Sunita Bhandari Bhusal, The Threading Spa, Chestnut Hill
Celebs know that great eyebrows can dramatically improve a face. Thanks to Bhusal, we’re well versed in this phenomenon as well. "Something’s different!" ... "You look amazing" ... and our personal favorite, "Your brows are killer right now," were just a few of the flatteries flung our way after Bhusal worked her magic, first delicately threading and then gently tweezing until she achieved the perfect arch. Sensitive-skin types rejoice: Threading is cleaner than waxing, doesn’t leave any stickiness behind, and the chances of a burn are zilch. The Mall at Chestnut Hill, Newton, MA 2467, the-threadingspa.com.
Yolanda's Bridal Salon
Yolanda's showroom is a mecca for brides-to-be, who make pilgrimages from across New England to worship at the shrine of Vera Wang and Richard Tyler. The front parlor is adorned with your typical frilly affairs, but the enterprising customer has only to utter a single, magic phrase ("I'm looking for something simpler") to find herself in one of the cool, spalike dressing rooms, immersed in a pile of tasteful, elegant, and streamlined creations. Yolanda's staff is happy to tell you when your 5-foot-2 frame just won't accommodate your dream gown—but with such grace and goodwill that you'll gladly accept the advice and thank them for it later. 355 Waverly Oaks Rd., Waltham, MA .
Sebastian's Cafe
You want to be healthy, honest you do. But it's hard when you can't be sure just how long that mesclun has been sitting in the salad bar. The greens, roasted peppers, baby corn, and other fresh veggies at Sebastians never invite such suspicion, looking and tasting as though they arrived from the farm mere moments ago. At your direction, the speedy servers pack up vibrant lettuce, grilled meats, and cheeses with just the right amount of dressing. A basic salad is $6.75, so you'll have room, and cash, left over for an indulgent dinner. 100 Summer St., Boston, MA sebastians.com.
Vizio Optic
Squint through those frumpy, outdated spectacles of yours and take a good look around this sleek Brookline Village shop. You'll readily appreciate the cache of 1,000 or so designer frames, dotted with cult brands (Kamuro, Kata) and European faves (Face Face, Lafont). You'll admire optometrist-owner Galina Rabkin's staff of brainy-chic glamazons. And you'll absolutely obsess over the one-of-a-kind photo booth providing a 360-degree view of how various pairs of glasses work with your face—something that, while it might seem gimmicky, can save hours of agonizing in hindsight. 11 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 2445, viziooptic.com.
Crossing Main for Shoes
Opened last fall, the Crossing Main spinoff has been drawing local style fiends with the kind of high they formerly got in Boston: killer heels by big names. Look beyond the shelves of neatly displayed Nanette Lepore peep-toes and Loeffler Randall stilettos, though, and find an equally jones-worthy array of handbags (led by Orla Kiely, an area exclusive), jewelry, belts, and other accessories. Crossing Main's recently added personal styling service, available in store or at home, can help make sure that finishing touches don't go over the top. 28 South St., Hingham, MA 2043, .
Looc
In our fantasies, we while away our days in a Parisian café, composing flowery prose over café au lait. In reality, we've got desk jobs and are lactose intolerant. So we shop at Looc, and make believe. With an inventory that epitomizes accessible Gallic chica spare palette of black, gray, cream, and beige from French and French-informed lines like Simone, Nili Lotan, and Thread SocialLooc helps us look the part of the ingnue, in styles that still manage to fit our made-in-America behinds. 12 Union Park, Boston, MA 2118, .
