Christmas has arrived at MECCA!

The festive season is upon us and Mecca Maxima have released the most amazing gift sets this year! Do not fear, sometimes buying for friends and family can be impossible, Mecca Maxima has something for everyone in their gifting range. Maybe your bestie is a diehard beauty junkie, your Mum might love a bit of skincare and your Grandma needs a nice new candle, or you want to treat your man to some grooming products, you can complete your Christmas shop at Mecca!

Below I've listed a few of the gifting options available at Mecca

Gift Ideas

This Works Sleep Tight set $26 - This cute Sleep-inducing mini set includes Sleep Plus Pillow Spray (5ml), Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (5ml) and Stress Check Breath-In (5ml) all inside a Christmas ornament packaging you can hang on your tree!

This gift would be perfect for anyone you know that has problems with stress and sleeping patterns. Parents, Grandparents, Partners, Friends, anyone!

SHOP HERE

This Works have a few other gift sets to choose from, depending on your budget. Ranging from $20 - $55 NZD

Mario Badescu Essentials set $59 - Treat your skin to some of Mario Badescus best products with this collection of iconic skincare staples, including Drying Lotion (30ml), Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater (118ml), Silver Powder (15g), Flower and Tonic Mask (15g) and Enzyme Cleansing Gel (118ml)

This would be a great gift for your bestie, Mum or even your partner! Or for yourself, if you've never tried Mario Badescu products before this is the perfect introduction to the brand!

SHOP HERE

Mario Badescu have a great range of gift sets - Face and Body set, Anti Aging set, Mens Grooming kit, Acne Starter kit and others.
Priced from $45 - $62 NZD

Too Faced Beauty Cracker $38 - Break open this cute Christmas cracker full of Too Faced minis! Including a Melted Fig Lipstick, Better Than Sex Mascara, Shadow Insurance and an adorable heart shaped pin

This cute gift would be perfect for your bestie or your younger family members (siblings, cousins, nieces etc)

SHOP HERE

Too Faced always have the cutest Holiday sets and Christmas ornaments available. This year they range from as low as $20 up to $78 or $100 for the Teddy Bear brush set

NARS Love Triangle $38 - This made-for-each-other duo includes two NARS iconic minis, a lipstick and blush, paired to create the perfect look.

Colour Combos - Dolce Vita Blush & Audrey Lipstick (pictured) Orgasm Blush & Orgasm Lipstick, Deep Throat Blush & Barbara Lipstick, Hot Sand Blush & Rita Lipstick, Impassioned Blush & Anna Lipstick

SHOP HERE

NARS x Man Ray Blush $47 - Get your hands on this Limited Edition collaboration with Man Ray! Two different blush shades to add the perfect pop of colour to your makeup look - "Fetishized" (pictured) a bright pink grapefruit and "Intensely" a bright tangerine.

These would both be nice luxury gifts for your Mum or Best Friend!

SHOP HERE

NARS have the most amazing, luxury sets available. They range from $38 to as high as $255 for the limited edition Audacious Lipstick set

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners $36 -  Add sparkle to any eye look! Urban Decay have a range of glitter eyeliners to choose from and they're releasing 6 awesome new shades

- "Catcall" Pink glitter, "Pyro" Iridescent and silver glitter, "Gamma Ray" Bright blue and silver glitter (pictured), "Grind" Light pink iridescent glitter, "Stix and Bones" Iridescent maroon glitter and "Punk Rock" Iridescent brown glitter (pictured)

SHOP HERE

Urban Decay have a bunch of other gifting options like mini sets and duos of their most popular products like the All Nighter Setting Spray. Ranging from $34 all the way to $328 for the Naked palette foursome 

Gamma Ray and Punk Rock

Mecca Maxima have soo many different brands that all have amazing gift sets available in store and online, so you don't even have to leave your house to Christmas shop, you can get everything you need from the comfort of your living room and all at Mecca Maxima!

Check out these brands too - Stila Cosmetics, bareMinerals, Origins, Frank Body, Mecca Maxima, Mecca Cosmetica, Hourglass, Soap and Glory, GlamGlow, Diptyque, By Terry, Kevin Aucoin and so many others!

Keep an eye out for my full Holiday Gift Guide coming soon!

- Lucy Maria xx

MECCA MAX - PR Package Review & Swatches!

It is officially launch week for Mecca Maximas new signature brand - Mecca Max

Starting with a massive 200+ items, all ranging from $5 - $50nzd, we beauty junkies are bound to find some new holy grail products in this collection! Not to mention everything is 100% cruelty free!

