“SPLURGE” IS a relative term. Sure, it’s dependent on the depth of your pockets and the size of your stock portfolio, but your definition of a worthy splurge depends equally on your personality type. After all, courtside Celtics tickets are wasted on a high-maintenance girlie girl, and a chauffeured Newbury Street shopping trip, complete with personal stylist, is no good for a rugged outdoorsman. (Whether or not he could use one is another story.) For your splurging — or, in the case of the cash-strapped, daydreaming — pleasure, read on for our dollar-dropping guide for six different types.
beauty junkie
We’ll start you off slow: a new line of lipsticks from Too Faced, called Lip of Luxury, will run you $18 a tube at Sephora (Prudential Center, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.4200). (When you’re used to dropping $3.25 on glosses from CVS, we think this counts as a splurge.) Shades like Celebrity Meltdown and Drop Dead Red are infused with moisturizing Champagne essences, and the case is topped with a 20-carat “diamond” rhinestone.
When it comes to pricier products, beauty junkies can step things way up with a wide array of “miracle” creams. Giorgio Armani’s Crema Nera ($225), available at Saks Fifth Avenue (Prudential Center, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.8500) and made from petrified lava found on an Italian island we’ve never heard of, promises skin-cell regeneration and a radiant glow. Chantecaille offers a Nano Gold Energizing Cream ($420) that revitalizes skin using silk microfibers wrapped in 24-karat gold; find it at www.barneys.com. Then there’s the holy grail of skin creams: La Mer’s Crème de la Mer, available for $125 an ounce (or $1350 for 16.5 ounces) at Neiman Marcus (5 Copley Place, Boston, 617.536.3660).
The obvious next step for those looking to drop some serious cash on prettifying? Newbury Street, spa capital of the city. When choosing a hairstylist, go right to the man on top — after all, there’s a reason his name’s on the door. A visit with Mario Russo of Salon Mario Russo (9 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.424.6676; 234 Berkeley Street, Boston, 617.266.4885) will set you back $325 for a first-time consultation and cut, and $195 every time after that. At only $150 a visit, Marc Harris — of the eponymous Marc Harris (125 Broad Street, Boston, 617.443.8633) and Salon Marc Harris (30 Newbury Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, 617.262.2222), plus two other locations in Andover and Providence — is a relative bargain.
Once your hair is perfectly coiffed, experience 80 minutes of pure luxury with the Timeless Rejuvenation Caviar Spa Facial by Pevonia ($150) at Spa Newbury (115 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.9464): caviar and pearl extracts oxygenate, smooth, and slough years off your skin. If you’re looking to go all-out on a more mainstream treatment, try the Specialty Manicure ($70; 50 minutes) at MELT (172 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.1116), which adds a scented soak, scrub, and mask to your standard mani services. For head-to-toe coddling, order up the Ultimate Emerge Experience ($875), featuring seven hours of pure bliss at Emerge (275 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.437.0006). If La Stone Therapy Massage, Caviar Facial, Aromatherapy Kur, Deluxe Manicure, Moor Mud Pedicure, blow-dry and style, and makeup application aren’t a splurge, we don’t know what is. (Guys can get in on the indulgence, too: just switch out the last two services for a spa scalp treatment and haircut.)
Speaking of boys, the newly opened Barbershop Lounge (245 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.450.0021) offers three membership opportunities, the loftiest being the Platinum Membership ($2275). It includes 13 visits for a haircut, scalp massage, shave, hand and foot treatment, 60-minute massage, and shoe shine, plus 10 percent off retail products and valet parking.
sporty spice
Whether you’re a true athlete or you prefer couch-side coaching, the right gym membership is key. Sure, you can make do with a so-so spot that offers treadmills, free weights, and a skuzzy locker room, but what’s the fun in that? Worth every penny is the Executive Level Membership Package ($595 to join; $250 per month) at Equinox (131 Dartmouth Street, Boston, 617.578.8918). Not only do you have access to a cushy locker room that’s separated from the masses (entrance is via iris scan), you also get a private permanent locker, laundry service, Malin+Goetz products, and Fiji water and fresh fruit; the space is outfitted with a plasma TV and Wi-Fi access, as well.
More interested in professional athletes? We can’t think of a better place to hang than the TD Banknorth Garden (100 Legends Way, Boston, 617.624.1050), where you’ll need to pony up big time for membership to the Premium Club. Options abound, but we suggest going whole hog with membership to the Executive Suites ($55,000). Amenities include a living area and wet bar, plasma TVs, and a private bathroom — which is worth the money right there.
If it’s the Red Sox you’re into, skip over the suite in favor of the Ultimate Monster and Ultimate Deck Packages ($32,400 and $20,000 per game, respectively) at Fenway Park (4 Yawkey Way, Boston). The former, which allows 27 of your closest friends to perch atop the Green Monster, includes pre-game on-field access, while the latter puts 20 guests at private tables on the Budweiser Right Field Roof Deck, with access to the Green Monster during batting practice. Both packages feature a VIP Fenway Park tour, Sox jerseys for the group, food and drinks during the game, and a customized mid-game scoreboard message.
