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...

I went to libertine perfumery and did one of their courses, but I can't even begin to explain how…read moregreat their customer service was, and their wide selection of fragrances was amazing; they are the best place to go for fragrances I highly recommend and will be returning. From Gabe

Perfume Masterclass! What an amazing experience. Our group…read morewere totally mesmerised by Gai and her extensive knowledge on the history of perfume. We sampled some truly historic, romantic and delectable scents. Our minds were truly challenged and invigorated by the different layers of the scents created by the master perfumers from across the globe. Highly recommend a master class for that perfect occasion - girls night, hens event, Mother's Day, birthdays etc. Get a group of gorgeous women together and celebrate the beautiful perfumes of the ancient and modern world!

Bought some Arnica cream, when i got home and opened the jar the inner safty seal came adrift. Took…read moreit back the next day and got treated like it was my fault, and after some coming and going behind the scenes I was granted a fresh Jar from the shelf. I opened the jar and noticed that the lid was a lot tighter than the last one, good I thought untill on opening the security seal came free on its own...I inquired as to the security of this product that seems comprised....The reply was it must be just the batch and that was that. No concern here. So my next transaction was some medicine with reg 24 on the script which means the all the repeats can be despensed at once. As i was visiting Maleny for a couple of weeks, I only required enough to cover my stay as I had plenty of my medicine back at home. The Chemist refused to supply the smaller choice, saying that was the rule. Wrong Mr Chemist.... Just google PBS 24 Reg. It shows that it is flexable. We argued... not pleasant. I had to get in touch with my dr who sent me a script omitting the reg24. Later I found the Amcal Chemist at the Riverside Centre next time.

I'm not a big fan of this chemist warehouse, it's way to small. The staff seem annoyed when asked…read morewhere products are. Overall not a good place to go.

Thank God for Brit perfume brand Jo Malone. Because after a humid day dashing around Brisbane's CBD…read morerunning errands, well, I needed a little freshening up. So I headed to the concession in David Jones and spoke to lovely counter manager, Donna, who happily talked me through the brand's fabulous perfume combining concept (and let me have a spritz or two to help cover up my sweat attack). Perfume combining does what it says on the tin - you mix two fragrances together and create your very own, unique scent. For instance, I am slightly obsessed with the brand's Orange Blossom fragrance, so for an even fresher, summer scent, Donna advised me to mix it with English Pear and Freesia. It's a way of getting your own signature smell, without having to don a white coat and hire a laboratory. And to help me along on my new path as an amateur perfumer, she gave me a list of all the scents they think work well together. But for the time being, I might stick with my Orange Blossom / English Pear and Freesia mix (need to think of a catchier name: Opear? Blossia?). And I got a few compliments on how lovely I smelt from a couple of handsome strangers, and a hot shop boy. Result.

Very rude experience purchasing on Mother's Day weekend - argued with me about gift wrapping and…read morerefused to provide GWP despite being advertised with a full size 100ml perfume just because I made a click & collect order to secure the perfume instead of a purchase at the counter. Also refused to provide the mother's day gift with a flower because I didn't make the purchase between 12-2pm on the Saturday? When I asked to refund and purchase again to receive the in-store treatment, they refused. Very disappointed with the customer service considering I was so excited to provide the gift to my mother for her special day.

I absolutely LOVE Perfect Potion! It's such a shame I can't get this in the US of A. The stuff is…read morekinda like The Body Shop but better, kinda like Jurlique but cheaper. Whenever I get the chance when visiting Brisbane, I try to book a massage here The smells of the natural oils are intoxicating and I know it just soothes me whenever I enter the store. I usually buy some sprays and products for my skin to bring back with me. I also like the fact that their packaging is still in glass bottles (not great when you're transporting it across the ocean) and the dark glass helps the product on the inside keep better. Because the stuff is so natural, they do tend to expire and when they do the smells and aromas change, so use them up before the expiration date!

