Twist It, Dry It, Curl It: Living With the Shark FlexStyle

Shark Beauty announced the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System on August 24, 2022, with the launch campaign called For All Hairkind. The thing everyone remembers is the twist: the handle turns, and the tool goes from being a hair dryer to a multi-styler. It is a small mechanical trick that makes the whole idea feel less like a gadget and more like a real answer to a crowded bathroom drawer.

The company behind it is SharkNinja, founded in 1994 as Euro-Pro by Mark Rosenzweig of Montreal and now headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts. That is a very appliance-minded pedigree, and you can feel it in the way the FlexStyle is built: everything clips on, everything has a job. The attachments at launch included 1.25 inch Auto-Wrap Curlers, a Styling Concentrator, an Oval Brush, a Paddle Brush and a Curl-Defining Diffuser.

The grid starts with the Air Styling & Drying System, the version I would begin with, and the Hair Blow Dryer & Multi-Styler, which is the same idea in a different pack. The IonCurl in Lilac adds ion air and curling, and the Wide-Tooth Comb is the accessory for anyone with thick, wavy or curly hair who wants to detangle while drying.

If you are shopping for a shark hair dryer, the useful question is how many jobs you want one handle to do, because this one is built to swap between several.

Shark has more than the FlexStyle, and the rest of the family follows the same logic of fewer tools, faster mornings. The Glossi is a 2-in-1 hot tool and air glosser, a smoothing tool that combines heat with airflow. It is listed twice in the grid.

The SilkiPro Straight is a wet-to-dry straightener with a rapid blow dryer built in. I find that idea useful for anyone who hates the two-step of drying and then ironing, because you go from damp to smooth in fewer passes. Wet-to-dry tools ask for a little more care with heat, so start at a lower setting and let your hair tell you if it is too much.

The SpeedStyle Pro FLEX is the professional-performance system, a high-velocity dryer that makes sense if your hair is long, dense or both, and the minutes you save show up every single morning. It suits people who wash their hair often and treat blow-drying as a daily job rather than an occasional event.

My honest advice on choosing between the FlexStyle family and the rest is to count your steps. If you dry, brush and curl in the same routine, the twisting tools win. If your main goal is a sleek, straight finish, the SilkiPro is the one to look at. And if you want raw speed, the SpeedStyle is for you.

Air styling still leans on heat, so it still deserves a barrier. Anything that smooths frizz or shields ends from hot air belongs on damp hair, before the tool comes out.

Kérastase's Première is an anti-frizz serum for damaged hair, and it is the one I choose when ends look tired. shu uemura's Essence Absolue is a nourishing protective hair oil, richer and glossier, best on thick or dry lengths. OUAI's Anti-Frizz Styling Cream is a lighter cream that fits wavy hair well, especially if you are using the diffuser. Bumble and bumble's Hairdresser's Invisible Oil is a frizz-reducing hair oil that leaves hair soft and movable rather than coated. Pureology's Smooth Gloss is a treatment spray for frizz control and shine, quick to apply and easy to layer.

There is one outlier here, and I would rather point it out than pretend. Eadem's Le Chouchou is a softening peptide lip balm, and it belongs in the bag, not on your hair. Airflow dries lips as much as it dries anything, and a balm in the bathroom stops you licking them.

What I would skip: layering three oils and creams on the same damp hair. It builds up quickly and leaves strands flat and heavy under the airflow. Pick one smoother for your texture, use a coin-sized amount, and add more only if you can still see frizz once it is dry.

What I like about a tool with one twisting handle is that you can learn it in a week. Start with the dryer, add the brush, then try the curlers once you are comfortable with the airflow.

Work on hair that is about seventy percent dry, in sections, and let the tool cool a few seconds before you release a curl. Do the underneath layers first and the top last, so the pieces around your face are the ones you get to fuss over. Keep the airflow pointed down the length of the hair, not at the ends, since that keeps the cuticle smoother and the shine easier to see. Work with one attachment at a time until the handle feels natural. A little smoother on the ends, a sensible comb through the roots, and a cooler blast to finish are usually all it takes. If your hair keeps breaking or your scalp feels sore, ask a stylist for advice and take a break from heat. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together How The Lip Bar Turned a Shark Tank No Into a Detroit Storefront.