Wow! Check out the window display! I would have taken a photo regardless of requiring a pic for…read moreYelp! Endless lotions and potions are stacked tetris-style on shelf after shelf covering all the available window space and making your head spin with the seemingly infinite hair pampering options available! If you have afro hair and like to coax it into any style of your choosing then I can't imagine you could go away empty handed! They also sell hair dryers and styling tools, hair dye, wigs, weaves, clip in hair extensions and a huge range of hair accessories. On top of this they have a huge variety of body lotions and skin creams and a selection of makeup. It would be easy to feel pretty overwhelmed by the vast array of products on display, but the staff are helpful and friendly and will point you in the right direction. Sihala provides many products to be used by all women but specialises in a range of products for black people that would not be found in most high street cosmetics retailers, which often tend to overlook the specific needs of black customers. Go Sihala!

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 was booked in for a Darphin facial with Lucy…read more The reception area is a lovely duck egg blue colour which is very relaxing. There are work areas set up for manicures, with all manner of polishes. All staff were extremely welcoming, full of smiles and friendly. I was led upstairs to the Butterfly Room for my treatment. A lovely calming room with the obligatory relaxing music playing. Lucy talked through what she was going to do and checked if I had any skin problems. I thoroughly enjoyed the facial which included an neck, arm and hand massage. It was that good I fell asleep only to be woken when the time was up. I would recommend this treatment and salon to anyone. Fabulous!

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!

The Look is a cheap cosmetics shop in the market. It's pretty much what you'd expect from such a…read moreshop with piles of unbranded eyeliners, lipsticks, foundation, eyeshadow etc. As Aniela has pointed out, it's not the kind of place you'd buy from if you have sensitive skin as it can be difficult to find out the ingredients of the products and natural products can be much easier to trust. However, if you usually by cheap branded make up anyway, the makeup here may not be particularly worse in quality and the prices are definitely a bonus if you're counting the pennies. They also sell a huge amount of fragrances and aftershave by well-known brands so if you're into perfume, you may well find something at a good price to suit your nose's taste!

I don;t want to sound terrible, but I just can't really give The Look much more than this. I have…read morequite sensitive skin, so I am quite carefull about what I buy in terms of cosmetics. I would never buy anything here, as I have no idea where it comes from. There are baskets and baskets of different bits and pieces of jumbled up make up, that due to the lack of order, you have to pick up and look at. I felt that everytime I did this, I was getting the evil eye cast over me by the shop ladies. One upside is that they do stock incredibly bright nail varnishes at reasonable prices.

Superdrug in Harrogate is on Cambridge Road, while the store is compact, they stock many of the…read moretypical items you'd expect to find from a Superdrug, and it also boasts a Superdrug Pharmacy, which follows the same opening hours as the main store, other than the fact the Pharmacy is closed on Sunday's, while the regular store is not. (8:30 am to 5:30 pm) The store is fairly clean and well laid out, I was able to get in and out of the store within a couple of minutes, due to the friendly and fast service at the checkout, I did only look to purchase a drink from their fridges (again compact but good selection), and was able to do this. Again, the store is reasonably stocked, but there are limitations due to the size of the size, so you may want to use the click-and-collect feature from Superdrug's website, where you can order items into the store, on most occasions the time frame is reasonable, but not always quicker than home delivery. 4*

Although this Superdrug is fairly small, it does seem to also be fairly well stocked, with a very…read moregood range of high street make-up brands (including Gosh etc). The store also contains a pharmacy in addition to the basic medicines they stock. The shop is well laid out, and the overhanging signs make it easy to find your way round. There are only 2 or 3 tills, which are not always all manned, and so there may be a queue, but I have always found these to be short and fast moving. The staff seem friendly, and willing to help locate a particular item. All in all, a small shop that's fitted a lot in without the usual cluttered feeling. (Usually a bit cheaper than Boots on the branded stuff as well!)