That whiff of perfume lingering in the air, makes you turn your head and there it is L'Occitane!…read more Always a well presented shop even if it is a chain. I love the hand creams, the foot scrubs, the scents and the range of perfumes. There is something for everyone. Yes there are products for guys. Guys just get over it and visit this little shop with numerous goodies. We all have to look good and product our skin especially when we have such a dry environment in Australia. The sales assistants are ready to help. I have always been helped to find something and particularly if I am buying that special gift for a loved one.

Let me be very clear - I'm not reviewing L'Occitane's products in this review, but the store…read moreitself. I love L'Occitane, and I love the stores, but upon visiting the Broadway Shopping Centre outlet, I have experienced something called "too much customer service". I walked into the L'Occitane outlet in Broadway to buy my regular bottle of shampoo. I was immediately approached by one of the sales women...let's just call her "D". She asked me if I needed any help? I said no thanks, I knew what I wanted. She left me alone and walked back to the cash register. I approached to cash register to pay for my $42 bottle of shampoo (maybe I should also review how damn expensive their products are!). D asked me if I needed anything else? No thank you, I replied. She paused, and then said asked me if I had ever used anything from their skincare line? I mumbled yes, and asked her to proceed with my payment. Which ones, she asked. Holy f***...is this a test? I am not prepared. I mumbled some product names. She pursed her lips and corrected me. No ma'am, those aren't from our skincare line...those are from our body line. Yeah because I have scales all over my body, not skin doh! She insisted I review some skincare products. Okay, I sighed. She pointed to about six products that I could use, rattling off their uses one after another. I stopped her after cream/foam/exfoliator number 6 and said that I already had a skincare regime. I had a moisturizer, an exfoliator, a make up remover, a facialist, a masseuse, a manicurist, a pedicurist, a chauffeur, a food taster, a bottom wiper, a proxy voter, and an Asian kid in my basement who does all my math homework for me. See?? She was not impressed, but gradually began to realize her chances of making a sale began to diminish. As any good salesperson would do, she focused on what I did not have, or what was "missing" from my regime. Ahh! You don't have a toner, she said. And this sublime cream thing. And that moisturizing thing that does other wondrous things to your face. Like what? Will it make me look exactly like 'Yonce or Kimmy K? If yes, then I'll buy it. No? I'll still look like me? Oh well then f*** off. She then offered to do a 'on-the-spot' skincare demo for me...on me. I was not okay with this and muttered an excuse saying I had to head to Coles downstairs to pick up some groceries. She said okay. But then changed her mind immediately and said "Look it's not going to take much time." Upon which she cracked open a bottle of something, poured it into her hands and rubbed it all over my face before I knew it. OH MY LAWRD. WTF. PERSONAL SPACE LADY! Too late, the demo had begun. Oh what the hell, I might as well go through with it now. I humored her until the end, but she wouldn't let me go until I bought something. L'Occitane is a very pricey store (unless you're buying their $8 soap bars) so I ended up walking away with a $56 bottle of cream and a $42 bottle of shampoo. Finally...having made it to the cash register, she beeps my items. I was screaming with joy inwardly, having almost escaped the floral prison. She stops and says "Oh my goodness, you qualify to purchase this lovely gift bag worth $120, but you only get it for..." NOT BUYING IT. I cut her off curtly. I've had enough. It's my fault, I'm a shy person... and often intimidated by the likes of sales people and wait staff. But D is not ready to give up yet. She is disappointed I did not purchase more than one extra bottle of cream/foam/moisturizer thingy. So she gives me three free samples in my pack and tells me she wants my details, all while holding my card hostage. I give her my details. She finally returns my card, packs everything in a lovely bag and I escape with the vow of never returning. Three weeks later, I receive a telephone call from a private number while at work. I don't answer. The missed call is followed with this text message: "Bonjour Ketki, this is D from L'Occitane Broadway just following up on the samples you received 7th March, ultra matt fluid...how was it? Would you like to come in for a complimentary skincare consultation? Love to hear your feedback...sent from my personal phone...store ph 92111537." There is selling, and then there is just being persistent and irritating. I was not impressed. Throughout the sale, D's demeanor was polite and understanding on the surface, but with a clear disregard for what I was saying. I appreciate that she wished to make a follow up call, but found the text message from her personal phone a bit too personal. In conclusion, I will not be returning to this particular outlet. If this is the standard across L'Occitane, I strongly recommend they revisit how they train their in-store staff.

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...

