Girl’s night out has always been de rigueur. But when you’re trying to rally your BFF’s, who can agree on the time, the place, or the level of debauchery? Lucky for us, October is packed with already-organized Girl’s Night Out options, that include all of the above (and lots of complimentary cocktails).

After last Wednesday night’s Best of Boston Style party, we’ve become huge fans of the concept of sipping while shopping and getting beautified all in one place, all at one time—and with our favorite people. (more…)

Bostonista loves a good ribbon-cutting ceremony. Particularly when said ribbon is attached to a giant, oblong box that might just contain, say, that house-warming gift we keep hinting at. But we digress; today’s real ribbon-cutting party is exciting, too. Especially since it’s at one of our most favorite local haunts, Logan Airport.

Ever since Delta went ahead and spiffed up its glass-enclosed Terminal A, the airport’s other wings have felt a bit second rate. (Except for the notoriously shabby AirTran Terminal, which is, at best, fourth or fifth rate.)

Not to be outdone, American Airlines’s Terminal B rallied with some $33 million in new construction, restaurants, and shops. The whole glossy affair officially opens today.

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Newbury Street salon Umi has launched a very good line of haircare products. Nine tools include hair powder, wax, volumizing spray, and creme. Sure, we’ve got beauty products stuffed into every corner of the bathroom, and there’s that bin under the bed, too. But what’s nine more?

Owner and mastermind Jeffrey Dauksevich is known as something of a perfectionist, whether the objet d’art is a client, the hand soap in his (very clean) salon bathroom, or a hair powder. Unlike most in-house salon lines, which are created for a company, Umi Products were created by Umi, from scratch, and with JD input every step of the way. Which is why it’s taken the line more than a year to develop a shampoo and conditioner after the initial three-product launch last year. (more…)

Recently, in the name of service journalism, we lifted our self-tanner ban to test faux-glows. At first we worried that, because this story has been done maybe once or twice before, we might be flat out of incisive tanning insights.

But we were wrong!

We learned so much from our self-bronzing odyssey, in fact, that we had enough info to create a special web preview. (To find out our favorite lotions, you’ll have to wait for the next Weddings issue.)

Without further ado, we present…Bostonista’s Favorite Self-Tanning Accessories:

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From lighting and flowers to table cloths and martinis, Sara Campbell’s Dress for a Cause fashion show at the Boston Harbor Hotel on Tuesday night was brimming with pink (and sass) for a very charitable reason: breast cancer research.

Campbell paired up with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation to raise funds for the clinical and genetic research for breast cancer. Part of their effort was a collaboration on four preppy products (a silk scarf, ruffle tote, pattern bag, and a long-sleeved tee), which will be sold at her design studio with 100 percent profits benefiting BCRF.

Contrary to your typical bone-thin model ridden fashion shows, an uplifting and unlifted group of breast cancer survivors strutted down the runway in Sara Campbell’s new Fall ‘08 collection. The group exuded high spirits and poise and kept the good humor alive: Laughter ensued when describing their cancer experiences, with one cheeky speaker noting her newfound pair of “ta-tas.” (more…)

Let us guess: You’ve lived in the area for years but have never actually made much effort to explore the city (and look like a day-tripper? Quel horreur!).

At Bostonista, we love brushing up on our town’s scenic history, but, like you, can’t stomach waddling aboard one of those clunky neon tour tanks and squawking up and down Beacon Hill. Instead, we’ve been satisfying our curiosity under the radar with Audissey Guides, a locally owned company that offers free self-guided audio tours available for download on its site.

A few months ago, we trekked from the Park Street Church to the harbor, but skipped out on an equally overlooked (by locals, that is) part of town. Luckily, Audissey recently released a new walk specifically devoted to the nation’s first public botanical garden. Here are some of our favorite stops in the aptly named Public Garden.

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I’m not in the business of throwing around terms like “dictator,” or “fascist state,” but I will say that here at Boston magazine our candy supply is largely at the whim of one woman. This woman really likes M&Ms. Not that I’m complaining.

Over at Cambridge chocolatier L.A. Burdick, locals have a real choice, and it’s not peanut versus plain: a box of Barack Obama, or chocolate a la John McCain. Available through the November election, the shop’s SElection 2008 features assortments of chocolates “meant to celebrate the all-American background of two of the Presidential candidates.” (more…)

If you dig art but hate pretense, or just want to revel in others’ ineptitude, head over to the Museum of Bad Art’s (MOBA) installation in the basement of the Somerville Theater. The museum’s impressive collection was culled from dumpsters, yard sales, private donations, and trash day heists.

Each carefully chosen piece demonstrates a depth of incompetence nearly impossible to fake—misguided attempts at perspective, cornball subject matter, and/or bizarre color palettes. But while the art is bewilderingly, um, challenged, the terse observations by the curator(s) make this collection an absolute late-night “to do.” (more…)

Oh, excuse us, is this, like, not a good time to talk about shopping? Because maybe you’re thinking of laying low and subsisting on lentils for a while as you absorb the fact that your current 401(k) balance means you’ll be working until 2083?

How preciously cautious! And stupid! Here’s why you absolutely need something from the new Frette gift collection, available when the new Frette shop opens in the Mandarin Oriental building Oct. 1. (And it has nothing to do with the term “economic stimulus”…)

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Bostonista had too much fun last night. We indulged in mandatory office fun at our staff bowling party at Kings. Next, under the influence of Chowder, we indulged in carnivorous fun over the largest steak we’ve ever seen at Toro.

Then we indulged in some Stevie Wonder-fueled dancing fun with Barbara Lynch at The Butcher Shop. Now, we’re hurting from that fun. (more…)