Of course, you can’t attend every local sports game, and you’ve got to outfit your home’s “luxury box” somehow. We suggest taking it over the top with the Pats Leather Dreamchair ($1295), available in the Pro Shop at www
.patriots.com. Or try the Boston Celtics Big Daddy Recliner ($854.95), which you’ll find at celticsstore.seenon.com.
Finally, if you’re looking to rub elbows with the greats, charity events are the perfect way to do it. For starters, Kevin Youkilis and fiancée Enza Sambataro’s charity, Hits for Kids, is hosting a shower to help furnish seven new apartments that will be acquired by Christopher’s Haven, a local charity that provides housing for kids (and their families) who are undergoing cancer treatment at Mass General Hospital. The event is at Great Bay (500 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.532.5300) on April 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $150 and include a jazz brunch; attendees are also asked
to bring a gift from the organization’s Target.com registry. Visit www.youkskids.org for details.
musical god
Music fan that you are, you’ve been relegated to the lawn seats and nosebleed sections for far too long. This concert season, spring for the VIP Box Program (starting at $17,000 per box) at the Bank of America Pavilion (290 Northern Avenue, Boston, 617.728.1600). Membership includes a four-seat luxury box with prime views, access to the venue’s VIP club, VIP parking, and waitstaff to attend to your every food-and-drink need. Or purchase a season-long membership to the Ultra Elite Program ($7000 per seat) and you’re guaranteed a spot in the third, fourth, or fifth rows, center stage. Down at the Tweeter Center (885 South Main Street, Mansfield, 508.339.2331), join the VIP Box Seat Program and you’ll score four-seat boxes for between $19,500 and $22,800, or an eight-seat box in the front middle section for $38,000.
Don’t blow all your splurge money on concert tickets, though — knowing you, you’ll also want to rock out at home. We can’t think of a better way than with a custom guitar ($950 and up) from First Act Guitar Studio (745 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.226.7899). After all, pros like Adam Levine from Maroon 5 and Brad Whitford of Aerosmith have commissioned custom instruments from the store. If you’re not ready to commit, you can investigate your potential splurge at www.firstact.com, where the First Act Guitar Builder allows users to select from a number of options to create the guitar of their choice.
When it comes to your home theater, why subject your extensive, lovingly cataloged musical collection to anything less than a sound system from the inventive folks at Bang & Olufsen (30 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.4949)? Start with the très chic BeoSound 9000 ($5250) — a great way to make your CD collection look anything but passé — and build from there.
Maybe your appreciation of great tunes outweighs your ability to create them. If so, enroll in classes at the School of Continuing Education at the New England Conservatory (290 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.585.1100). Whether it’s guitar, piano, or bassoon lessons you’ve always considered, spoil yourself with 15 weeks of 60-minute private sessions with a member of the school’s distinguished faculty; the semester will run you $1410 (for-credit courses are pricier).
foodie
If there’s nothing that gives you more pleasure than an excellent meal, and you’re perfectly happy to “eat” your extra cash, order up a subscription to Meat of the Month Club from Savenor’s Market (160 Charles Street, Boston, 617.723.6328; 92 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, 617.576.6328). Choose any combination of the year’s remaining cuts for two (including May’s sirloin steaks for $94.99, August’s Kobe beef hot dogs for $65.99, and November’s Turducken for $96.99). For more focused carnivores, there’s also the Bacon Society ($180/six months) and the Sausage of the Month Club ($150/six months). All are shipped to your door on the 15th of the month.
We know you can eat, but can you cook? Whether you’re an amateur dabbler or practically a pro chef, you’ll love the opportunity to play Sous Chef for a Day ($2545) at Radius (8 High Street, Boston, 617.426.1234), available for purchase at www.excitations.com. You’ll arrive at around noon and immediately be put to work, prepping dishes for the evening’s menu alongside one of the most talented kitchen staffs in the city. Once you’ve absorbed as much knowledge (and insider secrets) as you can handle, you’ll be sent home to relax before returning later for a swank multi-course dinner for two.
If it’s the community aspect of eating that inspires your love of food, splurge on a group cooking class at Taranta (210 Hanover Street, Boston, 617.720.0052) for you and 14 to 24 of your friends ($1500 to $2500). Together with guest chefs from other local restaurants — and, if you’re lucky, chef-owner José Duarte — you and your group will create a heavenly five-course meal. Just don’t arrive too ravenous: plan for two to three hours of prep before the eating begins.
With all of your new skills, the next thing you’ll be looking for is a home-kitchen upgrade. Hightail it over to the Moda Cucina showroom at the Boston Design Center (One Design Center Place, sixth floor, Boston, 617.361.2400). Everything there is 100 percent custom, environmentally conscious, and state of the art; in fact, Moda Cucina categorizes their cabinetry not as premium, but as “museum-quality.” A total overhaul will run you $100,000-plus — but doesn’t a new kitchen make your meals taste better?
