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John Moynihan
He’s short, fit, funny, and warm-he’s human. More realist than Robocop, John is a hard-driving motivator who makes you laugh before, while, and after you sweat. From careful but energized aerobics for ladies who show up at 9 a.m. to all-out, kick-ass sessions for the evening hard-bodies, all his classes are jammed. Get there early-they fill up fast. The Mount Auburn Club

Day Spa
Giuliano
Although we’ve officially gone into mourning with the recent closing of the Spa on Newbury, Giuliano makes us want to throw our black veils to the wind. Whether you’re a stressed bride-to-be in need of that mandatory glow for the big day, or a burned-out businessperson ready to toss your computer out the window, a visit to Giuliano will restore your sanity as fast as you can say “detoxifying body wrap.” Giuliano’s “optimal beauty through nature” offerings include everything from old standbys like facials, manicures, and pedicures to more trendy pamperings like self-tanning-lotion applications, reflexology, glycolic treatments, and acupuncture. In a word: Heaven.

Driving Range
Golf Country
Where do you go when you can’t get rid of that slice? Golf Country in Middleton is the practice range of choice for hackers and Big Cats alike. In addition to a whopping 75 stalls (some newly covered for rain or shine), it has batting cages, miniature golf, and the perfect postworkout pleasure: excellent cones at Richardson’s Dairy next door.

Electrolysis
Pour Le Corps
Gives new meaning to feel the burn. Electrolysis is never a pleasant part of the grooming ritual, but this salon makes it easier with a relaxing ambience (and topical anesthetics). Your once-hirsute patch of skin may be tingling, but that’s an improvement over the pain of more violent treatments. Since this delicate process takes time, it’s especially comforting to find a competent, confidence-inspiring, and compassionate set of technicians.

Facial
Daryl Christopher Salon & Day Spa
There are different facials for every skin type. If yours is the type that responds well to 90 minutes of lying naked between fresh sheets in a private room with candles and soothing music while someone gives your face a workout, the Guinot super hydradermie facial with eye treatment is for you. If you want pampering but you’re acne-prone or the words “manual extraction” make you nervous, consider a pedicure instead.

Fitness Club
Boston Sports Club
You might want to join this club for the parking alone. Where else can you pay $1 during peak hours for an indoor spot? New owners have done a complete rehab on the old Allston-Brighton Squash Club, which now pulls its weight with the other big-name clubs in town. To wit: acres of cardio machines, including the hot new elliptical walkers; brand new Cybex; free weights of every description; six squash courts; a huge aerobics studio (that doubles as a gym); and a dedicated spinning room with enough colored lights on the ceiling for a Broadway show.

Golf Course, Suburban
Pembroke Country Club
Unlike many Boston-area public courses, Pembroke gives attentive strokes to course condition. Though located only 30 minutes south of Boston, the narrow fairways with tall pines and bushes (beware of poison ivy) make you feel as if you’re deep in the Berkshires. The secluded par 71 course makes you work at three long, challenging par 5s. Either pay by the round ($27 weekdays, $50 weekends) or purchase a membership. A bonus: Use the phone at the 9th tee to call in your order for a hot dog at the 10th.

Golf Course, Urban
George Wright Golf Club
Tight fairways, manicured greens, and well-marked tee boxes make this inner-city gem a pleasure and a challenge. Nestled in the middle of a residential neighborhood, this par 70 course designed by Donald Ross attracts weekend duffers and irksome weekday sneak-ons (where did that threesome in front of us come from?!). So be prepared to cool your heels and your temper: This is urban golf in the Age of Tiger, after all. Still, it’s easier than you’d think to get a tee time. Love the Tudor clubhouse, and the reduced fees when you flip a Boston ID ($21 weekdays, $24 weekends).

