Our unrelenting quest for self improvement took a hair raising turn this week when, after two years of trusty service, our ionic Vidal Sassoon short circuited mid-dry Monday morning. A mangled updo ensued, followed by many “late night?” comments at the office. Bostonista is all for tresses au naturale, but this half-winter, half-spring weather is playing havoc on our half-curly, half-straight hair. A quick lunchtime trip to Sephora was in order.

Turns out, the mega beauty emporium only stocks a couple of blowdryers, none for under $130. (Our aforementioned tool cost a mere $15.99.) As frequent beauty masochists, we’d read all about the pros of owning a “salon quality” dryer— faster job, fewer split ends, sleeker finish—though a poll of local pros revealed it’s all marketing hype. Nevertheless, after a lengthy consultation with a black-clad, well-coiffed Sephorite, we found ourselves handing over the Amex for a $200 T3 Bespoke Featherweight.

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During an otherwise slow news day (death, pestilence, bank buyouts) I was completely charmed by a brand new fragrance that promises to “wash away the sins of the night before” while serving as a “tribute to tomorrow’s glorious possibilities.” Man, get me some of that!

While fragrance copy is pretty much a parody of itself (I actually spent a good 45 minutes on a transatlantic flight amusing my companion with in-flight perfume pitches), the real hook on this product is its mentor: Tom of Finland.

You might not know the name of this now-deceased Finnish homoerotic artist, but you definitely know the look: Some say he single-handedly invented the late ‘70s gay policeman—the mustache, the hat, the boots (read: the Village People police guy). (more…)

I’ve been having a hard time lately—as anyone who’s seen me around town in the same outfit again and again can attest to—and, as a result, have lost quite a bit of weight. Now, avid readers of Bostonista know we’re typically open to healthy diets, but there’s nothing flattering about baggy jeans and sagging dresses. Fortunately, my fellow editors always look out for me (and my occasional fashion hiccup) and quickly came to the rescue with the newest way to add a little junk back into your trunk.

The brainchild of Newton-based entrepreneur Susan Bloomstone, it’s called the Booty Pop (yes, really) and consists of underwear reinforced with two 1-inch-thick malleable posterior pads. Basically, a padded bra for your butt. (more…)

I tend to buy new sneakers once a year, and, to my wife’s eternal amusement, tend to spend several months searching for the right pair. On several occasions I’ve waited so long that by the time I pulled the trigger, the shoe I wanted was out of production.

My most recent purchase, a pair of blue and white Asics fencing shoes, was a bust from the get-go. They’re a little heavy and spacy-looking, and didn’t quite work. And my standby PF Flyers were coming apart after two solid years of service. For replacements, I wanted two things: 1. Light running shoes with thin-soles. 2. Canvas shoes for the spring, but not Chucks because the soles suck, and they’re generally kind of dull. (more…)

Johnny Earle, owner and founder of Newbury Street’s Johnny Cupcakes boutique, has a few not-so-sweet words for surf-wear empire Billabong. As Earle reports on his blog, Billabong’s latest collection of t-shirts features a near-replica of one he designed and sold way back in 2005.

It’s too precise to be called coincidental, says Earle, pointing out that the only difference in the new “Bling-Bling” tee is the Billabong wave logo in the place of Earle’s cupcake (Bostonista, who has yet to meet a cupcake she didn’t like, prefers Johnny’s version).

“I thought for some weird reason Billabong had bought a heap of my shirts and were selling it, until I closely looked and saw their logo attached on my design,” Earle said when we talked to him this afternoon.

Asked if he would take action, Earle said, “You bet I will!” (more…)

Welcome to Bostonista, where we’ll be bringing you daily style news (if not always stylish news, like, say, how I was completely unprepared for this weather and now I’ve got a pair of wet Uggs soaking the carpet beneath my desk, an admission many would take as evidence I’ve got the wrong job. But whatever—they’re just boots).

We’ll discuss when to say no to a trend (more than you might think), how much is too much to pay for a haircut, and how to look decent at work when the weather gets like this. We’ll report on new stores, uncover the city’s best sales (and how to get the best deals at them), and help you find just about anything, from eco-friendly bedding to the perfect pair of black flats to the best running watch to a shower curtain decorated with hunks of meat (or, um, not). (more…)