49 responses so far ↓

• 1 Daffodil Campbell // Jan 8, 2009 at 9:18 am

  Oh, I really LIKE that. And it’s easy to use? It sounds complicated, with the elastic and pokey teeth, but I am totally going to give it a try !

• 2 megan // Jan 8, 2009 at 9:33 am

  It’s surprisingly easy to use. The elastic band is attached to the top bar of the comb so you simply: twist your hair, tuck the comb behind the twist, then pull the elastic band over top of the twist and hook it on the other side of the top bar of the comb. The little teeth along the top bar of the comb (which you can see in the product photo, right under the “bandette” word) help keep the top bits of hair in place and fanned out nicely, they won’t slip to one side during the day. There are instructions with the packaging.

  When you have it in it actually appears more like the old leather hair things that you’d stick the pin through, remember those? Except the added hair comb means none of my hair wants to fall out during the day. Really, I’m very pleased with how well it works. All the plastic is nicely rounded so when I have it in there isn’t anything poking or scratching my scalp.

  The only downside is that when I have my hair up and I’m wearing my glasses, with my pale skin and brown hair I feel a little bit like I’m trying to do a (shudder) Sarah Palin look. Which I am not, at all.

• 3 Seanna Lea // Jan 8, 2009 at 11:33 am

  That looks pretty nice. I have been wearing my hair down, but it is driving me batty. My hair is only about shoulder length, so I wonder if it would work on the shorter length of hair.

• 4 megan // Jan 8, 2009 at 11:44 am

  Seanna – My hair only just reaches my shoulders. It’s long enough to stay back in a ponytail, but I’m honestly surprised it will all stay back in this twist. The comb does a good job of keeping everything in place from underneath. It’s like a foundation garment for hair!

• 5 KT // Jan 8, 2009 at 11:56 am

  I, too, accidently suffer from palin-lookalike-syndrome. my glasses (which I’ve had for 2 years) even look like hers. definitely time to get new ones!!

• 6 rachelm // Jan 8, 2009 at 12:49 pm

  i’ve been wearing these for years- after finding them in a claire’s or some such shop. they don’t give me headaches and keep my hair pulled up quite nicely! i’ve always tried to spread the word of the bandette!

• 7 Linda // Jan 8, 2009 at 1:00 pm

  I love the Localoc Bandette product! It is so easy to use and you’re right- comfortable! I got mine at Claire’s. I also bought their Twist ‘n’ Clip headband. I love the hairstyles where you twist chunks of hair around the face and secure the sections with individual clips- but who has the 10 extra hands needed to create those cute ‘dos? The Twist ‘n’ Clip is the best hair toy. You slip on the headband, grab sections of hair, twist and clip into the clasps built into the band. Joyous!

• 8 Denise // Jan 8, 2009 at 1:05 pm

  I wonder if this would work with thick heavy hair? My hair is so heavy it doesn’t even stay in a ponytail unless I use heavy duty hairbands. I am going to look for one and try it!

• 9 Rebekah // Jan 8, 2009 at 1:19 pm

  I love that you say that it stays in ultra fine hair! I must find one of these for myself. I am so over the messy ponytail look and yet my ten month old is not over pulling large handfuls of my hair!

• 10 jenney // Jan 8, 2009 at 2:38 pm

  I like it! I have six daughters and between the seven of us in the kitchen, SOMEONE is always looking for a way to put her hair up quickly. If I go quick and sloppy, the doorbell rings and I look like a drowned rat, so I think maybe I’m off to Icing one day soon.

  Thanks for the tip!

• 11 megan // Jan 8, 2009 at 3:24 pm

  Denise – When I google the bandette I get a lot of results from forums for people trying to deal with having a lot of hair (I’m officially jealous, fyi) so it very well might work. I’m not sure how well it might do with very long hair, however.

• 12 Stella // Jan 8, 2009 at 6:52 pm

  Ooh I have to check that out since I’ve just started growing my hair out and will need to look put together for work during that awkward growing out time.

  Have you seen Heather Bailey’s Trash Ties?
  They are pretty amazing and hold hair SO WELL. I have a set of both, one for the long hair and one for the short hair. It’s amazing what you can do with silk wrapped wire! :)

  Might be worth an official Not Martha review ;)

  http://www.trashties.com

• 13 Lady in a Smalltown // Jan 8, 2009 at 7:10 pm

  When I wore my hair longer (a look I am going back to) I used hairsticks with elastic bands. Scunci makes them, although I have seen them in a store for a while. I found them very useful. http://tinyurl.com/77pq3c

• 14 megan // Jan 8, 2009 at 7:29 pm

  Stella – Thanks for the suggestion but I’ve taken a look at those and I can tell you with certainty they would slide right out of my (sad, pathetic) hair.

