HOT TIPS : WHEN SATELLITES WORK, PAGERS CAN DO MORE THAN EVER.

Byline: Barbara De Witt 

A year ago, Miz Hot Tips and others in the City of Angels would have snickered if somebody had suggested a pager for weather conditions.

Like, we know it's going to be sunny the next day ...

But El Nino has changed our weather and our 'tude on weather reports. With snow in the local mountains, tornadoes rolling through town and houses sliding down the hills, we're not laughing anymore, and suddenly the new WeatherPager has merit (providing they get that satellite fixed). A pager service designed by AccuWeather Inc., the country's largest commercial weather service, it can be connected to your existing pager (or theirs) to alert you whenever the National Weather Service issues official warnings, watches or advisories. It's offered like cable TV, with a baseline service charge of $14.95 a month for four-county coverage. For more information, call [phone].

Other new pager ideas include Motorola's Express Luna FLX pager, $105, that glows in the dark, and the Jazz pager, $150, touted as the smallest word message pager at less than 3 inches long. The latter features a reminder system with vibrations or music, plus a choice of 10 preprogrammed messages (``I'm running late,'' ``Pick me up'') that can be displayed when a caller sends a two-digit code.

And for pager panache, try the BeepSuit collection by Motorola. It's designed by BodyGlove and features a variety of pager carriers to protect them from shock or bad weather, from a pager purse with a special lipstick compartment to an elegant pager chain to wear around your neck. Learn about them on the Internet at http://www.motorola.com/pagers.

A real eye-full: You've seen brown eyes turn blue - or green - but now you can have those spooky zombie eyes that Brad Pitt had in ``Twelve Monkeys'' or Jack Nicholson had in ``Wolf''... or nightclub novelties like a star and moon in each eye.

They're called WildEyes - nonprescription contact lenses made by Wesley Jessen Co. that you can buy from your eye doctor for $149 a pair, plus the cost of an eye exam.

Beauty and beyond: Forget the guy with the ponytail. There's a new hair guru who's got a cool cut and oozes with charm. He's hairdresser-to-the-stars Frederic Fekkai, who recently opened a romantic French-themed salon that overlooks Rodeo Drive.

Miz Hot Tips stepped inside the third floor salon and was amazed at how pretty the place is. Like, there's no chrome, and certainly no 'tude like some of the other chi-chi salons. And they've got this fab guy named Napolean (honest!) who gives such great scalp and neck massages that you'll never want to shampoo at home again (unless he makes house calls). The salon also has a boutique where you can buy the same shampoo, plus Fekkai's own collection of cosmetics, hair brushes, sunglasses, sleek purses and cool hair accessories. And he also opened Cafe Mirabeau on the patio, where even non-salon customers can dine on his tasty tarts, salads and sandwiches.

Frederic Fekkai Beaute de Provence is located at 440 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills; phone [phone].

Shopper's alert: While scouting the Promenade Mall in Woodland Hills, Miz Hot Tips discovered Ames has its version of the ``Titanic'' necklace for shipboard romances. It's a hefty heart-shaped blue rhinestone on a sparkling chain, priced at $78.

Also new is the children's luxury goods store called Tartine et Chocolat which opens Friday at 316 N. Beverly Drive. You'll find candy, clothes and furnishings for the fashion-forward with big budgets.

And take note that Tommy Hilfiger now has bed and bath accessories and that Fendi (known for fab furs) has a sexy new fragrance called Fantasia that's heavy on the cassis, $29 and up.

Tattoo trends: Miz Hot Tips is aware that rock music fans are going for tattoos on the back of the neck, but in general they're passe and even the ever-trendy Cher has gotten hers removed.

However, those temporary henna designs favored by Hindu brides are still hot. If you like the exotic look and are handy with a paint brush or stencil, try one of the new do-it-yourself kits on the market, such as the Temptu Removable Mehndi Designs and Body Paints kit, which you can order by calling [phone]; and Henna Sphere Temporary Body Art, which you can order from a Sylmar-based company called Simple at [phone].

You'll also find them in teen and hipster hangouts for about $20. P.S.: You have to mix a lot of ingredients, and it's a real project, but the designs last up to six weeks.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: WeatherPager, designed by the country's largest commercial weather service, can be connected to your existing pager to alert you to National Weather Service warnings, advisories and the like.