LA Stylist To The Stars Ken Paves Knows A Cheap Great Hairbrush

His clients are A-listers. People like Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Simpson. And it would be no surprise that a super stylist like Ken Paves would use only the best and most expensive styling tools to create the unforgettable manes of Hollywood.

But there have been times when Ken Paves has lost his luggage, or some of his hair essentials never made it to a photo shoot. And that is when he has had to pick some cheaper hair tools.

We have learned from InStyle magazine, that Ken Paves loves to visit beauty emporium ULTA, and stock up on some of the cheaper but great hairstyling needs.

Today, we are looking at one of the most important hair tools-----the hairbrush.

Let's be honest, a fine hairbrush is key to a beautiful head of hair. It adds body, shine, and strength to your hair. And the right hairbrush stimulates blood flow to the scalp which increases blood flow to the hair roots.

Ken Paves' pick for a cheap, great hairbrush:

DCNL Porcupine Cushion Hairbrush ($24.99, ULTA stores and at Ulta.com)
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2114612&productId=xlsImpprod620022&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat120074#details

He loves this good-looking brush with the bright red cushion. " Works just as well as other mixed-bristle brushes that are far more expensive," Ken Paves says.

The DCNL Porcupine Cushion Hairbrush features nylon bristles with boar bristles.

And right now, you can pick up the hairbrush at Ulta.com for only $19.99 with their 20% off promo code 27164.

Hairbrushes can be quite expensive. And this cute red-cushioned number closely resembles the famous Mason Pearson Boar Bristle & Nylon Hairbrush for $169. It might not be as durable as the Mason Pearson, but it can get the job done.

Times are tough these days, and we're all looking for beauty bargains. And if LA's Ken Paves says this is a very decent hairbrush, we believe him.

Maxim Men Like Megan Fox And Women Want Her Eyes

Actress Megan Fox is quite a stunning woman, and apparently most men would agree. The men's Maxim magazine has just revealed its Top 100 hot women for 2009. And we are not surprised that Megan Fox is on the very short top of the list. Actually, she placed 2nd, but who's counting?

Men love Megan Fox, and women want her sexy eyes.

We can't hand over her smoky eyes to you, but, we can give you some makeup brands she wears. And then you can create your own sexy eyes. Take a look at the first photo of Megan at the 2009 Golden Globes Awards show with her elegant and modern take on the french twist.

Here's the makeup her artist used:

Eyes: Diorshow mascara in Brown, Dior 2-Colour Eyeshadow in Nude Look, Dior Eye Show in #622, Dior Night Diamond as highlighter
Face: Dior Night Diamond to highlight Megan’s face; Dior Pro Cheeks in Hip Peach for blush
Lips: Dior Addict High Shine Lipstick in Nude Silhouette #214

Meantime, if that's just too much time in front of the mirror, you can get amazing, Megan Fox eyes, with one simple beauty product: a great kohl pencil. And of course, some mascara to further enhance the eye shape and show off those long, dark lashes.

And we have found a super eye pencil to get the job done. We discovered this cool kohl pencil from a beauty website called Ask a Makeup Guru. And it's a wonderful buy, according to Danica Jardien:

Stila Eye Kajal $18.00, at your local Ulta or Sephora or major department store.

According to Danica Jardien, this Stila pencil glides along the eyes smoothly and will give you those sexy, smoky Megan Fox eyes.

To learn more about Stila Eye Kajal, visit Danica's website:
http://askamakeupguru.com/blog/tag/megan-fox-eye-makeup/

Take Celeb Derm Dr. Brandt Home With You, Almost

He's a celebrity dermatologist. And he is rumored to have recently placed some Sculptra into the legendary face of Madonna, to enhance her striking features and add strategically-balanced volume to keep her forever youthful.

We're talking about Miami and New York City-based Dr. Fredric Brandt. He has the fine skills of an artist and can create quite a younger appearance by using Botox, Restylane, Sculptra, and other products for non-invasive procedures.

But if you can't get to this skin pioneer, you can "take the doctor home with you."

Dr. Brandt has some wonderful beauty treatments you can use to protect your skin and restore its youthful appearance. His website, http://www.drbrandtskincare.com/ is an excellent place to learn about your individual skin care needs. And what we like about Dr. Brandt is his integrity. He stands behind his products and he invites the customer to ask any questions he or she might have, and includes the phone number and address to his Miami practice.

