This is a lovely, friendly chemist. The shop is like an Aladdin's cave of goodies as the building…read moreis too small to display the amount of stock on offer. The pharmacist plies his trade from a little eyrie above the till area. He reaches down to get the prescriptions and can survey his customers from on high. It's a very old building and the pharmacist is a real gentleman which seems appropriate for the setting. Local people often ask his advice on minor ailments and he has great respect in the community. The shop staff are very friendly and there is a comfortable feel to this store.

This shiny bright pharmacy stands out on a high street that seems to be utterly choc a bloc with…read morethem Thank goodness then, that they have a jewel in their crown. Lots of lovely fragrances, though more expensive than wilikinson's down the road, there is a better and bigger selection. It's also useful to note that they offer diabetes and blood pressure testing here, as well as a stop smoking service.

Lloyds Pharmacies used to be really cheap, but now they are firmly established they seem to have…read morehiked the price somewhat! This is true of all of their stores, but some are seemingly worse than others! The one in Cowbridge is the worst in my experience. Cowbridge is reputed to be the most affluent town in South Wales, this branch of Lloyds Pharmacy has tailored its merchandise to the perceived demographic. It is a really small concession and predominantly sells designer perfumes and top end cosmetics, whilst obviously also providing a drug dispensing service. The Lloyds in Barry is a lot more down to earth, but still carries a large selection of expensive perfume. It is much larger and carries a much larger range of products. It remains more expensive than other outlets that offer the same products just a little further down the main shopping drag, and so I tend to rarely use this outlet.

A small, family-run chemist, with a wide range of stock, and a very useful link-up with the…read moreDoctors' surgey a few doors away, which means that they can organise and prepare regular prescriptions in advance.

Being a vegetarian I have to be careful that I'm getting the right vitamins and minerals so…read morevisiting somewhere like this is great. I thought that I'd come away with a few supplements but there was a huge range of food too. The staff were friendly and helpful but I did get the impression that they were sales staff above all else. So at times did feel like they were just selling me things as opposed to being genuinely informative. Prices are really great and there are usually some amazing offers on so it's easy to stock up on goodies.

There's something refreshing about a good old fashioned pharmacy with a name above the door. So…read morethat's why I like this Judith Evans character because this place is great. It's pretty big for an independent chemists and it's also got that strange feel of a pharmacy somewhere on the continent. I visited one similar in Rome a couple of years ago so that's probably why I like this one. As well as dispensing your prescriptions it sells diet pills, supplements and handbags. What else does a girl need?

Judith Evans offers the usual range of toiletries and health care items, in addition to baby…read morenecessities and of course, a service where you can your prescriptions filled. For some reason, stocking soap alongside strings of necklaces is quite common over here, but this pharmacy seems to pull it off without any overwhelming tawdriness. Other highlights for me were the stuffed animals that can be microwaved for those nights when your body aches and four ibuprofen tablets just won't do. One of those babies are going on my Christmas list. The aroma in here is quite spicy - I'm not sure if it's the specialty soaps or what, but it's quite intoxicating and makes for a lovely shopping experience.

Superdrug Barry gets an honorable mention for being the most ghetto of all of the Superdrug stores…read moreI've ever had the pleasure of visiting. It's dingy, sort of in a doorway and very easy to just walk past without you even registering it's presence. Aside from the terrifying hand written cardboard sign on the door that reads "SHUT THIS DOOR BEHIND YOU" inside is a different story. It's often very quiet and although not huge has a much better selection of make up than the Boots up the road. Here you'll find cheaper brands as well as the more recognizable ones. I like that they stock Barry M here, I've not really found a place nearby that does so that's a huge bonus. (I need to get my glitter fix somewhere.) Staff are usually flicking through a magazine to alleviate boredom but I don't blame them, it really does get very quiet, almost as if someone has forgotten about it...

Very helpful staff, extensive make up counters, all kept clean and in tip-top condition! Cardiff…read morestores can be a little messy but Barry staff are great at keeping this in check! Everything is laid out so it is easy to get to and know where things are.

On a high street that has a Superdrug, a Lloyds and Boots it's difficult to distinguish between…read moreyour high street chemists/drug stores. For loyalty's sake I usually head to Boots if I need hair dye/face wipes/lunch. I find that this shop has a really disappointing food selection so even if you avoid Greggs next door in favor of something more wholesome you won't be entirely satisfied with what you find. I know I'm always banging on about it, but vegetarians will be severely let down. The shop is a bit of an odd shape so it's long rather than wide. Because of this everything seems crammed in so if you're looking for mascara on a bottom shelf, chances are you'll be jostled a fair bit. The shop has a BMI calculator too, so if like me you prefer to live in the land of blissful ignorance, avoid at all costs.

This is a very small branch of Boots and it feels as though someone has tried to squeeze a quart…read moreinto a pint pot. The aisles are very narrow and I always seem to end up literally bumping into someone as I pause to look at a display. There are lots of Boots brand produts, but not so many of the distinctive brands that I want to buy. The staff are ok, but it's quite difficult to find one is you have a query. There are never enough till points open, so there is always a queue to pay. The security guards are quite intimidating and these alone put me off browsing in this store. I do not find this branch very welcoming and I do not shop here unless I have no alternative.