• 15 Susan // Jan 8, 2009 at 8:35 pm

  You have really super duper cute neck hair curls. :)

  I must have one. I am growing out a VBH…the first one in my life. Styling my hair is currently an exercise in futility.

• 16 Erin // Jan 8, 2009 at 9:41 pm

  It would be great if you could post a video of how you actually put the bandette in. I became confused while reading the directions. :( But I am easily confused.

• 17 Erin // Jan 8, 2009 at 9:43 pm

  It would be great if you could post a video of how you actually put the bandette in. I became confused while reading the directions. :( But I am easily confused. By the way…your hair looks really pretty/classy in the twist.

• 18 Mox Rogers // Jan 9, 2009 at 6:04 am

  I might have to look into that. The only jaw clippy thing I have makes my hair look really goofy at the length it is, and I get tired of ponytails and variations thereof on the days that I just can’t bring myself to straighten my hair or have it down.

• 19 Heather // Jan 9, 2009 at 6:26 am

  My soft-soft hair doesn’t like to stay in barrettes, either, let alone those silly claw things…until I found the Scunci No-Slip Grip claws. They’ve got pebbled silicone on the interior so they lightly grip hair and it doesn’t slide around. I use mine nearly every day, now that I’m growing my hair out, because I hate having my hair in my face at the office.

  http://scunci.com/product_detail.aspx?gid=13&pid=9999999999

• 20 Ruth // Jan 9, 2009 at 7:17 am

  So here’s the craziest thing ever. I read this post yesterday and thought, hey, I should try finding one of those things.

  Last night I went upstairs to take a shower, and there on my bathroom counter, IS one of these devices! I’ve been housecleaning, and that was in a pile of hair doodads somebody who cut hers off gave me. I’d tossed it there not really knowing what I’d do with it.

  Awesome!

• 21 Michele // Jan 9, 2009 at 8:08 am

  I like that! I wonder if it’ll work with my hair which is thick and heavy. Hrm…might have to give it a try!

• 22 phillygirl64 // Jan 9, 2009 at 8:38 am

  The Palin look is reason enough for me to say NO

• 23 megan // Jan 9, 2009 at 8:57 am

  Heather – Thank you so much for recommending the Scunchi No-Slip Grip claws. I had no idea they existed, I’ll have to get some when I come across them.

• 24 Hanna // Jan 9, 2009 at 2:03 pm

  ok, I read your review and a few others and I went right to the mall and got two of these. SO AWESOME! thank you for blogging about this. I have really really fine hair that falls out of a ponytail if i don’t have it really tight which ends up damaging my hair. I think this will really help me since I work in food service and have to have my hair up all the time. I made my twist a bit lower than yours so it doesn’t look quite so palin-esque.

• 25 s // Jan 9, 2009 at 2:11 pm

  thanks so much–love it. i use these, but twist my hair into more of a bun, (to be more non-palin). btw, i found one on ebay (thats where i bought mine a while back) for folks who prefer to avoid malls :)

• 26 nicole // Jan 10, 2009 at 10:06 am

  Do you know Hairscroos? I love those! I have long(er) hair and they work well on my hair. As soon as you can make some sort of ponytail/twist they can be used and I used mine all the time when I had hair down to my waist and longer, they really grip well when inserted properly (which is easy, but you have to really screw them into the hair all the way).
  When my hair was really long I could get away with using just one and not locking it with the second one…

  I googled for Hairscroos and this is the first link that came up:
  http://glitter-box.blogspot.com/2006/09/hair-scroo.html
  I have seen them in black, brown and silver, not that it matters because they end up entirely covered by hair anyway.

• 27 Lesley // Jan 10, 2009 at 1:04 pm

  I too have fine hair that will never stay up for longer than 20-30 minutes with the hair clips. I was so excited when I saw this post that I drove the nearest Claire’s and got one of these. I got my hair up in the clip right away and it looks great! It’s been up for about an hour with no slippage. I’ve even gone so far as to shake my head around TRYING to get it to slip, but hair has stayed snugly in place. THANK YOU SO MUCH for this review.

• 28 BethanyWD // Jan 11, 2009 at 12:58 pm

  As soon as I read the review, I new I had to try this. And so I ran out to the Alderwood Mall to check them out last night (after going to Bell Square earlier in the day for another reason and FORGETTING to try the Icing/Claire’s there). I bought it AND a few other hair appliances, and MAYBE some jewerley. I haven’t been to Claire’s since I was a teen, and, you know what? It wasn’t that bad. There’s definitely some scary-teen angsty only items, but some decent cheap stuff, too.

