As a beauty writer, I'm constantly testing buzzy launches and innovative gadgets. While there are plenty of things that impress me, it's rare I come across something that leaves me speechless.
Considering I have fine and frizzy hair, I'm always on the lookout for flyaway-smoothers and volume-boosters. I've always wanted to invest in an all-in-one styler, but, like most people, I then look at the triple-figure price tags and convince myself I can make do with my existing hairdryer, curling wand and straightener.
In the short term, it may be better for my pocket, but in the long-run I've bought multiple stylers that tend to break after a few years, or fail to achieve the salon-like swoosh.
Realising that a long-term investment was the way forward, I was itching to get my hands on the new gadget from Shark. The brand, known for its powerful vacuums and steamers, has jumped onto the hair-styling bandwagon to bring us the FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System.
£242.00
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But before we get into the details, I have to draw your attention to this rare sale. Today (if you're quick to it) you'll be able to bag 10% off the usual price at Boots. Yep, this consistently sold-out hot tool is not only in stock, but it's also temporarily reduced. So if you've been umming and ahhing about securing this styler, let me instil some confidence; it is worth every penny for the below reasons...
Number one: It completely replaces the need to buy a zillion different stylers, hence saving your money on a one-time investment and reducing waste.
Number two: It uses air and heat, which equals less damage and doesn't make you feel as though you're frying your hair to a crisp. As a result, lengths feels immaculately smooth and healthy.
Number three: It genuinely creates the perfect bouncy blowdry that seems impossible to recreate outside the salon (and if you have fine frizzy hair like mine, it's a dream).
The FlexStyler is complete with five attachments to dry, straighten, curl and boost volume. Unlike other expensive stylers, this is a high-tech hairdryer at its core; but with a flick of a switch (literally), you can transform it into a hot brush, curler and diffuser. Considering there aren't many luxury stylers that have a hairdryer function, this is already a savvy investment. Plus, everything tucks neatly into a compact box. The specifics? Right here...
All in all, it's super customisable for your hair type and length. As well as being fine and frizzy, my hair is also quite limp which means that giving it a volume boost is quite a challenge. The oval brush massively helped in this department, however, a small rounded attachment would help jump it up a level. I have shoulder length hair and found each attachment perfect to use - but even if you have thicker, shorter or denser stands, you would get along with it too.
At first glance, I had flashbacks to that time I tried to build an Ikea bookshelf on my own, but once I'd unpacked all the attachments I was pleasantly surprised at how intuitive the whole thing is.
All the attachments easily snap into the top of the styler to straighten and curl, or if you want to use it as a hairdryer, you simply rotate the top portion of the styler and it switches into dryer mode (pretty nifty, huh). Temperature and airflow buttons are easily accessible on the side and something that truly amazed me was the 'cool shot' feature. After styling with heat, it injects a burst of cool air to seal your cuticles and lock in the curl for longer (sensible and stylish!). The brand recommends to use the styling attachments on slightly damp hair, but even after wash day, it still does a good job at curling and boosting volume when completely dry.
If there's one thing my patience didn't get along with, is that you have to switch between a clockwise and counterclockwise curl attachment to create different directional waves. I found it a little fiddly, so best practice is to do one side of your hair at a time.
Let's start with straightening (paddle and oval brush, we're looking at you). The simple answer is: it's a winner. My hair naturally dries kinky, but in one fell swoop the oval brush managed to give sky-high volume, and still made my hair look incredibly sleek (plus, this was the real winner for taming flyaways).
I didn't find the paddle as jaw-dropping as the oval brush - probably because I'm a sucker for volume - but it still straightened my hair and gave it a welcome shine. Does it last the day? Even with my hair that's prone to going a little skew-whiff by midday, I'm happy to report that it kept its fresh-looking finish.
© Clare Stephensonshark flex style review
Moving onto the curlers: I found that using a volumising mousse or texture spray made all the difference. As your hair leaves the wand, you're left with a stunning loose curl; however, I found that it started to lose its definition after a few hours (probably due to my hair type). Because it uses air rather than direct heat, keeping the curl retention was a little more challenging: I'd suggest using a spritz of hairspray or pin the curls up and let them cool to set. If you're looking for a super tight curl, stick to a traditional wand. So, in summary:
Fine/thin hair type: Yes, it's perfect for a bouncy blow dry; however, the curls may start to fall out and lose definition throughout the day.
Thick/coarse hair type: You won't have a problem here. It will create strong curls that will last all day, and is powerful enough to smooth and tame frizziness.
Using a heat protectant spray helps, but realistically, any heat tool will come with some sort of damage. Unlike traditional stylers (a.k.a curlers or straighteners) where your hair is exposed to heat that's hot enough to induce a sweat, the FlexStyle measures temperature 1000x per second so it never gets too hot. Plus, using heated air means the temperature doesn't have to be scorching to create effective, bouncy curls.
Now for the big question. Is it worth the price tag? I think you can tell from my slightly embarrassing facial expressions in my tutorial (if you haven't watched it, scroll on up), that YES, it is worth it.
Inevitably, it took a bit of figuring out - especially as the curling barrels are so unique compared to traditional stylers - but after a few attempts, it's foolproof. Not only is the entirety of the kit luxe and beautiful to look at, but the overall finish makes it something comparable to what you'd pay for in a salon.
It may look like it weighs a tonne, but really it's super lightweight and painless to use (no aching arms here). My only gripe is that I can already sense my annoyance trying to fit it into a small suitcase as it is a little bulky to fly with. But, if you're road-tripping the storage box is compact and can be chucked in the boot.
It may be the most underestimated element of the styler, but the hairdryer was a big win for me. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took roughly 3-4 minutes to dry. The air it ejects is so powerful, yet is surprisingly low in temperature (which is ideal if you have damaged hair). Especially for my type, the concentrator nozzle is brilliant for taming frizz and locking in that fresh blow dry finish.
In terms of the attachments, the oval brush blew my mind. It held tension really well, meaning it straightened without tugging, and the final finish was all about volume. My hair looked so healthy and bouncy with a full-bodied flick at the end. The Auto-Wrap curlers take a bit of adjusting to, but once you've nailed it, they create the perfect curl with little heat. If you're partial to a super defined, tight curl I'd stick to a traditional curling wand, but for a natural bounce, it's incomparable to anything else I've tried.
And maybe for my favourite part of all, not only was my hair looking as good as it does post-salon, but it felt 10/10 the entire day. I didn't feel like I'd barbecued my ends on a 180 degree curling wand, but for once, my hair felt healthy and glossy.