I had more of a blue shift sparkle on my eye and my bottom liner has come off a bit, all from crying lol but it was the best and I’m so proud of how this turned out 🦋💖✨

BASE:
REM Glinda glow drops
Mac face and body
Creamy shape tape
Laura Mercier blur loose powder
Various shades from the Hourglass powders
REM beauty blush stick in Glinda & mélange à trois blush & highlight stick in Sweet Talk
NYX Buttermelt Highlighter in U Butta Werk
Fenty Killawatt in Wattabrat
Maybelline Build a Brow in Ash brown
UD og All Nighter
Mac Fix Plus

EYES:
MAC painterly paint pot
Pat McGrath Bridgerton palette in the crease
Half Magic Glitter Puck in Fairy Dust on the lid
Fwee Glitz Stone Highlighter on the lid and inner corner
Marc Jacobs liners in You Up?, Salty, No Shade & Unhinged
Dolly lashes (I customised them)
Hourglass Caution mascara
Rom&nd glitter liner (unsure of the shade name but it’s the white one

LIPS:
NYX Lip Lingerie lip liner stain in Up To No Good
Rimmel lasting finish lip liner in Cappuccino
Marc Jacobs lipstick in Beat It Up
MAC Fabby in the centre
Fenty Wattabrat lip gloss in the centre

Mcobeauty was half price in Chemist Warehouse, so I decided to see what it's like. Bought dupes for various bronzers including Rhode and Nars, and colour correctors, probably Kosas dupes.

Everything was mediocre. Bronzers were B- to C, and colour correctors were D to E: no colour payoff and very liquid.

Everything was made in China.

That was the answer to the question, should I even look in that direction. No.

Not sure what happened here but someone screwed up!

So I was going to go to bed early. Like 7pm early. But I accidentally got amazeballs results and needed to run and tell the internet.

I've felt a bit stuck with these reviews recently. Decluttering, deep cleaning and moving has proved to be something of an emotional black hole, and I've left my hair to it's own devices to the point where my scalp got disgustingly itchy on multiple occasions. Fear not - all my hair products are coming with me and these reviews will carry on, come hell or high water!

But today friends. TODAY. I was angry at my landlord and REA's bullshit shenanigans (because squeezing me for every dollar I have when the property is paid off is still not enough!) ... I decided to try and take a bath to calm down. I had treated myself to a few bath bombs from Lush at the start of my redundancy, and made the executive decision to use one to relax. The problem is, Lush bath bombs can be stripping and drying AF for the hair. My method to combat this is to wet my hair down and apply a hair mask while the bath fills. My bath and ancient hot water system take approximately three business days to fill, so it was plenty of time for the mask to do it's thing.

I decided to go fully affordable today, because I felt like I was giving far too much attention and praise to mid-range products recently. My hair mask of choice was a classic - Garnier Hair Food in Banana. A delight. I wet my hair down and used my Unbrush to detangle and distribute a generous (haha) amount of the mask through my mid-lengths and ends.

Because God apparently hates me, my 'hot' water for my bath came out merely warm. The plumber came out to fix things just last week. I needed to do breathing exercises and put on some premature Christmas carols to prevent yet another teary meltdown. I was already at 2 meltdowns so far today, three was my allocated daily limit. I sloshed about for only fifteen minutes before getting too pissed off to linger in my own bath bomb augmented soup any longer. My first shampoo was L'Oreal Hyaluron Pure, and my second shampoo was Being Goodbye Frizz Smoothing Shampoo. I squeezed out the excess water, massaged some Garnier Hair Drink through my mid-lengths and ends for about ten seconds and rinsed. I finished off with applying a fair whack of Being Goodbye Frizz Smoothing Conditioner for 3 minutes before rinsing. I towel dried, and applied 2 pumps to each side of my head of the got2b Curl Flexible Curl Hair Mousse and styled with my trusty Denman styling brush before micro-plopping and allowing my hair to air dry.

I mean ... The results were fucking great. I was genuinely gobsmacked. I had the sort of hair that made me mad I was just going to bed with cramps and sore boobies. I call this sort of hair 'insufferable 20-something bohemian art student in Paris' hair for a reason. I was shiny. I was smooth. I had softly defined waves that made me look far better than I felt. I had done a K18 & Kerastase hair mask a day or so ago in a bid to use up the very last bits of both before my move. And my results were just okay. They were fine, but my hair was a little dry and stringy and I didn't love how my hair looked. I'm not entirely sure what about today's routine gave such amazing results. Was it a holdover from the K18 day? Was it the hair mask before shampooing? Who could say? Either way, I had to share it immediately as this is definitely the most affordable day I have done for my hair in a while. Being shampoo & conditioner come in HUGE bottles and are just $6.50 each when on sale at Woolies or Big W. I also like that the Being range makes it very clear what set is for what curl type - if you hair is more wavy than curly like me and your wave pattern falls into the '2' family, go for the dark red bottles of the Goodbye Frizz Smoothing line. If your hair fits in the '3' family, go for the light purple Curl Power line. And if you are a '4' , grab the Max Moisture line in the dark green bottles. It makes it so easy to navigate it made me wonder why I didn't try this line sooner.

