If you're in search of a new fragrance, a hard-to-find beauty product from overseas, or a nice gift…read morefor someone girly, I recommend taking a trip down to Chinatown and visiting SWS Spring. Once a commonplace souvenir shop, Spring has undergone transformation and now holds some of the rarest cosmetic lines from Asia and North America. I followed my nose into this shop after walking through Chinatown (swapping fish for roses). I was amazed to find some small boutique fragrance lines in here that I haven't seen since being back in the States, most specifically: Tokyo Milk, Bloom, Love + Toast and Pacifica. In addition to the ones I was familiar with, there were triple the amount of ones I was not. I wouldn't say this shop is necessarily affordable, but if you'd rather not smell like every other bird in Sydney, swing on into Spring, and pick yourself up a nice new perfume. Come on, you can't rub magazine samples on the inside of your wrists forever.

A lovely shop with all the stuff I normally hope to find at a metaphysical shop and a few surprises…read moretoo like fantasy t-shirts and fantasy artwork. Will definitely come here again.

Take a deep breath and inhale the luxurious goodness of pure scents and aromatherapy…read more Perfect Potions is a magnificent store which has a holistic and moral approach to beauty and home. I'm a massive fan of their oils which are made from excellent ingredients meaning that when you burn them they're really strong in scent.... and the aromas vary to create a variety of different effects include alertness, relaxation, sensuality or calm. It is more pricey than a cheap store because you're getting quality products....and let me tell you once you start using them you'll never look back. One of my favourite stores!

That's more like it. After a particularly horrifying face cream experience recently (check out my…read morereview for Life Spring if you've a strong stomach) it was a pleasure to find some organic, never-been-anywhere-near-an-animal lotions and potions. Frankincense and rose moisturising cream - great. Much better than Chinatown unmentionable and rose I found the other day. There's a few of these stores dotted around, including one at the airport, but the ethos seems to be pretty eco-friendly and the staff are friendly too. And real ingredients, gentle ones, not ones that are still giving me nightmares...

One of the most aesthetically pleasing fashion shops I've visited in Sydney. The shop is…read morebeautiful! The entire Camilla kaftan range is on show in the bright, colourful, airy shop, hanging from beams at different heights. The accessories and shoes are also sold here. The change rooms - wish I had taken a photo! The entry to each cubicle had a Moroccan theme with the curved door frames, different coloured interiors in each cubicle, complete with Arabic cushions on the floor! The waiting area is super cute, an oversized Arabic / Moroccan daybed with a bright matress and cushions. The sales staff are really helpful and friendly. One star down for the prices!

Closed every Sunday and Mondays so that owner Justine can forage around the local auctions and…read moremarkets to find bits and bobs to fill her wee treasure shop you know you'll be getting the best of the best old stuff. There really are some quality finds in here but it's not all second hand - a lot of it is hand made and recycled like the cutest stud earing made from gorgeous prints. Another 'new' item are the deck of large cards with nursery rhymes and vintage drawings of the characters printed on them. Justine tells me these fly out the door as they are very popular as people love to give them as presents. I'm included in that bunch of gift buyers. I also love the glassware and teacups polished up, the knitted dolls, unique collection of children's books and the mirrored animal wall hanging series - worth a visit just to know what the heaven I'm talking about. In 2010 Retrospections was a finalist in the Specialty Store of the Year award for the Mosman Daily 2010 Business Achiever Awards. Retrospetions is a great shop to buy gifts for those who read magazines like Frankie and Peppermint. This is a real find.. doll.

I was unexpectedly enchanted by Retrospections, a small unasssuming shop on the corner of the…read moreCammeray shops. From the outside it looked liked it would just be collections of old tat with prices stuck on them, but everything in here has been carefully and tastefully chosen. The corner devoted to books is certainly a trip down memory lane as it features all those books I deemed to be magical when I was a youngster. Princesses, castles and classic illustrations were all that was needed to set my heart a-flutter. There are even vinyl audiobook versions of some of these old favourites, something I have never seen before! You'll even find a few more grown-up treats such as dainty cookbooks and a box of Penguin bookcover postcards, I've now mentally bookmarked this place for presents for any gal pal with a bit of a romantic-literary streak's up-and-coming Birthday.

