Not to toot our own horn, but Cosmopolitan's Beauty Lab series, where we test the most hyped-about skincare, haircare and makeup, is a good'un – basically, we're human guinea pigs who review the products you want to buy, sharing the real tea before you part with your money. All that to say: You're welcome.
But if you're not up to date with all of the episodes (WYA), last series, three of our beauty team (myself included!), got to grips with the OG Shark SpeedStyle hairdryer. And as always, we had a lot of thoughts to share on whether or not it's worth the £149.99 price tag... we're yappers, what can I say?
Pros
- Lightweight-ish
- Works on a variety of hair types
- Five attachments for multiple finishes
- Works fast with minimal/no heat damage
Cons
- The attachments don't work on other Shark products
- Express touch-up brush is manual, so you need to use both arms
The Shark SpeedStyle features:
- Five-in-one hairdryer including a diffuser, high-gloss finisher, concentrated nozzle, touch-up brush and smoothing brush
- Three heat settings
- Three fan settings
- Cool shot button
- Speed and power with no heat damage
- Rotating brush attachments
Lia, before and after:
Hair type: Straight and fine
Attachments used: Express touch-up brush
Personally speaking (Lia, here), I loved the tool. Would I spend £149.99 on it? I'm not sure. Confused, much? Well, as brilliant as I think the SpeedStyle is and as much value for money as you get, I wouldn't say it's an investment that I personally need.
Look, as someone who doesn't have very much hair on their head, my drying and styling times are both minimal, as it is. After washing and prepping my strands with a heat protectant and texture spray, I dry my hair with a one-and-done heated round brush (my fave ATM is the BaByliss Air Power Volume Hot Air Styler). Then, I'm good to go!
However, if you are someone who likes to style their hair in multiple ways or has thicker, curlier hair (hi Keeks, hi Elena), then I would definitely recommend the SpeedStyle.
Keeks, before and after:
Hair type: Type 4 afro hair with a texture release
Attachments used: QuickSmooth Brush and RapidGloss Finisher
Elena, before and after:
Watch our full review, below, to hear all of our unfiltered thoughts:
Hair type: 3C curls
Attachments used: QuickSmooth Brush
But if that's not enough to convince you, after trialling hundreds of products from the year, team Cosmo Beauty awarded the Shark SpeedStyle as the best hair dryer of 2023 in our annual Winter Awards. "Glossy hair is literally minutes away with this lightweight dryer from Shark Beauty that has multiple attachments. Oh, and lightweight is key because who wants the arm ache associated with hair styling? Not us."
The first-place trophy speaks volumes, IMHO.
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
