The biggest shopping area to my home without traipsing into Central London is Kingston, which has a…read moregood selection of shops, a small market on Saturdays and the river with some good eating options with a view. The Bentall Centre is the large shopping centre in Kingston with Bentalls, unsurprisingly, being the anchor department store and backed up with a good selection of 80 chain stores. These are mainly your medium level high street stores. There is a food court, again with chain eateries but I would recommend eating out of the centre as there is a nice variety of eating places in Kingston town. Similarly, I would suggest parking outside as there are cheaper options though they may not be as convenient. I love their super-escalators where you go up 2 floors rather than 1 and there are frequently events taking place in the main foyer area. Also watch out for some good buskers just outside the centre's main entrance.

Kingston upon Thames. I grew up here, by the time I turned 16 I was sick of it. Sick of the same…read moreshops, bumping into the same people, the same routine. I was ready to start my next journey and chapter of my life, where the grass was greener. So when I was 18 I moved to Brighton for university.... This review has a point !!!! Now I'm a bit older, better looking and wiser. I have fallen back in love with Kingston and what it has to offer. It's rich with culture and the shopping is really, really good! The Bental centre being a excellent hub for highstreet fashion and gifts, not to mention the variety of cuisines it has to offer. Although, it's south west London and slightly on the border. It's a got a lot to offer and many people near and far will come to Kingston to shop.

It doesn't take much to get me to part with my money. I might as well set up a standing order…read morebetween ALL shops and my bank account. Still, try as I do, and I do try, I can never find anything to spend my money on in this House of Fraser. I don't think that it helps that the old girl is looking a little tired, and rough around the edges. A lick of paint on the outside to spruce it up a bit wouldn't go amiss either. I suppose I have been spoilt by the genius of Selfridges, but I do come to expect a bit of sparkle in order for me to part with my hard earned money. If there is anywhere that I will spend my cash, it is at the makeup counter, but alas, there was no Mac here (travesty!), and so I moved onto the other floors. To be fair, there are quite a few women's labels that I like the look of, like 7 For All Mankind, Diesel and All Saints, but generally, I was a little uninspired. I don't want to come across as a permanently disgruntled shopper, but I like to see a little theatre to my department stores. Good lighting and well thought out decor can make all the difference to a shoppers experience. I think that they need to have a bit of a refurb here before I think about switching my allegiance from Selfridges.

House of Fraser, Richmond Lancôme beauty counter…read more http://citychiclifestyle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/house-of-fraser-richmond-lancome-beauty.html Talk about bad service! Here it was just downright rude! I am amazed at the lack of professionalism of the sales girl there. I went in there today to buy a bronzer and of course headed to the Lancôme counter as their bronzer has been featured in some magazines and I wanted to try it. So for starters, I asked her to try the bronzer on my face so she just handed me the mirror and walked away. Then, after trying the colour on my face, I tried to see if I can apply it with the brush and the salesgirl almost shouted at me that I was doing it wrong! OMG! Aren't they supposed to apply it and help you? I asked her very politely would she show me how to apply it so she grabbed it from me and applied it on her hand, looking very annoyed! Oh and walked off! This was a classic example of good product not being sold because of a bad salesgirl! After a good experience at their Chanel counter, this was a shock. Never going to Lancôme there again!

I have a confession. I'm not really into retail therapy. In fact, too much retail therapy will…read moreprobably lead to me needing therapy! So, department stores are a good hunting ground for me around times like Christmas when I need to find and buy lots of presents. This Debenhams store is the anchor store for Centre Court Shopping Centre in Wimbledon. It isn't the biggest department but has the full variety of different departments. I had a successful shopping trip here today. The top floor had a lot of homeware and kitchen gadgets - fortunately, a lot of my friends are foodies and love to cook and entertain. The middle level is mainly ladies clothing but the ground floor yielded more success with menswear, fragrances & cosmetics and also a gift section with some fun things to give. It is better to give than receive and Debenhams made that easier for me to achieve today

The service in this store in every single department is consistently terrible. No one is ever at…read morethe click and collect till, one person seems to man the whole of beauty, the fitting rooms are supervised by people who have bitchy conversations about other staff members outside the doors. The presence of a crappy sports direct franchise on the top floor rounds it off. At least it is consistent in its terribleness, and it gets two stars because its blue cross sales are worth braving.

THE quintessential aesthetic London department store…read more Harrods is for tourists with a lot of money. Liberty is for anybody with taste. An authentic London shopping experience that offers unique items you can't find elsewhere. A long history of beautiful design in a stunning Tudor-esqu building without a single escalator! (There are elevators) Gorgeous fabric from designers like William Morris. Come here for genuine London products, and for an authentic only-in-London shopping experience.

