I had an eye test here at the weekend and was extremely impressed by the thorough job that took at…read moreleast 20 minutes. It was clear that the optometrist was a little nervous as he hasn't been in the job for very long but he was courteous and got a second opinion at one point. I left with a very good understanding of what care my eyes need.

I've been to loads of opticians over the years and optical Express is by far the best. If you're a…read morecontact lense wearer like me and end up losing or tearing your lenses then these lovely people will replace them free of charge. The staff are really approachable and discuss all the lense options available and which lenses will work best for you. They also sell glasses and there are some nice designer ones. You can get a discount if you buy new prescription glasses alongside ordering contact lenses. I've had no problems whatsoever and will continue to use there services.

Shadestation.co.uk Excellent service. I asked Maui Jim if…read moreShadestation was a authorised seller of their glasses which they are. My new maui jims arrived the next day, well packaged and as maui jims should be. Very impressed. Thank you.

Amazing. Bought my glasses more than half off from the doctors office. Shipping from UK to US was…read morequick and flawless. Love my glasses. Highly recommend

The Grand Arcade is a beautifully light and airy arcade with a high glass roof. Over a century old…read morethe interior is lovingly designed and full of character. There are large banners proudly emblazoned with the name of the arcade hanging from the rafters. However, the arcade appears slightly deserted with a majority of empty shops. What a shame! It is such a lovely space with so much potential! It is, however, home to the highly recommended vegetarian café Roots and Fruits and the top notch vintage shop Upstaged Vintage. There is also a rather charming trophy shop for all your trophy-related needs! Due to shamefully not having frequented the Grand Arcade enough in the past, I'm not sure exactly when its decline in shop numbers began, or why...maybe the recession? Though I do know it's a great shame and hope that the arcade manages to rebuild the popularity it deserves!

The Grand Arcade is a lovely little shopping area in Leeds, albeit a much overlooked one. Since the…read morelocation of the Grand Arcade is a little towards the edge of town it sadly receives less traffic than some of the more affluent areas in the city centre, but this appears to have given the shop owners here a licence to get creative with their outlets, since it's a less mainstream area! One of my favourite shops, UpStaged Vintage, resides within the Grand Arcade. It's a fantastic vintage boutique with a specialist burlesque corset room upstairs and it is one of the premier places to find indie vintage items in Leeds. Other quirky places in the Grand Arcade include Roots and Fruits (a vegetarian café) and also Santiago at the very end, which is an excellent bar that plays host to all kinds of great live music events. All in all it's certainly worth wandering through and checking out if you've not been before, definitely give it a look in!

Vision Express at Leeds Trinity looks and feels like any other Vision Express store, there is a…read moregood selection of eyewear and plenty of tables/seating, where you can purchase and add your prescription. The store does close very early, they close at 17:30 during the week, this is considerably earlier than their White Rose Centre branch, which is the nearest other location they have in Leeds. It is almost impossible to get an appointment after 15:45 unless you book weeks in advance. The staff member who served me wasn't too friendly, I came in to look for some spectacle cleaner and was just told they didn't have any, no apology, just an awkward interaction. 3* - Nice selection of eyewear but service and opening times could be considerably better. Lack of COVID safety precautions compared to other Opticians nearby is also a big negative.

Wow, yes I really am about to write a review of an opticians. That I'm even writing one should…read moresuggest to you that my experience here was pretty good. I've been wonky eyed and short sighted since my early teens. I've had the joy of experiencing a few opticians, which are usually absolutely fine. You come, you get an eye test, you buy some glasses. Motivated by a coupon for free eye test, I chose to use Vision Express for the first time. I walked in and was immediately greeted and pointed to the waiting area...and encouraged to take advantage of free tea and coffee. The optician put me at ease and eye examination was thorough and when I explained I also wore contacts, they gave me a sample pair, adding it would make it easier for me when choosing frames. Armed with a new prescription (fortunately no increase in my blindness), I returned to the retail section. The optician accompanied me back, and explained to the staff I was looking for new frames. The member of staff who served me was impressively obsessive about frames, lenses and glasses. Usually choosing frames is a long protracted and confusing process of trying to find frames I can wear with my prescription, but which don't make me look like a doofus. Instead I had a virtual personal shopper, handing me frames to try on and ruling out those which won't work for me/ my prescription. My suspicions were confirmed when the staff member confirmed he has been known to watch TV and think 'oo those glasses don't have an anti-reflective coating'. Brilliant. I never knew you could obsess about glasses but I'm glad he did! They measured me up, offered to reserve the glasses for me and they even offer an interest free loan. Which helps, because I won't lie, they are more expensive than their competitors *cough specsavers cough*. However for the hassle saved, on a relatively big purchase like glasses, I totally recommend this branch!

When you walk into Rose and Co it's as if you've stepped back in time to an old fashioned, but very…read morebeautiful apothecary. Arranged in ordered chaos are the sweetest smelling bath fizzers, lip balms and soaps. You can make your own gift box of bath treats (they look like little cakes, so cute!) The shop is crammed full of gifts and trinkets to suit every personality and they even have a vintage clothing boutique downstairs where the outfits are made to original 40's & 50's patterns. The shop is a big promoter of Agent Provocateur, Lolita Lempicka and Dr Hauschuka, and there's plenty of choice of products. The shop plays soft vintage music and creates a cosy, happy atmosphere to shop in. The decor is divine and the staff also dress up in 40's attire with full make-up and curled hair. I was amazed whilst walking around and loved the whole feel of the shop. I can't wait to take my mum shopping there next week!

The Victoria Quarter is the perfect location for Rose & Co, whose interior reminds me of a Betty's…read moreTea Rooms, very quaint with chandeliers, cake stands, antique furniture and vintage wallpaper. The first products you're likely to see are the 'bath fancies' that closely resemble tiny beautifully-made cupcakes - what a treat! The room is lined with glass cabinets and polished wood drawers, some tantalisingly opened to reveal neatly displayed goodies such as jewellery and cosmetics, including Burt's Bees and Dr. Hauschka. They also sell beautiful vintage-style sewing kits, a lovely gift and a rather kitsch way to inspire one to make-do-and-mend in a stylish and fun way! They sell books as well, all with a vintage theme and many with a photography or illustration focus, such as 50s pinups or burlesque. Downstairs is the boudoir selling lingerie and carefully selected vintage-style dresses, including some pretty cute 'ethically-made' dresses from Tara Starlet made in the UK and designed by none other than Tara form BBC's eye-opening documentary series 'Blood Sweat and T-shirts'. Yay!...And not extremely expensive at £65 for a dress. The lingerie section includes some rather pretty vintage-style underwear from Elle MacPherson. The products in this shop are not cheap but it is definitely worth a visit even just to browse and inhale the delicious smells. Or perfect for a special gift.