I Put Shark’s New Ionic Air Styler to the Test
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Aftertesting hot toolsfor the past 20-plus years of beauty reporting, I’ve learned that they’re not one-size-fits-all. Ahair dryerthat creates glasslike smoothness on thick, coarse hair can flatten volume on fine hair (like mine) that’s already naturally smooth.
So when I got the opportunity to try the newShark FlexStyle IonCurl Air Drying, Curling, and Styling Systemthat promises to reduce static,frizz, and flyaways, while leaving hair visibly shinier and healthier-looking with its Ion Smooth Technology, I was curious if it would leave my hair too sleek. I remembered reporting a hot-tools story years ago and learning that certain features, including ionic technology, can be a bittoosmoothing for those of us withfine hairand asoft texture.
Ionic stylers emit negative ions to seal the hair cuticle. This creates asleek lookfor thick hair, but it can eliminate the body that gives fine strands a fuller appearance. I almost never give myself (or get) a sleek blowout. I’m always looking for more volume and body via loose waves, and I’m one of those people who likes their hair better with a little humidity in the air because it gives it more oomph.
So I wanted to see whether the FlexStyle IonCurl could still give me thebeachy, voluminous wavesI love, or if all that smoothing power would leave me with a sleeker finish instead.
What comes in the box
The FlexStyle comes with two curling rods, an oval brush, a styling concentrator, a high-shine polisher, and the FlexStyle IonCurl Dryer, so you can get a smooth blowoutorbouncy curls.
How it performed on my fine hair
The FlexStyle Ion Dryer worked great. It dried my hair in under ten minutes, and the concentrator and high-shine polisher are excellent if you’re going for a smooth, sleek finish.
The first time I used the IonCurl curling attachments, I made a rookie mistake: I didn’t read the instructions. I curled my hair when it was completely dry instead of the recommended 80 percent dry, and while my hair took the curl, it didn’t last long. I also skipped the cool shot, which is meant to help set the style.
My next attempt was before an event, and this time I followed the directions to a T. I rough-dried my hair until it was slightly damp, then used the curling attachments. To give the curls their best chance of lasting, I pinned each one to my scalp while I finished mymakeup. By the time I was ready to leave, I had a head full of bouncy curls.
Once I brushed them out, though, they relaxed into soft movement rather than the loose, beachy waves I was hoping for. Looking back at photos from the event, my hair looked like I’d just gotten a really good blowout. It had shine, bounce, and healthy-looking volume, but it wasn’t the wavy finish I typically go for.
Who I think it’s best for
If your issue is frizz, puffiness, or coarse hair that resists smoothing, I think you’ll appreciate what the IonCurl does. Myteenage daughter, whose hair is thicker and has a different texture than mine, loves the results. She mostly gravitates toward the oval brush to get her hair smooth. She even prefers it to herDyson AirWrapfor blowouts because it feels more powerful.
As for me, I’ll continue to use it to get a bouncy blowout look, but if I want more defined curls, I’ll stick with my usualcurling wand.
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No technique necessary for perfect curls.
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A Best in Class inexpensive wand that does the trick.
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