Apart from the slightly droll implications of calling it Mecca, a beauty and skincare store that…read moreallows a woman to make an appointment to come in and have her face painted is not such a bad thing. Many women enjoy the 'make over' element of having the right foundation, blush, eye shadow and lipstick, but do not have the money to build up a cache of makeup when they're not really using it all that often. One wouldn't necessarily be wanting to use foundation all the time or applying eye shadow every day, it simply isn't very practical. Obviously some jobs require the added enhancement of makeup, but not all. If you were working in a laundry you wouldn't feel any great need to be made up with cosmetics every day would you? Possibly if you were working in a shop or as a receptionist or as a bank manager or teller you may feel it is par for the course to wear some makeup, just so you look that extra bit fresh even when you are not feeling quite so fresh. Mecca Cosmetica is an outlet for some very vivid cosmetics, but I am drawn to it as a business because I am told it is a nice treat. You see I don't go and get myself made up, as much as I may need some sort of cosmetic enhancement, I shy away from it being a male. My grandchildren may feel strong enough to get around wearing eye liner and blush, but today's young men are definitely more adventurous that I ever was in that department. I myself have been informed in this particular instance that the service provided by Mecca Cosmetica is a "treat and a half", "a real splurge out" and "essential if you don't know what to do with cosmetics to save your life" and I am inclined to believe the advice I've had imparted to me. I do know that when I worked in television on various TV series and in movies there was quite a lot of time spent in the makeup chair for relatively little effect, which was the desired outcome. The difference in real life for a woman is she can learn a lot by having someone apply her makeup for her, to deliberately make her look made up, coloured, enhanced; however you want to put it. Once the lessons are learnt they can be utilised without the luxury of having someone do it for you. We all know a little bit of self indulgence can be a good thing from time to time as long as it doesn't get you into trouble. If you and four friends want to be indulged in an evening of sppecial treatment and crash course of education it will cost you $100.00 each which may seem a lot at a glance to some, and will not seem too much to others obviously; what is the value of self grooming and knowing what to do with the cosmetics you bother to purchase? I suspect this is a fairly reasonable price for a working woman, and we all know how easy it is to then share secrects with our nearest and dearest, don't we women?

8/01/2012 It's always really awkward for me trying to talk…read moreabout make-up. I mean...how do I share with the rest of Yelp (and maybe the public user) that: 1. This is only the second EVER cosmetic store I have ever been to in my ENTIRE life... and 2. It was SO bad that when you normally have the ability to think on your feet and answer spontaneous and tough questions, you were asked by the shop assistant what my "lady friend" specifically likes in make-up, you were absolutely stumped on the spot! (I mean...I should be alright in the field of make-up, right?...Boy, have I never been more wrong in my life!) Awkward confessions aside, Mecca Cosmetica was the most informative, and comfortable beauty&cosmetics store I have ever been to. (Well, yes, out of the two shops so far. Give me a break! I'm still a rookie!) Mecca Cosmetica had fantastic service! While I was the only other living and breathing customer in the store I quickly gained courage to ask her to introduce me to this new world of make-up! She effortlessly introduced me to the lipstick colours of orange, red, and even recommended purple as the new trendy colour for nails! I must say, really...the quality of the lipstick and nail colour was clear and pretty to look at! I figured I might as well enjoy the free ride. But she laughed at me as she knew that this wasn't my element when she kept asking questions, until I told her, "I have no idea what I'm doing here. I feel like I'm on a shopping spree in Sex In the City, except I'm Mr Big, not Carrie Bradshaw." I'm still not sure how I managed to survive half an hour here! So here's a TIP: Guys, when visiting any make-up store, ask a female friend to come along with you. For the ladies, if you want the best make-up in Adelaide CBD, go and step inside Mecca Cosmetica on your next trip to Rundle Mall...especially if you want friendly & educational customer service, coupled with the best beauty & cosmetic products from USA and Europe!

I gotta say....I think I'm in love I do love my Lush products but I was given a face cleanser and…read morebody scrub for Xmas and it was just utter bliss! On my arms, I have a bit of keratosis pilaris (very mild, little red dry bumps) and when I tried the 'Fruit Tingle' body scrub it pretty much got rid of 98% of them and my skin felt sooooo soft afterwards, never in my life have I had that; even after using moisturisers it would still come back. Not to mention the smell, praise the sugar lord, it's to die for!! I love the (OH) Passion fruit face cleanser too, takes of all my makeup at night time, recommend using a wet flannel with it. The body soaps are great too but I found it just got used up too quickly and didn't last very long. Definitely worth trying out and one tip, if you use the scrubs let it sit on your skin for a few minutes and you'll not only smell tasty but the product works better!

