If you're looking for a day -or hour- of pampering then don't go past this place! Its hidden away…read morein a basement (ahem) and right next to co couture chocolate boutique- naughty! They specialise in holistic treatments and offer such a huge range of lovely services and treatments! You can get things such as massage, facials, tanning, electrolysis, vein threading, body wraps, Brazilian waxing (oh-er!), achne treatment, beard trimming, mens shaving,foot scrubs (particularly divine!), pedicures, manicures...ok I think you get the picture! Its truly a beautiful place for both sexes. I was given a gift voucher for here and have been back several times since! The foot scrub and pedicures are great, as is the Swedish massage and they're great at the tanning too! The staff are lovely and chatty and the feel of the place is clean and relaxing! Love love love it!

From the owner: Beauty Basement located in the heart of Belfast. Specialize in the exclusive CatioVatial, Mary…read moreChor products and in-house facial treatments. Deep tissue massage,ear candles,Indian head massage,body wraps,scrubs,manicure,pedicure, 2 week polish,gel/acrylic extensions, tanning,electrolysis,advanced waxing,threading.

Carrickfergus now has two branches of this little shop, World of Colour (I believe there is another…read moreone in Ballyclare too) - they have a great selection of makeup, nail polish, toiletries and perfumes. They also have useful hints and tips on the shelves, stating whether this product is a good replacement for well known, more expensive brands. I got the W7 concealer which is better than Touche Eclat, and less than half the price! They also sell my favorite brand of foundation for £2 cheaper than anywhere else. To top it off the staff are extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, and they also offer a loyalty scheme.

World of Colour - Could I love this shop any more? Well ok I could own it that would be pretty…read moreawesome. But anyhow, it's a mini sale make up paradise. They sell a range of brand name products for a great discount price. They also sell lots of brand perfume as well as imitation ones which smell exactly like the real deal. Brands include; Benefit, Clarins, Nivea etc. Your basic make up ranges all at discount price, great! I could spend all day in here smelling all the pretty scents and testing out all the samples of make up but I would probably end up looking like some nut job from a loony bin, so I'll resist and call in every now and again.

This is a good branch of Superdrug. Rather larger than my local one, it holds a large range of…read morecosmetics (Check out Revolution, they have some amazing palettes at great prices!) They also stock a great range of haircare, skincare, baby, male grooming, otc medicines, perfume, and some drinks and snacks. As you walk in the door, to your right, there is also an eyebrow threading bar.

I would have thought that in the planning of setting up these shops they would have placed…read moreSuperdrug and Boots a little further apart... but that was probably too sensible an idea. Anyhow, Superdrug is a great alternative to Boots in that the two different shops offer different make up brands, e.g. Boots sell No7 and Superdrug sell Gosh. Now to all those men out there who are reading this it probably means nothing to you, but for us girlies it provides a good range and variety when we're out buying out necessities (yes, they are necessities!) and although both ranges are fantastic brands, some times one will offer better deals than the other. The staff here are friendly and helpful, I got totally confused in here the other day when I was looking for some bits and pieces and instead of laughing at me (which I wouldn't have blamed them for) the girls really helped me find what I was looking for. For this, Superdrug earns brownie points and it ensures I will return again.

Every good girl (and boy) deserves treats, and that is what you'll get in here. While it feels a…read morelittle clinical in design, the selection of gorgeous fancy lotions and potions in here is enough for even the most frugal shopper to get their purse out. Also, while the staff sometimes look intimidatingly glamorous, I've always found them really helpful and friendly, and it is the perfect place to go when you want a treat or Boots is stressing you out. It's girly- Saturday heaven!

Everyone's heard of Space NK, right? Well, by far the most interesting thing about it is that the…read morefounder and face of the company, Nicky Kinnard, is a Northern Irish girl! How cool is that? She opened up her first store in Covent Garden years ago and now has shops all over the world. I'm always a fan when something global turns out to be homegrown... Plus, I love this shop. From the outside, it looks like it would be the type of shop in which you'd be judged by what you're wearing, but it couldn't be farther from that. Yes, the products are all pretty high end, but the girls who work there are always on hand to give you some advice, wrap your purchase beautifully for you and send you on your merry way again!

I really have nothing to say about this place except......WOW!!!!…read more What an amazing little gem of a place-u would be silly to go anywhere else for your waxing!!

Waxing is a necessary evil for ladies (and a lot more men these days, you know who you are) and…read moreI've been going to this little spot for years. Unlike the more polished places in town it might not be the most fancy beauty spot, you might even miss it as you walk up Botanic Avenue as it is just a doorway (the salon is upstairs), but for me waxing is not a treat. Probably the best way to describe it is rough and ready, but it is clean and they do brilliant waxing. The girls are all friendly and complete chatterboxes, and if you are at all shy about your bikini business you can forget about that here. The highlight has to be the owner Jackie, so popular you have to struggle to get an appointment with her. It is pretty reasonably priced and super quick, so if you just want it done and don't expect whale music and incense, AWC is spot on.

Pretty big shop right in the centre of town, very good make-up selection. great for gifts.read more

Never mind Sally's, this is the place to go if you love Salon Brands with low prices. I go here…read moreevery couple of months an top up on the latest hair care products for a fraction of the price. They stock all the beauty and hair salon secrets to giving you the perfect tan, hair, nails and skin. Not only that they have a vast array of fascinators, hats, shoes, fake fur stoles, hand bags and purses,to finish off the perfect look for a wedding guest or for a day at the races.

From the owner: Previously Metro Hair & Beauty Wholesaleread more

This is a bit of a strange one, so let me give you some context. It was my girlfriend's birthday…read morecoming up and she had been pretty heavily hinting that she would like some MAC make up for it. In fact a few weeks before we had a little bit of a scouting mission to MAC so I didn't mess up too badly when I went solo. Anyway the week of her birthday arrived and I headed to MAC solo. Any men reading this will realise what a daunting prospect this is, it's like being thrown in to a foreign land and being expected to fend for yourself. Luckily it's located right at the entrance of Debenhams, so once you cross those doors you're pretty committed. I went in and I obviously looked confused as I was approached by three members of MAC staff, luckily I was armed with my phone and had notes to refer to whilst looking at all the make-up. The staff couldn't have been more understanding, firstly understanding that I didn't have a clue what I was talking about and secondly patient. Anyway they eventually helped me purchase a Palette. I think I got as much kudos for getting the present on my own as I did for the actual gift. Men, take note! No longer shall you be afraid to venture in to the world of cosmetics!

The MAC counter is located within Debenhams and is a very good value high fashion but high quality…read morerange of cosmetics. The colour selection and staying power of the eyeshadows are hard to beat. It can be very busy at weekends, so you might have to wait for (or book) a personal consultation. However, a consultation is worth waiting for as the staff are all very friendly and great at what they do. The Christmas palettes are lovely gifts, although they do sell out very quickly.