People are always asking me what you should splurge versus save on in beauty. I pretty much give the same answers every time. Save: mascara, cleansers, and shampoo (drugstore shampoo, ilysm). Splurge: foundation, serums, and hair dryers. But!! You actually don't have to majorly spend to get my favorite Shark blow dryer this Amazon Prime Day.
In fact, the Shark SpeedStyle blow dryer is at its lowest price of the year for Prime Day through October 8. Perfect timing for the holidays, right? Plus, they've also got a fantastic deal (read: more than $100 off) on the famous Shark FlexStyle, a multi-styler that comes with six attachments to help you dry, curl, smooth, straighten, and define curls.
IMO, a high-quality blow dryer is essential. Not only will it help dry your hair quickly, but it can help cut down on a lot of heat damage that makes your hair look fried and dull after styling. That crunchy look you get from your janky old blow dryer? Shouldn't happen. And that's only the iceberg of why I love this Shark one so much.
Both the SpeedStyle and FlexStyle use two streams of airflow to help smooth out flyaways and add shine to your hair. And I, for one, totally see it. A lot of times, blow dryers can make my fine, thin hair look frizzy and create a zillion tangles. This dryer, though, helps reduce that and makes my hair actually look healthier than it does when I air dry. Not to mention, it dries so fast. I can completely dry my entire head of hair from sopping wet in as little as four minutes (yup, I timed it once). But don't worry—this doesn't mean that it uses high heat that damages your hair. Actually, the tool regulates temperature as you're using it to protect your hair, so it never goes over 230 degrees F.
For Cosmo's 2024 Holy Grail Beauty Awards, beauty editor-at-large Julee Wilson tested multiple blow dryers on her type-4 hair. But this Shark model came out on top. "I’ve been a beauty editor for a long time and never used a dryer as multitasking as this one," she wrote. "It’s literally a one-stop tool for all your hair needs." What she loved most is that you can choose which attachments are best fit for your hair type. Grab the straight/wavy version if you want a concentrator nozzle to help direct air flow for styling bangs or smoothing out hair. Or pick up the curly/coily version, which Wilson loves, for a v-good diffuser to help define your texture.
On a girls' trip with my best friends, I brought exclusively this blow dryer and the QuickSmooth brush attachment (it's fantastic for styling my bangs and adding volume to my roots without a round brush). Everyone was so confused how I could dry my hair so fast and still look so good. By the third day, everyone ended up stealing this from me instead of using the tools they brought. Might have to snag some to gift to my friends for the holidays this year actually...
Which reminds me: October Prime Day, also called Prime Big Deal Days, is the perfect time to stock up on holiday gifts early without spending a fortune. This high-tech blow dryer would make a fab gift for anyone in your life who needs an upgrade (i.e. they've been using the same old tool since high school). Or treat yourself to an early gift. It's never too soon to unwrap your own gifts. I'm also already planning to gift the Shark FlexStyle to my best friend after she fell in love when I let her test mine on a visit. It makes a really luxe gift, but at $100 off, I don't feel like I'm forking over my entire savings, yk?
Keep in mind, though, that this is the lowest price we've seen on the Shark SpeedStyle and FlexStyle this entire year (and IDK, maybe ever??). So, in my professional opinion, this could very well sell out. Don't wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday, just in case we don't see discounts like this again.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