FULL LIST OF PRODUCTS AND PRICES CLICK HERE 

I was lucky enough to get sent this amazing package full of Mecca Max goodies to try out and review for you all! And upon swatching everything, I now want the entire collection! I'm so impressed with the quality and price point of these products and have already made a list of a few other things to try!

Available in store and online Mecca Maxima HERE

Bring On Bright - Illuminating Primer

$20aud/$22nzd each

I am loving this glow-injecting primer at the moment! It lightly illuminates your skin for a glowing base under your foundation. I love the scent, it smells familiar like really fresh and clean skin care. I love the glowy finish it gives to your base and it stays glowy all day under other makeup. I haven't had a problem with this primer causing my foundations to move around, fade or cake. I love it!

Shimmer Shot - Illuminating Wand

$25aud/$28nzd each

These are available in 3 different shades - Pearl, Soft Gold and Bronze. 

Here I have the shade "Pearl" and OH MY GOD how stunning is that highlight?! The packaging is a push/pump wand with a brush tip where the product is pushed out and you apply it straight from the brush tip on to your face. I love the look of this highlighter when swatched, but it dries quite quickly on the skin and leaves the foundation looking patchy where its applied on top, almost lifting the foundation.. When using a beauty blender sponge and working quickly, it looks very pretty but it's a little hard to work with like most liquid highlighters. Maybe on bare skin it would work best..?

Sunlit Skin - Bronzer 

$22aud/$24nzd each

This bronzer is available in 3 different depths of shade - Light, Medium and Dark

This shade is "Medium" and is totally universal! It's such a soft, natural looking bronzer with a subtle sheen giving your skin that sunkissed bronzey glow. This is probably my fave product so far, the formula is so smooth and buttery! I use this everyday at the moment, no exaggeration, this is the prettiest bronzer for light to medium skin tones I've tried! 

Eyephoria - Eyeshadow Palette

$45aud/$50nzd

This palette has 10 gorgeous plummy shades - 2 larger shades, one matte and one shimmer perfect for highlighting the brow bone. And 8 shimmer/ satin shades. Not one matte colour for transition. Straight off the bat I know I can take this alone when travelling because I'd need more matte shades, a bone coloured matte isn't going to work in the crease..

I'm not the biggest fan of plummy shades on myself. I feel this palette is a little repetitive with the golds & purple shades looking very similar to each other and the colours may blend and start to disappear together. The formula is very soft and consistent in every shade but I would've loved to see a little more variety in this palette. Maybe a dark matte brown or matte purple?? Definitely a transition shade like a light/medium brown. And a difference in the gold shades, maybe a bright gold and a deeper bronze? Just some thoughts, the formula is amazing they nailed that for sure! But I personally wouldn't pay $50nzd for this palette..

Pout Pop - Lipstick

$20aud/$22nzd each

The lipsticks are available in 29 shades and 3 different formulas - High Definition, Matte and Sheer

I have 2 shades in the high definition formula "Hey Lover" is a vibrant, warm, hot pink and "Freedom Fighter" is a bright orange red, both incredibly smooth and pigmented. Very long-lasting, hydrating and creamy, I LOVE this high definition formula. I can't wait to try the matte formula and I don't tend to go for sheer lipsticks but I bet the Mecca Max formula is super soft and hydrating. I like these so much I went and purchased two more hi-def shades when they were available in store, "Mean Gal" & "Heaven Sent" both gorgeous nudes!

Gloss Boss - Lipgloss

$18aud/$20nzd

Available in 10 shades, I have the shade "Pow Wow Pink" and it's a a sheer hot pink, not too sticky, just glossy and shiny on the lips. 

City Slickers - Tinted Lip Oil

$16aud/$18nzd

Available in 3 shades - Nude, Rose and Apricot

I have the shade "Rose" which is a very pretty, sheer warm pink. This hydrating and repairing lip oil is very soft and juicy with a hint of colour. I love this for 'no-makeup' makeup days

Eye Max - Double Ended Mascara

$38aud/$42nzd

This double ended mascara has a big, chubby wand at one end for coating every lash, lifting, curling and creating length! And a micro brush at the other end perfect for the bottom lashes or to help separate and define the top lashes before using the big wand. It definitely works, but I prefer to use the chubby wand alone for the top lashes and the small wand for my lower lashes. 

 Before and After - Here I used the smaller wand first to coat all the lashes then used the chubby wand to thicken and add volume. On the lower lashes I only used the small wand

 Before and After - Here I tried without the smaller wand and only used the chubby wand on the top lashes and smaller wand on the smaller lashes

Flawless Blender Sponge

$18aud/$20nzd
Available in 3 different shapes

Ok..Out of everything I've tried so far, this has to be the worst. First of all it smells really weird, I can't explain it, it's like a mouldy smell? And when you wet it, it doesn't grow as you can see in the before and after --> And it's so hard! It doesn't get all squishy and bouncy like a normal blending sponge. I tried it anyway to see if it would work and no..It doesn't blend anything. I don't recommend.

