Although a lot of the contemporary jewellery on offer here is a bit too bold for me, I still saw…read morequite a few little pieces that stood out, which I would absolutely wear, so it's definitely worth nipping down here if you're ambling around George Street looking for pretty jewels. The shop has an icy look about it, with just the glass cabinets holding the jewellery as you come in, and a kind of gray/blue, futuristic look surrounding everything. Minimalist I would say, in a good way, as it makes the jewellery the only focus because you're not peering about getting distracted by fancy interiors. Or maybe that's just me, my attention span is admittedly very short. The smiley lady helping me out with my browsing informed me that the shop stocks a lot of Greek silver designers, and there are certainly a lot of beautiful silver pieces. I thought the earrings and rings were particularly attractive. The simple combination of pearl and what looked like twisted silver in the rings, as well as the angular Coeur de Lion earrings in different colours, were very pleasing to my eyes. A good price range too, in the sense that you can come in and make a casual purchase if you see something you fancy, or go that bit higher in price if you're hunting for special occasion items.

This is a rather hidden away little jewellery shop, which is the case with so many others around…read moreGeorge Street. I think it's location perhaps gives it a little more prestige that it's deserves. It's very shiny and dark, and the interior is cold and unwelcoming. Everything seemed rather sparse and more like museum than inviting shop designed to help you part with your cash. There was a couple of things in there for a fiver but then again these were few and far between. For what you could get anywhere else for £50, they were charging £300 for something I knew was worth 1/6 price.

If you are looking for a piece of quirky or unique clothing, Lady JoJo's Boutique is the place to…read morego. Situated in the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh, Lady JoJo's Boutique is just around the corner from the Royal Mile and it is a short walk to the main shopping street in Edinburgh, Princes Street, and so it is a convenient place to reach. This store is relatively new on the Edinburgh clothing scene, and it is a definite welcome addition. I love to come here and browse the shop and admire their beautiful stock. The boutique is pretty small inside but it boasts a beautiful selection of dresses, tops, trousers and accessories. I bought an absolutely gorgeous dress here several months ago, and it cost around £50, but it is of excellent quality and I wear a lot when I go out so it is definitely good value for money. The stock changes over quite a bit, so I find that if there is something I like, its probably best to buy it there and then rather than waiting a week and finding out its not longer on sale - that has happened to me several times!! The staff are really friendly and warm too. Lady JoJo's is a great place to go to buck the trend and buy your clothes from a non-high street store.

I came across this little boutique whilst wandering down The Grassmarket. It's only been open for…read moreabout a week, and the shop is gorgeous and brand spanking new. I was drawn inside by the kitsch sign and the funky name. 'Lady JoJo's' sounded like my kind of shop. I wasn't disappointed when I stepped inside, and was greeted by the two lovely young shop assistants. The stock is sparse, which one of the said assistants explained was because they were simply testing the water to see what kind of stuff people liked best. Rails of gorgeous retro swing dresses and frilly knickers really caught my eye, as did the old fashioned dresser table adorned with gorgeous jewellery and seamed stockings. The boutique oozed with the retro glamour of Betty Paige and 1950's style, which is quite unique in Edinburgh and stocks ranges such as 'What Katie Did' and 'Love Kills'. A handmade necklace with two chunky red hearts emblazoned with 'Pin Up Girl' really caught my eye. I bought the necklace and was pleasantly surprised when it was only £8, with a 20% discount complimentary because the shop had just opened. Perfect! I will certainly be visiting in a couple of weeks when it is more established and full of gorgeous Pin Up clothes and jewellery.

Stopped into the women's store recently on a trip to Edinburgh. The first staff person I…read moreencountered me seemed like she couldn't be bothered to make a sale. Others wouldn't even to look up when I asked them a question. I was so disappointed as their selection is stunning. Needless to say I bought elsewhere.

Great clothing made with great materials Really worth the…read moremoney I suspect I'll be wearing my purchase for many years to come

Love Primark, especially and specifically their international locations. This one in Edinburgh…read morereminded me a lot of the Amsterdam store. It's spacious and bustling with multiple floors (women/men/children). There's a plethora of options to shop from clothes and shoes to accessories and fragrances. It was difficult to find an employee to ask questions as they easily blended in with shoppers. There was also a self check-out section, which I appreciated being able to bypass the long lines for time's sake and only a few items to purchase. I would stop in again without hesitation whenever I visit the area again.

Found myself in need of a hoodie while on vacation and knew I could find it here! Prices are crazy…read morelow and they have a huge selection for everyone. I just wish they would find their way across the pond....

Offbeat Clothing, a bit like a unisex Pie in the Sky, sell a mixture of indie "Tea Jenny" clothing…read moreand Iron Fist type emo gear. This place is a bit like an affordable Cult but a little less predictable, which is always welcomed. Alongside floral print skirts and sparkly tops, girls can also find some vaguely emo jeans in Offbeat, and some monster patterned backpacks. The occasional pair of baggy jeans are on sale from time to time, but at the moment Motel imitation attire is very much in. Guys, similarly, can find a mixture of clothing and shoes in here but the section for men is a bit more scene than what's on offer for the ladies. The staff are really friendly and they do cracking sales pretty much all the time! Offbeat is great for people who want cool, fashionable streetwear but don't want to adhere to one extreme side of the fashion spectrum. It hits a good middle ground and has consequently always come up trumps for me.

