Can you help me out with pastels?

I'm in the market for a set of pastels and pastel paper. I'm not geared toward soft pastels because I bought a set of those a few years ago and wasn't happy with all the dust. I want a basic set of the primary colors, brown, black and white. Price isn't really a concern as long as I'm getting what I pay for. What's a good pastel "practice" paper? What would I use for bigger projects/paintings? Any hints, tips, or links to above materials will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.