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.

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.

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.

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

I originally left this review for The Body Shop but I have now realised that it is Bodycare, as I…read moream not a big fan of all body stuff this is an easy mistake to make but I can assure you all my other reviews are listed for the right place. It didn't help Bodycare and The Body Shop look very similar either. Bodycare is a large shop in The Manchester Arndale centre with great selection, they have a good variety of pain killers, shampoo, soap and lots of other things. The staff seemed polite and for a first time visitor of Bodycare I left happy as they did have a wide range of products for great value. If you are looking for Body products in the Manchester Arndale, I would recommended this large, cheap shop which is located next to WHSmith and near to Thorntons and EE. I have visited this shop a few times now and I have also found a good range of soap products here. UPDATE: After some consideration, including that the queuing system can often leave customers waiting slightly longer, and the design of the store, appearing to get as many products as they can, rather than spacing them out and making it into a modern, cool store, really lowers my opinion of this store, hence I feel a 3 star rating is more deserved.

I would like to know if you still sell White, musk, oil,…read moreperfume !! Its been quite a while since ive been able to get to your shop, through health problems !! anyways I can't wear perfumes as I have breathing difficulties, !! but can definitely wear the white musk oil, it smells wonderful and lasts forever, !! Could you please contact me on this number to let me know if you can post sum to me, (07906060020) Thank you Your long time customer. Donna Daly,

I'm a massive fan of Space NK anyway, but this little tucked away shop in Wilmslow exceeds…read moreexpectations! After being a frequent visitor of the Space NK in St Anne's Sq Manchester I was thrilled to hear that they had a branch in my local village of Wilmslow. The shop is pristine and is beautifully laid out! It's easy to find everything you're after, with skincare at the front of the store and make-up at the back. You can book in to have your makeup done with the girls there, and they teach you all sorts of expert techniques like perfectly blended eyes and contouring. The only thing I would say is that they don't have as many brands of makeup as the Manchester store, but that's to be expected as it is a much smaller branch! This doesn't reflect on the staff's knowledge though; they know all there is to know about beauty and skincare. This is wilmslow's go-to beauty heaven.

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.

Such lovely staff. pointed us in the direction of the new sanrio collection and allowed us to…read morepurchase the collection early. So happy i went really happy with my purchase

Lush is surprisingly the most reviewed branch of the store in the city centre, with the arguably…read morebusier and larger branch in the Arndale Centre being the other. This branch is located on Market Street, around a 5 minute walk from the other store and fairly close to Paperchase, opposite Marks and Spencer. This store isn't the nicest of places to shops, especially when it gets slightly busy due to the size, it is slightly narrow and with everything packed in, it really isn't the nicrst of places to shop as it just gets too busy and because of the small space, all the smells merge together and that certainly isn't very pleasant either. There is little room to move around due to the small space, and it really doesn't match the more high-end nature of the store, as I'd say Lush are a high-end brand due to the nature of the products they sell being handmade and the price. The service was also poor, and the staff weren't too friendly which sadly along with the overall size and feel off the store means this branch warrants a single one star, which is a shame as this branch has previously not been given any rating of a two or under before.