Please help me avoid frizzy hair in PARIS: Suggestions on budget-friendly department stores

I think frizzy hair may just be the new look in Paris! I must admit although I like my hair to be fairly presentable I have stopped stressing over how it should look and how it does look when I don't have the touch my very good hairdresser gives it!
A few self-adhesive rollers & a touch of mouse is all its going to get.
PS. Dark glasses are a wonderful disguise! Ha Ha!

tod, are there any budget-friendly department stores in Paris (i.e. Target-like)?

Monoprix. All over the place.

But bear in mind that it doesn't matter greatly how you look on holidays. You are very unlikely to meet the same people again.

You should be able to easily find a Monoprix. (Check their website for store locations.) I actually think they were the one of the original inspirations for Target here in the US, cheap and mod. Most also have groceries. Or also for a more fulsome department store if you don't get what you want at Monoprix, BHV, which is more like Sears in the US, pretty utilitarian but with good selection of personal appliances. They have a website too, www.bhv.fr, but the main Paris location is 55, rue de la Verrerie
75189 Paris Cedex 4
Métro : Hôtel de ville (ligne 1)
Bus : 69,70, 72,75,76,96

padraig, thank you!

Actually, we have family in England that we see and I am tired of not being able to look like I would normally look because my flat iron is unusable. So I am in the market for a flat iron with the appropriate voltage for European travel.

I can't help it.

Thank you, laurie_ann -- wonderful!! Thank you, thank you.

How do you write "flat iron" in French?

lol

Whacking off my hair was the smartest thing I ever did.

That's funny, Travelnut. I chopped my hair off after my first trip to Provence many years ago when I encountered the Mistral and ate hair for a solid week, then went to Paris where it was incredibly humid and had my first Afro.

I used to be able to sit on my hair. Now it's about 3 inches long. Wash, towel-dry, a smidgeon of mousse/gel to style it, and off I go!

I think that here in the US you can get battery or butane powered, travel size, flat irons. They usually have a little heat-proof bag you can stick them into as well.

another vote for the Monoprix.
the one in the Marias has some HABA items upstairs and food downstairs if i recall correctly from 2001.

>>>I think that here in the US you can get battery or butane powered, travel size, flat irons. They usually have a little heat-proof bag you can stick them into as well<<<

I thought butane was banned by the TSA?

<How do you write "flat iron" in French?> Do not ask for "un fer plat"! It is called un fer à lisser or un lisseur
http://www.materiel-coiffure.com/cat,44,fers-a-lisser.htm
http://tinyurl.com/clcwrc

seetheworld, I bought one in Paris this last August. I would be happy to lend it to you, if you are anywhere near Southern California to pick it up.

stw,
thanks for bringing up this subject.
i was concerned about the same for dd when we visit in april and the thought of not washing hair for 8 days just to keep the straight look sounded ugh.

There's a current thread in the Lounge dealing with flat irons:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=134&tid=35181600

GaMa is a popular, Italian-made brand in Europe.

The basic GaMa D1000 Cp1 Ceramic is about 30 €.

http://www.elettrotop.com/ElettroTop/SchedaArticolo.action?articolo=0010793&mark=CI$0010793

seetheworld, I feel your pain. Back in 2005, I purchased a Conair ceramic straightener, model CS4JCS at Harmon's for about $20.00. I think it may have been recommended by a Fodorite way back when. At any rate, I use it when we travel to Paris and it does a perfectly fine job. It's dual voltage, and won't fry your hair or itself. I don't know if you can still find it. I think the important factors are that it's dual voltage and that it has 25 heat settings, allowing you to adjust the heat to your Paris bathroom's voltage. No, it's not as good as the Chi you may be using at home, but it should do the trick.
St.Cirq, I'm always wistful for the days (30 yrs +) when my hair was 3" long. Back then, I was a slave to the salon for haircuts every 3 wks. Now, I'm a slave for touchups every 3 wks, so maybe not much progess made! I always say Plan B is to cut it all off and let it go gray....but haven't done it....yet. EJ

I don't know if this helps you any, but I have a regular conair flat iron that I bought at target that use I daily on my frizzy curls and it does a great job on my hair.

the voltage automatically adjusts to 220 in Europe and I use it there too with no problems at all, just need a plug adapter.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=84110&catid=29113&trx=PLST-0-CAT&trxp1=29113&trxp2=84110&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-CAT&cmbProdBrandFilter=10848


I understand how you feel - I hate bad hair on vacation because the frizz gets immortalized in your vacation pictures!