His skin care lines might be a little high in cost, but the beauty treatments are very good and you see results that are real. In fact, Dr. Brandt's 'House Calls' products are quite popular, because these special items have been formulated to 'mimic' the very same office procedures he is famous for.

There are 5 House Calls treatments in this particular line:

1. Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Body ($45). A new, super exfoliating cream for the body.

2. Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion ($75). A very effective skin polisher for the face and neck.

3. Dr. Brandt Crease Release ($150), Made with GABA complex, helps to relax expression lines. Smooths over deep wrinkles. This is one of his celebrity favorites.

4. Dr. Brandt Contour Effects ($185). This is a nourishing cream that plumps and firms the skin, giving it a youthful buoyancy.

5. Dr. Brandt Laser-a-Peel System ($75). A 2-part treatment that tightens pores and improves the skin's elasticity. Made with lactic acid, glycolic acid and QuSome.

You Either Like the Kate 8 Hairdo Or You Hate It

Okay, we are going out on a limb here, to declare our love for the Kate Gosselin hairdo.

And we are finding, that you either like this bob hairstyle with the spikey, choppy back, or----you really, really hate it!

Kate Gosselin is the 34-year-old mother of 8. You know her from the television reality show Jon And Kate Plus Eight.

The cute couple has been in the news and tabloids for a few weeks now, ever since it was alleged that husband Jon was fooling around with another woman.

Today, we heard that the Gosselins are splitsville. It's a sad ending for a family of adorable twins and sextuplets. Let's hope the rumors are untrue.

This Kate Gosselin hairstyle has been getting lots of buzz, mainly from people who despise this bob. Critics call it out-dated, 'Brady Bunch mother do, 80's punk hair, unflattering striped hair coloring, etc.

It isn't the Rachel hairstyle from Friends. So what? Lots of young women and moms across the country have been asking for this haircut for a couple of years now. It is actually a very popular hairdo.

Meantime, Kate Gosselin has said to EW that she has heavy hair. And she says her Pennsylvania stylist gets many, many calls for the unique bob:

“It’s my attitude! Everybody wants it. It’s work. I have very, very thick hair, so it’s not going to work for everybody. I’ve seen people come through the book line with thin hair and it just won’t work. My hair stylist gets calls from all across the country.”

We believe that Kate Gosselin could care less if you like her hairstyle. She's workin' it. And she's in the headlines daily, more than the other former blonde bob queen, Victoria Beckham.

Do you like the Kate 8 hairdo, or do you hate it?

How White Vinegar Rinse Can Lock In Color Longer

We've had a number of women ask us to consult the beauty gods, and find a solution for hair color that fades too quickly. For gray hairs that pop up too fast following a bath in permanent dye. For bold red color that lightens much too soon after a visit to the salon. Etc.

We would certainly agree, that a professional hair salon is always your best bet when coloring your hair or lightening or darkening your locks several shades. But even then, many women complain that permanent hair color is not perfect, and doesn't maintain its shade and shine for too long.

Sorry, but we don't have a perfect answer, either. We have written a number of articles about dyeing hair, and coloring hair at home. A lot of women say they follow the steps strictly, and still, the color fades too fast.

We thought about this last night, and then we thought about a new pair of indigo jeans we had bought. We read somewhere, that tossing a little white vinegar into the wash with the new dark jeans would stop fading. So we tried it, and by golly, it worked. The dark jeans did not leave any colored water in the wash.

Hmmm. Could this work for newly colored hair, we wondered?!

So, we started digging around the internet. And apparently, a white vinegar rinse after coloring hair, is said to lock in the the new shade and keep the dye in for a longer time.

We have not tried this yet, but the next time we color our grays with a box of Excellence, we will let you know.

What's in white vinegar, you ask???

We were curious, and found this little item from some punk haircoloring dye-hards at http://www.mookychick.co.uk/style/hairdye_tips.php

"You can also keep the colour in there a little longer by rinsing your hair with white vinegar straight after colouring your hair. This raises the pH level of the hair color and gives it more permanence. Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and water in a cup (about half a cup of each) and rinse out your newly-coloured hair with lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Then pour on the mix, comb it through and rinse it out. Huzzah!"

The white vinegar supposedly helps to close the cuticle and retain your color. Yes, the odor is strong, but disappears after rinsing well. Close your eyes, too, a shot of vinegar stings like mad.

