I love Noa Noa, and have bought plenty of eveningwear and sweet summer outfits from them. They are…read morehard to resist! Producing individually designed, well made clothes at exceptionally good prices compared to the commensurate offerings from the top end of the clothing chain shops, this Scandinavian shop has my loyalty! I have to admit that I often wait for the sales. They really know how to shift stock fast to make way for the new season. Incredible bargains are their only ploy, which suits me down to the ground!

The problem with me reviewing this place is that I'm not really the target market. I could really…read moresee that from the window display but I thought I should give it a go. In case you are wondering why I would be so foolish, I have my cheerleading ball coming up soon. I had found a dress but then it was sold out of my size. In desperation (after looking at many MANY dresses on websites and driving my housemates to distraction) I turned to the shops I hadn't visited before. The staff were really lovely, though none of them seemed genuinely pleased to help me - this is probably because they knew that I wouldn't buy anything... The fact is, though, that I don't think my mother or grannie would shop here...

I wish I'd known about this shop before my 6th Form Leavers Ball. I didn't go because I knew…read morewhatever dress I wore wouldn't compare to the dress I'd had made for my Year 11 Prom. If I'd discovered this shop before, I'd definitely have gone. This shop sells the most beautiful gowns I've ever seen, and the ones on display in the window change weekly and they're always even lovelier than the ones they replace. They also sell gowns from a size 2 to a size 16, which is a fantastic range, and definitely something I could have done with, having really struggled to find a dress in my size. There are other clothes on sale here besides gowns, and they are just as lovely. The lady who manages the store is really helpful, too, and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of her stock which is rare. This shop makes me want to marry a really rich man so that I can go to fancy balls and dinners and wear every single gown from this shop.

Went to Luxor with my best friend, staff amazing with supporting you with what will suit you,…read moreclothes for lots of occasions, we bought some amazing clothes, we are very happy with all we bought. Staff very helpful and kind as usual we are looking forward to our next visit to the store. Thank you Heather and Kavian we love all the new stock keep up the good work making us look lovely at our events. Thank you Lucie and Ceri

@ Fab are a bit of an anomaly to. They seem to have a confusing array of stock that does not adhere…read moreto any kind of focus or logic. 'Random' is possibly the word that best describes the fashion choices that they espouse, but may be this is due to the fact that they appear to be trying to appeal to absolutely everyone's tastes, from kids to teenagers, 20-somethings, young professionals, middle aged women, and of course, centenarians! Every time I glance into this shop I wince a little. I think that it makes it worse that the little segment of Wellfield Road that @ Fab occupies is populated by businesses that really know how to specialise. Noa Noa and Luxor, to name but two of the well focussed and targeted businesses that flank this inconsistent boutique that defies definition, although 'pretty awful' would be a good generic start to the proceedings! They have a few A4 posters by the entrance, offering to 'price match' identical items found at other shops... but I guess that they are pretty safe in this territory, and are rarely called to, if ever, sell clothing at a lesser price than is advertised on the label... there really aren't too many other outlets that are stocking the same clobber!!!

The main thing about this shop is that the window displays sometimes seem to suggest that there are…read morenice clothes inside. Then, you'll find that there are actually none at all. At other times you will think that the window display is hideous (at all times the display suggests that the shop is stuck in the 90s, but there are moments of brilliance) but the stock inside will be pretty good. The staff are lovely, which is more of a must than a plus, when the stock is so hit and miss. However, the prices are cause another problem. Some items are cheap and some are more expensive - too expensive for what they are. The only way to shop here is to search long and hard, check every price and every label. However, once you get to the till and talk to a staff member, you'll be happy again.

I'm sure that the name of this business has more to do with clothing fastenings than it does the…read morelegal intoxicant that was broadly used, particularly in gay nightclubs, across the UK back in the 80's! Ah, the heady smell of Amyl Nitrate! Nasty! There's something I'm less sure about... Does Beverley, the owner, know about this other meaning? I guess not, but I can imagine that she'd find it amusing, like myself. Beverley Soar is as laid back as any of the business owners on Pontcanna Street., and she's got a sense of humour. When I called in recently she was inspecting the damage done to the huge plate glass window that fronts the shop. The phantom tagger had paid her, (and everyone else down the street), a visit, leaving their tag, or signature mark, etched in the glass. The damage to all was going to cost the insurers a small fortune. Beverley was taking it in her stride, and seemed surprisingly up-beat, considering the disruption and mess that the repair would cause. She owns a particularly beautiful shop with some pretty expensive stock.... clothes by Grea, Annette Gortz, Hebbeding, Indies, Krines, Ischiko, Sonja Marohn and Oska... and I haven't met a tradesman yet that doesn't move everything so that you can't find it, and leave dusty footprints in the carpet! I guess she just reconciles herself with the knowledge that if it needs to be done, it needs to be done, and that's that! I like Beverley as much as I like her shop. The street wouldn't be the same without them both. With customers ranging from their mid thirties, up into their nineties, (her oldest customer is a very well dressed 96 year old, who has lost none of her sophistication and sartorial taste with the passage of time), Poppers is responsible for some of the best dressed women in Cardiff!

I ventured into poppers rather hesitantly as I thought the prices would be way out of my league!…read moreAlthough not exactly cheap, the prices weren't to bad, I saw a stunning black dress for £125 (it could have been worse)! Poppers is probably more suitable for 45+ (I won't be falling into that category for a long while yet), but it did have some very stylish numbers and on the sales rack I spotted a rather nice urban style top reduced to £20 (not bad)! Poppers also stocks a small range of jewellery and bags but at £54 for a necklace, it certainly isn't cheap!

