Inside MECCA Bourke Street: A First Look At Melbourne's New Beauty Wonderland

Grazia USA

08-08-2025

MECCA Bourke St, Melbourne flagship store / All images: Sean Fennessy for MECCA
By the time the doors swing open this morning, Bourke Street will have already transformed into a festival of beauty. But on a quieter weekday morning, a few days before launch, select media and friends of the brand were given a sneak preview of MECCA's new flagship—a 4,000-square-metre wonderland nearly 30 years in the making. Here is everything you need to know about the new home of beauty.
Situated at 299 Bourke Street, on the hallowed former site of Cole's Book Arcade—once known as 'the grandest bookshop in the world'—MECCA Bourke Street is a triumphant fusion of history and modernity. Over three expansive levels, the store brings together more than 200 global beauty brands, 80+ premium services, and 300 highly trained team members, in a space designed to educate, indulge, and evoke joy.
From the outside, the 1930s heritage-listed façade still stands proud. Its arched windows restored, terrazzo floors gleaming, and the spirit of Melbourne's incredible past honoured and revived with a bold new chapter. At first entry, the eyes don't quite know where to begin. From the seven-metre high ceilings to the surrounding artworks and everything in between, their focus is saturated. They're followed by the nose, which is lured by layers of mesmerising scents—both familiar and soon to be discovered—while the hands itch to get started on swatching, testing and adding to basket. The Bourke St entrance
The first thing you'll notice about the new flagship—which has been nearly four years in the making—is how thoughtfully the space has been curated. This is not a warehouse of products or a cut-and-copy retail store, but an epic celebration of experience. A tactile, intimate, and, at times, theatrical journey through beauty. In between all the product offerings is a service-led model that accommodates the individual needs of shoppers, from novices to advanced beauty loopers.
But while the senses are flooded with delight and curiosity, the layout is deeply deliberate to ensure a smooth shopping experience.
'We want people to feel incredibly welcome,' said founder and Co-CEO Jo Horgan. 'We want people to feel like they could very clearly navigate through the space, so that they felt in control from the beginning.' For this reason, there are two entries into the metropolis: the main storefront, which leads you directly to best-selling products, new launches and playful makeup stations for easy top-ups and experimentation, and then there's the side lane entry, which boasts a softer welcome into a sensual side of the space. In this corner, where you're welcomed by towering greenery, natural light and artfully laid out body and lifestyle products, you'll also find two exciting features.
To your right is MECCA Apothēcary, where a team of naturopaths and experts deliver truly holistic wellness solutions, from gut health to ritual design. Within its section awaits florals from the collaborators at Flowers Vasette, assembling the most vibrant and architectural arrangements for the home or gifting. For all your haircare needs, stroll over for a range that expands far beyond shampoo and conditioner, and even boasts an open tools depot so you can try before you buy. Haircare
At the heart of MECCA's mission is education, and the latest flagship is shaped by this desire to arm customers with the tips and tricks to empower their own experimentation. If you're in the mood for some of your own trialling? The 12-sided beauty carousel beckons. But as you make your way through, the experienced maestros at the Artistry Studio are on standby to help with anything from colour matching and regimen curation to full makeup services. There are a whopping twenty makeup chairs and four brow/lash chairs there alone, so you're never without a helping hand from a MECCA expert.
'I love that consumers are so educated these days, but we want to be the port of call after that,' Horgan notes. 'I want this to be a place where people can come together and know they're in safe hands. Like a beauty town hall.' The Beauty Carousel
And that's just the ground floor…
On the mezzanine, you'll find MECCA Gift Box, an exciting space dedicated to sorting all your gifting needs, where custom calligraphy and engraving elevate any purchase into a thoughtful gesture. From exclusive merch to limited edition products, it's the ideal place to treat a loved one… or yourself! The Gift Box
The top level is really set to draw a crowd. It's there you'll find MECCA Perfumeria, a scent gallery led by fragrance sommeliers and cutting-edge technology to aid in your scent search. The Perfumeria The Perfumeria The Perfumeria
On the other end of the open walkway is MECCA Aesthetica, a skincare sanctuary with seven private rooms offering advanced treatments and cosmetic consultations in plush clinical surrounds. There, you'll find top-tier therapies from the likes of Biologique Recherche, where skin is analysed by expert aestheticians and custom care and routines follow. MECCA Aesthetica
But wait, because further down, you'll find one of the most exciting endeavours for the brands: MECCA Beauty Atelier. Offering 90-minute luxury appointments for hair, makeup and nails—yes, all to be done at the same time and powered by marquee collaborators like Josh Wood and Trophy Wife Nails—the impeccably fitted out space is the stuff of Architectural Digest dreams. The Atelier Trophy Wife Station
Also on the first floor is another delectable new expansion in Café MECCA, a cosy haven where you can order a lavender matcha and LUNE croissant while you await your pampering. Cafe MECCA Cafe MECCA
While the world seems preoccupied with fleeting trends and AI-generated this and that, Horgan's bet on brick and mortar is a defiant testimony to the power of beauty.
'I think, in a world that's becoming increasingly transactional, people are craving community, connection, experience, and theatre—a reason to go out and do things in real life,' Horgan says. 'I remember sitting there watching my mother when I was growing up, taking off her makeup at night or putting it on to go out, and, like so many people, that was my introduction to beauty. It's deeply rooted in a sense of intimacy and human connection.' Aesthetica artwork
Of course, it wouldn't be MECCA if the space wasn't a feast for the eyes as much as our beauty shelves. From the roof down, the art curation, led by Charlotte Day, includes more than 20 works by female artists—Bethan Laura Wood, Diena Georgetti, Atong Atem, to name a few. All of which become reason enough to stop by. The lighting is soft, the air purified, the design optimised for wellbeing. It's also WELL pre-certified, meaning the building is certifiably designed to support the health and well-being of its occupants.
And yet, what sets MECCA Bourke Street apart isn't scale, but soul. Every inch of this flagship pulses with the spirit of Melbourne and the expertise and care of the people behind it. There is investment and joy in every detail and corner. And, of course, really good taste. Checkout
'We've built on experiences and trials we've already endeavoured, and seen what works and what our customers really appreciate and where their appetites are,' explains Horgan. 'The significance of this space lies not in its scale but in what it represents—27 years of evolving alongside the people who make MECCA what it is.'
On opening day today (August 8, 2025), up to 20,000 beauty lovers are expected to descend. Festivities kick off at 7 AM for MECCA Beauty Loop members, who'll receive a whimsical illustrated MECCA Guidebook—a passport to services, stories, and a reward-unlocking stamp hunt. There'll be express services from marquee brands, live performances, giveaways, and sweet treats across the mall. And for those booking in for a treatment, a medallion unlocks a mystery prize. The energy will be palpable and as joyful and high-octane as any runway.
From its original Toorak Road store to this beaming new landmark, MECCA has never just sold beauty, but redefined it and empowered its customers in the process.
It's the home of beauty in all its iterations, and its doors are always open!
Discover more about MECCA Bourke St here.
topics: Beauty News, Beauty, mecca, mecca beauty, mecca flagship, shopping, shopping beauty, makeup, hair, skincare, Trending