Finally, there are the worth-every-penny tasting menus at three of the city’s top dining establishments: No. 9 Park (9 Park Street, Boston, 617.742.9991), Clio (370 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.536.7200), and L’Espalier (30 Gloucester Street, Boston, 617.262.3023). We can’t think of a better, more leisurely way to experience dish after mouthwatering dish of delectable creations. No. 9’s Chef’s Tasting Menu ($90; $150 with wine pairings) features seven courses, while Clio’s version ($135; more with wine) has a whopping 12. A few tasting options are available at L’Espalier, but we think Chef McClelland’s Tasting Journey ($175; $270 with wine pairings) is the ultimate. The tasting menus at all three restaurants are created on the chefs’ whims and change often, so they’re sure to utilize the freshest seasonal ingredients and cutting-edge techniques.
patron of the arts
What’s the best way to get in with the cultured crowd? Choose your favorite means of artistic expression, then invest in the appropriate patronage program. Costs and member benefits vary, so you can keep your splurge budget-appropriate. Become a member of the Director’s Circle at the avant-garde Institute of Contemporary Art (100 Northern Avenue, Boston, 617.478.3100) for as little as $1500 (Patron) or as much as $25,000 (Founder’s Circle). If your tastes run more toward the classic, investigate the Patron Program at the Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.267.9300), with memberships from $2500 to $25,000-plus. Or join the Benefactors (gifts of $2000-plus) or Friends (between $100 and $1999) groups at the Boston Ballet (19 Clarendon Street, Boston, 617.695.6950). There’s also the Club Membership at the Citi Performing Arts Center (270 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.482.9393), which goes up to a $50,000 Philanthropists Circle.
If you’re looking to invest in more tangible works of art, peruse the city’s galleries, particularly those on Newbury Street and in the South End. We’ve long sung the praises of Samson Projects (450 Harrison Avenue, Storefront 63, Boston, 617.357.7177) and Rhys Gallery (401 Harrison Avenue, Boston, 617.357.7497), but if you’re looking to support talented up-and-coming artists, you could also hold out for the annual December Sale at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (230 The Fenway, Boston, 617.267.6100). The sale, which showcases nearly 5000 works of art at a range of prices, benefits emerging artists and student scholarships.
Finally, if you’d like to indulge your guests at your next five-star event (while at the same time supporting an amazingly talented nonprofit theater group), hire ImprovBoston (www.improvboston.com, 617.576.1253) to entertain your crowd. Services range from $500 for a two-person improv training and show, to $2500-plus for a catered, private show in the group’s theater. IB even offers a “mystery guest” service: they’ll send four or five undercover troupe members, posing as guests, caterers, or party planners, to your event. They’ll mingle with the rest of your invitees, then start acting increasingly crazy — think yelling, outlandish displays of affection, general obnoxiousness — until they finally reveal themselves to the relieved crowd, and then put on a performance.
wannabe socialite
You may not have been born with a seven-figure trust fund, a sprawling Back Bay manse, and a vacation house on Nantucket, but with a few well-placed bills and some insider info, you can buy your way into almost any social circle. First, your wardrobe will need some tweaking. Call on stylist Alisa Neely (www.stylescout.net), who works with a broad range of clients in varying income brackets; she offers an array of services, but our favorite is the appropriately named Socialite ($800), featuring a four-hour shopping expedition via luxury SUV, with private dressing rooms, VIP discounts, and a Champagne toast or two.
In anticipation of your bustling social calendar, you’ll also need to hire the services of a personal assistant; try husband-and-wife team Edward and Chantal Boxer of Fini Concierge (www.finiconcierge.com). They’ll cheerfully take on thankless tasks like running errands, making travel arrangements, and waiting around for the cable guy, leaving you free to hop from society lunch to cocktail soirée without wasting a thought on your dry cleaning. Fees are $47 per hour, with a minimum of an hour charge for all services.
Why spend the night at home when you can have practically an entire hotel staff tending to your every need? We can’t imagine you’d want for much in the Presidential Suite ($5500 per night) at the Liberty Hotel (215 Charles Street, Boston, 617.224.4000). Try to peel yourself away from the breathtaking views of Beacon Hill and the Charles River (not to mention the 2200-square-foot space, which includes a library, living room, master bed and bath, and private dressing area) since the sceniest scene in the city is just an elevator ride away. Wander into the main-floor lobby bar totally oblivious to the line that’s surely buzzing outside Clink — as a hotel guest, your name will be bumped to the top of the list for walk-in dinner reservations. Then enjoy a few post-meal drinks in a dark corner at Alibi, or linger over a flute of bubbly at the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Bar. While you’re there, splurge on La Grande Dame 1998, at $49 a glass or $330 for the bottle.
Then, if you’re looking to show off that fantastic new outfit on the dance floor, it’s imperative that you score VIP accommodations, Paris Hilton–style, at your favorite hotspot. And what’s more luxe than a night out at the Estate (One Boylston Place, Boston, 617.351.7000)? Securing a table, which includes a private bartender and free admission, will require a two-bottle minimum purchase, but we can top that. Reserve one of two private rooms — the Kiki or the Shag — for your entourage and your friends will likely buy your drinks all night. The Kiki, next to the second-floor balcony, is outfitted with its own bar and a private elevator down to the dance floor, while the Shag is a cozy, curtained corner that comes with a dedicated server. Since management declines to provide definitive pricing information for either room, file them under “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” @