When I was about 17, I'd often tentatively visit such non-mainstream shops as this one. Whilst I've…read morenever, ever been anywhere near this "scene", there was always a few bits and bobs I could pick up (almost always t-shirts), with the old version of Cult Clothing being perhaps the best of such stores. Given that I'm currently writing this in tatty old trackies and a t-shirt with more holes than St Andrew's, you can probably guess the utter indifference I have to quirky and offbeat fashions these days without me having to explain it.

A great branch of Debenhams that seems to pad out Ocean Terminal a bit. I was lucky enough to snap…read moreup some bargains on my visit a few days ago. They had Fake Bake tan reduced from £40 to £20 and I also got a Cath Kidston Wild Rose bath and body set reduced from £30 to £15... the discount got better when I took my items to the till to find out it was 10% off day. Result! They have a good range of premium make up including counters from Benefit, YSL, Dior, Chanel and my favourite; Lancome. In addition, they have a good range of men and women's clothing and I spent longer than I should have in their Warehouse concession where I got the most gorgeous kaftan I've even seen in my life.

I had some difficulty writing this review as I do frequent the place when in Ocean Terminal, but…read moremore as 'part of' the Ocean Terminal visit and I wanted it to be positive, I wanted to like it and tell people how nice shopping here is..but I can't. I am ok with big department stores. I loose several hours checking out current trends. And cheap last season things. Debenhams is however not my favourite. The place is a mess. Dusty and frumpy. Most of the time I am in the men's section checking out the designer garb - Jasper Conran, Rocha, Levis, Maine, St George and just as many times I leave with an empty mind.. it doesn't inspire me to try things or buy things. They also have a 'kitchen' section where famous names flog their wares. ( I find TKMaxx to be more appealing to be honest..) - this may be a department store for some, but to me it is just a collection of market stalls.. Don't get me started on the canteen like restaurant on the top floor. Nope.. just don't.

Every self respecting fashionista makes an effort to visit Topshop regularly and we're very lucky…read moreto have such a lovely branch in Edinburgh. The shop was given a much needed make-over two years ago and now it's a wonderland of cool. Laid out over two floors (three if you include Topman), this shop can easily satisfy all your fashion needs - shoes, clothes, lingerie and accessories, you'll find it all here. There's even a personal shopper to help you piece together the perfect outfit. On the lower ground floor there's a great little section selling clothes from up and coming designers (the Yuki stuff is fab), stock is limited so you'll be unlikely to bump into someone else wearing the same item.

Oh Topshop. How we have a love/hate relationship. You may think, what is so special about this one…read morethat it deserves a review? Well, being the Scottish flagship store it is set over two glorious floors filled with the largest range of Topshop stock you will find this side of the border is what justifies the review. Filled with the latest accessories, underwear, shoes and clothes you will no doubt find your top to toe outfit in here. It may be slightly overpriced and not the best quality, but you already knew that. Plus all the cool kids are decked out head-to-toe in Topshop these days so you can do your best fashionista impression with the huge choice in stock. Being such a big store they are always pretty good for sizes, and if they don't have it, ask. If the shop assistant tells you they don't have it, they are probably just being lazy so ask someone else. Also, the shop assistants are always dressed to the nines, it must be fantastic to dress so elaborately to go to work. Your boyfriend will probably enjoy the eye candy too as they seem to employ a certain type of person. Once you have emptied your purse you can try figuring out how to get out as all the escalators go down and not up!

Okay so when tourists come to Edinburgh they love to buy tartan in any shape or form which means…read morethere is an abundance of tourist shops in the city. I normally take visitors to this store purely because its less annoying than the rest of the tourist tat shops. You know the ones I mean, the shops that blast bagpipe music out into the street all day and have See You Jimmy hats hanging off the window. For some reason these shops really annoy the locals. Thankfully Romanes and Paterson is not like that. Romanes and Paterson has been around since the 1860's, which is a good enough reason alone to support a historic business. The shop stocks cashmere, kilts, woolen goods, tartan gifts, shortbread, Edinburgh Castle Rock and whatever else it is tourists in Scotland like to buy. It really is ideal for tourists coming to Scotland who wish to purchase their souvenirs to take back home. Its much better than all those shops previously mention which just stock complete tat. There is also a cafe in the store which does a good afternoon tea and is waiter service. The only waiter service cafe on Princes Street I'm told, I guess that is probably true in a world full of Costas and Starbucks.

This store is the go-to place for everything Scottish, or at least stereotypically Scottish!…read moreConveniently situated on Prince's Street, it's the perfect place to get friends and relatives "completely authentic" souvenirs at the last minute, even though you've been living in Edinburgh for the last year. Ahem. My friend bought her grandmother one of those fantastic post cards of sexy scottish men wearing nothing but kilts (and some even flashing some bum!). I've been far more decent, and managed to get some good deals on a cashmere sweater and some playing cards for my dad. This store is quite classy for a souvenir store, and I certainly don't feel too much shame buying presents there.