While millions spent their time discussing Sarah Palin‘s exorbitant wardrobe “improvements” back during the election, one blogger recently got all Photoshop happy and decided to give her hair a bit of a makeover instead. The choice of models is mostly limited to the political realm, including Hillary Clinton, Arianna Huffington, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, and Katie Couric with Barbra Streisand thrown in for good measure. While none of these ladies are exactly hair mavens like Jennifer Aniston or Katie Holmes, they’re all brand-new ‘dos for Sarah. More after the jump. [Examiner]

Winter does horrible things to our hair, so we splurged on some Frederic Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Cream in the hopes that the gods of hair care would favor us with good results if we spent $27. Wishful thinking. While the stuff does, in fact, tame some of the fly-aways and add a bit of shine, it’s a tad more slick and goopy than we’d like it to be, often looking more icky-oily than pretty-shiny. Defeated with an almost-full tube of not-so-Brilliant Glossing Cream in hand, we decided to do the unthinkable and try the drugstore version, instead.

So this is what Devendra Banhart really looks like. The rocker just shaved off his signature face-obscuring beard. Turns out, there’s a cute boy under there. [Purple Diary]

I was really excited when I learned Essence.com had launched a makeover tool, “Makeover Magic,” because I thought it would give me some options for styling my locks. Boy, was I wrong! Not only does the tool not have hairstyles for dreadlocks, but it doesn’t feature any natural hairstyles. Most of the looks are ones black celebrities have rocked in the past or are currently sporting, but I recognize some from the pages of Essence. While I’m disappointed that Essence.com chose to ignore a large segment of its demographic with this new tool, I can’t say I’m surprised. The magazine very rarely features photos of natural hairstyles, especially locks, and if it does, the styles all look the same. This is probably a reflection of what’s popular in mainstream black culture, but it isn’t an excuse. Essence.com could have combed through its photo archive and used natural styles that were featured in the magazine, like it did for the “Party Coifs” section of the tool, which contains photos of models, rather than celebs.

I did try out the “Makeover Magic” tool. As you can see, I went in a completely different direction with my hair, but I have decided to stick with my locks. [Essence.com]

JooYoun Paek’s Pillowig—perfect for narcoleptics, or those who wish to take bedhead-chic to the next level. [Racked]

Forget everything you ever knew about getting the perfect blow-out. In this video, Pauly D of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” beauty schools you in how to get the perfect guido blow-out—which includes techniques you’d probably never even fathom trying. His routine, which takes almost a half hour, starts off with a jumbo-sized lump of gel, which he explains might be “a little white, so just rub out the white.” Next comes a spray product, which Pauly explains is a moldah and a shapuh (a molder and shaper), which he applies for a full 15 seconds.

Seriously, who decided that it would look cool to make your hair stand straight on end like you stuck your finger in a light socket? [NY Daily News]

Most people try their hardest to mask unwanted grays, preoccupying themselves with salon visits in a desperate attempt to keep their roots a secret. But fashion trendsetters like designers Giles Deacon and Gareth Pugh sent silver foxes down their runways, and models and socialites like Kristen McMenamy and Pixie Geldof have embraced the gray look for reasons ranging from punk to empowerment (see “Why I Love My Gray Hair”). Think it looks as cool as we do? After the jump we explain how to get the look.

Shaving designs of pooping people into your hair really shouldn’t be amusing. [And yet, how amusing they are.—Editor] [Gawker]

“It takes me twenty-five minutes to get it right. Greatness takes time, and this hair right here is greatness. I have it down to a tee, but this is a process right here.”

—Pauly D of MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” whose hair looks like a lacquered, unmoving sculpture.

Wow, Pink is still wearing the same old scandalous pastie costume that we spotted on her earlier this fall and (halfheartedly tried to defend). Only now, she’s added a long, blonde wig that oddly makes her look like your run-of-the-mill Hollywood blonde. Crazy, right? [Daily Mail]

“I’ve been pregnant and nursing for the past two years, and I really haven’t been able to do a lot with my hair color—I haven’t had time. I was sick of being blonde, so we just decided to dye it brown. I feel smarter already.”

—Nicole Richie on becoming a brunette [PopSugar, Twitter] 

SandraRose.com featured this sad story of a mother (her name was kept anonymous, probably better for her safety) who got really sick and tired of her baby being so … bald. “It’s never too early for my baby to start looking glamorous like Beyonce!” said the mother. What did she decide to do about the problem? She gave her kid some long, luxurious locks, natch. Don’t worry, she didn’t get her a weave, which could be painful and dangerous for baby’s head. She got her a less dangerous, yet still fiercely fashionable, lace front wig. “I wouldn’t be caught dead without my lace front and my baby won’t either,” this doting mother explained. OK. I’m not laughing anymore. Does this scare the crap out of anyone else? I don’t know whether to cry or call Child Protective Services. What if this trend catches on? Then what’s next? Thong diapers? [SandraRose.com]

This isn’t a how-to-do-an-updo post—but I do really love Lake Bell’s latest updo. Check out all of her baby hair running along her hairline—we all have it to some degree, and it can be totally annoying to deal with. The damn baby hairs just don’t stay put where you want them to. Getting them wet only solves the problem for 10 minutes, then they dry up and frizz, wack out and don’t listen to even the strongest hold gel. The one thing that does really, weirdly tame the baby hairs? Clear mascara. True story. Buy the cheapie kind and just use the brush they give you to comb your hair into place! You won’t get super shiny/glossy or wet looking hair this way, either.

“The first day I met [Tracy Morgan], I had a small Afro, and he was like, ‘You know, if you want to get dreads, you should get your girl pregnant and put the placenta in your hair.’ And I was like, ‘What the f**k are you talking about?’ But from that point on, I thought, ‘Any brain that can make that up needs to be studied.’”

—Donald Glover, “Community” star and ex-writer for “30 Rock.” Did we mention he’s only 26? Wonder if he’s single ... [NYMag.com]