The Body Shop may have opened its first store in Brighton and indeed once upon a time, the…read morecompany's forward-thinking ethical philosophy was right at home on the streets of Brighton. Sadly this is no longer the case. Since the L'Oreal takeover, there have been serious question marks over the legitimacy of The Body Shop's ethical image. Since the parent company certainly aren't towing the BS's original party line, how can we be sure that some of the Body Shop's ingredients and products aren't now tested on animals? And even if they aren't, it doesn't seem right that they are owned by a huge multinational anyway. It's a ll a bit depressing really- the Body Shop, once a beacon of light, leading the way in ethical high-street shopping, seem to have been co-opted! For all of the reasons above, the North St branch depresses me a little. Like Tasha S. I have fond memories of walking around the Body Shop as a child, enthralled by the fruity smells and bright colours. My mum used to stuff my Xmas stocking with mini soap shapes and 'Save the Planet' animal flannels...it would seem those magical Body Shop days are all but gone! The North St shop seems sleek and corporate- you can clearly see the transformation from hip, socially-conscious small business to L'Oreal style branding and styling. Such a shame :(

I used to love The Body Shop as a kid. They had that tangerine bubble bath that everyone seemed to…read moregive me for my birthday! Whenever I went there it seemed kinda magical too with all the colours and smells. Then Body Shop parties started happening; I was guilted by friends/lured by wondrous smells into buying spending a fortune on items that'd be less money and probably better quality in Boots. Nowadays, the place makes me sneeze so I don't go in there. It always looks a bit quiet too - I wonder if their decline isn't just for me.

The staff are always helpful. If they don't know something…read morethey check Very good with tips and advice Have been using the store many years And love their friendly and professional approach. Great offers too and vat free monthly.

Visited Sally's recently and was very happy to find everything that I was after…read more Susan, who works in Sally's was extremely helpful and was on hand to advise me on what products I needed to buy. I was after some very specific things and wasn't sure whether they would be in stock, after searching high and low on the high street as well as on the internet. A lot cheaper than I expected too! Overall I was really happy with the service and choice of products, and I'll be returning to buy my hair products from here.

The worst customer service I have encountered in quite a while. My order was forgotten and only…read moregot shipped once I chased - weeks later. No apology or any effort to compensate for their error. I had to ask for a refund on next day delivery. I had a query on the packaging and after several emails, the response I received from customer services was unsympathetic and abrasive - basically they said the issue was my fault. I have written to the MD and have received no reply whatsoever. Basically, they act as if they don't care. The products are expensive - suggest you spend your pennies more wisely than I did with a company that looks after its customers better.

Discovered Pecksniff's whilst staying in a London hotel as they were the toiletries given as…read moregratis! Just loved the calm range. Ordered the body lotion and shower gel 3 days ago and they've just arrived! Considering Xmas post amazing!! Wonderful calming scent and came with 3 gratis testers of perfume. Argentum is just gorgeous, sensual and luxurious!! Can't wait to use all my products. Will be buying from you again. Thank you so much for brilliant service and wonderful products! Happy Xmas! Ginny Walton x

I've been in to Kiko a few times, more out of curiosity than necessity, as they have such a huge…read morerange of cosmetics and skin treatments. As I work in the public eye, all over the world, I have to look my best from the moment I get on a plane to the moment I step off and beyond! Although my skin isn't too bad, I've inherited the family eye bags and nothing I do seems to improve/hide or conceal them. Today I had the benefit of a really helpful advisor. (I wish I'd asked for her name but I'm sure the word 'Manager' was on her badge - could have been an assistant manager or, maybe, even THE Manager, but I couldn't fault her understanding of the products). She went into fine detail about everything; about the research, the ingredients and the effect. She experimented with both eyes. On one she used only the concealer and corrector wheel, on the other eye the Eye trainer, plus the two products already mentioned. My husband and daughter could immediately see the difference and, more importantly, the improvement. The products are amazing but what really impressed me is that she never pressured me into buying anything! I DID buy the products because I could see the result I'd only ever dreamed of but I would definitely go back and buy more from Kiko because it was an uplifting shopping experience for me. I have to give 100% marks for all the staff. The store was packed but, from what I could see, the assistants were willing to help and advise and everyone was greeted with a smile. What's more - the staff kept a discreet distance - readily there - but able to help if needed. Kiko - you have it - this is what cosmetic shopping is all about. Thank you - I'll be back!

I always know I'm staying at a posh hotel when the products in the guest rooms and communal…read morebathrooms are Milton Brown. Simply designed, their products look elegant and smell and feel divine on your skin. They do all the usual hand creams, moisturisers and skincare products you'd expect as well as luxury bath and body products like bath salts, body scrubs, oils, sprays and rubs. The names are a little fancy pants - Ambrusca, Cedrus and Desert Bloom - but I've yet to smell something I didn't love. If you have a partner or friend whose having troubles unwinding, they also do a small range of sleep inducing room aroma rockers, temple soothers and bathing elixirs. Be warned though, the prices are on the steep side with a pot of warming ginger and eucalyptus body scrub costing just under £30 and their incredible White Mulberry candle costing a whopping £49. I know it burns for 80 hours and is an incredible fusion of green team camomille and ylang ylang but I guess I'll have to wait til I check in somewhere fabulous!

Molton Brown is another one of those places that just smells fantastic…read more This store is a more upmarket affair than other high street cosmetic chains like The Body Shop, or Lush, but fear not, with that hike in price comes some seriously covetable products. Being a man, I am more interested in the men's side of things here and the range is pretty impressive. They have various body washes, moisturisers and hair products, as well as "lip savers", which I had never heard of until I went to Molton Brown - I really didn't' know my lips were in danger, but apparently so! The products on offer are a little pricier than some of the competition, so I would recommend either buying/asking for them as gifts. Sometimes you have to wonder exactly how much your lips need saving when you're looking at £10 a pop for this wünder cream. The presentation and packaging is pretty special though, so you most certainly won't look stingy by offering Molton Brown products as gifts to the man in your life. And ladies, there's also a great range for you, so go check it out for yourselves.

