Spoiler: I love the Shark FlexStyle. In fact, there are a few hair tools I love more. Make no mistake — this innovative device is not your average hair dryer, but rather an air styler that’s also primed to replace your beloved curling iron, hot air brush and diffuser in one. Oh, it’s primed to work with and for all hair types, including wavy hair, curly hair and straight hair. Praise be.
But I didn’t jump to this conclusion. Even though I’m a beauty writer who’s literally paid to test hair tools, I’m still an amateur in the styling department. As someone with Asian heritage, my thicker hair takes a lot longer to dry and style, meaning an at-home styling session can long over an hour. So, largely, I don’t bother.
Like most, I’ll try any hair tool that helps cut down on styling time and minimises the amount of hand manoeuvring that is normally required for a salon-worthy blowout. And since its launch in 2022, countless beauty obsessors have confirmed those claims to be true.
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FlexStyle Build Your Own Air Styling & Hair Drying System
Even better news: thanks to the return of Shark’s Black Friday sale, you can now save 37% (or £100) on the FlexStyle Build Your Own Air Styling & Hair Drying System, which allows you to choose which four (of nine) styling attachments the styler arrives alongside. Go, go! After something else? Discover the best Black Friday beauty deals across countless other brands.
So, stay tuned for my thorough Shark FlexStyle Air Styler review after two years of extensive testing, as well as answers to all those common FAQs. For example, how does it compete with the Dyson Airwrap? But, essentially, it’s combined all my favourite hair devices in one and saved me vital space in my haircare cabinet.
SKIP TO:
Shark FlexStyle, at a glance:
- Beginner-friendly.
- Fairly priced.
- You can tailor to your hair type and preferred styles by choosing four appropriate accessories.
- Versatile enough to create a range of hair styles.
- Minimal heat damage.
- Fast drying.
- The styler only offers one 24mm width for both curling barrels, which means less flexibility for those of us after a looser or a tighter curl.
How I tested the Shark FlexStyle & why you can trust me:
As mentioned above, I have thick hair, which comes with its own set of challenges. Not only does it take longer to wash, dry and style, but it’s also trickier to hold in place. I find that even if my curls look great instantly, they do have a tendency to drop within the first two hours, and before I know it, I’m left with hair that doesn’t even remotely resemble the style that I was going for. The only way to remedy this is to resort to using an obscene amount of hairspray, which also isn’t ideal, since it leaves my hair crunchy and covered in a sticky residue.
While reviewing the Shark FlexStyle, I made sure to take careful note of not only how quick and easy it is to use but also how long my hairstyle actually lasts throughout the day. I also made sure to test it on rainy days to heatwaves alike to see how the style fares with various weather conditions.
What is the Shark FlexStyle?
Since its release in 2022, the Shark FlexStyle quickly garnered a reputation as one of the most talked-about hair stylers, and deservedly so. This 5-in-1 styling wand makes easy work of curling, smoothing and creating volume, making it versatile enough to use on just about every hair type. In fact, it comes endorsed by none other than Chris Appleton, the celebrity hairstylist behind some of Kim K’s most iconic looks.
With a simple twist, it transforms into a regular hair dryer shape and can be switched back to a vertical wand whenever your hair is ready to be styled using the other four attachments: be it an auto-wrap curling wand, a smoothing paddle brush, a volumising oval brush or a curl-defining diffuser. Weighing just 700g, this multi-purpose hair tool is lightweight enough to hold and use even on those trickier bits of hair at the back. For easier storage, the Shark FlexStyle also comes with an included storage case that helps store all the attachments separately.
My favourite part about this innovative tool is that it doesn’t use extreme heat that would normally result in a fair amount of hair damage. In fact, the FlexStyle’s technology cleverly measures heat 1,000 times per second to ensure a consistent air temperature throughout the whole styling session. You can also switch between three different airflow and heat settings, including a separate button for the cool shot mode to set your style in place post-heat.
Shark FlexStyle: Early impressions
Full transparency: as someone who – in the name of beauty – tests hundreds of products for a living, I wouldn’t say that I’m easily impressed when it comes to hair tools. And given Shark’s reputation in the beauty tech space, my expectations going into this review were through the roof. Now, let’s dive right in, shall we?
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