Beauty and Main

With their baffling variety and often-condescending staff, department-store makeup counters can intimidate the bravest shoppers. Skip the drama and visit Beauty and Main, where there’s nary a frantic perfume spritzer or overeager eye shadower in sight. The sales clerks at the local chain’s Harvard Square location will patiently steer you toward skin type–appropriate selections from upscale lines like Nars, Fresh, and Laura Mercier; also available are shaving oils, manicure tools, and body washes. We always knew it was possible: a cosmetics shop that has everything but attitude.