We are not saying this vinegar rinse method is fool-proof, but it's worth a shot. Plus, you will add great shine to your hair, and tangled hair will be gone.

Sex & The City's Kristin Davis Stays Young Through AHAVA

As Sex and the City Fans anxiously await another movie from the gals, (it was made official last February that the cast had signed on to do a sequel), we were eager to learn about Kristin Davis, and how the 44-year-old, ageless beauty stays that way.

One word she has for her fans: AHAVA.

Kristin Davis is talking about the AHAVA skin care line she is an international spokesperson for.

We can say that the Time Line products of AHAVA all contain dead sea algae. The plant is said to be full of beta carotene and vitamins, ingredients that keep skin looking youthful.

All Night Nourishment, which Kristin Davis adores, was also developed with a patented 3D Complex, containing extracts from the Trigonella shrub and Jujube tree, both of which are supposed to nourish damaged skin. A jar retails for $56 for 1.7 oz.

Ahava, by the way, means 'love' in Hebrew. And according to the AHAVA skin care line, the secret is in the Dead sea.

"People from all over the world with very sensitive skin or even skin disorders come to the Dead Sea to immerse their bodies in its mineral-rich waters. Dead Sea minerals are approved and recommended by the world’s most renowned dermatologists, both as an excellent remedy for alleviating the symptoms of skin problems and as ongoing, daily care for maintaining healthy skin at optimal levels. The majority of AHAVA products are approved for sensitive skin."

And that is the beauty of the AHAVA mineral-rich skin care line. From face, to hands and body, to bath and hair, there is a special AHAVA beauty treatment for you.

You can purchase AHAVA products from these websites:
http://www.ahavaus.com/, ULTA, and Nordstrom

Carol Alt Keeping It Raw And Natural With New Skin Care Line

Model Carol Alt has had quite a successful career--- on magazine covers, in movies, on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice show, as a published author, and the list goes on.

And now the beautiful brunette has a new skin care line, and it's all raw!

Carol Alt has been enjoying the healthy benefits of eating raw foods for quite some time now, and it just made sense, to extend that pure goodness to the products one uses on their face and body. That means:

100% raw active, natural and completely synthetic-free ingredients. That means no parabens, P.E.G.s, or lauryl sulfates. In fact, RAW ESSENTIALS is the only product line sold in the United States that is certified raw.

Carol Alt explains the value of raw skin care at her website, www.CarolAlt.com.

“Since the raw movement is relatively new, it was virtually impossible to find a cosmetics company with a truly pure line that I, myself, would feel safe using. My guidelines and demands on this subject are so stringent, and I am not willing to compromise on them, that it made it very difficult for any company to be able to afford to work with me. You have to understand that it is very expensive to use raw ingredients in anything. When I say ‘raw’, I mean as found in nature - unadulterated, unheated ingredients. That is basically why I had to create my own products, which has taken me quite a while to accomplish..."

Carol is very serious about the true ingredients found in her new skin care line.

“You know…I simply cannot imagine that putting something synthetic on your skin can possibly improve it. All you have to do is look around. No matter how much expensive goop people put on their faces, are they looking younger? No! Not at all. If all of the synthetic products really worked, would we need botox and plastic surgery to the degree they’re now being used? Think about it…!”

The HSN shopping website features a number of Carol Alt's Raw Essentials collection.

We recommend the RAW Essentials by Carol Alt Raw-gime 5-piece Face Kit
Item: 396-475. It sells for $68.50. Retail price: $103.25.

The kit includes:
4 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-covery Facial Revive Wash.
1.7 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-activate Daily Revitalizing Moisturizer.
.5 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-juvenate Eye Recoup.
4 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-fresh Facial Toner.
2 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-finish Rigorous Face Scrub.
Made in USA.

And by looking at the customer reviews, it's an excellent skin care introductory set. Sensitive skin will appreciate this line, and those with rosacea, have found Carol's products soothing and effective at toning down the redness.

Check out her Raw Essentials here:
http://beauty.hsn.com/raw-essentials-by-carol-alt-raw-gime-5-piece-face-kit_p-5385658_xp.aspx?webm_id=0&web_id=5385658&sf=bs&attr=6360&ocm=sekw&prev=hp!6360&ccm=bs6360