Makeup Direct

Located on Darby Street in Auckland’s CBD, Makeup Direct has a wide range of cosmetics and beauty products on hand.
Reputable brands such as Maybelline, Loreal and Revlon are stocked by Makeup Direct, and at very low prices! A great range of nail polishes and make up brushes, fake eyelashes, removal pads, tanning lotions and other such essential products are also available at Makeup Direct. Everything a fashion loving, makeup conscious young woman could need can be found here.
It’s the perfect place for struggling students to get their makeup fix. Don’t waste your time and money at the normal beauty counters — make Makeup Direct your first port of call, and you could be amazed by what you find. Makeup Direct’s extensive range of stock means that it doesn’t just cater to younger women — my mum also gets her basics from this store.
The staff are always really helpful and knowledgeable. As makeup lovers themselves they are full of handy tips and advice — make the most of them!

I discovered makeup direct when a friend of mine who loves makeup asked if I could meet her there. I was excited and thrilled that they was a shop dedicated to makeup in the city.
The shop itself has a theme of pink and white, giving it a fresh and girly look. I walked in and was greeted by a friendly sales assistant. I wasn’t needing any help but I appreciated the gesture.
The only downside was that everything was grouped according to product not brand. This annoyed me because I was after a specific brand. It also didn’t help that even within the product categories, brands where cluttered. All it means is if you want to shop for makeup there you need to have a bit of time to have a thorough look around.

I was so excited to stumble across Makeup Direct. It looks fresh and exciting from the outside and I made a quick beeline to the door. It all went a bit pear-​shaped after that.
First thing I spotted? OPI nail polish (I’m the biggest fan) selling for $ 23.90 each. «Huh? But I thought this was a discount shop?». Fair enough, Farmers now sells its OPI for $ 26.90 each (ridiculous), but there are plenty of places online where you can get your OPI fix for much less. So I figured the really exciting discounts must still be to come.
But no. There was a jumbled range of products, organised by item type (eyeliner, bronzer, mascara, etc) rather than by brand, which makes it hard if you’re on the lookout for something in particular. On the plus side, there were two sales assistants who were very friendly and approachable, and you can certainly get products there cheaper than at other retail destinations. Perhaps I just set my expectations too high. Le sigh.