Hair and Makeup, Special Occasion
Julie Michaud
She does runways, she does catalogs and photo shoots, and can do you just as fabulously. Julie’s a full pro, but loves to get girly about makeup (she came out with her own cosmetics line last year) and weddings (yours, as well as hers, just last month). Her artistry is designed to last, with minimal touch-ups during your special event. She’ll even run you through a test drive before a big day: $40 for a coif and $45 for a makeup application

Hair Colorist
Steven Doherty
The man is the patron saint of peroxide. He brings his artistic vision (he’s also a creator of eccentric decorative “wigs” made from leaves, twigs, and pine cones) to every mousy brunette yearning to be bombshell-blond. His chunky foils are cutting edge and to die for. Whether you want highlights or a complete hydraulic overhaul, Steven Doherty will give you the look that nature should have intended. Ecocentrix.

Hair Salon, Suburban
Salon Capri
Beauty bible Allure rated Salon Capri’s Nicholas and Gina Penna as two of the best hairstylists in the country, even though they are located on the fringes of town. Don’t let the off-the-beaten-path location put you off: This is an attitude-free, but far from parochial, salon.

Hair Salon, Urban
City Salon
Huge second-floor bay windows and sky-blue walls make you feel like you’re floating in the clouds as your cranium is massaged with soothing-scented liquids. The walls are lined with works by local artists, and the eight barber chairs are spaced comfortably apart in an airy room. But best of all is the zero-attitude, down-to-earth mentality of the stylists. No hipper-than-thou hair bullies here. The staff is friendly and helpful-co-owner Jeffrey cheerfully washes clients’ hair; stylist Tonya volunteers techniques for blow-drying tresses to perfection at home

Hair, Up-do
Janet Warren
Going to the year’s big posh bash and don’t know what to do with your hair? Pile it on. On top of your head, that is. You’ll walk out with sleek cheekbones on display and limp locks tucked away. Ecocentrix.

Haircut, Men’s
Tonya Pittman
Tired of waiting, as you have to do at some of the trendier salons in the Back Bay where overbooking is a way of life? Tonya treats you like her only appointment of the day. She takes her time and gives you a cut that works for you, and lasts for months.What’s more, you’ll still have time to grab a sandwich before you return to the office. City Salon.

Haircut, Women’s Affordable
Charles Maksou
This man is an artist, sans the temperament problem. But first-timers take note: Your hair will be washed and dried before Maksou takes scissors to head. Using the Dry Cut method favored by stylist John Sahag, Maksou hones in on your best features, offers a complement or two, and designs a cut around them. Best of all, he listens to what you want and takes your lifestyle into account. HAIR FX Studio.

Haircut, Women’s Curly
Maria Madrid
First she stares, then she brushes, then she cuts. Maria is an aesthetic genius who spends time studying the planes of your face and the way your hair curves and curls around it before she makes the first cut. The result: haircuts that work regardless of weather condition (i.e., no more bad hair days). Spanish-born and very energetic, Maria’s a delightful contrast to the laid-back, classical-music ambience of the salon. Snip snip, chat chat-her topics of choice range from the problems of urban school systems to the nature of true friendship. Le Pli Salon & Day Spa.

Haircut, Women’s Short
Billy Drummond
Short but not scary, his flattering haircuts make you feel like Winona Ryder or Isabella Rossellini (depending on your age and role model). Billy excels at developing long-term growth strategies for hair that looks like an outtake from the disaster movie of your life. He’s also the manager of this youthful-but-not-too-trendy salon, set in a Commonwealth Avenue townhouse. John Dellaria Salon.

Manicure
City Salon
What good is having a face that holds up against time and gravity if you neglect your hands? They’re the surest sign of a person’s true age. A manicure by Victoria will help console even the most abused paws. And they’ll look so good, you’ll never ignore them again.

Massage, Shiatsu
Cindy Banker
Cindy is a master at applying pressure (no, she’s not your boss or your mother). We’re talking acupressure, and her treatments will leave your body feeling better than you knew it could. She also offers diet and lifestyle advice of the useful and realistic sort. In the era of drive-thru doctors, Banker knows how to listen, and she’s glad to explain Eastern medical concepts to the uninitiated. Having a master’s degree in Chinese herbal medicine and language and an accredited school to run (New England Center for Oriental Body Work) doesn’t hurt, either.