Along King Street in Newtown there are a few natural skin care shops, they are all good as they all…read moreare a bit different offering their own products, which make them all stand out from each other. Lemongrass House offers handmade soaps, which are great because it provides an alternative to traditional soap, which is on its way to becoming obselete as now we are learning that although it cleans our skin it also irritates and dries it out. Lemongrass House's soaps contain high Glycerin content, which acts as a moisturiser so is replenishing rather than drying. The soaps are also offered in a variety of natural infusions including: Lemongrass, Mandarin, Jasmine, Wild Mint, Rose and Lavender. The other product which appealed to me were the aroma therapy room sprays, I honestly couldn't be bothered dealing with oil burners for aromatherapy, I would most likely end up starting a fire (which is not relaxing), but the room sprays (in the same scents listed for the soaps and a few more) are a great and easy alternative and are useful not just for spraying in a room but for use in the car and for spraying bed linen. I'm impressed.

I love walking in to a store that sells lotions and potions and NOT getting an instantaneous…read moremigraine from the chemical swirl of scents wafting up from products made by robots somewhere in a Viennese chemical factory. Lemongrass House sells spa products (shampoos, soaps, body creams etc) handmade in Thailand and which smell like they do in nature, ie: like they're supposed to. Case in point, the Jasmine soap smells delicate and elusive, like the real flower not some vat-made fake fragrance. The products are paraben and sulphate free, not tested on animals and packaged with minimal, recycled materials where possible. The staff was friendly, and I suspect they're going for the Spa-in-Phuket vibe. Not having been, I can't compare, but I'm about to go and bathe in ylang-ylang scented lusciousness.

The Jo Malone concept originated in London but has made its way to our shores. The flagship…read moreboutique is aptly placed on Queen Street, Woollahra which is one of the most beautiful shopping villages in Sydney. Undoubtedly Jo Malone products are classic but the most unique part of Jo Malone is the philosophy of 'Fragrance Combining'. Basically the idea is that you create your own signature scent by combining two scents. So while it isn't exactly 'bespoke' it does give you a chance to create something personal, unique and surprisingly reasonable. A 30ml signature scent will set you back $90. Perfect for a special occasion or if you're looking to treat yourself to something special.

The embodiment of luxury is buying the best bath, body, and home products. And the highest point of…read moreluxury is buying from Jo Malone on Queen Street in Woollahra. This store offers the best creams, shampoos, moisturisers, candles, and fragrances that you'll ever find in the whole of Sydney. Their products are of the highest quality and beautifully packaged. Their staff are friendly and efficient, always willing to lend their expertise while you browse around the store. If you're looking to pamper yourself or buy a special gift for a family member or friend, this is one of the places you simply must visit. A gift from here is sure to earn some BIG brownie points!

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.

I've always loved The Body Shop, mostly because the products smell *so good*. That, and they have…read morethe added benefit of being an ethical, eco-friendly company, that is conscious of sustainability and the environment. That's always a major selling point for me. Whether you're looking for bath salts, lip balm, perfume, soap, or moisturizer, The Body Shop has it all. The staff can be a little (read: a lot) snooty, but just ignore them, because the products are worth it. They can get a little expensive, but the quality is amazing, and they last for a long time.

Great drink selection, great location, great pastries. What more could you ask for while sitting…read moreon Bondi Beach! They dont have table service, you order at the counter, but this makes it much faster by them bringing everything to you. All the staff was friendly, helpful, and worked together to make everyone happy. Highly recommend.

Christmas forces me into this shop. This is a place that you can smell it before you see it. It is…read morereally not my scene BUT... The service is excellent. It didn't matter who I chatted with, they all knew the product and were there to help. Boy I needed it as the smell of the place was nearly making me pass out. I asked how they survived under these conditions and they were strangely cheerful. If you need to buy soap "alternatives" (jellies and puttys) and want an experience doing so go to Lush at Parramatta.

I love just walking in and smelling all the lavender, ylang ylang, seeing what's new in lotions,…read moreessential oils, and sniffing my way through this tiny shop. Today I was helped by Hernat. She helped me make a good choice for a birthday gift. So many excellent choices with a good price range! Everyone who has helped me in the past is knowledgeable, friendly and very helpful. Today, Hernat made my shopping easy! Gift wrapping is simple and elegant and ......free! Perfect Potion is at the Westfield mall in Bondi Junction, on level two. Westfield mall Bondi has an enormous covered car park, 2hours free parking! Easy peasy. Looking for a gift for a friend, family or yourself? Perfect Potion is THE place!! You're welcome!