Beauty products can be very expensive, especially if you buy the top brands or are enticed by celebrity chit-chat or product placement. The more a product is advertised, the more you’ll pay is a general rule of thumb.

So what’s the cheapest hair spray that works?

First buy yourself a reusable spray device. These are generally available in most DIY or general stores. If not, try the gardening department.

Here’s the recipe for an inexpensive hair spray :

Choose a lemon for normal hair or an orange for dry hair. Put the whole fruit in a saucepan with two cups water.

Boil until half the water remains. Cool, strain, and place in a spray bottle. Store in the refrigerator. If it’s too sticky, add more water. Add one ounce rubbing alcohol as a preservative and then the spray can be stored for up to two weeks unrefrigerated.

Spring weather is unpredictable. That sunny, dry morning can turn into a misty, wet afternoon. My straight-as-a-board hairstyle doesn’t fare well when the moisture content of the air goes up, and it’s days like this that I wish I could bring my hair dryer, styling brush and straightening iron along for touch-ups.

In search of portable products, I came across the inFiniTi hairstyler by Conair.

This little all-in-one comes with everything you need to style hair quickly and with only one tool. Equipped with detangling combs and a 3 heat setting airflow from its 700 watt motor, it combs, styles and/or pre-dries hair for straightening. The straightening attachment has four tension settings for perfect control and the plates are Tourmaline Ceramic, so they’re gentle to hair. Ion output helps control frizzies for silkier, shinier hair. Finish up with the cool setting to lock in your style and you are ready to go.

At $59.99 this product is a bargain, considering all the tools it replaces. Now, if they only made a cordless version…

Cosmopolitan magazine and Head & Shoulders shampoo are looking for the “Head Turner of the Year” – someone with personal style, charisma and stand-out achievements.

Are you a head-turner? Ever imagine your photo on the pages of Cosmopolitan? If you read Beauty on a Budget regularly, we know you are a head-turner and you could win a three-day/two-night trip to New York City to participate in a photo shoot and makeover; the photo will run in the June 2007 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.

To enter, just visit the website for details. Here’s the full press release from Cosmo and Head & Shoulders:

CINCINNATI, OH January, 2007 – Head & Shoulders, a hair care secret discovered by Cosmopolitan readers who know all about being head-turning, is looking for the “Head Turner of the Year” – someone with personal style, charisma and stand-out achievements. Women are invited to log onto Headturninghair.com to nominate themselves for “Head Turner of the Year.”

The grand prize winner will receive a three-day, two-night trip to New York City to participate in an unforgettable photo shoot and makeover with the Head & Shoulders’ Style Squad, comprised of some of the industry’s top fashion and beauty stylists. A photo layout will run in the June 2007 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.

To enter, women should log onto HeadTurningHair dot com by January 31, 2007, and submit a recent photograph and original essay of 50 words or less on what makes them a head turner. The Head & Shoulders’ Style Squad will select 10 finalists, and the public will decide the winner via online voting.

In a blind survey, 80 percent of Cosmopolitan readers found that Head & Shoulders gave them head-turning hair. Head & Shoulders delivers truly healthy, head-turning hair because it provides both hair and scalp care.

Head & Shoulders helps to liberate people from hair and scalp worries, such as dullness and flakes, and contains six times more moisturizers than non-conditioning shampoos. Head & Shoulders increases hair’s protection from damage and decreases dandruff symptoms such as itching, redness, irritation and visible flakes. The result: healthy, manageable hair and an extra boost of self-confidence. This assurance, coupled with gorgeous, healthy hair, stops people in their tracks, embodying what being a head turner is all about.

Are you using the right hairbrush?

Natural or boar-bristle brushes have flexible bristles that won’t snag and stretch hair so they may cause fewer split-ends. These brushes are best for dry, straight hair but if your hair is thick or curly, you may find they don’t penetrate hair, causing it to snarl or tangle underneath.

Generally, if you have long, thick and curly or wavy hair, you will find it easier to use a brush with synthetic bristles. These should have rubber tips to prevent the bristles from scratching the scalp or catching on hair. The bristles are also more widely spaced than natural bristle brushes which makes detangling easier.

If you are using a brush to blow-dry hair straight, remember the wider the brush, the straighter the hair. Use a paddle brush with synthetic bristles for the best effect.

Always use a wide-toothed comb on wet hair first, to remove tangles and snarls. A round brush is good for turning ends under or creating soft waves but practice is necessary to use it effectively without getting it tangled in hair while blow-drying.