Whee! I got new hair combs! (lots of pictures)

[Bethany]

So, my advisor had her baby while I was gone on Spring Break. (All 11 pounds, 3 ounces of him! :shock: ) So I decided to buy them some California Baby Supersensitive shampoo, which I ordered from hairboutique.com.

Of course, I couldn'y very well justify spending all that shipping just for shampoo, so I had to order some hair toys, too. I used it as an excuse to buy the FranceLuxe French Twist comb I've been thinking about for a while, and I also bought an inexpensive comb from a company called "Smoothies."

First things first, buying from Hairboutique was great. I placed my order Tuesday and got the box on Friday... a few hours to late to send my baby presents over to my advisor with the rest of the department, but just in time to get my bf to take pictures with his digital camera.



The FranceLuxe comb is the one on the left. Most fancy French Twist combs are the same old cheap drugstore combs with fancy decorations. This one is different -- heavy, totally smooth, subtle, and beautiful. (As you may be able to tell, the fancy pattern isn't painted on, it's an integral part of the materal.) I'll have no qualms about using this on wet hair (as I sometimes do with the cheap combs).

Here's some pictures with the comb:




The Smoothies comb is not nearly as smooth. It has plenty of seams that need to be doctored. The plastic is about the same quality as the Good Hair Days fake tortiseshell chignon pins, but the tines are slightly flimsier (at least flimsier than the 5-pring Good Hair Days pin) so it's a little harder to use. The top design is neat, though... and it was only $3.50, after all.


Here's the Smoothies comb on my attempt at the Edwardian knot bun:



But wait! There's more! I got frustrated with me and my bf's joint paper-mache gryphon project and decided to try my hand at LisaJaney's button-decoration technique. I bought some leaf buttons at Michaels and some 3-for-$1.50 WalMart French Twist combs. so I started hotgluing:




The background in the top image is a handwoven coat (not by me!) that I think the comb will look really nice with.

Last but not least, a bonus picture of my housemates's cat Autumn (laying on paper-mache gryphon detritus).

[Mariah]

Kitty!!!

Beautiful combs!! I especially like the one you made WOW! so pretty!!! and such a clever idea! I'm going to have to try that!!!

[Teacherbear]

Bethany, your combs are beautiful!!!!

I agree, those France Luxe combs are wonderful!!!!! super slick and smooth! VERY high quality!

Your updo looks GREAT!!! <turning green with jealousy>!!!

and Kitty is sooooooooooo cute!!!


Thanks for the photos!

[LongRed]

Wow, Bethany, those are great pictures!
I love the combs that you made and
the neat way you put them in
your hair! Gosh, you don't have
a hair out of place!
Thanks for posting them!

[Teechia]

Really pretty combs. Thanks for the review. I really like your idea (or LJ's) to decorate plain ole' side combs. Neat idea!!!
Teechia

[Cowgal]

Lovely! And I really like those Fall leaves! I'll have to get myself over to a Micheals!

I am glad to hear you like your France Luxe comb. I WAS trying to talk myself OUT of a huge FL purchase.... lol. Thanks alot...!

[Hollie]

WOW!!!!!! Those hair toys are great, and your hair looks stunning in those updos using those toys! :mrgreen:

Very cute kitty, too!!!

[Pixna]

Beautiful, Bethany!!! The combs are lovely (the France Luxe one looks fantastic -- I've heard their stuff is super-smooth and outstanding quality) and they look fabulous in your elegant buns (GREAT French twist!!). The comb you made is WONDERFUL!! I love it -- you are very talented. Perhaps this could be a new career sideline for you?!!

[snippet]

very pretty toys. but what's even better is all the updos you've shown! Wow, I'm so very impressed with your french twists! I'm green with envy.

[KajiKodomo]

Beautiful hair toys!!! Your hair looks great! Only wish my hair would go into a french twist...beautiful.....btw, very cute kitty!

[Poledra]

*sigh* and I was just starting to feel good about my flimsy french twist and your beautiful one comes along....

back to the old mirror I guess !

Really, your hair looks fabulous like that

Pol

[laurel]

Those are great!

Love the kitty too!

[Jonobie]

WOW! Those all look fabulous! Love the one you made yourself, too.

Thanks for the review on the two combs from hairbotique, too. I'm currently not buying anything new for a while, but I'm defintely going to look at those France Luxe combs when I get off. That one is *gorgeous*.

Cheers,
Jonobie

[LisaJaney]

I just love that comb you made! And they are so easy, too! I will try shooting pics of my combs to someone who can post pics and see if they can put them in this thread so that folks can see several different types of combs and what kind of options there are (Michaels has been very very good to me, and they have a wide variety of buttons for this craft idea)

I'll see if I can add them to this post at some point.......

Great French Twist, by the way. "Not a hair out of place", as someone said. Green with envy..... (and the kitty has "not a hair out of place", too! Very pretty kitty!)

[Madeleine]

Wow Bethany, I'm so impressed! Thanks for sharing those great pics

Your new hair toys are fabulous, especially the FranceLuxe and your self-decorated comb. I really have to get into this - still haven't found the time.
You're right about most french twist combs being just decorated cheap plastic ones - just today I (finally!) got to see some Evita Peroni hair toys IRL, and while some of them were nice and well made, I was disappointed by their combs. Really nice decor, but ridges and seams galore - and I'm not going to pay over 20 Euros for that.

Your french twists are perfect! Were the combs all you used or did you have some additional pins in there?