PACKAGING

The packaging is stunning, feels high-quality and looks super luxurious and well-thought out throughout the entire range. I love the gold, orange, black, white and pink together 

Pop Pout Lipsticks

These babies have the cutest packaging of the lot! They have a push-pop design, push down the lipstick and it pops back out for you to pull out, wind up and apply.  The names are 3-D bubble labels in the shades of the lipsticks on top.

 

Shimmer Shot Illuminating Wand

I also love the packaging of these highlighting wands with a brush tip and click pump that pushes the liquid glow out through the brush so you can apply straight to your face. So luxe!

 Sunlit Skin 

I love the style of the compacts. Square with the gold, black and orange reminds me a lot of Yves Saint Laurent packaging, it looks so expensive and luxurious. The powder itself has an embossed "M" for Mecca

I am SO excited for this range and can't wait to try out some more products! I highly recommend giving this new brand a go, the products are amazing for the price range! Let me know, will you be picking any thing up??

- Lucy Maria xx

MECCA MAX - New brand launching August 1st 2017!

Source - Mecca Maxima/Undertow Media

Something very exciting is coming our way beauty junkies! MECCA are expanding their range with a new signature brand of makeup - MECCA MAX launching August 1st 2017 in stores and online www.meccabeauty.co.nz

"The brand has been created by beauty junkies for beauty junkies to include a range of innovative products across every makeup category at a temping, entry-level price starting from $5" - MECCA

Launching with a massive 206 product line-up, its safe to say Mecca have definitely covered every makeup category in this range! Expect to see products for skin, complexion, eyes, lips, nails lashes and beauty tools. This hot new range will have everything a beauty junkie needs!

FACE TO THE MAX

PRIMER available in 3 different formulas

$20aud/$22nzd each

• First Base SPF Primer - Prime, perfect, shield and protect! Providing essential SPF whilst prepping the skin for a flawless foundation finish
• Oh My Matte! Mattifying Primer - Goodbye shine, Hello Matte! Balance out shine and smooth skin with this no-sheen, natural finish primer that stays all day and night
• Bring On Bright Illuminating Primer - Looking for next-level illumination? This glow injecting primer will ace your base and is the ultimate fast-faker for beam-brighter glam!

GAME FACE BB CREAM available in 5 shades

$26aud/$29nzd each

Light - Light Medium - Medium - Medium Dark - Dark

This tinted beauty balm perfects and protects with SPF 30 for a luminous second-skin finish

 LIFE PROOF LIQUID FOUNDATION available in 8 shades
$32aud / $35nzd each
Porcelain 1.0 - Ivory 2.0 - Peach 3.0 - Light Beige 4.0
Natural 5.0 - Sand 6.0 - Honey 7.0 - Caramel 8.0
This oil-free, waterproof, longwear foundation has a matte finish. Creamy and buildable, ultra coverage that feels like skin

LIFE PROOF CREAM CONCEALER available in 5 shades
$22aud / $24nzd each
Porcelain 0.5 - Ivory 2.5 - Nude 3.5 - Sand 6.0 - Tan 9.0
This creamy concealer will remove redness, blur bumps and blend into pigmentation to erase darkness and cover imperfections

 BLUR VEIL WET & DRY POWDER FOUNDATION available in 5 shades 
$25aud/$28nzd each
Light - Light Medium - Medium - Medium Dark - Dark

This skin-filtering foundation powder gives a blemish-free, luminous finish. Use a powder brush for soft, lightweight coverage or up the anti and use a damp sponge and buff it into the skin for a more flawless finish

SUNLIT SKIN BRONZER available in 3 universal shades
$22aud/$24nzd each
Light - Medium - Dark
This light-reflecting bronzer turns up the temperature for silky, glowing skin

 CHIC CHEEK BLUSH available in 3 different shades
$22aud / $24nzd each

Candy Coral - Gold Glow - Pink Pop

Add a flush of blush with these easy to blend, colour popping powder

 SKIN HALO DIAMOND DUST POWDER available in 3 different shades

$22aud / $24nzd each

Rose Gold - White Gold - Solid Gold

Infused with soft metallic powder, these next level illuminators deliver a heavenly highlight and glowing skin

BANANA BAKE Skin Filter Powder

$24aud/$26nzd

This yellow-toned, matte finishing powder corrects, filters and perfects. Use it to stop concealer creasing, cover spots, light up under-eye shadows and mattify your makeup

