I first started shopping at Blue Illusion in Melbourne, and the Melbourne shops being one of my…read moresaddest goodbyes when I left, you can imagine how happy I was when I found that Blue Illusion was here in Auckland too. There's a very specific look and feel to Blue Illusion clothes (and accessories and shoes and incidental little homewares items) that you can only really get the feel of by browsing. I've always found the quality outstanding - especially the fabrics which are beautiful to wear. The service at this branch is usually excellent - the sales assistant who's been there since the store opened (I think she might be the owner/manager) is really excellent, friendly and totally helpful. There's also an older woman who works there who lets the shop down a bit in my opinion - no matter what you look at she's ready with a "That's beautiful isn't it?". Umm, yes, but we don't really need to have a conversation about it, do we?

I just happened to notice a pair of shoes in this store as I rushed past it in my lunch break today…read moreand couldn't resist going in. Not only did I leave with the pair of shoes, little saude reds that are said to be exlusive as each of the 4 stores Auckland wide recieve only one pair in each size of all their shoe range, but I left wanting to go back and explore the shop when I had the time to do a thorough job. Though I do feel my wallet was a bit relieved! This store is French themed and stocks not only shoes but all fashion, mainly clothes, but also with shoes and accessories. I spied several lovely looking handbags along the shelves. I had lovely customer service from the lady working there who encouraged me to sign up for a loyalty card ( it is not often a store suceeds in doing this for me- the emails bother me), telling me I get vouchers from spending money and on my birthday!

If I'm going to visit Country Road, this branch is by far my favourite, and I almost always pop in…read moreif I'm shopping at Botany (which is a great mall, with lots of outdoor spaces). Country Road Botany is a lovely, spacious store that's large without being overwhelming, and with a layout that's easy to navigate. It also has entrances from inside and outside the mall, making it all the more tempting to visit, and is located nearby other women's fashion stores, so you can easily try another one if you don't find what you're looking for in here. The nicest part of this Country Road is the service though - it's a light-touch approach to sales, which is such a relief after you've been harangued with endless "So how's your day going/Having a day shopping are you/What are your plans for the weekend?" in other shops.

This is a massive Shanton. I can generally only browse about half the shop before I get tired and…read morehave to give up. So come here post-coffee, and not before! It's probably a shame that I conk out before I get down the back of the shop, because that's where they keep all their discounted stuff. I once got a really cute beach bag here with a Japanese style blue and white design on it, and I've picked up a couple of plain skirts and tops for work too. It's worth having a look just because the prices are so low, but if you're looking for beautiful fabrics and timeless tailoring, you'd better look elsewhere in the mall.

The first time I came to the Cotton On Pop Up I thought that it was temporary. Months later, it…read morestill stands and people go there by the truckload. It's pretty handy to have at the Supa Centre since its only a minute's drive from the Westfield mall. The Cotton On Pop Up sells a combination of clearance clothes from $5 and also has a section of new season clothes in the mainstream stores. I'm not sure why this is, but I suppose its a good option to have for customers spending up large here. It's all the Cotton On brands rolled into one, with a great Typo area filled with discounted canvas prints (the best bargain in there!), Cotton On Body with more clearance bras and undies than you could imagine, and Rubi Shoes' discounted heel, wedges and flats. It takes a bit of a hunt to find the good stuff but the bargains are everywhere. The only downside is that everyone will be wearing the same top the following week. The man's area is filled with $10 long sleeve shirts, a pretty amazing price, and other end of line stuff worth a look, so you don't have to ditch your male halves to check this place out.

Second Debut has long been a great preloved clothing shop, and happily it was recently taken over…read moreby the very lovely Mary and Harriet, who have given it a new boost of energy. You have to come here next time you're in this part of town. I'd say it's even worth a special trip if you're serious about your preloved clothes shopping, or if you want to have some clothes sold on commission for you. Second Debut focuses on the mid to upper end of preloved clothes - its not all very high end, but you won't find cheap clothes in here. It's more like quality over quantity here. The new owners alos seem to have brought more of a fashion focus to the shop, which is great. Aside from women's clothing, they have a well-edited range of handbags, jewellery, and shoes. I never walk out empty handed!