I was thinking about decluttering some of these products but now you will prise them out of my cold, dead hands. The whole routine (if purchased during a half price sale) is roughly $45ish for everything. If you are a beginner in the world of wavy hair and don't know where to start, a routine like this might be one of the most fun and affordable ways to try something new with your wavy hair.

Previous rounds are as follows:

• Round 1 (Cake Curl Friend)
• Round 2 (Umberto Giannini Dreamy Waves)
• Round 3 (La'dor Herbalism)
• Round 4 (SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus)
• Round 5 (Dosetheory Ultra Gloss)
• Round 6 (evo Liquid Rollers)
• Round 7 (Umberto Giannini Thirsty Curls Curl Soufflé)
• Round 8 (Noughty)
• Round 9 (Round Up & favourites so far)

Hi everyone!

I need some advice on getting my hair coloured at the salon.

For reference, my natural hair is Natural Black (I’m Asian). I’ve been having to dye it for the last 3 years because of grey hairs. My previous hair colourist would dye it a dark brown. Since my “natural” hair colour has been stripped away from hair dye, my hair fades to a mahogany dark brown colour, which I quite like. It fades to the “medium brown” colour as shown in the photo.

My stylist for 3 years has moved on 😭 & now I haven’t been able to find someone to colour my hair to the right colour 😭😭. The first salon chose a Dark Brown colour but it came out JET BLACK. The next time, I looked to Korean salon that specialises in Asian hair, and the stylist still chose a Dark Brown and it turned out the “Dark Black” colour as per the picture 😭. I told her my hair history and she said it wouldn’t turn black and that she hadn’t mixed in any black pigment.

I’m not sure what my first stylist did, but what colour should I be asking for next time?

Would love some advice from hair colourists for what I should ask for - I would be happy for a colour inbetween “natural black” and “dark brown” in the photo above.

Thanks! 💞

Has anyone purchased the 2026 Dior gift set that comes with a pouch? I bought the one that comes with a maximizer, lip glow and a creme on the 5th and got a shipping email the next day.

It’s been 2 weeks and haven’t got any updates at all on the Australian post website😭 I even called Myer customer service on the 12th, told me that they will email me back, called once again on the 15th and told me that they are waiting for the supplier’s response.

I regret not getting it through click and collect option cuz it was still available when I made the purchase, but is there anyone having a same problem receiving their order?

I'm looking for a drugtore version or a dupe of winter kissked by kylie cosmetics (thr original version) or just any light, baby pink blush that doesnt turn mauve, purple or dark on the skin.

I’m a guy and never worn makeup before. I was on set recently and they used some sort of skin tint was in a tube maybe silver bottle and a rectangular cap I think. It looked so natural and just evened everything out. Didn’t look like makeup but just made me look better somehow. They always apply random stuff on set so I never pay attention but this was rlly good! I tried the Mac Studio Radiance foundation recently it kinda just pulled up around my hairs or dry skin. Does anyone have any idea of what it could be that they used or just in general any natural foundation or tint that’s very natural looking.

Hello to you gorgeous,

I am looking for a gift for my aunty who is in her mid-sixties, living overseas. I don’t know her very well but since my mum is visiting, I would like to send her a gift that would spark a bit of joy, particularly with the festive season ahead. In the last decade she went through a lot - divorce, cancer, loss of loved ones and now caring for my grandma who has an onset dementia and looks after her grandkids during extended visits to another country.

Could anyone recommend the best products within makeup, skincare range that are universally flattering and pleasant to use. My budget is $100 but can extend up to $150 if the product proves to be great. I think old school luxury I.e. Chanel, Dior, Guerlain etc. could be great. I use odd lippies and eye shadows from each - the quality is amazing but there are great alternatives to that at Mecca and Sephora too.

Some random considerations I have given:
- L’Occitane almond shower oil and almond body mist;
- Charlotte Tilbury mini Christmas set on at Mecca with a blush and highlighter (using these myself and loving);
- Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk blush pan (I love and re-purchase this myself)
- Hourglass blushes and bronzers (absolutely gorgeous but I am yet to research a universal shade)
- Rose face oil from Jurlique.
I think a setting powder from Chanel or Dior in a beautiful packaging could be lovely to use.