On our last trip to London 3 years ago, I had to wear a hat everyday (ugly basebal-style was all I had)because my hair became straw once I got there.
We're from Florida and used to hard water and lots of humidity, so I'm not sure what happened. It was so strange, I couldn't do ANYTHING with it and it felt like, well, like straw. Now we're going again in a couple of weeks and I'm dreading the whole hair thing.
Should I go to Boots and buy some of their products once I'm there?
Anyone else ever have this problem?

OK, not flat irons, but these are three of the best products I've ever used, all found by my DD, who has the curliest, frizziest hair you will ever see.

got2b glossy - anti-friz Shine Serum 4 frizzy hair
d-friz, tame, polish

got2b spiked-up max-control Styling Gel
for demanding styles
style, stiffen, hold

John Frieda Sheer Blonde, Blonde Ambition dual action mousse

My hair isn't even frizzy, just fly-away sometimes, and my style is certainly not extreme, but I like bits a little spiky so it doesn't look like a helmet, so I use only drops of these, but they are absolutely great. I hope some of you find it a help.

I'm just a guy who didn't know what a flat iron was until I looked at some of the links on this thread. Now I know.

One thing puzzles me, however, and that is the price difference. When I opened Coco's link I saw that these instruments of torture and deception cost around €100, while the ones in the States cost around $30.

Why? Are things for women simply overpriced in Europe?

nukesafe - I would guess that most of us in the states bought Chi's and they cost $125. There are cheap flat irons that usually don't work as well and the more expensive ones are ceramic.

nukesafe wrote: " Are things for women simply overpriced in Europe?"

The more important question is: "Are women simply overpriced in Europe?"

Nukesafe, there are definitely different quality flat irons and yes, it does make a difference. I have a $25 one and also a $200 one. Trust me, the $200 GHD (stands for good hair day -- honestly!) is much better. I'm thinking that women in Europe have a wide choice available just like in the States.

Oops! I didn't mean to imply that only women use flat irons....

Padraig,

Women are overpriced everywhere, not just Europe. My practice wife was English, and definitely not worth the price I paid. My permanent wife is even pricier, but worth every penny.

(Valentine's Day is coming up!)

I bought a blow-drier the last time that I was in Paris, because I was tired of the wimpy blow-driers that I had found in our hotels/apartment rentals.

I found my drier at the neighborhood hardware store for around 25 euros. Didn't look at flat irons as my hair is as straight as a board (I would kill for curls, it is true that we always want the hair that we don't have).

If you will be in the 7th I can point you to the exact store, but my guess is that there is one of these little quincailleries in almost every hood in Paris.

Hi,
I don't think Monoprix is the best place to get electrical goods, though they do have a limited range.

Darty is an electrical goods store that is likely to be a much better bet, with a wider range and more price options. There are branches all over Paris. There's one at 104 boulevard St Germain, one at Place de la Madeleine, one in les Halles, one on Avenue du Maine by Montparnasse, etc. Details here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/d5gjdz

Has anyone used the GHD with converter in Paris without any problems? It's would be expensive to replace if it blew up.

I own a GHD, and all it needs is a plug converter, and the voltage automatically switches. I have used it everywhere throughout Europe and Asia and never a problem and best of all no frizzy hair

stw,

Seems you will have lots of places to get your iron.

I have always had perfectly straight hair although my mother tried like hell to give me Shirley Temple curls when I was a kid. Every night the pink curlers went in. The curls never lasted past 10:30 am...

Anyway, it was interesting to learn what a flat iron is at my ripe old age, and also realize those with natural curls have their suffering as well.

For about 10 years now I have hair about 1.5 inches long and naturally salt and pepper. It is quite easy. Wash and wear I call it.

Enjoy your trip to Paris. I'm sure you'll look FAB.

gruezi

I agree with hanl, I wouldn't go to Monoprix for electrical appliances like that.