Massage, Swedish
Kelly Nezat
The man has magic hands! Nezat, a recent transplant from the now-defunct Spa on Newbury, not only releases any stress-induced tension knotting your body with the fundamental Swedish massage, he can also pinpoint problem areas and offer sweet relief with more advanced techniques. With his strong yet gentle touch, you’ll leave feeling like a wet noodle. And he’ll do it for a whole hour longer than your Significant Other’s brief obligatory poke-and-prod. Candela Laserspa.

Pubic sculpture
Mark Wahlberg’s prosthesis in Boogie Nights

Pedicure
Candela Laserspa
The décor is a little confusing-hints of Zen interspersed with furnishings from the Starship Enterprise-but no complaints here. The high-tech pedicure chairs with built-in massager (you control the intensity) are the ne plus ultra in foot relief. The Candela pedicure features a mix of organic creams and lotions for scrubbing and exfoliating all those ugly spots on feet and lower legs. Between stages of the pedicure, feet luxuriate in a whirlpool foot bath.

Personal Trainer
Adam Berke
Vogue named him one of the “most sought after trainers in America”; he has a client list peppered with Boston’s beautiful people, and his state-of-the-art-gym is more Philippe Starke than YMCA grunge. But don’t let appearances deceive you: Berke’s a task master who realizes people do not want to be sweating their buns off, doing the same old grunts seven days a week. Gym rats addicted to StairMasters, aerobics, and other such standard pursuits be warned: Berke will have you jumping rope, spinning, and taking part in high-intensity weight training. He will also create an individually tailored diet regime, which can include two glasses of red wine a night. $75/hour. Adam Berke Gym.

Pilates
Clare Dunphy
After a few years of aerobics and step classes, you realize there’s just so much pounding the joints can take. Enter the Pilates method of exercise- a gentle-but-tough way to strengthen every inch of your abused bod. Professional dancers swear by this system, which involves a spring-loaded contraption called the Reformer to work every muscle you have, and some you didn’t know you had. Clare Dunphy is certified by Pilates Studio in New York (not everyone who hangs out a Pilates shingle is certified), has all the right equipment, and will have you strong and flexible without the impact of most exercise classes. Progress at your own rate with an encouraging “Ahhh! Now doesn’t that feel good?” from Clare. And it does. Dimensions in Fitness.

Sailing
Boston Sailing Center
Learn to sail in the chaos of Boston Harbor, and you’ll be able to sail almost anywhere in the world. Boston Sailing Center has been teaching novices the sport for more than 20 years with instruction from some of the saltiest dogs on the Atlantic seaboard. That includes Scott Ackerman, who teaches beginner and advanced courses at the center and has the keen ability to turn lumpy landlubbers into proficient sailors by the end of the five-week course. The Riverboat at Lewis Wharf.

Tai Chi
Brookline Tai Chi
The excellent teachers here run thoughtful, well-organized classes in the stress-relieving Chinese system of physical exercise, using the Wu style, considered among the closest to the original form. There are after-school classes for ages 12 to 18, an adult program, and free sample classes.

Urban Adventure
Boston Center for Adult Education
Nowhere is there a better selection of outdoorsy activities than at the Boston Center for Adult Ed. Learn safely and with supervision all the invigorating, fresh-air pastimes easily accessible to you in the area: moonlight paddling on the Charles, sea kayaking, rock climbing, sailing, rollerblading, horseback riding, urban biking treks, polo-or for the unrepentantly sedentary, a Polaroid scavenger hunt via limousine.

Waxing
Salon Nordic
Having someone else yank out your body hair can be, um, tolerable. Even first-time waxees will find it quick and painless-the best two things a waxing can be. Bikini line? Ingrown hair? No problem. These unsqueamish Swedish sisters attack so cheerfully, professionally, and swiftly, there’s no time for feeling awkward.