Waiting for your flight can be boring. That's probably why they've got shops streamed along the…read moresides as you head towards the gate printed on your boarding pass. While I haven't got much in common with this store, my mum does. The sales assistant said a friendly hello, but might of been surprised by me walking into the shop. Well it's a perfect chance to get some ideas for mum's christmas present. Sophisticated, down-to-earth and modern outifts for day to day wear. Brightly coloured shirts to match a more neutral skirt or pants and patterned dresses seemed to be in fashion at the moment. Accessories like floppy summer hats and light shawls are perfect for the upcoming season. They also had a range of jewellery, shoes and decorative homeware products that were pretty cool, but way too much to bring on the plane. Might pop back in when I get back in town in a couple of days.

Went for Christmas Lunch and later for Afternoon Tea. The table was decorated nicer than anyplace…read morewe have been too. The food was great as usual. Can't go wrong here.

To be continued !!! ......... when did you need a booking for breakfast ??? ........ I thought it…read morewas a joke but no one was laughing. When you have this sort of attitude then long term it will fail. ....... ok .... I have calmed down now and am back to give two extra stars for the fantastic staff, awesome food, juices, coffee and friendly atmosphere. It's well worth a visit for a great breakfast experience...... I had the Color wheel which had so many yummy things ........ even had a kitchen sink in there somewhere. Hopefully the pics will tell a more colorful story.

One rainy afternoon in Newtown I was trying to pull myself away from the shops and get my little…read morebroke self home. Try as I might to beeline past Kisu, however, I found myself lured inside by the patterns and colors, like a mosquito to a nudist colony. Admittedly, I grow tired of seeing the same exact stuff in all the shops around the city. We all know there is no shortage of flowy mono-colored blouses or faux fur jackets. It is much more rare to find a shop that has unique inventory. Kisu, though it might not suit everyone, is certainly unique. Eccentric patchwork and embroidered garments are the norm here, and the owner designs mostly everything. There is a strong Asian influence, with some frocks that resemble kimonos. I tried on an electric green dress with an A-line hem and a sequin toucan on one side. I found it to drape strangely on me, which made me wonder if focus might be more on design than on fit. However, with most prices reduced about 50%, you can probably afford to go out on a limb and nab that statement piece that will truly have people talking.

I happened upon this shop after a quick rain in Sydney this past August. I don't know about you but…read moreif I get caught in the rain without the right clothing my senses start working overtime and easily pick up on each window dressing that comes into focus. As I approached KISU a dark blue coat was in the doorway. The color was stunning but more than that was the execution. This was a well crafted coat! it was also a brave article with small embellishments like hand made buttons and topstitching to name a few that let anyone that cares about these things say "someone took their time with this!". When I then looked at the price I was flabbergasted. It was practically a give away. Log story short, I bough the jacket. The sales person was lovely and said that there were extra buttons that went with the coat but she didn't know where they were. I told her I was around and could come back tomorrow. Fast forward to showing up at the store and meeting one of the two owners - Adrien. He was very accommodating and got the buttons from a slew of buttons he and his wife had made. While he was gathering the right buttons, I found myself finding more reasons to shop more than leave. So, 10 items later I found 2 skirts and a dress that are now making my coat from the previous day part of a KISU family. Each item was unique and I was so pleased with the way the clothes fit me. I love these clothes. Wearing something that is well made makes me feel loved. From my conversation, I am not sure how long the storefront will remain where it is but I know they will continue to make thoughtful pieces of clothing. Check it out if you are in the neighborhood... you won't regret it.