For just a trip, I'd just buy a cheaper dual-voltage one, though, I have a Revlon one and it works perfectly fine, I think, and only cost around $25. It's easy to buy dual voltage appliances in the US.

Lately I take a very wide diameter curling iron and use that to smooth out your hair. I have taken my expensive flat iron and it didn't even heat up for some reason and I did everything right. Another trip another iron and it got so hot I couldn't hold it.

I bought a curling iron in Italy and it barely got warm also.

Finally before one of my trips I went to Walmart and bought the large curling iron and it worked out fine. Just slide it along your hair and dont make a curl at the end.

No need to cut off your hair for traveling!

"I would guess that most of us in the states bought Chi's and they cost $125. There are cheap flat irons that usually don't work as well"

I'm a firm supporter of capitalism and I love that we consumers have a choice to either shop smart or throw our money away. If you don't wish to find yourself in the "let's throw money away" category then I would caution against overpaying for a flat-iron.

I work in advertising so I have sincere appreciation for the pitch—board table slogans like: ergonomically designed; long swivel cords that never tangle; 20 watts versus 60; negative ion ceramic plates; locks in moisture, prevents frizziness and keeps your hair straighter even while you sleep; ceramic plates infused with tourmaline; and so on.

By default of business, I work with superstar hairdressers who earn six-figure salaries in advertising. Not one owns a $100 flat iron. Most won't pay more than $50. The reason? They know the truth.

I produced an editorial feature at last year's NYC International Beauty Show where a famous manufacturer was featuring a $300 flat iron. This "holy grail" iron was the talk of the show but most of the talk centered around the gall of the manufacturer and the gullibility of young hairdressers from around the country. However, industry leaders know the power of hype and most competitors had no choice but to applaud the manufacturer for nabbing many "got to have it" hairdressers who went straight for the hype.

It's well known in many industries, especially the beauty industry, if it costs a lot, many folks, especially women, will be convinced it has to be worth it.

The straight truth: all flat irons will dry out your hair. If you over-straighten, you will kill your hair beyond repair, no matter what you spent on your flat iron. The concept of a flat iron is no different than the concept of a curling iron: apply direct, intense heat to the hair strand. Heat is heat and hair strands can only take so much of it before they break down.

Is ceramic necessary? I saw a famous hairdresser at a Karl Lagerfeld show use a Rowenta clothing iron to iron a model's hair once. If you know what you're doing, almost any priced tool can work, especially if you're not resistant to regular conditioning treatments.

After buying two different cheap flat irons for DD that didn't work well, I bought what the hairdresser used - a Chi. The cheap ones aren't ceramic and don't do as well (lack of ion technology?). It's been quite a few years since I purchased the Chi and cheaper ceramics didn't exist as they do now. All the salons DD has used from KY to Boston to NYC to Chicago use Chi's.

So yes, after shopping dumb and buying two cheap flat irons that weren't worth two cents, I finally shopped smart and bought the Chi.

Thank you for providing me with a selection of places to shop! I am certain that I'll be able to find something that will fit my needs.

About 3 years ago, on a whim, I purchased my FHI ceramic ion flat iron at the salon. I paid $140 for it -- I'm sure I overpaid, you always do "on a whim". But I love using it!

I don't have very long hair (especially after my last salon visit -- I asked her to take 1/2 inch off and she took more like 2 1/2 off!) Sometimes I do wear my hair curly. However, I have a Diane Keaton cut (go ahead, laugh) and the flat iron gives me that wild piecy look.

It would be nice to have non-frizzy Paris pictures too.

Thanks again.

Sorry NYCTS but I'm going to have to disagree with you that there's no difference between a $25 flat iron and a $200 one. I've got both and there is a major difference. And my hairdresser won't use anything except a GHD. I will agree that any of them will absolutely damage your hair if you use them to excess. But so will a blow dryer.

Toni, there are some GHDs that are not dual voltage. You'll need a dual voltage one if you want to use it in Europe without a converter. If it's dual voltage you'll just need the right plug.

"Sorry NYCTS but I'm going to have to disagree with you that there's no difference between a $25 flat iron and a $200 one."

Please don't put words in my mouth. I never made such a statement.