Oh deer, oh my! I am in yummy body washy heaven. This is seriously one of my new favourite places…read morein Adelaide. I am in love with this place. As you walk in you are greeted with the most amazing sweet smells. It's not overwhelming. It's just really refreshing and entrancing. I am a sucker for fruit & sweet scents, so Oh Deer Sugar products totally won me over. Not to mention that they are all totally cruelty free, vegan and made in our very own lil' city Adelaide. Hooray! The store owners are just so absolutely lovely and so happy to explain each an everyone of their products. I was totally walking around like I walked into the chocolate factory in the Roald Dahl book Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Only thing is, I couldn't eat anything. Although it sure smells like you can! Be sure to smell those chocolate block soaps. Yummo! All of the bath bombs, bubble baths and skin products almost look to pretty to use. So, you know you are in for a treat when you get a chance to use them. Some are in the shape of cup cakes with icing and glitter. So cute and makes for a great gift! Wow your friends and share the love for this store. I guarantee they will become as addicted as what you will be! The best part is that their bath bombs and bubble baths is that they are multi use! Yup, you don't have to use the whole thing for one bath. That really means that they are great value for money. I am actually going to have to try everything in this store. Love supporting such a cool idea and talented people in SA. If only there were more stars to give them!! Oh, here you go ladies: *****

22/12/2011 Photos Mmmm.....yummm.....this sugar Daddy really…read morelikes the smell of that one! The Body Shop brings out my inner sexual male desires in such a way that its' intoxicating fragrances travels from my nose to my fingers. I can only wish my next girlfriend will wear such things. With 1 shop in Adelaide, and five more shops around South Australia, the Body Shop experience is very intimate, and you're going to leave wishing that your girlfriend will buy and rub all of that stuff on her body. I'm just telling you how it is. They're definitely bringing "sexy" back, but in a classy way. Classy because the items are pricey here, but if you've got a spare $200 to blow, their gift packs are perfect and ready-made to take home. But if you ain't digging those ready-made ones, they offer custom-made gift packs of different items (e.g., perfumes, moisturisers) that you choose yourself. The store is as very much for the more mature young ladies, to the point where the I was literally the only male in the store. But it didn't matter, because once one of the dozen female shop assistants start helping you, you will be in the zone smelling the Japanese Cherry Blossom and the Strawberry fragrances (top two scents for a male like me) and you won't notice anyone around you except the products. If you're craving for something to spice up your love life or just anything sweet to smell on yourself, without getting too X-rated, this is definitely the spot!

Welcome to Last Minute Thoughtless Gift Warehouse!!! aka…read moreThe Body Shop. Or is it the other way around? Anyway, The Body Shop seems to have something for everyone. Everyone has a body, and people need things to keep themselves clean and smelling lovely. So unless you, or the person you are buying for, enjoys an unhygienic existence, The Body Shop will definitely have something you need. If I could afford it, I'd probably buy all of my personal hygiene supplies from here. A store where you can buy soaps, powders, liquids, gels, sprays, and certainly more, all coming in varieties of scents of almost any fruit or spice you can fathom. The staff here are incredibly helpful and always have a good suggestion if you're stuck.

Awesome place for skincare products. Love their multiple locations. Great for gifts.read more

This is a skin care and cosmetic store that is a bit different to the rest. They have farms in the…read moreAdelaide Hills where they grow a good deal (if not all) of the products that they use in their skin care range, things like lavender, calendula, roses... all the ingredients required. They started out as a small enterprise and have gradually become a South Australian model of business success. This can only really happen when the products are good to begin with, and the way they pitch their business story has always included the story of finding Adelaide and the surrounds to be the perfect place to create the materials to use in their product, so obviously it has been embraced locally. After all it sends a very positive message about the area, and maintains it with a sought after commodity. The emphasis is on natural beauty and good product. Cleansers, Toners, Moisturisers, all of these things are relatively basic products, but if really pure and good ingredients are used they will be better, stands to reason. I've used some of the toners and moisturisers myself and I think they are very good. Pricey - absolutely - but that's one of those very personal things isn't it? The difference between what you chose for yourself is often relative to what income you are on at any given time. If I have little income I go for a generic brand every time, if I have a fair income I like to use products that are superior in quality. The whole Jurlique story is a little superior, a little more special than anything else - and maybe that is just astute marketing by degrees, but if something is extra smooth and smells really wonderful, it is going to get my vote over something a bit thick and smelling not so great. Chat in store to one of the assistants and you will get a good insight into what the products are all about and how they differ from your generic products elsewhere. You will notice they have a very earthy style in store, and the shop smells deliciously fresh and pure. They do some great tinctures and know how to make you feel special by rubbing a little cream on your wrist. It is very fresh and seductive in a way. Worth an investigation if you are prone to allergies as well.

My friends and have been there a few times. And OMG they are so rude. Legit all they care about is…read moreour money. Like if there was an earthquake, they would go find my purse and take my moolah. They're so fixated about money, yet they don't know how to calculate money CORRECTLY. At least use a calculator.