Clifton Household Store and Internet Café is one of the weirdest places I've been in for a while,…read moreand is the kind of shop that takes me back to my time when I lived in India, where haphazard is achieved on a continental scale! So, somewhat inevitably, this shop makes me smile! It stocks the strangest combination of goods, making it look a little unruly to say the least. One wall is lined with desk top computers that are hooked up to the internet, and the adjacent wall is lined with women's fashion of the burka variety. The back wall is reserved for dry food sacks and tins as well as a few household items like brightly coloured blankets!? These are all stacked in an atypical way on shelves that have been positioned against a partition wall that is flanked on both sides by alcoves, and would fit neatly between them both if it weren't for the fact that they have been positioned off-centre. This means that the shelves protrude beyond the end of the wall by about a foot on the right hand side. I'm still smiling! The shop counter is equally random, offering up a combination of confection, soft drinks and ladies beauty products. There are also a few aluminium cooking pots and implements on display for good measure! Love it!

Toys N Things is a great little independent toyshop on the Wellfield Road. It's not quite as big as…read moreits competitor, Stepping Stones, a few doors down, which acts as a distribution centre as well as a retail outlet, but Toys N Things is, in many ways, just as good. It seems that they both share a similar ethos, with Toys N Things supplying educational games and toys for children of all ages, just like its counterpart. Stepping Stones is not as colourful as Toys N Things, but that's mainly due to the fact that the latter cashes in on all of the ultra-popular big brand names like Barbie and does a fine line in fancy dress with all of the usual suspects covered. It is also a joke and novelty shop that supplies fireworks. I'm not so keen on fireworks but I am rather partial to whoopee cushions and things of that ilk... perhaps with exception of stink bombs and bangers. Toys N Things is not a Stepping Stones copycat. It is very much doing its own thing. I think the latter is more commendable in many respects, but there is definitely a place for what Toys N Things is doing.

Great to see that Wellfield Road has such a good independent Toy Store! The toys on offer are…read moregenerally rather modern, and most are brands such as Barbie, Playmobile, and Doctor Who are on offer. What I really like about this place is that the prices range from the very cheap (ideal for pocket money) to the more expensive, so if you need to buy a toy for someone, you're bound to find something suitable. I think the items in this store would mainly be suitable for 3-12 year olds, however older children (and adults) may enjoy the board games on offer. They do have a small fancy dress selection (mainly wigs), but unless it's an emergency and you need something quick, I would recommend you go to one of Cardiff's excellent fancy dress stores instead!

I don't know whether this is actually a factory outlet. I assume that there would be no other…read morereason for them to call themselves that but there seems to be something lacking... I think it's mainly just the location and the size which threw me because neither were what I would expect from on outlet. Really, this is actually just like a charity shop (Albany Road has a good number of charity shops so I'm going to lump it in with them) and so it's good for picking up simple things like t-shirts, vest tops and the like. It's defintely not a place to find exciting items of clothing (though there is a good selection and you might just get lucky one day) but the service is good and you will probably find something's that you say 'Oh, I'd like that if it didn't have that' to.

Awwwwwwwwww. Julia makes cute accessories covered in buttons, felt, baby pearls and flourishes…read more Her purses, badges and floral necklaces are inspired by the fragility and strength of nature and its graphic organic patterns, food, and magazines like Selvedge, Marie-Claire idées (France), World of Interiors, Bloom, Elle decoration (France), Atelier d'artistes (France). Spot a lot of magazines from France on the list? Well my little observant one, that would be because this textile designer is French, but she lives in Wales. After graduating with a HND in fashion design at Duperré school of Art and Design in Paris, she departed for an 'Erasmus Welsh adventure in textile.' After completing the BA (hons) degree, Julia decided to start her own business based in Cardiff. Her designs are fairly eco-friendly because Julia re-uses old buttons, lace and beads that have already been cherished.

This shop is fantastic for a simple and classic yet gorgeous pair of shoes that are exceptional…read morequality. They're expensive, but are worth every penny if you're looking for something to wear all day, every day without getting blisters. What I love most about Dune is their selection of boots which range from cute stiletto ankle boots to practical flats, and as they're good quality, you know they're going to last. This shop, hidden away in the Capitol Centre, is not large, but there are plenty of beautiful shoes to be found and there are plenty of staff available to help and give expert and friendly advice. Sadly, though, because of its size, this store tends to run out of the nicest things pretty quickly. So if you see something you like, get it quick because it probably wont be there next week, especially if you wear a popular size.

Dune is one of my favourite shoe shops in Cardiff. All of their shoes, boots, sandals, handbags and…read moreother accessories are of a very high quality, so you know they will wear well. While Dune stocks plenty of on-trend styles, it also has plenty of more classic looks that can stand the test of time. I have a pair of boots from here that I've had for five years, and have actually paid to have the soles replaced because I still love them so much! You won't find cheap shoes or bags here. Most items are made of good quality leather, and those that aren't (such as some of the fabric bags) are made of durable, hard-wearing man-made materials The shop is only small, but when there's a sale on it gets rammed in there while every Dune-lover tries to hunt out a bargain. Sadly, I never seem to find anything in the sales because being a size 5 it's such a popular size they fly out of the door - those with less common shoe sizes may have more luck!