Beauty Queen Cosmetics is an expansive store for people of Afro-Caribbean descent on Stapleton…read moreRoad. It is nevertheless patronised by people of all nationalities and ethnicity, and stocks a phenomenal range of products. Shelf after shelf of beauty products and toiletries stretch from the floor to the ceiling, with everything crammed in so tightly that there's barely room for the aisles. What I like about this store is that if I can't buy something elsewhere, then I can pretty much guarantee that these guys will have it. I also love the fact that I don't recognise over 50% of the products. There are brands here that I've never heard of, and all sorts of stuff that I never even knew existed. Beauty Queen Cosmetics offers the shopper with an anthropological experience as well as the opportunity to indulge in a vanity induced bout of consumerism.

Beauty Queen Cosmetics stocks an amazing variety of hair care commodities and specialises in…read moreAfro-Caribbean hair products. Along with the shampoos and conditioners, you can find a massive selection of styling and moisturising products all at very reasonable prices. They also have a wig boutique and an enormous range of hair extensions. Scarves, scrunchies, dyes, combs and brushes complete the range of just about every conceivable hair product you can imagine. Service is very helpful and friendly.

Bristol isn't short on department stores, but top of my favourites list is House of Fraser. Since…read moreit changed location it's undergone a swanky makeover making it as bright and shiny as Cabot Circus itself. It may be that I don't cope well with change but I find the layout of the new store a little confusing, often meaning I walk past the same rail of clothes several times before finding a polite shop assistant to point me in the right direction. In-keeping with the ethos of Cabot Circus, this House of Fraser stocks high-end lines such as Vivienne Westwood and Lulu Guinness in amongst Miss Sixty and French Connection which can push it into a "looking not buying" category of department stores. I tend to come for the small but extensive Paperchase and Benefit stands, and a bit of a window shop in the ladies department. Not great for every day wear, but worth a look if you're looking for a "special occasion" outfit.

When it moved from the Horsefair to shiny new Cabot Circus, House of Fraser had a bit of a…read moremakeover. No longer the frumpy department store most people walked past to get to Debenhams, now this has an emphasis on the higher quality (and higher priced) brands. Over four floors, with cosmetics, accessories and Paperchase on the lower floor, mens on the middle, women's fashion on the third floor and home decor on the top floor, it is a sprawling space with indiscernible boundaries between the brand displays. It doesn't have a great flow for browsing round, but its not bad. I come here mainly for Mango and Ted Baker brands (although there is a Ted Baker shop in Cabot Circus their women's range is better here).

It might not be an Argos extra which is sometimes a bit annoying as some of the things in the…read morecatalogue are not immediatley available, but is is however providing you with space and choice... but still, you can add some life to the store! The staff are relatively lifeless, and sometimes quite brash and rude as they try to work through all the customers as if they are cattle being passed through branding. Aside from Saturdays you can always find yourself a catalogue without having to fight your way through the hords.

Everyone remembers that joy when the new Argos catalogue came out and you spent a day looking…read morethrough at all the things you wanted to buy, even though you were only 8 and you would struggle to put together the funds to buy just 1 thing one your wish list! Even though the excitment has wained slightly in recen years I still enjoy looking through the Argos catalogue, especially if I am looking for some household item that needs replacing. This Argos is more impersonal than most, you can almost go through your whole shopping experience without talking to anyone as they have an electronic purchasing point.

Revolting fact about me #102 is that I have very dry lips - come rain or come shine. I've tried…read moresmothering them with Vaseline, Nivea and the like but nothing works. Annoyingly my face seems to have expensive tastes and the only thing that solves my woes is Kiehl's Lip balm at the staggering price of £12. And one of the few place in Bath that stocks it is Space.NK. Space NK is like a department store dedicated solely to lotions, potions and cosmetics and I LOVE it. Granted, 95% of it is completely out of my budget, but it's a great place to window shop. The shop is laid out well with bright white counters and shelves of beautifully decorated packaging. This store in Bath has exceptionally smiley, friendly shop assistant who will listen attentively to find you the best suited products.

