If there's one thing that's better than buying makeup, it's buying reduced makeup. Being a typical…read morefemale, I know I appreciate getting a bargain when it comes to cosmetics. Or a bargain when it comes to anything really. But especially makeup. You can imagine my delight when I discovered a brand new Bourjois mascara with £2 off the RRP, plus a half price Bourjois concealer (which fortunately came in the right colour...I hate when you can only find the darkest shade available when you're like a 'milk-bottle-without-the-milk' shade). Grabbing the two before some other nonexistent customer claimed that concealer, I quickly walked over towards the till and was met by an incredibly pleasant sales assistant. Yes, the world is a much nicer place when people are amiable and smiley... Since I'd been to the other chemists just down the road (review to follow), I hadn't the need to pick anything else up, and quite frankly, I was so overjoyed with my little find that I had no notion of looking any further. The pharmacy itself is a bright, clean and well-stocked one, with many of its prices incredibly good. I mean, it's not everyday you come across a half price Bourjois concealer...trust me.

I went to collect a prescription yesterday and they had to order one item which was expected in…read moretoday. I was on my way to Dublin for a few nights so I phoned to say it would be Friday before I could collect it. I was just about to leave when the door bell rang and the member of staff I had been speaking to yesterday was standing at the door with my prescription. It was definitely service with a smile and they undoubtedly went the extra mile. Amazing service could not recommend this chemist and the staff more highly.

Best pharmacy I've ever been to! I was vacationing from Colorado and picked up a wicked cold virus…read more The woman working at the pharmacy asked me what my symptoms were and immediately showed me the correct medication to take. The medicine brands are different in Belfast then the States so the help was greatly appreciated.

One of the more upmarket chemists in this area of Belfast, Urban Pharmacy is reminiscent of a…read more'Boots' style store. It combines the pharmaceutical element with the top-end makeup counters, as well as offering toiletries and the like at very reasonable prices. The pharmacy has been home to Smashbox makeover days, which was particularly exciting as this makeup brand has only newly come to Belfast. Urban specialises in Vichy, Decleor, Clarins, La Roche and the like, as well as Nuxe skincare range, which is apparently highly sought after. However, despite these high quality makeup brands being one of the main features of Urban Pharmacy, the rest of the prices really are very decent. I spotted Sally Hansen's 'Airbrush Legs' for a mere £7.95, and managed to pick up a really good quality body buffer for 99p. Excellent. The customer service is second to none in Urban Pharmacy. I have always been pleasantly greeted and conversed with, and have found all the staff extremely polite and helpful. Makes all the difference. Definitely one of Belfast's best pharmacies, and undoubtedly worth a visit.

Small but useful branch of Boots in the shopping mall near the bus station. I went there a couple…read moreof times the other day. There's a good range of toiletries and beauty products, a pharmacy and medicines of course, confectionery and drinks, baby products and much more. I was served by Paul on one occasion and Aofie on another and found them, and another member of staff (whose name I don't know), very helpful.

Superdrug is a really chemist popular chain store that sell a really wide range of personal care…read moreproducts. They have been opened in Northern ireland since 1991. They have a no animal testing charter, which is something that's really commendable these days. As a laydee I have reason to pop in to pick up all manner of hair and beauty products. I think this store are really good for finding bargains on things like shampoo and make-up ranges. I'm definitely a fan of this store as they offer a much cheaper alternative to boots.

Superdrug is undoubtedly the best UK high street health and beauty retailer. Their products are…read moreexceptionally excellent in quality and economically priced. Additionally all their own brand items carry the leaping bunny symbol indicating clearly they are certified by Cruelty Free International. I visit Superdrug frequently to pick up their exclusive range of 'B' makeup which is vegan. It's an amazing cosmetics range and outstanding quality with the B makeup Primer being the best I've ever tried. The lipsticks and nail polishes come in a vast array of colours too and the eyeshadows are beautiful to use. All Superdrug own brand products are clearly labelled, highlighting if they are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. In particular the Vitamin E skincare, sun care and dry skin ranges are awesome. An ethical super store!

Medicare (Fiztroy) lower Ormeau Road is a prescribing pharmacist located right next door to Ormeau…read moreHealth Centre. Hence it's convenient for picking up prescriptions, however it can be extremely busy so be prepared for a wait on occasion. It's a very good Pharmacist and worth a visit to get advice and medicine for minor ailments before heading to your Doctor. Sells a range of cosmetics, perfume and beauty products as well.

With competition from veteran chains like Boots, Superdrug or Semi-Chem many have marvelled over…read morethe success of Medicare chemists. However, I have not. My first experience of the chain was within Queen's Student Union where I would gleefully walk in with a full student loan and come out brandishing goods from perfume, tweezers and face packs. I found it difficult to control my purchasing needs when I entered this store as everything was really cheap and scented beautifully. However, I have mastered the art of spending wisely which helps as my nearest store is located on the Ormeau Road just a few minutes from my house. This particular Medicare has much more to offer than the smaller unit in Queen's Student Union as it has a full pharmacy counter to deal with all illnesses and drug prescriptions. Yet, because of its greater range and pharmacy counter this store can be particularly busy so do expect a queue. Same goes if you're planning to purchase something you don't want others to see...could be embarrassing when most residents of the Ormeau Road can see what's in your shopping basket.

A handy chemist in city centre. Avoid the big prescriptions queue in Boots with this smaller,…read morepersonal service. The pharmacist is pretty friendly and offers lots of over the counter advice for minor ailments. For a small shop it's well stocked with lots of both sex toiletries, makeup and domestic products. There are always v good deals on things like toothpaste, facewipes and deodorants. Good selection of health brands like linwoods, biona, PhD and maximuscle. Protein bars like PhD, Quest and ON are from £1.49. Yankee candles also available. General chemist staff as helpful and friendly.