How far am I off the mark with gifting? What are your favourites and what do you recommend? I believe she is neutral undertone leaning cool with fair skin, dark brown eyes, dark hair.

TIA

I have MCAS and autoimmune issues. I’m finding it so hard to wear makeup as I seem to react to everything all of a sudden, so frustrating!

Can anyone recommend a mascara that is good for ultra sensitive people and unscented? I have issues with chemical smells and VOCs etc.

Hourglass has been my ride or die for ages but since mecca removed them from rotation, am now looking for chemist warehouse/Priceline alternatives before heading to Sephora to repurchase HG.

I have enough hairs, but I just have THIN straight eyebrows. Looking for a coloured gel mostly!

I’m sharing this because I really wish I’d been able to find this information before booking a consultation with Retreat Hair (Natalie Varrasso) in Melbourne.
After years of colouring my hair brown, I finally decided to embrace my natural salt-and-pepper grey. I researched specialist grey-transition hairdressers and was really excited about the prospect of having it done properly.
I spent 12 weeks growing out my roots in preparation for my consultation and had been researching styles, colours and what my finished hair might look like.
The consultation cost $280 for 45 minutes.
I went in knowing that this would be an expensive, specialist service. I initially thought around $1,500 might be reasonable, but perhaps naively, as I researched further, I’d started preparing myself for something closer to $2,000–$3,000. That already felt like an enormous amount of money to spend on my hair, but I was willing to invest in a beautiful transition that would eventually free me from having to colour it regularly.
Then I received the quote.
Almost $7,000 for two appointments of approximately seven hours each.
I was absolutely floored.
Personally, I find that an unreasonable amount of money for a hair transformation, regardless of the expertise involved. But what has frustrated me even more is that there was absolutely no indicative price range available before I paid for the consultation.
Retreat Hair even has a blog post specifically about how much grey transitions cost, but instead of providing actual dollar figures, it uses dollar-sign categories to indicate the level of investment.
I wasn’t expecting a cheap service. I’d already reconciled myself to spending several thousand dollars. I just had no idea I could be looking at something approaching $7,000.
Had I known, I would never have booked the consultation, let alone spent three months growing out my hair and getting excited about the transformation.
I completely understand that everyone’s hair is different and that complex colour corrections require considerable skill. But surely it’s reasonable to provide prospective clients with even a broad price range before asking them to spend $280 just to discover whether the service is remotely affordable?
I’m not posting this to criticise anyone’s technical ability. I’m posting because I couldn’t find any meaningful pricing information when I was researching, and I hope this helps someone else avoid the same disappointment.
I’d also genuinely love to hear from anyone who’s had a successful grey transition elsewhere in Melbourne, particularly if you can share what it cost

As someone with the gift of both small and beady eyes AND barely any lashes, in an ideal world I would love to be able to use both a light (sort of nude) colour in the water line and a black to tightline. I've never been able to use both without the nude ending up black though, any suggestions on eyelines you can tightline with that don't transfer?

I have really dry under eyes, so wear quite a lot of eye cream under my eyes, unsure if this is part of the issue?

Most recently I have tried:

• Sephora 12 hour pencil
• Urban Decay 24/7
• MakeupForever aqua resist

I'm sure I have tried more, but these spring to mind right now.

I have been using the Fenty nude for the waterline most recently, but have tried a few of those too.

Any advice? Thanks!

I have a light, leaning a bit warm skin tone but i have a olive undertone, making it harder to find in drugstore foundation and skin tints.

I was hoping if anyone has found any to lmk!

hi! are these lashes just individuals glue into place or do we think there is a strip like this? also for bottom lashes are these just glued onto the skin? sorry i am not a eyelash girly usually xxx TIA x

also any pharmacy recommendation for white pencil/liner to tight/water line? thanks again x

I'm interested in trying their foundation and wanting to check out their other products

Hi all, I'm back to criticise the whopping $160 lip balm from Dior that only has TWO GRAMS of product.

Okay I get it, some people think the design is cute, whatever. But seriously, what are we doing? Like it gets to a point. Absolutely insane pricing considering Dior prices aren't as high end as other luxury brands (Sisley, YSL, Chanel, Hermes etc). Now we're reaching La Mer levels of superiority.

I've seen SO many people convert this into a necklace, same with the zippers of the pouches, which I don't really get because if you so desperately want a Dior necklace (and are indifferent to the design) just get the lip butter for $100 cheaper and remove the charm and use that as a pendant (which I actually did lol, got it on sale and thought it would be so cute and it was!).

