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 is only a little branch of Boots so don't expect everything you need to be stocked there. They…read morehave a small scattering of everything but not a great selection of anything. There are a few makeup displays, mainly the cheaper ones like No7, Maybelline, Max Factor etc. bit of hair dye, dental care, facial/body care, first aid stuff and (probably what most people use this branch for) a pharmacy counter where you can collect your prescription and get advice should you need it.

Creations is a small nail studio on Gloucester Road. Whenever I walk past there is always, without…read morefail people having intricate designs painted onto their nails so it's obviously a really good place to go! I like the fact that they do other things apart from nails such as facials and things. I personally think its a bit expensive for me, but I never splash out on things like this. My friends say that it's not badly priced considering the time they spend on you.

I am 22 and have been biting my nails since i was about 12 (disgustin habit, i know) and so yet…read moreagain my New Years Resolution was to give up the habit. I'd tried everything i could to stop, but i even got used to the taste of the horrible stuff you paint onto your nails which is meant to taste so horrible you won't even think about putting your lips near what was left of your cuticles. I was going strong for about 2 weeks, when i was walking past Creations with my boyfriend who said that if i kept it up for a month then he'd treat me. Perfect idea. I managed for over a month and took a trip to Creations to get my nails done professionally. I was so excited to finally have nails and there were so many other options, patterns, colours and styles to choose from that i was a bit overwhelmed and opted for the safe bet of the French Manicure. It wasn't terribly expensive, and there are great set deals in Creations which give you the chance to have four different parts of your body pampered for only £20.

This may well be one of my favourite recent discoveries!…read more Cliftonbank Beauty, linked to Cliftonbank College, has just opened up. The college itself is a top quality training option for beauty therapists, and now you can take advantage of their skills at a fraction of the usual price. Of course you are being treated by a trainee rather than a qualified therapist but to be honest, they wouldn't let anybody that wasn't good loose and they are supervised. The only problem for me is that they pnly open 10-3 which is when most people might have to work, but if you don't, or can sneak out on your lunch break, give them a try - I would recommend a facial!

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's all in the presentation. Clear bottles in various sizes, marked with the Molton Brown logo,…read morefill the shelves of the shop; for anyone with a love for gorgeous body products, a branch of Molton Brown is like a sweetie shop. You get to try all the different fragrances! You get to pump a bit of expensive hand wash onto your palms and wash it off at the big sink in the corner! It really is a playground for body care junkies. Molton Brown have incredible ranges, both for men and women and for the home. My favourite happens to be Rosé Granati, a lovely warm spicey fragrance that comes in a "fine liquid handwash" (£15). Expensive, yes, of course. It wouldn't be here in the poshest stretch of Cabot Circus if it was cheap! If you buy something as a present, let them know, as they do a fantastic free giftwrapping service comprising a stylish brown box with a big Molton Brown ribbon.

Bristol now has a stand-alone Molton Brown shop, located in the new Cabot Circus area…read more The shop has the full range of shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, body & hand washes, body lotions and cosmetics as well as travel essentials, leather bags, and candles/scents for the home. The have items for men as well, including hair care, shaving and fragrance. For women, there is a range of eye, lip and skin make-up as well as scents. The shop is clean and modern and the staff are helpful and know their products.

This shop is most definitely my biggest weakness when it comes to shopping. I am make up obsessed…read moreand MAC never fails to impress me. MAC cosmetics are located inside debenhams department store with a large section just as you walk through the door. They have endless amounts of beautiful make up that is enough to make any girl swoon over and worry about your bank balance. You can book in for a make over with any of their make up artists. I'm not 100% sure on prices but whatever you pay is redeemable in products at the end. All of the artists that work here are so lovely and nothing is ever too much trouble. They are also ridiculously good at what they do, some of their skills are amazing!! If you ever feel like indulging in some nice new cosmetics or treating yourself to a make over for a special occasion I can't recommend them enough.

Located inside the Debenhams department store on the ground floor, the MAC Cosmetics section has a…read morerange of their staple products as well as their seasonal and limited edition items. You can purchase lipsticks, lip glosses, foundations, powders, toner, brushes, eye shadows, liners & mascara, nail polishes, make-up bags, and pigment pots in a wide range of colours. Not sure what would look good on you? The friendly staff are happy to help you decide and, for a fee of £25.00, you can book yourself in for a makeover to see what products are perfect for you (the fee is then put towards MAC purchases). It can be a bit pricy, but the products are well made, long lasting and good value for money. If you want compliments on how you look, want a special look (wedding, party, graduation, etc.) then this is the best place to go in Bristol!

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.

Ever in pursuit of the perfect barnet, I am determined to test out every hairdressers in Bristol!…read moreDuring my search, I paid a visit to Hobbs Style on Park Row. The friendly stylist listened to exactly what I wanted, nodded politely before making me a welcoming cup of tea. She left me with a pile of trashy mags to work my way through while she made a start on my locks. Sadly this lovely, friendly lady fell into the trap of trying to make inane conversation while I tried to un-subtlely ignore her and stick my face into the copy of Heat on my lap. She loses a point at this stage. The haircut itself was a bit too prim and proper for my liking - and not really what I asked for. Great for older ladies or gents (my Dad had a particularly good hair cut here) but not great for scruffy young girls like myself.

Hobb's is another hairdressing salon on Park Row. It pretty much does everything you would expect…read morefrom a hairdressers, for example, colouring, cuts, trims, highlights etc. It's not as 'funky' as Mac Daddy's but its a lot cheaper. I personally have found that the service is perfectly adequate and I would probably go back again, whereas I probably wouldn't go back to Mac Daddy's. I found that staff were really nice and friendly as you would expect in a hairdressers. They asked your usual 'sooo going anywhere nice this year?' questions, but once that had run dry then did leave me alone and got down to giving me a very good haircut.