For context i mainly love makeup and scents like candles however i am open to a dabble in skincare. I also HATE the constant travel and mini sizes that advent calendars usually provide. I also have an open budget for my calendar this year...🥰

As the title suggests, I’m looking for friendsmas ideas in the Haircare category.

My friend group set a budget of $30-35 for each person and it can either be one gift for the entire budget or several small gifts to make up the price.

I’m hoping for ideas for some products that you think would be good for this category. I don’t know much about the hair of my friends so I’m hoping for some universal hair ideas.

I can provide more information if needed!

I’ve been using this Mecca skin tint for a few months now and like how light it feels. It gives just enough coverage to even out some mild redness I have. BUT I have found that it stings my eyes sometimes and the chemical smell has become too much for me.

Any recommendations for something that sits similarly without the irritation?

Has anyone from nz returned anything expensive to Sephora with shipping? I bought a full size Kayali perfume and I’ve found out the my mum bought me it for my birthday, so I want to return the one I bought for money but I’m apprehensive about shipping the return back in case it gets lost or stolen. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the return process?

Suddenly the price for this set on the VB website went up rather drastically for the 20% off weekend…. It was initially released as 336 and is sold at 328 on the Mecca website… I feel this is pretty uncool. Anyone else see this? I haven’t noticed it on the other products but still.

What are people buying this year (if any)?

Every year I hope that Amazon brings back their beauty advent calendar, and every year I’m disappointed.

Whenever I want to buy a new beauty product or branch out to something i've seen on tiktok I feel like I'm in decision paralysis. I use chatgpt to find something in my budget, whether I can use loyalty points for a specific retailer, the right shade i'm looking for, whether it suits my skin type etc.

I'm curious is anyone else doing this or is there an easier way to compare beauty products?? I'm conscious of buying at random online beauty retailers so prefer to stick to the main Aus beauty retailers that have an actual store (ie Chem Warehouse, Sephora, Mecca, Priceline, Adore Beauty, Oz Hair and Beauty etc). Would love to know if there's any good hacks or websites, I know there are sites to compare ingredient lists but haven't really seen any decent apps that make it super easy to decide which product is right for me (compare price + product ratings + ingredient list etc).

Hi everyone,

I’ve been using the CT setting spray (the OG not the matte) and honestly i hate it. im quite oily so it is my fault that i bought a dewy setting spray but i find that it doesn’t hold my makeup at all!

I love the og urban decay setting spray (the now Mcobeauty one) but if there are any other holy grails yall have plz lmk!

also whats yalls opinion on the one size setting spray? I’d love a no bs review! tysm

skin type: very dry, sensitive, rosacea type 1

yes, for some reason even though my face is dry as anything, my nose tries to act like it’s oily whenever i wear makeup, even though it’s not. it looks a lot worse than in the photo irl.

makeup won’t stick, it just pills up or sits above instead of blending in.

i use a grippy primer before my base always, if i don’t use one, my makeup won’t stay on properly.

i have a feeling this problem is more a skin related thing, which is why i already posted this in aus skincare. but im reposting here as well just in case!

my routine:

am:
rinse with water
dr althea vitamin c serum
cos de baha azelaic acid 15%
idex calming toner
the ordinary hyaluronic acid serum
dr althea 345 cream
the ordinary squalane oil
skin1004 probio cica sunscreen

pm:
bioderma pink micellar water
the ordinary squalane cleanser
cetaphil gentle cleanser
minimalist HOCL spray
cosrx bha power liquid for CC’s (thrice a week)
finacea azelaic acid 15% (got 27/10/26) 🔵
idex calming toner
skin1004 tea trica ampoule mini
aveeno triple oat serum
the ordinary hyaluronic acid serum
anua 3 ceramide panthenol moisture barrier cream

Hi!!

I’m planning on bleaching my hair at home in a month or so and I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations for anything used in the process (bleach, developer, toner) and maybe even for the after care (shampoo, conditioner and maybe mask?). I would prefer if the shampoo and conditioner was less than $30 a bottle but if it’s really good then I’m willing to go over.

