I’m a little bit of a skeptic when it comes to hair tools. As a beauty writer, I’ve tried dozens over the years. For the most part they all work (some better than others) but I’ve also experienced my fair share of hair horror stories. One particularly scarrring mishap with the TikTok-endorsed autocurler had me we warning them off for life. Other tools I’ve tried have left my hair looking more French poodle than the effortless, French-girl waves I had envisioned (sigh). And more often than not, I’ve found my already dry, prone-to-frizz locks, more damaged than it was to begin with.
But… when the new Shark Beauty SmoothStyle Heated Comb & Blow Dryer Brush landed across my desk, my interest was piqued. The SmoothStyle tool, much like Shark Beauty’s viral FlexStyle and SpeedStyle offerings, prides itself in being a true multitasker. It has dual styling modes for both wet and dry hair.
It’s Wet Hair Mode functions like a traditional blow-dry brush, styling and drying locks simultaneously. It mimics the result of a professional salon-blowout (think: loose and bouncy volume) and is great for multiple hair types and textures with 3 heat settings.
The Dry Hair Mode harnesses heated smoothing technology in ceramic-coated plates that sit on either side of the barrel. Designed to be used over dry strands the heated comb works to smooth locks, reduce frizz and add lustre. The comb plates heats to 215°C, which is comparable to a typical straightener and optimal for taming thicker manes with ease.
Sounding too good to be true? I’m usually with you. This is about the stage where my tool skepticism would start to set in. But as an avid devotee to my SpeedStyle Hair Dryer (little else has proven to dry my thick waves quite as quickly), I needed to give the SmoothStyle a fair trial. And I’m so glad I did!
Shark SmoothStyle™ Heated Comb Straightener + Smoother, $149 at Shark Beauty
How To Use The Shark SmoothStyle Brush Properly
To put the SmoothStyle to the test, I decided to create (read as: attempt) the trending Mob Wife Blowout. The TikTok viral look sits somewhere between a sleek salon-like blow dry and glamorous bombshell waves. Shark Beauty ambassador Chris Hunter says “The Mob Wife Blowout can be a tricky one to recreate at home, generally requiring a round brush, hair dryer and the perfect wrist movements only years of practice can give.” Yep, I can attest to the difficulty level.
He continues, “the Shark SmoothStyle has changed all this and is putting the power of ease and control in your hands. I particularly love that the barrel is ceramic, doubling as a straightener and smoothing device to give your blowout that extra staying power.”
Starting on damp towel dried hair, I massaged a generous dollop of smoothing balm (a frizz-fighting essential) through my ends and gave all over a spritz of heat protectant spray. Following Chris’ tutorial, I used a fine-tooth comb to create a precise middle part, “this will ensure a symmetrical division of your hair, allowing for balanced styling on each side”.
Then divided hair into manageable sections and started using the appliance in its Wet Hair Mode. Pressed for time, I opted for the highest heat setting which felt comparable to their traditional hairdryer, the SpeedStyle’s, airflow. The intelligent drying system is heat damage free and suitable for all hair types.
For the bottom section of hair, Chris suggests starting from the roots and pulling downwards until completely dry for the smoothest finish. On top layers, I brushed hair upwards and outwards from the root to add lift and volume. The ergonomic (and lightweight) design of the tool made for a foolproof, user-friendly experience. A relief!
At this stage my hair was already looking pretty polished but as my hair tends to skew on the frizzier side, I continued switching the tool to Dry Hair Mode for a quick brush-over. This helped tame pesky flyaways and lock in the hair cuticles. The combs were relatively quick to heat up to (2 mins) and once at temperature able to glided over strands effortlessly. The result? An incredibly sleek finish whilst my hairs volume and shape maintained.
Shark SmoothStyle Brush Review
My final thoughts? I loved it. Truly!
As I admitted earlier, I went into the trial with a healthy pinch of scepticism, but the results spoke for themselves. I was particularly impressed with the strength of airflow on the Wet Hair Mode. Typical drying brushes tend to be slightly cooler in temperate -which results in longer drying time – but this one proved to dry my thick, coarse locks in 15 minutes. The oval barrelhead, whilst slightly intimidating, made for loose, effortless waves, and when focused near the root: enviable volume and shape. The boar bristles in the barrelhead also added shine.
The wet-to-dry element of the tool proved to be intuitive and easy to use. My faux Blowout held up well for the remainder of the day (and night), with little frizz and maintained smoothness. The following morning I noticed substantially less static than my usual bedhead. That being said, I still opted to give my hair a pass over with the SmoothStyle’s Dry Hair Mode and within minutes my style looked as good as new. To add extra volume (and oomph-factor!), I gave my curtain bangs a quick spritz of water and used the Wet Mode brush on a low heat setting to re-shape face-framing strands. A hack I plan on adopting into my routine for all 2nd (or 3rd) day hair!
High performing, user-friendly and versatile, this tool is a one stop shop for the ultimate bouncy blow out. It’s quickly become a staple in my rotation with the elimination of extra tools being a great travel-friendly bonus.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
