Pretty Pretty Pretty

Mecca Welly update August 7, 2008

Oh my gosh oh my gosh, I’ve just been into the new Mecca Cosmetica area of Kirk’s. I’m thoroughly excited. Here’s why:

• They have a really good range of cosmetics and hair and beauty products.
• The assistant was super knowledgeable about all the brands (and competitor brands) their products and could answer all my questions. And encouraged me to play with the products.
• They have flipcharts at each brand counter with a price list, so you can look at prices before you fall in love with the product.
• They have free make-overs (you can book or pop in).
• They have the Bumble and bumble hair range with the cool dry shampoo product.
• NARS eyeshadows were awesome - the assistant recommended them because I asked for highly pigmented eye colour, and boy were they highly pigmented!!

The negatives:

• They wouldn’t let me take photos for PPP.
• Stila (one of my favourite brands) is expensive there, but I remember it being a cheap brand in the UK and it’s also cheap on strawberrynet.com.
• Not forthcoming with the free samples (I’ll have to push a bit harder next time).

Mecca @ Kirks August 6, 2008

If you’ve wandered past Kirk’s in Welly recently, you may have noticed the curious shop signage and goings-on inside the store - something about new cosmetics and beauty ranges… All will be fully revealed to the public tomorrow when Mecca Cosmetica opens in Kirk’s.

Mecca is an Australian company, already open on Ponsonby Rd Auckland,  that “scout the world for the hottest and most innovative products in colour cosmetics, skin care, hair care, body care, perfumes and home fragrance. We lay out our shops so our customers can touch and play with the products”.

Mecca stock great international brands such as Stila and NARS, and even Kevyn Aucoin (make-up artist and author of some great beauty books). Can’t wait!!

Prime and prejudice April 17, 2008

Dearest readers,

A while back i discovered make-up primers. If you’ve not used one, it’s just like a paint primer - it prepares the surface of your skin for foundation application. Foundation goes on smoother, glides over imperfections and lines, and stays put longer. So if you’re after that kind of thing, read on.

(Actually, I’ve only ever used Napoleon Perdis make-up primer. I’m really impressed with it, but tell me if you’ve used any other priming products and what they are like.)

So, dear friends, with the discovery of the make-up primer under my belt, i decided to try out an Eye Primer and tell you what it’s like. For this post I chose MAC’s Prep + Prime for the eyes. I don’t usually splurge on such expensive cosmetics, but for you my beloved readers i will stop at no cost.

The MAC sales assistant told me the primer would make eyeshadow last longer and make the pigments appear brighter. Before making any recommendation to you, whom I hold in highest regard, i thoroughly and scientifically tested these assumptions.

This morning i applied the primer to my left hand with an applicator brush. I then applied four colours atop of the primed area with a blending brush. On my right hand i applied the same four colours without the primer. Pictured below is each hand at the beginning of my experiment (click for big version).

(From left to right on each hand: MAC Ricepaper, Clinique Purple Dazzle, Living Nature #5, Living Nature #16)

I found that the colours applied on the primer were much brighter (except perhaps the MAC ricepaper). Without the primer you can barely see the Living Nature colours, but on the primed hand they really pop.

I left the swatches on my hand for a number of hours. The primed hand definitely lasted longer.

On the Pretty Rating i give this eye primer 3 out of 3 Pretties!!