different experience each time. The first time was good, though I was seven so don't really remember much, just that everyone was quite friendly. My second time was not so great--the lady who pierced me had to redot my ears several times and they still ended up being uneven. Also the gun got stuck in my ear on an angle so she had to fiddle with it and pull it out; it was painful and my ears were also throbbing for hours after. My third time was amazing though--the lady was clean and professional, friendly, and only had to dot my ears once. When she pierced it was nice and clean; straight and just a quick in-and-out, and she somehow managed to align it to make the muck-up of the second piercing look good. No pain during or after the piercing either. Something consistent with this company though is the good customer service--the staff build a great relationship with the customers; they are always really nice to you and do their best to make sure you feel good and comfortable.

A piercer there named alex absolutely FUCKED UP my piercing. She pierced my second ear piercings…read moreway too close to my firsts to the point where i cant even wear studs in both holes without them literally sitting on top of each other and by the way this BULLSHIT was NOT worth $30 for the piercing WITH A GUN plus another $10 for the shittest studs i could have ever been given which literally grinded into my skin causing it to bleed. In conclusion this was the worst piercing experience ive ever had and please just go to a professional and pay $80 instead of risking infection for a shitty and fucked up piercing.

Overflow, could they be the Rolls Royce of two Bob shopping?…read more Overflow are a bit weird. Of course you will find all the regular suspects: a huge party section of gift wrap, ribbons, matching color paper plates, cups, streamers, balloons and so on. Also the costume section if you need wigs, knights armor, pirate hats. Cheap plastic and terracotta pots, spades and takes off questionable construction. Cosmetics and hair care of dubious origin. A whole aisle of candles and incense. Back to school gear as well. And then you find the stuff you don't normally see. There are concrete garden settings. Half size boat bow shelves. Full size garden arches. An entire row of State of Origin. A shelf dedicated to goth/metal decor (vampire damsels curled around purple dragons on a bed of skulls). Giant crochet ottomans. Life size lamb and piglet statues. These are seasonal things. At the moment, should you want to apply a nautical theme to your home, you will have no trouble here. Things are not terribly dear here either. I know I'm reviewing a bargain store, but I have seen a garden seat at one place being sold for $200. So there's "bargain" and "Bargain"... Overflow, for the times I've been, never have seen something to roll my eyes in terms of price.

I do like to smell delicious at all times (so hard in this dreadful Brisbane humidity), so imagine…read moremy delight when I stumbled upon this perfume utopia. It has most of the big name brands for cheaper than you see elsewhere (and if you do see it for a more bargainous price in another shop, they'll beat that price by 5%). How kind of them. And yes, they do sell only authentic designer fragrances. It's definitely not a store that stocks those strange, fake perfumes you see around that say "smells similar to Chanel No. 5" but after 5 minutes you reek like you've rolled around in cat pee. I am now practically bathing myself daily in my prized bottle of Dolce and Gabbana's La Lune scent (only $69 for a huge bottle). So many scents, only one nose...

From the time I arrived at the spa to when I left I felt like royalty! The staffs care and…read moreattention was amazing. It was my birthday and I booked for a Decadence for the feet pedicure and every staff member that I crossed paths with wished me a happy birthday, I felt like an old friend, not just a new client. The visit started by changing into a robe and slippers, now I am a fluffy guy robe's usually don't fit, but that wasn't the case here, the robe fitted perfectly. Then I was taken to a relaxation room where I got to chill and relax even before the treatment started. Being my birthday there were three of us getting pedi's, and despite the chatter between us when it came to the hot stone massage we all fell silent and drifted to an almost comatose state of bliss. I have to say having pedicures are the ultimate luxury experience for me and I've been around awhile and had a few over my time and I can say that I have never had a more luxurious pedicure in my life!! Just when I thought it couldn't get better because it was my birthday we were given a glass of champagne and chocolates. This place offers the wow factor on so many levels. If you are visiting the hotel or just want to indulge in someone for a special occasion I would highly recommend them, I know I am taking my mum in for another double pedicure session for mothers day this year!

Feel like getting spoiled? I did. And after a massage, skin brushing, body polish, milk bath, body…read morewrap and 60 minute massage (aka the "spirit of the senses" package) I was ready to propose to Stephanie right then and there. If I just could have managed to keep my head up. It started out as usual - a locker room visit, a silky robe, and short wait in the lounge before I was led to my treatment room. From there it was 2.5 hours of bliss, all in one room, all with one therapist. This was definitely more of a relaxation massage, and though I mentioned it a few times, it was a little light for my liking... but at that point I was too relaxed to let it bother me. It certainly wasn't a cheap pampering session, but if you're looking to spoil someone rotten, this is definitely your place. Hydrated and velvety doesn't even begin to describe how my body felt afterward and after a beautiful tea in the lounge to round off the experience, I was ready to take over the world (perhaps right after a long nap).