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I can’t use a round brush if my life depended on it, even after 18 years of watching my mom dry her hair on the daily. I used to sit on the toilet seat mesmerized by the big, bouncy curls she’d create with a single brush and hairdryer. It was probably the closest thing to magic I’d seen since I’d gotten my first Barbie.
Like, I’m not kidding when I say I’ve had to use every trick in the book (peanut butter, mayo, etc) to try and get a round brush out of my hair after creating the most perfect rat’s nest of light brown tendrils. Of course, in most cases I ended up needing to chop the knot, and subsequently, the brush out of my hair leaving me to completely abandon any semblance of a blowout in my future. But, as I’ve gotten older and wiser (aka started watching YouTube and TikTok) I learned that I’m not the only one out there that has a giant hole missing from their beauty routine.
As I started down the rabbit hole, I saw what most people see on the internet — Dyson Airwrap this, Dyson Airwrap that. And I’m not going to lie, it made all the childhood memories with my mom come flooding back in an instant and I thought to myself, “Well, I’m certainly going to die if I don’t have one of these in my life.” Until I looked at the price…
Listen, I am all for spending a little (or a lot) of money on the things that will make you happy in life but nearly $600? Maybe in another lifetime (or for 5 birthdays combined). That’s like, an entire forehead of Botox and then some. And let me tell you, blowouts are temporary, but Botox is forever, baby.
Up until my most recent trip to NYC, I nearly gave up on the fever dream that was the perfect blowout for happy hour. I was lamenting to a friend, “Ugh, I just hate my thin, flat hair.” When she suggested, “Have you seen the new Shark FlexStyle?”
I’m sorry… What? There’s another option of hair dryer with an attached round brush that won’t completely fry my hair? It seemed way too good to be true considering the price tag was ~$300 less than the Dyson. Yes, I am aware that even half of $600 is a shit ton of money, but this felt like a miracle in comparison. I ran to Sephora faster than I decided the new season of And Just Like That just wasn’t for me.
After about 24 hours of owning the device, I was an entirely new person. TBH, the terms ~chic and effortless~ come to mind. I could actually give myself a blowout, I had volume at the roots of my hair and was able to add a little curl and texture to my very (emphasis on very) average mop.
Talk about a girl who can do it all — this tool has so many styling options it’s almost comical. You can dry, curl, straighten, and smooth just about any hair type. My hair is pretty fine and straight but the tool boasts to work on wavy, curly, and coily hair too.
Not to mention, it has 4 heat and 3 airflow settings that can be increased or decreased based on how you personally like to style. It has a cool shot button, too, to help lock in your style without having to take the time to set in those old-Hollywood style rollers.
I also tend to travel a lot for work. I’m back and forth to NYC on at least a monthly basis and this tool has become my new best friend. It’s easy to pack its sleek, straight structure unlike the normal, very cumbersome hairdryers out there. It also eliminates any need for additional styling tools (see above about a gal who can do it all).
I guess what I’m trying to say, is this tool literally changed my life… Okay, I’m being dramatic but you get what I’m trying to say — I actually like doing my hair now and feel like I can style it in ways that make me feel confident. I love knowing that I’m not completely FRYING my hair when styling it — the Shark technology ensures that rather than getting hotter as it runs, the tool minimizes heat exposure and regulates temperature.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still half tempted to shell out the cash for the Dyson but to protect my sanity (and my hair) I’m going to keep the blowouts coming with the Shark Flexstyle.