Fantastic curation of beauty products including cosmetics, skincare, and fragrances from brands…read morelike Chantecaille, Hourglass, Emma Hardie, Sarah Chapman, By Terry, and more. Staff is attentive but will let you browse at your leisure, which I prefer. Being from the States, I was delighted to find brands not available there along with niche brands. Extra stars as the staff gave me plenty of samples.

This place is basically a discount beauty store, stocking loads of makeup, hair extensions,…read moreperfumes, tights and various other random bits and pieces. I came in here last October to grab some face paints for my mime Halloween costume. They sell the proper stage makeup branded stuff you find in specialist shops, but for only half the price - it's really great. They also do a lot of stuff by brands I've never heard of - my girlfriend always buys her liquid eyeliner from here - she says it works better than any other brand she's ever tried and it only costs £1.50! It's also a great place for cheap (but not necessarily bad quality) gifts for female friends and relatives - and they also do a range of greetings cards and gift wrap, so you won't even need to go anywhere else. Sorted.

Are you in need of some false eye lashes, baby wipes and discount perfume? Then this is the place…read morefor you! They may not have the classiest range of products, but they do stock both the essentials and the more fun beauty products we all need. A great way of saving money, check them out.

Revolting fact about me #102 is that I have very dry lips - come rain or come shine. I've tried…read moresmothering them with Vaseline, Nivea and the like but nothing works. Annoyingly my face seems to have expensive tastes and the only thing that solves my woes is Kiehl's Lip balm at the staggering price of £12. The only store that seems to stock it in the whole of Bristol is Space NK * (* This is possible VERY incorrect - and I'll happily be proven wrong) Space NK is like a department store dedicated solely to lotions, potions and cosmetics and I LOVE it. Granted, 95% of it is completely out of my budget, but it's a great place to window shop. The shop is laid out well with bright white counters and shelves of beautifully decorated packaging. The shop assistants are good models for their products with clear, radiant skin and shiny sleek hair - very helpful and will listen attentively to find you the best suited products.

I wouldn't normally frequent such shops, muttering something about overpriced potions, however I…read morefound that this is one of two shops in Bristol that stocks the gorgeous Lipstick Queen brand. With the other being Harvey Nicks, which frankly I'm terrified of going into, this was the lesser of two evils. I had been cycling in the rain that morning so looked somewhat akin to a drowned rodent dressed in rags yet was helped out with a smile from one of the perfectly presented staff (but she wasn't orange like the department store ladies!). I couldn't decide between two colours so she offered to put them on me which is a very strange experience but helpful nonetheless. She knew her stuff about the product as well. I got my lipstick put into a cute little bag that reminds you you've shopped somewhere elegant.

I got a Mani and Pedi voucher for my birthday & used it this weekend. Staff were super friendly,…read morebeautiful decor inside & I was extremely impressed with how my nails look :) definitely going back !

From the owner: Here at The Nailhouse our goal is simple, we wish to provide a high level of product…read moreand guidance whilst finding the perfect balance between health and beauty. Our specialist area of expertise is in the care of our Hands and Feet, we have a great team of experienced Nail Technicians and Health and Beauty Specialists who all feed into the great product and service that we offer.

This has recently become one of my favourite stores in Cabot Circus. If you're looking for some…read morecute, in style clothes then this is a really good place to go. Although it is a bit small, it has enough variety for my liking. If you don't find it to be enough then they luckily have a website where there is so much more to choose from! The staff there are also very friendly. When you want to try on clothes or are ready to pay then there are usually no lines at all. It's nice to have a store that isn't crammed with people.

I first went in here after a jolly looking sales assistant in a Body Shop apron and holding a…read morebasket full of tiny little pots tempted me in. What she was in fact doing was handing out small sample pots with a voucher. It was a PR ploy to entice new customers by offering them a sample of whatever they wanted in the store to take away with them. Enough said, they worked a treat on me. It didn't matter that the size of the sample pot would've only given me enough moisturizing cream for one application, enough lig balm for a day and not even enough shampoo for one wash. Nope siree, it was a freeby and I never knock back a freebie. And in a way it worked wonders for The Body Shop too. For not only did I rack up a sample of the most luscious smelling new strand of the White Musk scent (White Musk Breeze I think it's called) but I ended up buying some cocoa butter, lip balm and an eyeliner!