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.

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!

Fake heads scare me, especially when they all have Tyra Banks back catalog of hair styles…read more This shop was one of the nicer hair and beauty places i've been too. Well spaced out and stock was clear and organized. My girlfriends after a wig so ive seen a few of these places and im starting to wonder how they could do things differently. It hit me in this one: Customer Service. Out of all the shops we've been in this might be the first one with a shop keeper to ask what we were looking for an engage in a conversation. Made all the difference. Still no wig though.

Beauty Supreme is a shop in Erdington, selling mainly hair products and cosmetics. They have some…read moregood deals on eyelashes and also sell Crazy Color hair dyes for just £2.49. I went in to have a look at the wigs. The lady in store was quite friendly and helpful but they didn't have what I was after. There are all kinds of hair products and many colours and styles of wig. They also sell oil burners, which you an smell as you enter the store.

I bought a product, paid for it to be delivered within 24 hours and they sent it to another address…read moreand when I called the store they didn't admit the shipping error. Don't buy from this store!

I am a beauty queen and I've probably visited many hair shops in Birmingham just to purchase beauty…read moreproducts or hair products to gain the next hottest look. I don't usually purchase many cosmetics i.e. make-up items like foundation but I do love things like lipstick and nail varnish- and Beauty Queen Cosmetics offers a range of beauty products and hair products. I normally go to Beauty Queen on Soho Road for lipstick and nail polish, especially as they sell brands like Sleek which has only just started appearing in a couple of the mainstream cosmetic shops. For black women, it's sometimes really difficult to get beauty products for your skin or lipsticks that stand out on your complexion. This store is always pretty busy; it's the only one on Soho Road. One slight criticism I would say is that sometimes the staff can be a little too in your face, trying to get you to buy products. I wish sometimes they'd just give you some time to have a look in peace and then you'd have a better idea of what you want. When I went in the store last week, I ended up walking out and didn't buy anything because I felt too pressured.

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!

Lovely shop selling upmarket cosmetics, perfume and other gorgeous products. Decor is bright and…read moremodern, staff are generally helpful and very informative. Worth saving up for a splurge here!

I went in here for a makeover and came out looking fab, with loads of freebies and an offer to go…read moreback again to try a different look. I was most impressed. Smelt some of the perfumes there and they were divine and not on sale elsewhere as they were their own make.. Great

I never thought I'd step foot in a Lush store again, after setting a promise to myself after a…read morenegative experience at the Manchester Arndale branch, therefore I was shocked only to find myself in another store, a day later to pick up Mother's Day gifts. This store is actually a lot nicer than the Manchester Arndale branch and more spacious and also helped increase my opinion on the Lush brand in general, and as this store hasn't had a review in close to 7 full years, I'm glad to be ending that run with a much-needed review today! Lush are a "hand-made" cosmetics retailer in the United Kingdom, founded in 1995. Lush prides its-self, against animal testing and does not buy produce from those companies. Back to the regular review and this Lush store its-self in Stoke On-Trent, in the Intu Potteries. This is quite a large store, and quite a nice one. I still don't understand why one would go in and buy many expensive products like this only available for one use, just because they smell nice, and in my opinion they is no benefits about having most of these products, compared to going into Tesco and buying things from there, but if you're into this stuff, this store would seem pretty great / cool for you, and of course it is a good place to pick up a gift. They have a lot of "Try me" samples here on breath mints and things like that, although the one I tried has a really strong flavor and probably cost more than a pint of beer in London, which shows Lush can be quite pricey at times with bath bombs costing around £4. If I was to spend that on a toiletry, I'd expect it to last for weeks, not just have one use! Due to the larger space than Manchester, it doesn't seem as much that all the smells are piled into one giant one, creating a mess. The staff here seemed nice, although they didn't keep approaching me in every angle, so basically I went from feeling like Sergio Aguero to a Stoke City footballer, or even a lower standard than that (I know, hard to believe) This store is in a reasonable location in The Potteries too, it is right up the sleep slope on the ground floor (I think), close to lifts. (I cant be more specific as I've only been to Stoke once, when I had this visit!) This store is a nice store really and it is quite spacious too, and a good place to go if you're into that sort of stuff, but I simply don't see the point in it and just see it as a designer brand for toiletries. I'm sorry Lush, I just don't want to switch from the likes of Dove and Radox. This store is still a nice store, and I feel it deserves a solid 3 stars, but due to the pricing of most items, I can't think of a reason to warrant any higher.

A great Lush store, loads of room to roam/browse the various lovely smellies. Staff are always on…read morehand to help with questions and they are extremely knowledgeable about all their products and give sound recommendations for what you are looking for. The Herbalism face wash is one of my favourite products, it ex-foliates gently and leaves you face smooth, soft and clean feeling without any greasiness or drying out of the skin. Another favourite is the Honey I Washed the Kids soap is smells absolutely amazing. I love the fact all the products are natural and good for the environment - some products are a bit pricey but the quality is always consistent.

My one and only star goes to the decor. It really is lovely. Sadly, thats where it ends…read more Paid over the odds to sit an a very 'awkward' salon. When you go, you get a 'free' neck and shoulder massage - which would be lovely, of only you could really relax. Great idea in theory, but it doesn't work in reality. When I was quoted previously about £40 for a colour, I did think that was a bargain - I asked if that included a hair dry too, and was told yes it was. So, you can imagine my surprise when I got to the till and the price was £64!!!! (please note, this is just for ONE overall colour) which, in the end turned out uneven and too dark. As for the hairdresser, I got the silent one - do not expect to be spoken too - I did try and make conversation, but its a no-go, don't attempt this whatever you do. Its very 'last year' don't you know... I know after writing this review, there will inevitably be lots of other 'glowing' reviews added (usually written by the owner, or employees) but I am writing this for other people who are looking for honesty, and perhaps looking for a salon that is new to them. So, honest opinion? Overpriced, uncomfortable and too many ego's. Most defiantly will not return.

I actually wonder whether myself and the person above had the same hairdresser…read more I booked an appointment with the master stylist and had used Aveda in Holborn before so was confident I would get a cut I wanted. I sat there and asked for one inch off my hair which was resting a good way down my back and my shoulders. Basically the guy cut 2 inches off my hair, I actually got so upset that he called the manager over. It was too late to stick my hair back on my head and the cut does not even suit my face. It will take me at least 4 months to grow my hair back to the length it was. He blow dryed it straight and it did look better, but then had the audacity to say "oh you know hairdressers get scissor happy". What confuses me is how does a hairdresser in a supposed top salon like Aveda get to be a master stylist when he doesn't listen to the customer. Like the lady above, he barely spoke to me either - I will be phoning Aveda in London to complain. All I can say is that the manager was amazing and she didn't charge me for the cut. The cut itself is good, but just not the length or the style I was hoping for at all. Very disappointed and I wouldn't go back.