When tariffs kicked in, I made it my mission to buy the advent calendar from here in person. Did it…read moretake up 2/3s of my check in luggage? Yes. Saved on shipping and taxes. No regrets. So if you happen to find something made in the UK, buy it in person! My Mason Pearson brush was almost $100 less here. Same with the DS Durga fragrance sampler I treated myself to. On top of all that, the customer service is lovely. They leave you alone but are also genuinely helpful when you need it! Speaking of the fragrances, when my flight left before my click and collect was ready, they price matched the item I had bought online for Black Friday and let me buy in person since it was in stock. Honestly love this place more than Harrods for their more personal human interactions.

Why do stores like this always put the menswear on the lower ground floor? Is it because they think…read moreif it were higher up we wouldn't bother with the climb, and putting it downstairs hides us from the rest of the customers who are serious about their shopping? Either way, I found it, and I looked around, and I couldn't decide what to buy. I was looking for jeans, and I found about three hundred pairs, none of which seemed to fit or affordable. They offer jeans from every design house around, but the feel of the place is so confusing that it sends your head spinning. In future, I'll probably be better off going to TK Maxx.

One of the better festive selections I've come across so far this year. They have some tasteful and…read moremore classic decorations, as well as more novelty ornaments. I love that they have matches and candles I haven't seen at other department stores. I got some great ones but they came with an £11 price tag so be prepared to spend. I wish they'd have a little more variety of pricing so I could get all the stocking stuffers here too. Then I probably wouldn't need to go to other stores!

Great shopping department which gets overlooked as it's a five/ten minute walk from the station…read moreheading towards Wimbledon village! I've always popped in here when I need to change currency or checking out new perfume and jewellery ! Once I'm inside it's a different matter as I get pulled towards the handbags and shoes and clothing,which is easily done as you have to walk through all these lovely items just to get to the top floor to change currency! And if you get a chance pop into the restaurant for a pot of tea and freshly homemade cakes!

My new love!!! I love TJ MAXX at home. But THIS is even better. Will be looking for them on my…read moretravels.

As with all TK Maxx branches you have to root about a little to get what you want and new stock is…read moreadded every day. I was here to get some clothes for my four year old daughter, the prices were so good, I ended up spending double what I'd planned. She ended up with several pairs of jeans RRP £70 for £10-15 each, 3 coats all £15 each with RRPs way North of £60 each and a whole bunch of tops at a similar massive discount. It was Chelsea on the cheap really. It's not just for kids and adults are well catered for too. There is also a homeware department on the first floor.if you need a frying pan or some linens. Parking is plentiful and public transport is just as easy. I cannot recommend this place enough.

Always liked M & S , this was a resting point for me as I love the toasted sarnies they do combined…read morewith a coca cola and nana.

A large but not overwhelming branch of UK perennial High Street favorite M&S. Considered one of…read moretheir more significant stores, it usually has decent stock levels, along with a handy ordering desk to help you track-down the item you're seeking. My preferred section is Limited Collection - for stylish on-trend clothes and accessories - which could often compete happily with designer brands. The top floor has all their renowned lingerie ranges, categorised in relatively easy-to-find themed display units. However, in some respects it can get confusing here, from time-to-time, as they do like to move departments around. Perhaps it's a good thing to have the menswear together with home and interior items, in a separate store across the road; you have to be pretty determined to want to visit both on the same day, so it could be one way of limiting your expenditure or avoiding a battle with the other half

Excellent items for sale good prices with brand names. People were friendly, but you have to go and…read moretake your chances.

TK Maxx has outlets in various places but my favourite is my local one on Hounslow High Street. As…read moretheir ads proclaim they really do have designer clothing at huge discounts. Okay so it might be last season's stuff but for people like me who shop for what suits them rather than what's in style, it's a great place to pick up good quality, well cut clothes for much less than high street prices. And it's not just clothes. They also have a home section where you can get beautiful home decoration items at a fraction of the price. Not to mention more basic items like sheets, kitchenware, duvets, serving plates etc. They also have a wide selection of toys and boxes of chocolates at discounts - very handy for gifts.

An interesting, independent shoe shop that makes a change from the main High Street offering. Good…read moreif you like to stand-out from the crowd, as you're unlikely to run into your 'shoe-double', on a frequent basis, with purchases made here. Great for women who are outside the regular shoe size spectrum and even better for men, as they offer a bespoke service. Stylish shoe ranges here include Audley, Già and Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.

I love going in this shop and looking around. It's always got the most amazing shoes and clothes…read morethat you wouldn't find on the high street. It's got that touch of class that you would want from an independent boutique and the sales staff are always friendly and helpful, without being pushy.