I absolutely love this beautiful little store. The design and layout are flawless, their products…read moreare fantastic and the staff are incredibly friendly. Instead of the run of the mill, 'let me know if I can give you a hand' speech, one of them said 'if you want any help or some herbal tea just let me know'. I was a bit taken aback by her offer of herbal tea. Was she serious? I love herbal tea, why did I say no? As I pondered the logistics of such a service in a store with no apparent seating and numerous 'testers', I continued to browse through their huge selection of bath and body products. It really is great stuff that I highly recommend, and what a lovely environment to purchase it in.

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.

Walking into any fluorescent cosmetic store can often be an intimidating experience, but not when…read morewalking into Mecca Cosmetica's newest family member, the James Street store. I'm promptly greeted by two friendly faces and upon mentioning that for the moment "'I'm just looking.", I am left to my own devices to wander through the store. I notice a sign on the counters saying they can match you to your "perfect foundation" in 10 minutes. Challenge Accepted. Even though I'm here looking at skincare (the sudden change of season means my skin is protesting severely and I'm ready to meet its demands). Lauren, my sales assistant for the visit, sits me down and begins to prep my skin. The products she uses (REN and Darphin for those playing at home) let my skin breathe a hydrated sigh of relief. I make a mental note to follow up these products later. She then asks me a few questions about my preferences in a foundation and my daily tasks. We settle upon trying the new NARS tinted moisturiser. She primes me by saying that I'll be surprised how much coverage this baby gives. After application I'm flawed. She was right. This tinted moisturiser packs a little more punch than the average tinted moisturiser and I think their signage was right. They can match you to your perfect foundation in 10 minutes. Mecca Cosmetica is home to one of Australia's best ranges of skincare and cosmetics. The prices are a little high when you compare them to international prices but come on ladies, we're used to that by now. Plus for the extra advice and insight you gain from their staff it is more than worth it. This store is slightly smaller than their Queen Street store, however, that's ok with me. The staff were helpful, knowledgeable and if you're looking for a special occasion makeup I'd suggest popping in and saying hello to Mecca Cosmetica.

James Street is an absolute mess at the moment. There is construction happening everywhere you…read moreturn, so it was a miracle I found Mecca Cosmetica hidden amongst the rubble. The new Fortitude Valley store is much smaller than it's store in the city, but it gives it a more intimate and less intimidating feel. It has pretty much anything in the way of cosmetics that a girl (or boy, if you're into that sort of thing) may need. With brands that are often difficult to find such as By Terry, Nars and Kevyn Aucoin, it's nice to know that Mecca usually have all of their products in stock. To date, it is the only place in Australia I have been able to find the Nars multiple in Maldives (that is a BIG secret I've just shared with you people!). The staff were a little caught up when I was there and I wasn't really attended to, but it was nice to just stroll around the store at my own pace. If you are in need of a new skin care regime, a new palette for your face, or even a new fragrance, Mecca Cosmetica should be on your "to go to" list. The only downside is that if they have a product they're not selling much of they often discontinue it, which is sad when you were that one person buying it! Nevertheless, it's a great store to pop in and feel immediately girly.

On the outside, this unassuming pharmacy looks like any other under the Malouf banner group. But…read morethis pharmacy is my hero having saved me many times from spending an uncomfortable night waiting in the emergency room. You know how sometimes you get sick in the middle of the night but it's not life threatening so you'll get triaged to the bottom of the emergency pile. If you're lucky, sometimes the pharmacy will have the medication you need allowing you to bypass emergency. This is why I appreciate Malouf pharmacy in Mt Gravatt so much. After Terry White at Coorparoo, this is probably the latest opening pharmacy on the south side of Brisbane. It shuts at 9:30pm six nights out of seven and opens public holidays. There's also a bulk billing doctor surgery next door and a QML pathology in the same shopping complex. It usually has decent gift lines but honestly, where there's such a hardworking health team, not having a make-up counter or cheap perfumes isn't a deal breaker.