One of the most frequent questions I get is: “What should I splurge on and how can I save?”

I think only with hair do you really get what you pay for.  Splurge on a gorgeous cut and artful highlights and your hair will be easier to style, will grow out more evenly and you’ll be more likely to love what you see in the mirror every morning.Is this a hard and fast rule?  No.  You can get nice color from a box–although from-a-box highlights truly are dicey–and you can get a good cut from Susie Q at the local salon.  The more complex the style and intricate the color, however, the more you’ll benefit from a pro.  If you have the same color God blessed you with, rarely blowdry your hair because it airdries perfectly!, and haven’t the foggiest why everybody moans about frizz and damage, then Supercuts and Feria away!  For the rest of us–you know, us split-ended, monthly root-touch-up requiring, coarse-stranded, thick-haired gals with cowlicks?–you’d better believe we’ll see results from a great stylist.  (”Great” means, say, $100 - $200…not $1000.  We are not Billionaires here, people.)

Now.  As for pretty much everything else …with the exception of powders (more on that below)…more expensive does not equal better!  Cleanser, face moisturizer/serum, nail polish, intensive conditioner…you can find genuinely amazing buys for all at the drugstore!  Below, my all-time favorites (all of which are currently carving out real-estate in my bathroom).

Moisturizer/Serum/Sunscreen: Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch SPF 55, Olay Regenerist, Purpose Dual Treatment Moisture Lotion SPF 15 

Cleanser: Check out Cetaphil, Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash, Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

 Nail polish: OPI will do just fine, thanks!

Intensive Conditioner: VO5 Hot Oil, Infusium Leave-In Treatment, Aussie Three Minute Miracle

 Mascara: Cover Girl Lash Blast, Max Factor Lash Perfection, Maybelline Great Lash (if that’s your thing)

The only thing besides hair I will voluntarily splurge on until the day I die is Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals foundation, because those drugstore imitations just do not compete.  Why?  More expensive powders are more finely milled; your NARS blush will produce less streaks than the Rite-Aid version; it’s not your imagination–those MAC eyeshadows really are more pigmented than the corner knock-off.So, shop at the drugstore and remain confident that–as long as you’re picking the right products–you can still equip yourself with the best…all while saving money for those expensive highlights!  Or for rent.  Toss up.

It’s been fun experimenting with red hair these past several months, but I’m now ready for a change.  The sun is shining!  Spring is in the air!  And, most importantly, I’m ready to feel like myself again.  I visited Kaz Amor at Warren-Tricomi LA last week, and we began the slow, gradual process of lightening my hair.  (In order to safely blondify it and not completely damage my strands, it’s best to do over several months–in reality, it will probably be about a year before my hair is back the way it was last November, when I took the red plunge.)  Kaz is a hair color master–he travels all over the country to educate stylists in salons on coloring techniques–and I knew I was in safe hands.  After highlights and root “smudges”, the color is now a soft, gorgeous strawberry blonde.  Check out my videos, above and below, of the before and after.

My favorite salon, Ted Gibson, is having a recessionista special that New York ladies would be foolish not to take advantage of.

Here’s what you’ll get at Ted Gibson salons on Tuesdays, regardless of which stylist you see–junior or senior!

Blowouts (normally $95): $40
Haircuts (normally $125 - $175): $75
Single Process or Partial Highlights (normally $125 - $225): $75

I feel like a used car salesman, but, dude, these are insane prices!  I can personally promise you that you will have the most fabulous, glamorous, amazing hair experience of your life at Ted Gibson–the stylists and colorists are all talented and warm, and co-owners Ted Gibson and Jason Backe are beauty world rock stars.  I mean it.  Rock stars.

Check out their amazing product line while you’re at it; I personally am addicted to the freshening, UV-and-amino-acid infused Hair Sheet Styling Sheets and the everybody-needs-to-own-a-bottle Daily Nourish Conditioner.  (Cute little bonus: stop by the salon Tuesday between 10 am and 12 noon, and drop off your business card to be selected for a complimentary hair makeover with Ted and Jason!)

Call 212-633-6333 to book, and tell ‘em Jolie sent you.

Okay, my loves, I know that my YouTube videos are the height of crap—we’re talking epic bad lighting, camera angles, and posting/editing skills, not to mention the fact that I apparently have the worst lisp in the history of the world—but be gentle.  Jolie is learning!

This weekend, I went to the Nelson J. salon to have highlights done by Nelson Chan, who also does celebrities including Heather Graham.  He’s well-known for the care he puts into his blondes, and was recently named one of the Best in LA 2008 by Los Angeles magazine.  I was not disappointed: my strands are the perfect buttery shade of California blonde, with extra light face-framing pieces.  I highly, highly recommend his work.

So, to see the results, check out my pointless little video below (my camera is broken, alas, otherwise I would have just taken pictures) — haircut pics/vids to follow soon!

Jolie’s new highlights…