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!

22/12/2011 Lamp shades and all those itsy bitsy pieces that…read moremake you say, wow! This nicely hidden, tiny, crammed and crowded shop packs in quite a lot of different things to add to your home. It's all cute, I especially liked the white desk lamps. My eyes were so busy looking around this store. I really liked how the staff asked me if I needed any help, and if I couldn't find it in here, they directed me to three other stores that I could look in. So helpful. The only reason I didn't rate this higher was because it was so packed, and hard to move and look around, that I just needed to find my item elsewhere.

I can't really fault this shop. It's one of my favourites! Full of bags, jewellery, candles by…read moreGlasshouse (which smell amazing by the way), home wares, well-being and inspirational books, journals and unique finds. Each time I have come into Fireflies I've had a warm welcome. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I have bought two Christmas gifts from here and they kindly gift wrapped for no extra charge. I also bought my travel journal from here (after looking everywhere else in the city); the lady got together all the travel journals they had which gave me a range to choose from. In the end I left happy with my purchase. If you are looking for a special gift or a treat for yourself, you'll have no trouble choosing something. Go in, have a browse, and I'm sure you'll come back for more!

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.

This is generally where I stop to get my prescriptions and sometimes treat myself to makeup. Well,…read morethis particular pharmacy actually stocks Napoleon Cosmetics and (here is a hot tip) if you have Health Partners Insurance, you get 20% off. Ummm yes... I am amazing, no worries! In fact, you get 20% off everything here with Health Partners. There are actually a few different makeup products here and they often have specials. But, I don't really buy much more than Napoleon though. As for the pharmacy part, the staff here are friendly. I have never really had to wait for long. And I haven't received any stink eye if I ask for cold and flu tablets from behind the counter. You know what I am talking about. It's conveniently located near Foodland and other shops. So, you can do a round of shopping for all your needs.

I love pharmacies. And not because I'm a medication fiend…read more It's the beauty products and gorgeously packaged little items that get me: while I'm waiting for a prescription, I inevitably browse around and BAM! Before I know it I've bought a bunch of stuff I never intended on getting and don't really need. Priceline Pharmacy knows this, and works to my weaknesses, with a range of personal supplies, makeup, haircare, dyes, moisturisers and cute things galore to browse. While I can't speak about the pharmacy itself, I can tell you they've got a good selection of all the other stuff, with the likes of Revlon, Rimmel, Maybelline and other counter makeup brands, as well as a pretty good range of hair care - perhaps the biggest range on the Parade, with decent prices too. Plus, there are always enough staff to help out and at the counters, and the opening hours are really good by Adelaide standards. A great addition to the Parade!

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: *****

Great quality products, there's an incredibly huge range of colours and the brushes are sturdy and…read moreincredible! The staff are friendly and while the decor can be initially a bit overwhelming with the store being completely black, the relaxed atmosphere soon puts you at ease. I love their brow kit and the lip care kit the most - they are such gems! Other than that, who can say no to rows and rows of lipstick?

I hadn't come across The Make Up Store before, and no wonder, because there are only two in…read moreAustralia, and one in Adelaide, though it's a global business. Intrigued by the mirrors and make-up chairs, I wandered in to see what they do. Their range of make-up is fairly unremarkable in products and price, though I can't comment on the quality, because I wasn't impressed enough to buy any. Though I do like the look of their range of brushes, which seem to be good quality at reasonably prices. While I was in the store, a women brought back a broken make-up purse in which the zip had come apart on first use. You can't help but notice incidents like these, and it doesn't give you great confidence in the product. I was seeking ideas for wedding make-up, and had a chat to one of the girls who offered some suggestions, though nothing I couldn't have come up with myself, and nothing that specifically suited the look I wanted. She offered that next time I come in we can try some styles on in front of the mirror - but wouldn't a serious saleswoman have offered to do it then and there? I can't say I was impressed overall.

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.