Canberra Centre's new beauty and wellness precinct opened this week, and while Mecca Maxima is undoubtedly the biggest drawcard judging from the queues on opening day, there's lots of goodies to find. Here are some that caught our eye.
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1. Snail mucus skincare
Ever been keen to put snail mucus on your face? Neither have we. But turns out the secretion is actually very good for your skin. A range of products from Korea has tapped into this slightly unusual ingredient, and you can buy a whole range of it at Seoul Flower, a kiosk dedicated to Korean skincare. Unfortunately they don't do the facials at the store, but you can buy the products to take home (and they can share a few secrets on how to get the most out of it too). We tested out the full range of snail skincare products and can confirm they're actually quite pleasant.
2. The giant light-up wall
During the Monaro mall's construction, a giant wall of interactive, light-up buttons popped up on the hoarding opposite the Myer entry. The wall became particularly popular with parents, with its ability to entertain the kids. Well the wall has popped up in the Monaro Mall, albeit in a bit of a hidden spot. It now has pride of place in the area's new parents room. You can now pop the kids into a gated play area and they can push the buttons to their hearts content while you watch on from a couch nearby.
3. Get pampered
Shopping is hard work, so luckily there's lots of opportunities to get pampered in the new precinct. Endota Day Spa has opened up with five treatment rooms and a full menu of relaxing treatments. Jurlique has opened its first standalone store for Canberra, and it also has its own treatment rooms for facials and massages, which will open in a couple of months. For those mornings when you didn't quite get time to do your hair, Aveda offers dry hair styling with dry shampoo, plus neck and shoulder massages. To be honest, it doesn't matter which store you walk into, there's everything from skin consultations, to hand spas, make up lessons, and product samples on offer.
4. Bargains
3ina (pronounced me-na) is a European cosmetic brand that's new to Canberra. The store is hard to miss with its walls of bright, colourful products, but it's the price tag that's really caught our attention. Nail polishes start at $9.50 and the most expensive item is a foundation for $25.95. We're also told their number one product sold worldwide is a pen eye liner, at only $12.95, which is apparently almost impossible not to get a straight line. There's no skimping on quality though - everything is ethically made and almost everything in store is vegan.
5. Beauty concierge
Just like having your own stylist, the beauty concierge counter will offer personalised guidance and shopping assistance for any beauty needs. You could ask them a specific question, for example to help you source the products for a look for a specific event, and they will take you around to the stores they believe offer what you're after and make suggestions. We hear they will also have a perfume wheel to match a scent to your mood.
6. Mecca Maxima gets digital
And of course it would be impossible not to mention Mecca Maxima. If you're a lover of all things makeup, you'll be a fan of the new Mecca Lookbooks - iPads where you can scroll through different looks and how they work on different skintones. We're the first in Australia to get them, and they're a lot of fun to play with. Their beauty bar also has a range of services, from eyelash application right through to makeup masterclasses, and the price is redeemable for products in the store.