  I can report that it also works well with my hair – which is quite long. It simply hangs over the top in a cute puff and is very comfortable and sturdy. HUZZAH. I’m always looking for different, yet simple, ways to wear my hair, and this is definitely in that category. Thanks for passing it along.

• 29 missval // Jan 11, 2009 at 5:57 pm

  Which Icing store did you go to? Westlake? South Center did not have anything that looked even remotely like this. I WANT one really bad…

• 30 Karen // Jan 25, 2009 at 4:46 pm

  I got one of these today, based on your review. My problem is the opposite of yours: I have a ton of REALLY THICK hair that is impossible to hold back. This really did the trick! Thanks for the tip.

• 31 Monica // Jan 29, 2009 at 1:29 am

  I got one today too!

  My hair is super-long but thin, so I twist my hair up and then back down again in a figure eight before I pull the elastic over. The hold on this thing is amazing–I went hours without it ever slipping, and I didn’t feel any strain on my roots.

  Thanks for the review!

• 32 Pam // Jan 29, 2009 at 5:58 am

  I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time, since my hair is fine, too. My local Claire’s didn’t have any bandettes (go figure), but I was able to buy two of the Vidal Sassoon kind at a nearby Wallgreens. (The Wallgreens Web site had a feature where I could search for the product at local stores — and only one store in my rather large city had any in stock! So I made a beeline there.) I found it, but one of the employees told me that it had been discontinued, and they weren’t going to stock any more. So I bought the only two they had left. Whew. Thanks for the tip, Megan!

• 33 megan // Jan 29, 2009 at 9:23 am

  Thanks for the update Pam, why does it seem I only ever find things I like after they’ve already been discontinued? That said, I found myself near the Icing store in Northgate Mall here in Seattle and went in to buy a second one and found they had gotten in a bunch more in the tortoise shell color.

• 34 alison // Jan 30, 2009 at 4:04 pm

  I saw these at Fred Meyer but didn’t buy one (yet?).

• 35 Linda // Feb 7, 2009 at 10:42 pm

  I emailed the Localoc Corp. to ask if this product was discontinued and this was their response: “This product was invented and pantented by David Silva, CEO/Hairstylist of Localoc and NOT discontinued. Because Localoc is a small company, they licensed it to Vidal Sassoon to help sell the product. Vidal Sassoon didn’t explain how the product works on their package. Therefore, Localoc Corp took back the rights and is now selling it at Claire’s and working very hard to get it in other stores across the country. So please continue to spread the word about the Bandette Comb.”

• 36 Love list 2.18.09 « Crabby Cake // Feb 18, 2009 at 6:46 pm

  […] Notmartha’s suggestion on the Bandette comb. Um, yeah… it rules and looks so much nicer than a ponytail […]

• 37 Dorice // Feb 25, 2009 at 8:22 pm

  a little late, but here’s the actual link to the localoc bandette: http://www.localoc.net/id55.html

• 38 zoe // Jun 24, 2009 at 4:04 pm

  so i have really long thin hair and have a similar problem of my hair falling out of clips. i just bought the bandette and i feel like my hair is too long for it! there is all this hair that comes out on top of the twist and cause my hair is so thin it just looks flat and gross. i went online to see if there were other ways to use it, but i cant find any…waste of ten bucks…

• 39 stop dreaming start action // Jun 30, 2009 at 9:58 am

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• 40 Linda // Sep 1, 2009 at 3:24 pm

  Zoe- I have thin long hair and either use it for a high or low ponytail (not twist)- which looks amazing because it fans out the ponytail, making it look so much thicker (instead of the pinner ponytail I get with a pony-band). I also twist my long ends into a sort-of loose bun and then secure the band… :) It’s a fantastic product!

• 41 Teresa // Oct 14, 2009 at 1:25 pm

  I saw these bandette combs today on QVC shopping channel w/the inventor David Silva of Localoc. He was showing how to use the combs. He has had the Loc Claw Hair Clips w/5 Interchangeable Covers also. Anyway, you can get them on QVC.com. The combs were selling in a pack of 4 (tortoise, black, clear, gold) for $17.37. But their website localoc.com says you can buy them at Claire’s and Icing also for $5.99 and up. I haven’t tried them but seeing the demonstration on QVC and w/my baby fine, thin hair, I’m going to purchasing them right away.

