This Boots store is the largest in Clayton Square, it is opposite St John's Centre and a couple of…read moreminutes on foot away from Liverpool One and Liverpool Lime Street Station, it is a large store and is a good location within the city centre. The product range is good, they have a nice range of most products you'd expect to find in a Boots, including the Bulldog Skincare range which was the main purpose of my visit. There is an Opticians and Pharmacy area as you'd expect from a large Boots store. I did find the gift-sets to be a little poor, maybe that is because people of Liverpool seem to have raided the shelves as they are currently 50% off, but the selection is much better in Manchester, many big brands which are sold in the latter didn't seem to be sold here, but they did have some cool Twinings Tea gift-sets, which aren't sold in the former, however, they did seem to be damaged, ripped and one was even missing a tea-bag (thieves?) It's a large Boots store, the selection is pretty good, I do feel they should do more to maintain the quality of products, I get it isn't the store's fault to a full extent but they should be maintaining them and not selling products which have obviously been tampered with, prices were OK/competitive in the majority of areas. I do prefer my local Manchester - Market Street store as I find the selection to be slightly better, with more facilities overall, but this still is a good store in Liverpool. 4*

This branch of Boots is excellent. It is situated in the heart of the city centre and has a huge…read morerange of, well, everything. On the ground floor you have a large pharmacy area, cosmetics concessions, perfumes, toiletries, holiday items, food, and hair products. Upstairs has baby clothes and products, a large camera and film processing section and a wide range of electronics. The different products are organised into clearly marked sections and it is easy to find everything in store. If you are a bit lost the staff are more than happy to help you. There are often offers displayed for multibuys and the products are competitively priced. When I used to work in the city centre I bought my lunch at Boots for most of the week. They have an excellent value meal deal where you can buy sandwiches, wraps, salads or sushi, chocolate or crisps and a drink for about £3.50. The food is always of a good quality.

The Body Shop is located on the Upper floor of the Liverpool One, next to Q Park and opposite…read moreApple, while also being close to the large department store John Lewis. Having ongoing issues with cracked lips, I called in here to see if they had any samples or natural products I could buy which would help with that. The store inside is set up like my nearest branch at Manchester Arndale, which is the only other branch of the chain I can recall visiting. The prices here were pretty high for what I'd basically call premium toiletries and accessories, with nothing which looked likely to justify the higher price tag, other than when I asked a few questions about a lip balm to a member of staff, they seemed to try and make it worth the money but a lip-barm which was small, like the size you could get a few of (around 4?) in a little gift set for £1 to £2 in a supermarket cost £5 here which in my opinion is unjustifiable. Samples of certain products didn't seem good for hygiene, for example, the lip barm allowed you to rub it on your hand but considering it's also been rubbed on other people, that isn't as good as perhaps using a sample you can just press down or spray, such as a cream or aerosol, so especially in a store like this with the price needs to be justified having products you can sample easily without these hygiene issues is important. The staff here seemed quite helpful and friendly, admittedly the high pricing isn't their fault. The store smelled nice, it has a relatively nice and modern feel, but due to issues with some products including the sampling and prices it is far from perfect or fantastic, admittedly I'm not the target market for this store so I'm going to count that into my overall rating that this place is far from terrible, considering it had a nice feel with some decent products and friendly, helpful staff I feel it deserves a three-star rating at least.

Can't rate this place highly enough. Surely the friendliest and most helpful Body Shop staff you…read morecould find anywhere (and they are usually pretty good in all their shops); it made shopping here (on the 14th November) a real pleasure. The girls seemed happy at their work too, even singing along to the piped music and it all added to the happy atmosphere. All the usual lovely products on offer that you'd expect here of course: scents, soaps, make-up, candles, gifts and so much more. After we made our purchases we were also given some gorgeous free gifts (special offers this month) and extra free samples. Even my husband was smiling and he hates shopping! Those girls should definitely get some kind of award.

If you have read my review of Tan Zone then you will know my opinion on these types of places and…read moreit is not one which reflects kindly on the morality. In essence a touch of gold is like tan zone but it is better decorated and this is the only discernible difference I can find. I am hardly an expert on these types of places but the prices seem to be extortionate and the young crowd who enter here are being duped into becoming something that they needn't. The staff here seem to be very fond of their own reflection and spend more time looking into mirrors than actually serving customers so I wouldn't say much for the personal touch here to be perfectly honest. On the whole very little difference between here and Tan Zone so if you're part of the tangerine army then take your pick but you may find a friendlier welcome at Tan Zone.

A Touch of Gold, no not a Touch of Frost themed wedding anniversary! Much more than that.. It's yet…read moreanother beauty salon based around Liverpool. You'd think we'd all look like Californians given the dense amount of tanning studios, hair studios and beauty salons we have all over the city and her outskirts. But never mind, this is the place to go for all your waxing, manicure, pedicure and body detox needs! They offer a range of facials including non surgical plumping face lifts, for youthful looking skin! They offer a wide range of other treatments including massage, eyebrow re shaping and tinting and also full body packages at a wide range of prices. I'm pretty sure you can mix and match and create bespoke packages after a consultation so that you cover your every need in terms of vanity! They're ideally located and seem to be very busy. I'd go in, but I'm frightened I'd come out looking like the lovechild of Dave Dickinson and Leslie Ash!

