The regeneration of Hulme in the late'80's and early '90's brought many invaluable businesses to…read morethis area and facing Hulme market, Afro World is one of them. I am a curly girl with tresses which vary from sleek and shiny on a good day, to a frizzy halo- depending on the weather. Although certain high street chains and chemists have woken up to the fact that yes, we are a multicultural Britain with a diverse population who have individual needs, their range of products for people of colour can be very limited. This is not a political rant, it is a cold, hard, consumer fact. Afro World is a saving grace and "limited" is not a word that applies here. Having entered its hallowed doors, you have never seen so many hair and skin products in your life! There are rows and rows stocking brands such as Soft n Free, Dark n Lovely, Ultra Sheen and Pink, to name but a few- seriously the shop sells hundreds of them. The name of this store is a tad misleading as this mecca also sells makes for European and Asian hair types. You can buy a good quality real hair wig for only £29, extensions, and curly or straight pony tails line the shelves and offer you the ability to alter your appearance every day of the week. Handy for Geminis or international spies. The owners really know their stock inside and out. This is an incredible talent, considering how many lines are sold there, and they are always on hand to give you help and advice. Not many men ( with the obvious exception of hairdressers) are able to discuss with you whether you suit a wavy weave or a head full of corn rows in a truly macho fashion. Afro World also sells a good range of make-up for Asian and Afro-Caribbean skin and various hair accessories . It is open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm and on Sunday from 11am-5pm. Be aware that the shop is closed for prayer on Fridays from 1.30-2.30pm. So if you fancy a wicked weave, exceptional extensions or just need to stock up on your Kirby grips then this shop has it all.

I don't have much to add here as I actually popped in to get something for my wife - no she isn't…read moregoing to be sporting an afro or dreads soon, but she did want some pink hair dye picking up! They sell fake hair, wigs, have a beauty and hair section and all sorts of beauty products - you can tell from this description that I'm not massively up on this theme... This is the newer store after the previous one was destroyed by fire and it does look very modern and well laid out. The staff were very helpful guiding me straight to what I needed - a very easy visit, in and out!

Divine Beauty is a hair product supermarket with rows and rows of every hair mousse, gel, cream and…read moreshampoo you can think of. Selling predominantly Afro- Caribbean products, this shop also stocks a good range of high quality hair pieces, wigs and extensions. Displayed on lines of decapitated dolls heads, Divine Beauty has an air of looking slightly disjointed and morose. In the rear of the shop, a hairdresser Aimee is on hand to do weaves and extensions, but again, this looks an unfinished and unprofessional space. There are much better hair shops in the area and the staff are ill informed on their stock, so much so that I went along to purchase a pony tail for my brunette bonce on a bad hair day and the gentleman assistant tried to sell me a ginger piece! I would not make an appointment here for a hair do but I would come in to bag some bobbles.

Yet another shop in Levenshulme that is painted bright yellow! I just don't get it. Well I do…read morereally. It is quite eye-catching. But it's also very yellow! Pound Choice Plus is yet another one of those mega cheap shops that sells random tat. Half of which is mega useful and cheap. The other half of which is totally pointless but also cheap. This shop has all of the important useful stuff, like piles of cheap loo roll, washing powder, cosmetics and tools. The shop is light and airy too, which is a welcome change to other dingy pound stores. What I always love about these places is that there are some hidden gems to be found that almost make you laugh out loud. My personal favourite in Pound Choice Plus is the "Elegant Drinking Glass Chess Set." Which now I think about it could actually become an amazing drinking game. Hold on, I think I'm going to back and buy the thing.

Booots, my love. On Regent Road, we proudly present the biggest boots I've seen in Manchester. I'm…read morenot saying it is the biggest one, but it is for me, cuz I haven't seen any other so massive and full of stuff. When you get in there you feel like in Saisburys, only that all you can see is cosmetics and electronics, and all the stuff you need to make you happy. As a woman I suppose. I had to buy something for a friend's baby, that why I went in there in the first place. But after I've seen what it offers, oh dear, here I am, every week, shopping for feminine stuff, like body creams and weird smelly stuff to make your skin better and you know, they have all sort of stuff, that probably you don't need, but they look so colorful and cool, that you can't stop yourself. You need to buy lots of stuff. But yeah, if you want to walk around a good hour, to pick lots of cosmetics, come to our local boots.

The staff were very on the ball with assistance and Louise in particular was very lovely, helping…read morewith any queries I had.