This is one of my go to stores if I visit Sylvia Park. Great for work, or casual clothes. The…read moreclothes are quality on the whole too.

I didn't like the way the sales assistant spoke with me. Very rude and unpleasant…read more The worst is when the message is said in the intercom reminding customers the store will be closed!!! I hated the experience in store it is so hard to find things as all over the place !!!! Disorganised and the assistant know nothing not helpful!!!! Not coming back to this store!!!

So you fancy yourself an Audrey Hepburn, but stifled with modern fashion and fluoro colours that…read moreobnoxiously scream at you from nearly every shop window? Well, your search for something that suits is at an end. Forever New is filled with classy outfits with an array of pastels and formal colours. It has fancy jewellery, bags and shoes to suit your budget, but not quite as cheap as your everyday Diva items. I love coming in here and finding some unique items that are good quality. Unfortunately, the clothes are a bit pricey sometimes, so I would recommend heading to the Dressmart Forever New if you can't quite make up the dollars for a must-have item. There you will find even better bargains! This one is great for convenient location, good service and oh so wonderfully colour co-ordinated areas.

I used to be a fan of Forever New but now I just don't have time for their over priced shit. I…read moreremember when the chain first came to New Zealand I was in love, it was finally something that catered to women's fashion, plus the stores were so cute and shiny. After a while I began to study their clothing and came to the realisation that it was just cheap quality clothing that is overpriced. The accessories are those ones you find in the Asian stores, so shit! I say get of your high horse Forever New and start charging $10 for you clothing instead of $80.

Best Kept Secret is an outlet store that has a good range of shoes, bags, clothes and jewellery for…read morewomen with more more mature tastes, however there are still a few things that younger people might like as well. The owner, Lorna, goes on buying trips overseas to hand-pick items for the shop, mostly in parts of Asia, so the stock is not the usual stuff that you would find in other places in New Zealand. It is organised really well, with a corporate section that has stylish comfortable work shoes, a slipper section with all sorts of leading slipper brands, such as Grosby, and also a large leather bag section to the right of the store. A nice place to go if you are after a unique pair of new comfortable shoes, or wanting a reasonably priced present for your mum or your sister.

Aside from being overpriced in some ways, Farmers does have some of the best specials seasonally…read more Red Dot Sales are ushered in with mannequins wrapped in red and white plastic out in the display window. You wonder in and these red dots are everywhere! After Boxing Day a couple of years ago, I managed to score both a hair straightener and a hair dryer for about $50. I was super stoked with that. I've also indulged in their massive clothing sales. They have a slightly upper class vibe in places (despite their very country bumpkin name), selling Gucci bags and clothes for exorbitant prices. They are definitely 2 cuts above Kmart in quality, but to sell Gucci is a bit far fetched. A slightly wannabe Smith and Caugheys, but still celebrating the heart of kiwi thriftiness, Farmers has a bit of an identity crisis going on. However, I still enjoy coming in here and spending some time browsing their great range of products.

Yay. This is my favourite Farmers to shop in. It has all the standard Farmers features - kitcheny…read morestuff, homewares stuff, lots of beauty counters and stocks of cheaper beauty products, a decent lingerie section, and a lot of truly dreary menswear. The great part is the women's fashion. I'm sure it must be the largest women's wear section in any Farmers in Auckland, and it's absolutely crammed full of every brand and every type of clothing you can imagine, from the vast sportswear section to endless midrange options, to tonnes of workwear and more formal stuff. Brace yourself with a coffee before you head in, then gather a good pile of clothes and head to the fitting rooms, which even feature a three-sided mirror (so you can pretend you're on Trinny and Susannah as you tell yourself how marvelous you look).