Just around the corner from one of my favourite shops - Flashback Boutique on Richmond Street, is…read moreanother girl's dream - Facial Attractions. The shop is packed full with items such as hairpieces, nails, nail polish, perfumes, cosmetics, sun tan cream....I wonder what else they could get in here. Prices are really good and I think I would say cheap. The staff are helpful and busily occupied with serving the many customers the shop gets.

Facial Attractions is a small shop nestled in Richmond Street that sells a packful of beauty…read moreproducts such as fake nails, affordable perfume and fashion jewellery. The prices seem quite reasonable and there is such a wide variety, that almost every young teen will be attracted to at least one item. It also makes good window shopping which adds further encouragement to enter the confined shop. Since it is such a tight space inside (especially when there are many customers), it does seem a little awkward as it feels though you're blocking somebody else's way. Whether it's to buy a gift for someone or for your own make-up, Facial Attractions delivers in most areas and even has some familiar brands such as Oil of Olay and CK. If I were a girl, I think I would visit quite frequently!

Probably one of the most daunting places for a man to shop, the Liverpool 1 shopping complex is…read morebookended by both Debenhams and John Lewis' cosmetic and beauty stores making it virtually impossible for any blokes to get away from a shopping expedition with the Mrs without being dragged through the most pungent, bright and uncomfortable areas in Liverpool. Are women unaware of how confusing and dazzling these places are? Or, like those Mosquito audio alarms for teenagers are the sights and smells of these departments only too much for male senses? Without the women looking at us like small boys, however we would be totally lost. These places are often our salvation for christmas presents, birthday gifts and token gestures of apology. Can't live with them, can't live without them. What else does that apply to?

I'm addicted to (s)MAC! Step aside Max Factor, because MAC is the makeup of makeup artists, and we…read moreall know it. Ok, it can be a little pricey sometimes, but goddammit I think it's worth every penny! The girls in the store in the Met Quarter are really nice, compared to some makeup counters in department stores where you can feel the girls counting your blemishes as they talk to you. There is one girl in particular whose name I don't know, but she is always nice to me and recognises me from my infrequent visits (MAC is a luxury I can only afford twice a year). They have all your details on file and probably a detailed record of every item of makeup I've ever bought, which is a bit scary but comes in useful when you run in all flustered doing last minute holiday shopping and you can't remember what shade of pink your favourite blusher is. They also do makeovers, mini makeovers and just generally help you with face-related things. A couple of years ago I was offered tickets to their new range launch at Christmas, and it was time well spent I reckon (although the models got to wear designer dresses and I was a bit jealous). Yes, I've just written this much about makeup, but if you're a guy the only way you can understand is by thinking about something you use every day and never want it to break or become useless. Like a phone. You want the best phone you can afford, right? Well girls want the best makeup they can afford. And without it we'd look and be a lot more scarier!!

I don't know what it is about Mac that always makes me nervous. Actually, I do. Let's not beat…read moreabout the bush. The staff are so dolled up to the nines in there, seriously, the stuff looks trowelled on, that I daren't go in for a consultation just in case they make me look like a clown or a weeping drag queen. But anyone who's had the experience, please, prove me wrong! I actually want to get a makeover. Meanwhile, I pop in to coo over the cosmetics. The colours are just unbelievable, and it's a great place to pop into if you're looking for essentials like primer and toner. It's certainly not the cheapest of options, hence its location in the uber posh Met Quarter alongside the likes of Molton Brown and Kurt Geiger, but if you're after a high quality treat for your face then it's definitely a good place to pop into. Plus I've always found that with high end make-up - the likes of Mac, Urban Decay, Benefit - a little goes a long way, thereby it does actually end up being rather good value.

The thing that I always notice when entering a Superdrug store is the music. They are always…read moresoundtracked by unsigned singers doing dodgy karaoke versions of chart hits like 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' or 'I Gotta Get Through This' which leaves me feeling sympathetic towards the staff who have to endure it on a daily basis. This branch in Liverpool Central Station is no different but don't let it put you off as it offers a wide selection of products ranging from paracetamol and allergy medication to hair products and suntan cream. They also offer a range of discounted aftershaves and perfumes behind the counter which are available at reasonable prices, meaning Superdrug works as a sort of one-stop-shop for all your pharmaceutical and everyday needs

This branch of Superdrug is smaller than the other two in the city centre. It is clean, bright and…read moretidy. Even though it is small it still seems to have the same range of stock as the larger stores. Items stocked here include skin care, hair dyes, medicines, food and drink, baby items, hair care, first aid, perfume, make-up, confectionery, gifts and much much more. They always have a lot of special offers on, including discounts and multibuys, which work out very cheap. The items are easy to find as the aisles are clearly labelled. The staff are friendly and helpful. They are happy to show you where an item is and give advice if you request it. They work hard to keep the store well stocked and they ensure that customers are served quickly at the tills.

Ladies (and gents) this place is a god send. They stock a wide range of branded cosmetics,…read moretoiletries and beauty paraphernalia: make up bags/brushes/remover, fake tan, professional nail tools and products,and perfume/ cologne) all at really low prices. They stock Revlon, Maybelline, Bourgois, Elizabeth Arden and countless others. I don't think it's all end of line as much of what I buy is still available in big name stores, so you can get a real bargain filling your make up bag with all the best stuff for less. The girls in store are friendly and, if you're unsure, will help advise you on the best product for you.