Lovely staff! Sheyda at the No7 counter was so helpful and kind, an asset to the storeread more

It is very easy to miss this particular Sally's store since it is not the usual cash and carry…read moresize, it is basically a market stall. There is also the absence of the red Sally's logo so you could get a tad lost looking for this place in Arndale Market. It is worth the trek though! Sally's sells hair and beauty supplies (this particular store sells more hair goods) at cash and carry prices (not that much cheaper than retail price in my opinion) but it is worth it to find unusual goods, for example if you colour or home perm your hair. It is also excellent for Afro hair supplies; I love these products as they work very well on coloured or damaged, thick hair too. It is a great treasure trove!

Sally's is a cash and carry open to the public that sells beauty products. It sells all the…read moreproducts that the beauty industry use so you know that they work. Even though most of the brands are unheard of they are top quality and you can come out with products that you simply cannot find on the high street. They are a bit pricey but definitely worth it. Highly recommended.

Sally Hair & Beauty supplies is the largest retailer of professional hair and beauty products in…read morethe world. I made its acquaintance many years ago after I qualified for a "sally card" after completing a nail technician course as a hobby. The Sally card was my entry into a whole new world of salon products, all of which I was able to buy minus VAT. Professionals are very loyal to Sally, this is where they buy their equipment and products but I think this applies more to mobile technicians rather than salon based staff. Sallys is a mine of creams, gallon sized shampoo bottles and nail polishes. For all budding and seasoned manicurists out there, it sells every tool and implement you require and stocks the compulsory brands for all nail artists: OPI and Seche Vite. For the hairdressers Sally sells every perm product on the market, relaxers, conditioners and most importantly, kirby grips- who can survive without them? I once held a pair of trousers up at a christening with a kirby grip after the zip failed. The staff at this branch are two lovely women who have excellent product knowledge and can advise all the amateurs out there on what they need. When I visit Sally Hair & Beauty , I am like a child in a sweetie shop. I only call in for nail polish remover and leave with a bag full of cuticle cream, peppermint pedicure scrubs and a bucket of conditioner. So if you are serious about your grooming and find the hair and nail sections in department stores or chemists woefully lacking, then you need a trip to Sally.

The Perfume Shop has two branches in Manchester's Arndale Centre, this one is located next to EE…read moreand opposite Boost Juice and Footlocker Kids, it is in a decent condition near the Market Street enterence into the Arndale opposite Lloyds Bank and the huge Boots store. I've called in here twice now and I've had so many different results in terms of obtaining samples. Firstly, I came in to ask if there was any samples and the staff member seemed nice and probably gave me about 6 or 7 from good brands too such as Sauvage by Dior, Hugo Boss and Jean Paul Gaultier. Secondly, I came in and did the same a week later with a new member of staff and was only given two, one was an opened Hugo Boss Intense and the other was just a standard one. The member of staff seemed a little disinterested on that occasion. Comparing to other Perfume Shop's I have visited, this is typical and is still much better than The Fragrance Shop, who I have had bad experiences with in Liverpool and just a few stores down also in the Manchester Arndale. The store inside is okay, it is pretty much average for any store of its sort and does seem to have a good stock of the main brands, of course it is quite hard to browse without asking a member of staff as near enough everything is behind their till, which is different to the Bradford branch who mainly use this method with some on the back wall too. This store is okay and it is just basically average, average, average, yet I feel only deserves a high two star rating because of immense competition and it should be doing more in a city centre with so many other places to go to win customers such as other branches of TPS, The Fragrance Shop, Boots, House of Fraser, Selfridges, Debenhams - The list goes on so you can get my point!

......kind of stolen my thunder with the title there guys…read more I'll bet your bags of fun at Christmas and birthdays "No! No! I'm not telling you, I'm not te.....it's a handbag. A black one...........cost £40."

The customer service at this branch of L'Occitane is second to none…read more I popped in last week to buy some Shea Butter hand cream for my auntie and was served within two minutes. Unlike at the Body Shop where I was actively encouraged / pushed to try other products, the staff didn't try to show me any of the other creams or moisturisers. They simply asked if I was having a nice Christmas, wrapped my present up in tissue paper with a bow and sprayed it with a divine fragrance. If the service is as smooth and hassle-free in other branches, I might buy the majority of my Christmas presents from L'Occitane next year!

This is a truly wonderful shop, filled with the highest quality beauty products for the discerning…read morecustomer. I love L'Occitane, especially the lavender foot cream and the shea butter bubble bath. This shop in Leeds city centre is new and is a great fit filled with the amazing products of L'occitane. I particularly love to see the bike parked outside the shop filled with lavender and chamomile. Check out the new shop in Leeds on Briggate, part of the Victoria Quarter opposite Louis Vuitton.