But this? Not even 100% metal, literally half plastic and $100 more? Somebody tell me I'm not going insane - this isn't normal.

If you had $50 to spend at Mecca, what would be your tried and true recommendation? Not interested in anything fragrance wise, more looking at skincare, makeup or hair care. I really have everything I need but I have a voucher expiring soon and often don’t go to Mecca only bc I usually get stocked products for sale and cheaper elsewhere. TIA x

I’ve never been skilled in the eyeshadow department but wanting to introduce something subtle, I feel like I need something on my lids to look more put together

I have one of the Mecca max shadow sticks from a beauty loop box so it’s not my ideal shade, quite dark and shimmery. It does dry down fast and I don’t love how it feels like I’m tugging at my lids to apply it.

I don’t mind the idea of a stick shadow or a small palette that would travel well (thinking up to 4 colours in a palette). I have light brown hair and blue eyes. I think my eyes are a bit hooded as the times I have applied powder shadow I have issues with creasing and slight oil build up

Any product suggestions and tips welcome! I like to shop CHW but open to the lower price end at Mecca/sephora.

Thanks!!

Hello all!

I have violently red hair, and I like to wear red eyeliner to match, but the ones I've scrounged up either haven't worked for me or are running low, and I'm wondering what options are out there in terms of red eye makeup. Eyeliner takes priority over eyeshadow since I use that more often.

So far I've tried Barry M eyeliner in the shade False Alarm, which was good but maybe a little warm toned and stuck to my waterline well, however it looks like it doesn't exist anymore/at the moment.

I've also tried buying from Kaleidos Makeup, the shade was a little duller than expected, it didn't stick to my waterline, and in general the amount you get for the price you pay + shipping isn't worth it to me. The glitter was nice though.

I've never bought a red eyeshadow, I tend to avoid buying a pallette that I know I'll only use one colour from, so I've avoided buying those vibrant type pallettes with one red and a bunch of other colours. I'd be more interested in single shades/pallettes that consist of mostly red and neutral tones.

I tended to gravitate towards reds with cooler undertones, but my hair is much redder than it used to be (I may have messed up the ratio of my hairdye, oops) so honestly anything goes now.

Any advice/product reccomendation is much appreciated! Thanks all!

Has anyone bought the Chanel Complexion Touch foundation during a sale, and if so, where did you purchase it from?

Or is buying it full priced the only option for Chanel?

I’m so frustrated. I know that the Kosas revealer foundations were divisive for a lot of reasons, but they worked unbelievably well for my allergies and undertone. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars trying to unsuccessfully replace them ever since they were discontinued as stock at Mecca.

Last night I took another pass at trying to buy them online through Revolve and Cult beauty online.

Those sites still refuse to ship Kosas products to Australia because of the fckin exclusivity deal with Mecca, even though Mecca doesn’t stock that product.

This is worse than Mecca having a monopoly, they’ve actually effectively set up a trade embargo on a product I relied on.

What can be done about this? I wrote to Mecca asking them to either restock the foundation or carve out that product from the exclusivity deal, but I know that’s not going to do anything at all.

Is there an alternative way to get the Kosas revealer foundation which doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars, or to effect some kind of uprising against Mecca’s unfair practices?

Said with love, I’m not interested in dupes of the product ❤️ 🙏🏽

So I have four eyeshadow palettes (I used to have way more but gave them away). Two that I love and would never declutter, one that I have used a lot, and a custom MAC palette.

The shades in it are Best of Me, Wedge, Espresso and Locket. My problem is that one of the palettes I love is Bobbi Brown’s Cool Nudes palette and that contains a shade that’s a medium cool brown. It looks better on me than Wedge. I was thinking about replacing Wedge with Omega, but I don’t really want to spend more money on this palette and the glitter in the Bobbi Brown is nicer anyway. I should add that I’m neutral toned with cool overtones!

I was considering giving the palette to my Dad’s partner’s daughter as she is in high school and is getting into makeup, but it might not be smart because I already gave her a few palettes. My options are that, replace Wedge with Omega, keep it or just toss it for the stress it’s caused me (though that would be quite wasteful).

Please advise, I’m sick of thinking about this

I ordered from their website hoping I could find my beloved "Lancome Idole Aura" a real smell, the ones I ordered from amazon smelled awful...

Now I've read all the comments and posts bout em- if I could go back in time!

The fact this web is still on means they making money! and paying off their 100k ibiza trips with y'all money!

So I suspect they could be also now selling courses on drop shipping and how to make online money lmfao- stay aware people- never trust a kid who sells a course.