Whenever I'm in the area, I will visit this pharmacy because they often have good deals on personal care items. It's a big shop, with plenty of products to browse through, mostly with reasonable prices.

This shop is conveniently located to where I live, but I would only go there to get supplies when I'm not able to go to Officeworks or Kmart. The prices are a bit higher for stationary than these 2 places.

I only go to Franklins in Pennant Hills if I am on the way to or from the station. Their No Frills products are of good value, but I wouldn't go there especially to get any groceries. I think Aldi or Coles have better overall prices.

I went to Chemist Warehouse a few times to get prescription medicine. They have the lowest prices in Castle Hill, and also sell other personal care products for reasonable prices. The shop is conveniently located with enough parking.

I went to Botanika Skin Studio about once every 2-4 weeks to get facials for my acne prone skin. Nicole (head beauty therapist) was professional, friendly and gave great service. She gives a complimentary eyebrow wax with each facial, and also massages the arms, shoulders and hands while the mask is on the face. It's a very relaxing experience.

I've been going to Ivy's Hair Salon since I was a child. My mum and brother also go there to get their hair cut. She has low prices, but she is skilled in styling our hair the way we want it to look.

A few months ago, I went for a Keratin Treatment that cost $129 using a Cudo voucher I bought online. They used a product called "Hair Go Straight", which was not what was advertised on their website, which advertising Liqwid Keratin. The experience was quite pleasant, but I'm not sure if the product was left in my hair long enough because the whole appointment only went for 45 minutes rather than 90 minutes, which is what I expected. My hair felt very nice after the treatment, but it didn't last very long, maybe 2-4 weeks later, my hair was basically back to the way it was, even though I used a sulfate free shampoo.

Approximate cost: $129

I went to get a Keratin Treatment and Style Cut that I bought for $99 with a voucher I bought online. I paid another $50 to get the "second strength" of treatment that apparently has more keratin in it than the "first strength". I thought about it for a little while, because I knew the hair dresser was trying to make more money, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway, and see what the result would be.

The process was mostly pleasant, although I'm scared to go there again because the girl who dried my hair with the hair dryer kept holding it quite close to my head for too long, making it burn me a few times. Also, she was a bit rough with my hair when she was using the straightening iron. The process was more painful than I had anticipated, and unnecessarily so. Another downside is having to wait 3 days before washing the hair, but with many keratin treatments, this is standard.

However, the result so far has been good. I have long, thick and coarse hair with a bit of natural wave. Now my hair is less coarse, a little more straight and much easier to handle. I was convinced to buy the shampoo and conditioner (which altogether cost about $72), but this should last at least 3 months for me. I think the product that they use is great, and safe, but I don't think I'll be going there again for anything that requires heat.

Approximate cost: $220

I was a piano and musicianship student of Ross Hamilton for 7 years from Grade 7 to L.Mus level. He is firm but patient, and provides solutions to any weaknesses you may have in your piano playing or musicianship. I've achieved great results under his teaching. He also does music analysis for those needing musicianship exam notes or general knowledge for music exams.