It's time for me to own up…read more Maintaining this level of hideousness does not come without a cost. I love Kiehl's products, but that is not the reason I am giving this particular store 5 stars. The men's section is just inside the doorway. You can't miss it, all products are in a very masculine navy blue. The checkout and staff are usually located at the back of the store. This is perfect. If I am feeling particularly unsociable, I can step inside the store, browse the men's products and then exit the store quickly should one of the staff step towards me. I often don't want to conversate for two reasons. 1: Because I want some time to let my scepticisim and curiosity breathe. I want some time to see what's on offer, read about the ingredients, smother some shit on my wrists and navigate my way through the complex world of male skincare. Alone. 2: I don't want them judging me. Sometimes beauty consultants will come over and say things like "What skincare do you use at the moment?". They know full well what they are doing. They see this face and their soul screams, "How can he leave the house like that!", but through their leading questions they supress their disgust. This makes me feel awkward. Fortunately, the staff in Kiehls are polite and not intrusive. They might ask if you need any help, but if you say no, they will leave you alone. If you do ask for help, you don't feel patronised and they genuinely make an effort to try and help. You should also know that they have a one month return policy. So if you try one of the producs sand it doesn't work out, you can return the product. I also like that all the products are neatly aligned and there is always a tester available for whatever product you're considering. Ask if you can try some samples and the staff will guide the way. I kind of like that they all wear white lab coats. I've just realised, that probably tricks me into thinking the place is super clean and sterile. Smart. I have one tip for them. They should diffuse Kiehl's Musk Eau de Toilette throughout the store. It's an incredible scent.

Kiehl's is an American high-end cosmetics company, selling items such as cleansers, toners,…read moremoisturisers, shampoo and perfume. I've been wanting to try their products for a long time, but had never gotten around to buying any. I was recently bought a gift set containing a full size face wash, toner and a moisturiser, but unfortunately I felt like it's not quite right for my skin. I went back to Kiehl's today to get some advice on possibly changing the type of products I need to use on my skin. When going into a higher-end shop I always worry that I'm going to be given the hard sell and feel pressurised into buying something, but this was not the case at Kiehl's at all. The lady who was assisting me was really helpful and was happy to ask me any questions I had about the products. I ended up buying a new facial wash, and was told that there is a 28 day guarantee whereby you can bring your products back to exchange or refund should the product not be quite right for your skin! I wish I had known this before as I would definitely have swapped the products that I was gifted. I did a little research in to the company and found out that Kiehl's don't really advertise; instead they have built a customer base on word of mouth, and giving out samples with every purchase. I was given three samples today, and they weren't just random samples thrown in to the bag, but samples of products that I might find better for my skin. I've tried one of them already and I'm really pleased with the results. I'm going to be using Kiehl's a lot more in future, their products may cost slightly more than high street brands but the quality of the products, service and information you get when buying their products is worth it.

Great beauty supply store. Amazing skincare and cosmetic products. Smells are so good and works…read morereally well.

Can't sleep for more than two or three hours a night? Can't…read morework out without feeling your knees ache? Can't chill out without thinking about the pile of work still stacked on your desk? Whatever ailment you are suffering from, there's a chance Neal's Yard Remedies will have something to help you. A cross between a beauty shop and a herbalist, they sell aromatherapy oils, creams, butters and lotions as well as a small but powerful selection of fresh herbs and teas. They also have a great range of organic skin care products including suncreams, body scrubs and moisturisers. With flavour combinations like geranium and orange and comfrey and mallow, they also smell delicious too. The prices do veer towards the expensive but their products and knowledge are priceless.

Superdrug at Churchill Square is one of three Superdrug branches in Brighton centre, alongside…read morestores on Western Road and in the Railway Station, it is by far the biggest and best branch, located in a rather central location in Churchill Square Shopping Centre, that however isn't saying it is a fantastic store though, it is just the best of the rest, kind of like saying Liverpool were the best of the rest after City in the Premier League, that doesn't mean they're getting a trophy. I called in here to pick up a few drinks with the selection at the Western Road store being diabolical, the selection here was slightly better with multiple fridges, however, most of which seemed to include either water or coca cola branded beverages, I presume Superdrug now have some form of deal with Coca Cola as it seems they've removed all other rivals such as Lipton Iced Tea (which I used to like) and Pepsi. I decided to pick up a Fanta Zero, having previously acquired a coupon. The staff member at the till rudely questioned whether it was still valid, and looked at it like she'd never seen a coupon before, she even questioned it with another member of staff, when it was indeed valid. This is pretty understandable, but no apology and making me feel like a criminal for using a coupon is not good service at all. They did have a satisfactory product range in regards to most other products. Poor customer service and handling of coupons, issues with the selection of drinks (the Fuze tea they have used to replace the Lipton iced teas here are also around 40% more than they sell for in supermarkets including the Co-op with the multibuy offer only making the price average) 2* - Slightly generous rating, mainly down to it being the better branch in the city and okay in some, albeit few areas.

What's with the flurescent lighting and the hot, stuffy air?…read more I've been to other branches of Superdrug and happily ran around the store stocking up on toiletries and beauty products. This particular branch in the Churchill Centre however, always gives me a headache. The lights are always on full beam like I'm about to be strip-searched and interrogated for something I haven't done. And don't ask me why, but they either don't like using air con or they always have it switched to warm. Tropical heat might encourage some customers to stock up on sun lotion, after sun and flip-flops. It just makes me head for the door!