PRESS REFRESH ANTI-SHINE BALM Revolutionary Blotting Balm

$24aud/$26nzd

Minimise shine and remove oil to keep skin matte all day. Apply pre-foundation to smooth over fine lines or use throughout the day over makeup for a fresh finsh

SHIMMER SHOT ILLUMINATING WAND available in 3 glowing shades

$25aud/$28nzd each

Pearl - Soft Gold - Bronze

Click and glow with these pens of liquidised light. Wear alone or mix it with foundation for glowing skin. Use the self-filling brush tip to brighten and highlight cheekbones, the inner eye, cupids bow, nose, everywhere you want to pop!

FACE TRIOS available in 3 different shades and finishes

$30aud/$33nzd each

• Triple Treat Powder Face Shaper - This Bronze, Blush and Highlight combo is housed in a perfect clutch-size compact
• Triple Treat Cream Face Shaper - These Bronze, Blush and Highlight creams are perfect for serious face-shaping at home or on the go!
• Bronze-a-thon 3-D Bronzing Trio - This three-in-one collection of bronzing powders have superfine triple-tone bronzers that will gently sculpt, add glow and provide a naturally luminous tan

EYES TO THE MAX

EYE PRIMER available in 3 shades

$18aud/$20nzd each

Nude - Shimmer - Smoke

Prep your lids with these eye primers for a smooth, crease-free canvas

EYE MAX EYELINER PENCIL available in 3 shades

$13aud/$14nzd each

Wide Eyed White - Brown Eyed Girl - Blackest Black

These high-impact line-and-define pencils give your eyes a razor-sharp edge, whilst allowing you to build up the intensity for a smoky, sultry effect! Buildable, blendable and with a smooth clean glide, these are must haves in a beauty junkies collection

EYE WINK LIQUID EYELINER Thick and Thin double ended liner

$20aud/$22nzd

This double ended liner has a combination of thick and thin applicators to line and define eyes or master the feline flick! 

THE ILLUMINATI METALLIC EYESHADOW available in 5 hyper-shiny shades

$18aud/$20nzd each

Socialite (deep teal) - Showbiz (light gold) - Wait List (deep pink)

Mia (grey silver) - Spotlight (light champagne)

These mega-impact cream powder eyeshadows smooth on like liquidised metal, then set for a lasting foil finish

DOUBLE VISION POWDER/CREAM EYESHADOW DUOS available in 20 shades

$16aud/$18nzd each

One half fine powder shadow, the other a pro-grip, intensifying cream. Mix and match together and create killer looks

WINK WEAPON MINI PALETTE six colour eyeshadow palettes available in 4 shade groups

$30aud/$33nzd each

Flamboyant (luxe blues) - Globetrotter (urban khaki)

Embellished (essential neutrals) - Minimalist (sexy smokes)

A must-have compact of six eyeshadows in four cleverly curated colour edits. Each spiked with a glamour bomb glitter pigment!

EYEPHORIA PALETTE Jewel toned shimmers and mattes

$45aud/$50nzd

This eyeshadow palette is made for mixing and matching with soft nudes and all-out glam hues! Ten shades of metallic shimmers and mattes that blend perfectly to create statement-making eye looks

BROW GURU Powder and cream mixable duo

$20aud/$22nzd

Fill, shade and shape brows. Deepen your natural colour and fine tune a believable new tint with the fine powder and cream mixable duo

BROW GURU Clear control gel

$16aud/$18nzd

Brush up body and define arches with this shape-manicuring hold serum. This formula wont flake or budge and growth boosters give extra goodness to your brows

EYE MAX MASCARA 

• Double Ended power couple - $38aud/$42nzd

Designed to lift, lengthen and curl every single lash. Use the micro brush first to define and separate, followed by the chubby wand to build volume and length

• Volumising Mascara - $25aud/$28nzd

The fattest mascara brush yet coats each and every lash with a super-volumising formula to stretch lashes sky high!

