Make-up & knickers

I miss Boots and Marks & Spencers.
Not Sainsburys or Debenhams, just Boots and M&S. The first for the variety of goodies and how easy is to browse them; I just loved to go and browse all sort of make-up, shampoos and what have you there. I was forever buying new stuff and I don't think I ever run out of anything.
Here you have plenty of chemist shops, and I do mean plenty: there's one in every block more or less, I've never seen so many together, here self medication is the norm and it shows in the number of chemist in town. There's also plenty of beauty shop, selling everything from make-up to perfumes, but they're look expensive and far too specialised and they have very eager shop keepers who follow you around the minute you enter the shop and are forever trying to spray you with the latest fad. I hate the attention and the pressure. And I never seem to find what I'm looking for.
Take yesterday experience as an example. I run out of my face cleaner liquid soap and I wanted to buy a new one. If I were in Bristol, I'd go to Boots, browse happily for half an hour and find at least 3 within my price range plus a couple of things that I didn't realised I wanted in the first place. Bliss!
The experience here couldn't be more different. I went in, fought off a girl trying to spray me with a perfume, the I couldn't browse happily with the same girl keeping an eye on my and following me around the store making smiles every time we made eye contact. After a few minutes, I left with a very expensive Clinique liquid facial soap that later found out smells like old candles. Ew!! And I all but forgot that I also needed a shower cream.

Then I miss M&S for the knickers.
Of course there's plenty of shops that sells knickers here but do they have to make it a boutique experience? For starts, the shops look like they're selling knickers designed for taking off rather that to wear. You know what I mean, more Agent Provocateur's thongs and Victoria's secrets' Wonderbra than comfy 100% cotton knickers that you can sit comfortably in.
You go into the shop and the assistant is immediately assessing the size of your boobs and bum, never a nice experience to start with; then she checks the ring on your finger and as I don't wear one, they assume that I'm looking for knickers designed to obtain one ASAP, so they offer me thongs and padded bras and I leave the shop rather than ask for organic cotton comfy ones.
So far, I couldn't buy a single one and I start to worry about it.