• 42 Heidi // Oct 29, 2009 at 9:12 am

  I found these on QVC a few weeks ago, bought them on the spot (you get four in a package). I have fine, thin hair and trying to grow it out. The demo on QVC was very convincing!! I put one in the minute they arrived and I wore it all day and to bed!!! I forgot I had it in. I kid you not, this is the best product. My hair was breaking when in a ponytail, and claws, clips, etc were uncomfortable throughout the day. I would take them out, put them in, etc. all day. Not with this! I am wearing one right now and I decided to wear the stretchy knit headbands and then use the Bandette…love it! I hope QVC helps him get them out there so he doesn’t stop making them. WooHoo!!

• 43 Nikki // Feb 9, 2010 at 12:54 pm

  I bought one of these in early 2009. While visiting with my 8 yr old niece last summer, I let the girl play with my comb. She liked it so much that I gave it to her, thinking that I could easily go back to Walgreen’s and get another one. WRONG! I have looked and looked for another one of these, not even remembering what they were called. And then I found your post, and subsequently found out where to buy the combs. Yay! Thanks for writing about these.

• 44 Nikki // Feb 9, 2010 at 12:56 pm

  Oh, and while my hair isn’t particularly fine or thin, I do love how comfortable the bandette is, and how I can even wear it while driving or riding in a car (without my ponytail getting pulled, or jaw-clip teeth jabbing into my head).

• 45 christine reyes // Feb 20, 2010 at 2:07 pm

  I wish I had found this sooner! I have fine, thin, just-above-shoulder length hair. This doodad is the best thing ever!! So much better than the claw clip and SUPER easy to use – even for someone like me (I can’t french braid).
  I was so excited I posted it on my FB.

• 46 smartcookie // Aug 16, 2010 at 8:55 am

  Love, love these. I’ve been on a waiting list at QVC for what seems like eternity! I used to use this same type of comb in the 80’s and 90’s. The only difference is they didn’t have the elastic part. I had 4 of them. They lasted me for umpteen years.These are without a doubt the best hair combs, hair keeper uppers that I’ve ever used and I’ve used them all! I slid this comb in sideways, any ways, and many ways after doing the loop de loo with my hair and these combs, even then without the elastic stayed in until I took it out. I suppose I’ll have to hit the mall as I’m tired of waiting for QVC to get them back in. I cannot wait to get my mitts on these puppies. I’m one of those girls that love wearing my hair up and I’m going out today after reading this and get some. Today. Yippee! Thank you for the info everyone. By the way, no one has thinner, finer, babysilky hair than I do. If these don’t work for you, then cut your hair off! Just kidding.

• 47 Lauri // Sep 25, 2013 at 11:09 am

  This is fantastic. I happened upon the Bandette while at Walgreens yesterday, and it looked like it might work on my EXTREMELY fine and sparse hair, and it DOES!

• 48 Kathy // Aug 30, 2014 at 8:06 am

  LOVE, LOVE the Bandette Comb! This thing is amazing. I have thick hair that I’m trying to grow out just a little. My hair is just to my shoulders and I thought it was just too short and heavy to wear up. The first time I put it in my hair (and didn’t use a mirror), it looked great and felt secure and comfortable in my hair. I would be honored to look as good as Sarah Palin. We (women) need to support and uplift other successful women, even if we might disagree with ‘some’ of their politics. As women, we are more likely to be compromising mediators in most situations because we usually get hands-on experience as mothers, sisters, and daughters. I challenge each of you to listen (to actually listen) to the politician, not just to the rhetoric of the news media. I listened to John Edwards make a speech several years ago and he didn’t really say anything at all. I was actually quite surprised. I liked him at first, but when I really listened and I mean listened to him, he didn’t say anything. He said he would make changes, but didn’t say what he would do or even what he believed. I was very disappointed. So whether you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Conservative, Liberal, Hippie, or Yippee, Listen carefully to what is actually being said by the Candidate (and not just what the media/reporter wants you to hear) and then make your choice based on what is important to you and your family.

• 49 Helene Meurer // Feb 25, 2015 at 9:50 pm

  Okay, I too am a HUGE FAN of these combs! I found it by accident while Christmas shopping for my daughter at Claires. Picked one up for myself and tried it as soon as I got home. Totally USEFUL (unlike so many other hair accessories that are in fact poorly designed) — so I went right back out the next day and bought the four remaining ones in that shop to give at Christmas. The crazy thing was, that nobody I gave it to for Christmas liked it at all :( I think that if you have a “hair problem” you’ll just love this thing, but if you are fine with doing your hair in the same usual way and not needed any “solution” then you’re not drawn into this thing. It’s truly my best gadget. It has saved me, as I grow out my hair. I don’t know what I’d do without this little savior. It’s awesome. (no, I do NOT work for the company!)

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