LIPS TO THE MAX

POUT POP LIPSTICK available in 3 different formulas

$20aud/$22nzd each

Matte x5 - Sheer x11 - High Definition x13

These bullets of creamy lipstick will be your new addiciton. Available in 29 ultra-wearable shades of hydrating, long-wear pigment in sheer, matte and high def opaque finishes 

GLOSS BOSS LIPGLOSS available in 10 shades

$18aud/$20nzd each

Soft and nourishing on the lips, these polished finishes range from opaque to sheer and shimmer

SHIMMER SHOT LIP GLITTER available in 4 metallic shades

$18aud/$20nzd each

Millionaire (white gold) - Billonaire (rose gold)

Trillionaire (copper gold) - Zillionaire (bronze gold)

Apply this ultra-intense sparkle over lipstick as a top coat or on its own for a hint of shimmer 

A-LISTER LIQUID LIPSTICK available in 7 shades

$28aud/$31nzd each

Hot-To-Trot (strawberry red) - Killer-Instinct (petal pink) - On-Point (plummy mauve) - Power Pink (deep hot pink) - Birthday Suit (pinky nude) - Skinny Latte (mauve brown) - Wham Bam (true red)

High pigment, full-cover, long-wear lip colour. Drench your lips in this matte finish, bulletproof formula

CITY SLICKERS TINTED LIP OIL available in 3 shades 

$16aud/$18nzd

Apricot - Rose - Nude

Leave a hint of tint with this repairing and hydrating lip oil. Wear alone to add subtle colour to your "no makeup" makeup look or glide over richer lip colour for a wet-look lacquer and non-stick finish

AUTO MATTE LIP MATTIFYER 

$20aud/$22nzd

This mattifying lip gel transforms your lip colour to a max matte finish

SKIN TO THE MAX

MAXIMUM SECURITY Makeup setting spray available in 150ml and 50ml
$25aud/$28nzd 150ml
$18aud/$20nzd 50ml
Set, lock and slay all day. Ideal for all skin types, this face-holding spray fuses humidity control with a light hydrating mist to keep your foundation fresh and makeup true to colour all day 

OFF DUTY MICELLAR WATER available in 50ml and 200ml

$28aud/$31nzd 200ml

$15aud/$17nzd 50ml

This genius micellar water lifts away dirt, makeup and other pollutants from the skin and eye area

FACE OFF Makeup wipes 10 pack 

$5aud/$6nzd

Wipe away makeup, oil and impurities without any hassle or water with these soft, brightening, vitamin C-loaded cleansing cloths

TOOLS TO THE MAX

BLENDING SPONGES available in 3 different shapes and sizes

all $18aud/$20nzd each

• Blender Sphere - Ideal for use with cream or liquid foundation. Achieve a streak-free natural finish with this no-mess, fuss-free sponge
• Flawless Sphere - Ideal for highlighter, foundation and concealer. This sponge effortlessly blends and buffs makeup over large areas and hard-to-reach spots using the smooth, pointed tip
• Perfector Spheres - These micro versions of the flawless sphere manoeuvres into small spaces like inner corners of the eyes, brow arches, and eyes to seamlessly blend concealer, fine-tune highlighters and blur eyeshadows into soft-focus perfection 

BEAUTY BULLET SILICONE SPONGE 

$15aud/$17nzd 

Smooth, simple and hygienic makeup application with a flawless, natural finish and poreless perfection

GLAM SQUAD

• Touch Up Sponges - $16aud/$18nzd (pack of 5) 

Ideal for blotting away unwanted oil and touching up throughout the day

• Lash Wand Curler - $28aud/$31nzd

Lift and curl lashes sky high with this pro-approved curl and set tool. The soft silicone padding gently lifts lashes from the roots for maximum eye-opening effect

• Perfecting Tweezers - $18aud/$20nzd

Primp, preen and pluck to perfection with these precision tweezers

• Press Refresh Blotting Papers - $10aud/$11nzd

Single-use, shine controlling sheets instantly absorb excess oil and keeps your makeup looking fresh throughout the day, without smudging or moving

OTHER

BRUSHES 8 face brushes and 6 eye brushes
ranging from $24aud/$26nzd to $35aud/$39nzd

BRUSH CLEANING 

Shampoo - $18aud/$20nzd

Refresh Mist - $20aud/$22nzd

Cleaning Pad - $15aud/$17nzd

LASHES available in 10 different styles 

all $15aud/$17nzd each

NAIL POLISH available in 15 shades

$16aud/$18nzd each

NAIL FILES classic file and nail care cube

both $6aud/$7nzd each

HAIR TIES no-crease hair coils and no-snag fabric ties

$10aud/$11nzd pack

MAKEUP BAG $30aud/$33nzd

And that is literally everything they're launching on August the 1st at Mecca Maxima! So many different products and new things to try. I was lucky enough to get sent a few samples to try out and from what I've used so far, this brand is amazing quality for the price point! I will be posting swatches and a review on the blog next week sometime when the brand has launched and I've given everything a good try. For now, keep an eye out on my Instagram - @Lucymaria_x

I know for a fact I'll be picking up a few more products from this range!

What are your thoughts on the products and the prices of everything?

Would you try anything from this brand?

- Lucy Maria xx