The one product that every girl struggles to find that is worthy of our hard earned dollars is…read more... Mascara. Yes, I like every other girl, have tried every product I can get my hot little hands on. I have tried every brush and comb. Different colours, waterproof, smudge proof, primers, everything.. No luck... Always disappointed. And then I tried Mac Mascaras. I actually don't know why I didn't try them earlier? I called my sister after using it and said I had a break through! They just have the product sorted out. Mac offer Mascaras with all different selections of colours, textures, brushes and combs. And the product performs in the way it is marketed. In all honesty, Mac don't ever really need to invest in a lot of Marketing. Their product is so good, you start telling all your friends. Mac is very much a company that develops a great relationship with its customer base. Every time I go in the store they are all so friendly and happy to help. You can get your makeup done if you have a special occasion coming up and test any product you like. They even offer a free mascara after returning 6 x empties. It is not all about the mascara though, their "Fluidline" is my favourite for eye liner and their eye shadows are so pigmented and beautiful. So, for the grand finale, my mascara (weapon) of choice is "Prep and Prime" undercoat, with "False Lashes" in black overcoat. And, BAM! Check out your fluttering beauties! Just remember, you pay for what you get ladies. Mac Products are quality and they last a lot longer than cheaper brands.

I love MAC, if I could afford it all of my make-up would be MAC. I think it is all great quality,…read moreall easy to use and makes you look great. I definitely am not the only person who thinks like this, most of the people I know swear by MAC. My favourite items are definitely their foundation and their eyeliner. There are many different types of foundation available there, you just need to spend some time talking to the shop assistant to work out which one would best suit you and your needs. It is also not too expensive, about $60. However, mine always seems to run out extremely quickly and I don't cake it on! Their eyeliner is also great, the liquid takes a bit of time to get used to, but it stays on no matter what you are doing. One thing I do have to rave about at MAC is the staff. People bitch about their 'ridiculous' makeup, but I like it. They are working at MAC, so it should be what you expect. There are always extremely helpful when I go in, willing to spend a good 10-15 minutes helping me chose out and try on different items.

would give zero stars if I could. order only partially…read moredelivered after many emails (6 weeks later) no response to emails or phone calls about where the rest of my order is. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY!!!

Do not buy from them. Have sent emails asking where my order is. No replies other than an initial…read moreautomated email advising they we be in contact. .. No update received.

28/12/2011 Photos Pretty "shorties" in black uniform letting…read moreme have a sniff of their fragrances, educating me with enough information to fill up a book, and generating a lot of flavours towards my face? Sounds like a trip to L'Occitane! Craig David singing, "What's yo flava? Tell me what's yo flava?" Mine, I prefer the Cherry Blossom over the Almond! I am lucky to enjoy all their products, made in France and Asia, yet they are located in Adelaide, and if you can ignore the undeniable fact that only ladies come here, if you kindly ask, you will find enough skin care, body lotions, face creams, and anti-ageing creams to compete hard with the neighbouring Body Shop and other skin care shop/s. I still think this is one of the rare shops where their 5-star service outdoes their 3-star products! L'occitane's products range from $13 (on sale) - $40, so it's definitely much more relatively affordable than the others! And the shop assistant that walked me around the store generously gave me a good whiff of a lot of their samples. The smells here are not as strong, so it's perfect if you just want a pleasant scent on your own or partner's body! Oh, that anti-ageing cream for your Mum looks interesting!

'What an absolutely cute shop' I thought when I first discovered Crabtree & Evelyn inside the…read moreAdelaide Arcade. They mainly specialise in beauty products, such as hand and foot creams, lip balms, hair stuff and fragrances. Every product is so beautifully packed and there is hardly anything that doesn't smell amazing. It is rather expensive though, with basic items such as soaps starting at $15. They also sell little tins of cookies, fruit cakes and tea, which hopefully taste as nice as they look. You can get a sachet of English breakfast tea or a jar of mustard for 10 bucks, which I think are really lovely gift ideas (especially with Christmas coming up). The shop is rather small and well worth a thorough browse. If you're not planning on buying anything you can at least enjoy the sense of pleasure you get from looking around and smelling all their fine products.

This is a shop for BEARDS! Not surprising in this time of hipsters, but there is more to Tether…read morethan just hipsters. We came here for a pressie for my partner's dad - he is the classic 'hard to buy for' type of guy, already has everything. We walked past this store, and joked that we should get him some beard oil ... and then we decided this was actually a pretty good idea! Surprisingly, this is not a hipster store, though it would definitely appeal to them. It is very classically stylish, and the owner was very friendly and helpful. We bought beard oil sourced from Melbourne, and a sustainably sourced beard comb. Yes, you read that right :P How many other stores can you think of that cater especially for men's grooming products? This place has it all - cologne, face products, and of course the beard stuff. I would definitely recommend coming here for presents for all types of men ... bearded and unbearded - especially those that are hard to buy for! :)