Like it? Charge it - a post for the girls

I have been in Scotland since 2 May 2005, and have spent most of my time in and around the Paisley area. Now that I'm also working here, I've established a bit of a routine and have started frequenting the same shops to buy the things a girl needs to face her working days.

For those of you interested in such things (ie. the girls), I can recommend the following retail outlets if ever you hit this country with your VISA card:

Boots: The chain of health and beauty shops, sort of like a Priceline I suppose. They have a loyalty card scheme, and you can spend the points you earn on your purchases. They are VERY big on the "Buy 2, get 1 free" idea, and it's easy to get sucked into those promotions. They also stock the beautiful "Benefit" range of make-up (Kate and Alix are big fans).

Superchem: Is the poor man's Boots, but the brands are well-known and there is nothing wrong with the stock. A large bottle of Imperial Leather body wash costs 99p. You can't sniff at that.

The Pound Shop: I've blogged about this one before, but everything in there costs £1 and they stock Cadbury chocolate. The first place to go to feed your nostalgic chocolate cravings.

Somerfield: The supermarket that sells Vegemite.

Tesco: The mulli-billion pound juggernaut that sells BIGGER jars of Vegemite.

Clothes-wise, there are a number of stores that have taken my fancy, and will most likely be taking my ££s, once the first pay cheque clears. For the most part, Paisley seems to be Polyester Town. So the pickings for quality clothes are rather slim. That said, there are some places I would buy clothes around here and, for everything else, there is always Glasgow a short train ride away. So right now, here's where I'd spend my cash, if I had it:

Monsoon - beautiful clothes, high prices, soft fabrics, sequins, online shop.

Accessorize - see above

Marks and Spencer - like Target, but I find they have teen clothes or old lady clothes and very little in between. Even if Helena Christensen is their latest poster girl.

Topshop - funky clothes and groovy shoes, that look cheaper than they actually are.

So there you have it girls, the whirlwind guide to shopping in Scotland, based on my limited experience confined to Paisley and Glasgow. Of course I've missed out on some places, but I'm just starting out.

Give a girl time.