Dolly Bilzerian-Kelly
There's more to upscale salesmanship than strategically doled-out snootiness. In her 30 years at the ring-for-entry Alan Bilzerian boutique, Bilzerian-Kelly (Alan's sister) has developed a knack for divining what customers want and, better yet, what they need. She'll know, for instance, to break the news gently but firmly that, alas, that fabulous Alexander McQueen corset is not a good look for your untoned upper arms—but that you might give this Rick Owens tunic a try. Her unfailing candor doesn't crowd out her dry sense of humor, though, which can turn a quick shopping stop into a memorable event. 34 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
Belle de Jour
The window displays at this Newbury Street boutique are sexy enough to make the most straitlaced Yankee blush. From sheer black chiffon nighties to exquisite embroidered lace-up corsets, the imported European lingerie here is welcome change from the mass-produced unmentionable found elsewhere. The staff is discreet but helpful, offering advice when asked and leaving shoppers to browse in peace when not. So what if the steep price tags can send the heart racing? So does the lingerie, which is why Belle de Jour is just as often filled with men sheepishly selecting lace peignoirs for their sweethearts as it is with women looking for embroidered bra and panty sets for themselves. 164 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
A Room with a Vieux Antiques
Proprietor Jeff Diamond is an unabashed Francophile who even acquired his sheep dog, Aramis, in the Pyrenees. Although a few provincial antiques find their way into the five or six jumbo containers he ships each year from France, most pieces look as if Diamond had plucked them from a Paris drawing room. The Charles Street store emphasizes art deco classics, popular these days on Beacon Hill. The Brookline branch has both deco and more formal items with marquetry and intricate decoration—and a huge assortment of antique beds, most of them cleverly altered to king or queen size. 200 Washington St., Brookline, MA aroomwithavieux.com.
Back Bay Framery
It's not essential that the people at a frame shop remember your name and your artwork on only your second visit. Or that the shop's employees occasionally volunteer cheaper, do-it-yourself alternatives. But it's precisely that kind of attention that bodes well when you're talking about a service in which a sixteenth of an inch can make all the difference. Rest assured, too, that Back Bay Framery doesn't cut corners when cutting the corners. Its cheery and attentive staff takes on the most demanding custom jobs, with a selection of tabletop and custom frames that looks like it could put the Louvre to shame. 303 Newbury St., Boston, MA backbayframery.com.
Philip Schwartz, Morning Paws
Hands down, Schwartz is the most distinguished walker of dogs in the city. Gray-haired and bespectacled, Philip stalks the streets of the South End, Back Bay, and Beacon Hill with his small leashed brood (including his own gentle doberman, Tara). A former retail executive, Schwartz never had a dog as a child and is making up for lost time, caring for up to 40 a day. He also does some sleepover home-stays—attending to pets, mail, and plants—and gives advice about Parisian travel and cooking. The cost: $10 per walk, $40-$50 per night for home stays.
Brix Wine Shop
Brix is so different in look and concept from its competitors, people often mistake it for an expensive boutique. Don't be fooled: Co-owners Carri Wroblewski and Klaudia Mally have created a wonderful source for delicious everyday wines, with so many au courant varieties priced around $10.99, it's like a Target for oenophiles. Best of all, Brix procures special orders without demanding the purchase of a whole case, but rather just three bottles. That alone puts most of the other wine shops in this town to shame. 1248 Washington St., Boston, MA brixwineshop.com.
Jamie Bissonnette, Coppa
He's pushed diners' expectations at kitchens across the city, from Tremont 647 and Clio to Pigalle and Toro. Then, at Coppa, Bissonnette got us all comfy—nay, obsessed—with eating as many pigs, and as many parts of them, as possible. There's just something instinctive about the way he cooks from the gut and with the intelligent fire of a food brainiac. His inspired pairings (sea urchin panino with green tomato) are outshone only by his hands-on approach to making sure every last dish that leaves Coppa's kitchen is as beautiful as it is delicious. 253 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA 2118, .
Dante
Don't be misled by the hotel setting: Dante de Magistris is no banquet chef. Since opening his eponymous restaurant at the Royal Sonesta two years ago, de Magistris has found his voice (part Italian homeboy, part fancypants chef) and now fully expresses it in imaginative dishes like duck ragu accented with sour cherries, and striped bass with fava beans and Meyer lemon. Formal European training gave him discipline and technique, which means the pasta and fish are perfectly cooked and every sauce is fresh. Oh, and the view, across the Charles to downtown Boston, is priceless. 40 Edwin H Land Blvd, Cambridge, MA 2141, restaurantdante.com.
Maureen Kilpatrick, Oleana
There's something you should know about Maureen Kilpatrick: Her baked Alaska is such a dreamy, caramelized puff of fluffy, warm meringue with coconut ice cream, and a delicate macaroon, doused with a pool of brilliant yellow passion fruit caramel, that once you taste it, you may never want another dessert again. It's simply that good—all at once hot and cold, soft and crispy, sweet and tart. Kilpatrick's other creations, from tapioca tartlet to palace bread, a syrup-soaked bread pudding, perfectly complement Oleana chef and owner Ana Sortun's Mediterranean cooking. 134 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA oleanarestaurant.com.