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.

An intriguing boutique that's nice to visit and have a 'window shop', as it's filled with antique,…read morestylish and interesting odds and ends. Unfortunately, everything is extremely pricey, so despite being flawed by that dress or ornament, you'd need to be making quite a lot of cash in order to buy it. The service was okay, but I find they are usually only interested in poshly dressed customers. I find this interesting considering their peeling storefront and lack of buyers. Still, I enjoy having a squiz at their collection on a lazy Saturday morning or during Midnight Madness each year.

Victoria's is a bit of an odd shop really…read more The part it does really well is the nick-nacky gift section that's takes up the front two-thirds of the shop. They have an absolutely drool-worthy children's section in the front corner opposite the door, filled with, well, really girly stuff mostly - Flower Fairies merchandise, from cups and stickers, to party ware and gifts, features strongly. Big love. The giftware and homeware in the rest of the front section of the ship is tasteful but edging towards the pricier side. Then right at the back of the shop they have a rather surprising women's clothing section. It's mother-of-the-bride-who-is-quite-wealthy type stuff, and some other formal pieces with hefty price tags. I could probably find something I liked there, but I get that dreaded feeling that I would get home, put it on, and feel instantly 20 years older.

I used to come here when it wasn't solely aimed at older women. The clothes are sophisticated,…read morecolourful and different, for the bold and beautiful of the senior generation. I wish they'd kept stocking for people my age, as I absolutely loved the designs of the clothes. My mother is particularly artistic and loves this shop as well, and now that it caters for her, all the better! Because I'm younger, the shop assistants tend to ignore me, which is rather annoying. I could be buying for my grandma, ya know? Anyway, other than that, if you're into unique gems, this is the place.

Some lovely looking clothes are in Vaccinni at very good prices. They are not amazing quality…read morethough, so don't expect too much time to go past before your jeans wear out or the sequins fall off. I'm not sure where these clothes come from, but they are all asian brands (no big brand rip offs, so that's a relief). I enjoy having a squiz and the shop lady is always very friendly and helpful. There's never a time I walk in that she doesn't greet me and offer her help. Find this shop between Michael Hill Jeweller & Shanton at Westfield Manukau. It's great for someone on a budget - their ball dresses are stunning, so I'd pop along here if I'm looking for that special one night gown.

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!!!

The reviews from 2013 might have been accurate for the time…read more But coming to you from 2015, this place is rockin'! Not going to give it the full five stars because it's not the cheapest or nicest looking store around. I expect cheaper prices as the place gets drabby-errrr. But that is by no means a reason not to go, just initially misleading. The place is much more organized than what I read, even has a 16+ section which is nice. Also note, the men's section is microscopic, even considering the smaller sizes of men's sections at charity shops, it's almost overlooked. But for women, it's great. They have a sale rack out side, a $2 rack indoors, 50 cent table, boutique or price-ier items section, intimates and swim separated out and in baskets of different quality and prices: glorious. The selection is wide in style and in size. I found basics I was looking for, like black leggings, and ridiculous cocktail dresses that I would't find anywhere else. The ladies working there were extremely friendly and on top of making sure the people milling about the place got what they needed. They were really nice to one girl shopping there, helping her in the fitting room and encouraging her fashion sense, which, coming from snobby-mall culture, I appreciate. They were having a 30% off day when I went which made everything even more of a bargain than the tag prices. I spent $24 and got a cocktail dress, nice black stylized leggings, a velvet+sheer shirt, two bras and maroon tights. The girl who rung my up was sweet, funny, talked to me about clothes, gave me tips of other charity shops around and was just great. Maybe not 5 star status, but this place is awesome. Should totally be a must on your thrift-list through Auckland.

No doubt a good place to find some good second hand deals, but I personally found the layout of…read morethis store absolutely claustrophobic and dizzying. It was really hard to keep up with sizes and different items of clothing, as it was all very mixed up. They have some more expensive items out the back if you're seeking a discounted ball dress or two. Yet I could find nothing in my size, because I guess the store assistants would rather natter to each other than organize them into appropriate sizes, or colours, or something! It's a sanguine's room in there without the decency of a bed. If you just want a deal, and you don't mind spending countless time sifting through racks and racks of clothes, then great! If you'd like a more efficient experience, perhaps a Cotton On Outlet down the road will do?

There's this bright pink sign catching your attention on Cascades Road, which immediately signals…read morethis is no mechanic shop along a busy industrial district. What a Girl Wants is a second hand store, but packed with top quality bits and pieces. There are bags, clothes, shoes, books, furniture and ornaments, all geared towards the classy women of East Auckland. I thoroughly enjoyed having a browse, and picked up a nice singlet for a whopping $2! It's next to a coffee place and also an antique store, so your vintage tastes can be quenched, along with a nice spot of coffee afterwards. You can just park on the gravel outside, which is really handy. The shop assistant was friendly enough, and the way things are set out is really eye catching. It's awesome to see some creative thought going into the layout of a thrift store, considering most of the time, you have to rummage to find anything particularly useful. Here, it's all on display, in order of size and product. Good stuff.

What a Girl Wants would be a solid four star shop if it weren't for the staff…read more The two times I've been in I've wanted to stay longer, they have some amazing bargains and a very well organised shop, and overall the quality of their stock is excellent. The problem is, the two ladies who work there were very, very loudly talking politics both times I went in. As there's a dance school directly above them, it's fair enough that they need to raise their voices a little to be heard. But maybe don't stand on opposite sides of the shop? Or don't go on loudly about how much you dislike beneficiary bludgers who just sit around all day doing nothing. I mean, you're running a second hand shop, people...perhaps put two and two together and come up with four?

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!

Colette by Colette Hayman is a newly popular jewellery store that first popped up on our radars…read morewhen it debuted in Westfield Manukau. It's a tiny thing of a store and five people looks like fifteen, but I think it's great. The girls here are pretty lovely and when they're not serving customers they always seem to be busy putting more stock out for customers. Colette is home to an array of great jewellery at really affordable prices. I've gotten a pair of earrings, a necklace and a bracelet here for $20 and that's just the retail price. They are always on-trend so they house statement pieces, bright neon colours, soft shades and your classic black, silver and gold. I really like that they have a lot of items that you could mix and match together, whether its a necklace and bracelet or earrings and a ring. It's very easy to be tempted by this store because there's so much to look at. Colette also sells beautiful clutches, purses and bags of all shapes and sizes. They're on a higher price point than the jewellery but I do like their designs. I love the small bags they do with long straps, those are great value for money and mine has stood the test of time so far, staying in perfect condition. Their clutches are great and my gold sequin clutch from Colette is a great accessory for almost any outfit; its a great place to get that staple piece that will stay on trend for a while.