No it's not the predominant health care provider in the US but in fact a large chain of chemists…read moreand pharmacies across the north. This store does the usual plethora of over the counter products along with a full prescription pharmacy. I only noticed after walking around the city looking for the best place to buy whey protein. The time when muscle building was a prerogative has been and gone but back then it seemed fitting. Holland and Barrett was often the haunt of many looking to stock up on huge great tubs of the awfully flavoured nonsense, but prices here rivalled. £18 for a large tub of whey, banana flavoured. Loverly.

This is a brilliant Chemist. Granted not as large as the Boots in the centre, but they have a…read morebrilliant range of goods in the shop and it is really bright and well presented. Any time I have used this pharmacy I have been able to get whatever I was looking for, even the obscure! I've used the dispensary too, and received advice from the Pharmacist who was really helpful. They have a really wide range of makeup and tanning products in here, something always catches my eye and I end up coming out with more than I meant to. That's my excuse!

Great staff went outta there way to get my daughter's prescription ordered in for next day brilliantread more

Exceptional customer service from the beauty specialist Marty and Omar. They went above and beyond…read moretheir roles and has shown great efforts in trying to help me find the best product which suited myself. Would go back again!

Boots is a huge chemist which spans two floors on this Donegall Place location, selling makeup,…read morelotions, potions, perfumes, magazines, sandwiches and pharmacy items. I guess most people know exactly what high street giant Boots is like, so there's no point in going into too much detail about it. Despite the fact this particular Boots is a large store carrying a vast and varied stock I just don't shop here as much as I used to. This is because I prefer Superdrug own-brand products which are labelled Vegetarian, Vegan and Cruelty Free. I find it disappointing that Boots will not commit to the Leaping Bunny Program for its own-brand items. Thus, although they pay lip service to the Cruelty Free ethos and may tell the public that their products are cruelty free, Boots could be selling products worldwide in countries, such as China, where animal testing is the norm and sadly a requirement. I just won't support this nor give my money to a company which profits from cruelty outside the European Union. No amount of heavy duty marketing, loyalty card points, two for the price of one special offers, discounts or sales offers will make me think otherwise. Hence nowadays I avoid Boots as much as possible and instead shop at Superdrug or online from companies I am confident are truly Cruelty Free on a worldwide scale.

Another day, another pharmacy, but Saintfield Pharmacy (aka Trevor Baird Ltd) stands out in my mind…read morefor three reasons: 1) It's right beside the Post Office. Like properly adjacent...there's not even a wall dividing the two. Pharmacy and Post Office = one and the same. Novel, I thought. And useful, except the Post Office wasn't open when I was in. Ah well. 2) They have a quite a significant jewellery / handbag selection...lots of those little charm bracelets that seem to be *everywhere*. Really pretty stuff too - gorgeous patent bags in a variety of colours. And this is a pharmacy remember! 3) The young girl who served me had the most stunning gel nails, and despite her protests, she really was managing rather well with them on. Gosh, I am such a girl... I did purchase a smoothie shower gel thingamajig, which was apparently the most forgettable aspect of the visit, as I didn't even notice until last night that I didn't have a clue where it had gone. Oopies... Great pharmacy though. As pharmacies go.

Botanic Pharmacy is a real old school business, a nod to times gone by if you will. It's small and…read moreintimate with no flashy modern signage - just good old fashioned customer service. I was in the Botanic area and my first thought was 'is there a Boots around?' and then I remembered about the existence of this wee pharmacy so popped in on the off chance they'd have the sports rub I was looking for. What do you know? They did and the lovely lady working behind the counter gave me a number of different options to treat my injury. They also sell deodorants, shampoos and a small amount of beauty products. It was a lovely wee experience and a real surprise in the now quite modern student area of the city!

I was actually quite a big fan of Botanic Pharmacy until yesterday. It's a quaint wee number, very…read moresmall, but stocks quite a bit. I've managed to pick up 99p hairbrushes (and yes, my hair is still very much intact), as well as some other bits and bobs, and have always been satisfied with my 'shopping experience'. Hmph, well not after my last visit. I needed to pop in for some Zovirax (darn cold sore), so Botanic was the pharmacy of choice. When my sister and I arrived, there was a man perched on a seat, looking distinctly unamused, a blonde lady who kept picking up another item, and two more people in front of her. I could see the pharmacist on the phone while everyone stood there in complete silence. Eerie wasn't the word. For two or three minutes, no-one dared make a sound, until the assistant came to the till and said "Who's next?". The first lady was waiting for a prescription, so the second stepped forward and had a very misanthropic conversation (if it could even be termed that) with Mr Personality (the sales assistant). After this awkward engagement, it was the blonde lady's turn, but apparently she too was waiting for a prescription, so up my sister and I went. I told Mr Personality that I was looking for something for cold sores, like Bonjela. He gave the weirdest look and told me that Bonjela was for ulcers. I expected him to give me an alternative, but he didn't seem to have a clue, and started flapping around, asking the pharmacist (with phone glued to ear) where the cold sore creams were. I had spotted Zovirax whilst he was dandering around, thankfully, so I took that. £6.19 for a teeny tiny tube too. Dear heavens. By this stage, I just wanted to get out of the pharmacy, so I bought it, flung it in my bag, and hoped that the next shop I ventured into would have a vastly improved customer service to what I had just experienced. Three stars, purely because yesterday was a one-off...I hope.