2010 Best Bit of Beauty News: Mecca Maxima Hits Melbourne!

WINNER: The opening of Mecca Maxima in Melbourne

October 13 was a very special day for Australia. Because it saw the launch of Australia's answer to Sephora. Though I hate calling it that because it's amazing enough to be referred to by its own name, Mecca Maxima, it's hard not to get carried away and make the comparison to the world's best beauty store. Because it's undoubtedly Australia's best beauty store. The baby sister of Mecca Cosmetica and Kit Cosmetics, it features the decadent flair of its older sibling, the quirky flirtiness of the now middle child and its own brand of fun and frivolity. Combining the best brands of both stores, as well as welcoming Clinique, YSL and many more — the first time that many of these "external" brands have been stocked outside of a department store — it's the fresh, forward-thinking that we needed here in Australia. To be able to buy all of our favourite products under one roof, to be able to pick them up and play with them without having to ask, to pay for them altogether, well it's such a novelty. And one we know won't wear off.

Keep reading . . . Runners-up: Lanvin doing lipsticks, but we couldn't really have let Alber Elbaz take the title because none of us actually managed to get time off, raise $3,000, fly to England and buy one. Huff. Puff. NARS opening its first-ever boutique was also pretty huge but again OS. Closer to home, we were pumped about Westfield and thrilled that cult brands Bliss and Soap & Glory decided to join us. And of course there were the slew of new celeb faces that we welcomed! And on a serious note, NSW planning to extend the solarium ban to ALL Under 30s in 2011.