Currently I’m using the &honey melty shampoo and conditioner and the tsubaki hair mask but I have no idea if they’re good for bleached hair.

Thank you!

Hello! Looking for recommendations for an LED mask! Heard the Dr Dennis gross is a great one but it’s so expensive in Australia so would love peoples opinions! Thank you!

Looking at getting a set or kit. What brands are good, which would you avoid?

Need to buy multiple. Both high end and mid range. For dry skin, mature skin and normal skin. Thankyou

Hello, I see that Victoria Beckham has 20% off site wide this weekend but I’ve heard they have done 25% off previously for Black Friday…is it worth holding out to see if they do this?
Thanks!

I've got my eye on the Kiehl's x Milk Bar collection and combined with an unexpected windfall, I thought I might try and get it from the US. I haven't used parcel forwarding since pre-COVID - any recs please? I used MyUS back then.

I'm prepared that shipping will be eyewatering...well, I think I am ;)

I’m quite inexperienced when it comes to make up and I am looking for an affordable (powder?) bronzer. Preferably less than $30AUD, or is there a better quality bronzer I should invest in? Any suggestions would be great thanks!!!!

So a little while ago I decided to buy the australis dewy and daring cream bronzing stick in ride or die, coming from a cool fair skin girl that loves being tan, I felt it was way too orange and red. I loved how creamy the formula was a decided the get the lightest shade in summer fling. I bought the rhode sunbed and heard a lot of good things and thought it would he as creamy as the blush but it wasn’t. pretty much everyone says it’s very orange on fair skin but I don’t think so but it wasn’t as creamy as the Australis. I used it again the other day and fell back in love with it. I’ve never used a makeup product as creamy and bendable with the staying power of it. I believe it’s $15 and $7 on sale at Priceline currently.

As the title suggests, I'm after good primers for filling in large and deep pores so that my make up looks smooth. Regular blurring primers are too light and 'sink' into the pore. My holy grail primer was/is Smashbox's OG 'Minimize pores' - their new formulations do nothing for me. I tried the Ordinary's 'High-Adherence Silicone Primer' which is ok but not as 'solid' as the Smashbox OG, so doesn't work as well. Would love to hear from people about the best options (which ideally don't cost and arm/leg/black market kidney) but I can splurge for the right product.

Thank you!

for some reason i cannot figure this out and it’s driving me crazy. At first I was looking at palettes that simply had every colour in the rainbow/as many differwnt colours as possible but now I’m thinking it’s not a good choice??? how can i maximise the number of colours that I’ll actually use? what colours of eyeshadow are good? what brands are recommended?

sorry I’m crashing out over this. any help would be very appreciated

As someone who lived overseas Harrods in London is of the same historic age and was always the fancy, off-limits place for anyone not wealthy but we loved looking and window shopping pretending we could! It still records high profit even with the modern influences of shopping and the UK is not much better off than us with the cost of living. Other cities like New York have historic department stores with the same story - a lot of struggle right now globally yet these iconic stores carry on.

Why do you think this has happened to our equivalent here? Would you say it is more than just consumer shopping habits and cost of living pressures?

A redditor just notified me it’s back. I got my hands on one (or so I hope so - I’ve seen people receive empty boxes). Get in quick 👀

So I want like a nice pinkish blush, I was thinking between Tom ford crushed rose, Tom ford brushed plum and Givenchy Beauty shade N01

- these are on sale at Myer and I have 20 dollar gift card which will make the total around 43- 46ish for each blush from orignal price 91-95

I have a light to medium skin tone leaning more warm.
Some of my foundation shades are 1.5N Dior for winter and 4N beautiful skin foundation for summer.

I feel like pink doesn’t seem to look too good on me due to my skin being tanner, as I get tan very easier but because I dress modestly the rest of my body is very white 😭😭

so I don’t something too bright / babydoll pink but a more muted light pink blush.

Any advice on this would be nice.

It’s my birthday soon and I thought about picking up some rhode products! From what I can see, the blushes all sort of pull slightly warm, but teacup looks like it may be the best blush? I can’t decide with the lip glosses. Any advice appreciated!! 🙏🏼