Dryer brushes outpull Airwrap as Cloud Nine and Shark push hot tools

Analysis

Hot tools dominated the week. Cloud Nine expanded its Air collection with three new hair dryers, positioned so shoppers can pick by hair type ^[1], while Shark cut £40 off a dryer marketed as one that 'stops frizz' for 'salon hair every day' ^[2]. Laifen's Swift 4 drew a review praising it as fast, smooth and gentle ^[3], and travel-focused coverage highlighted a dual-voltage dryer light and compact enough to pack ^[4]. In styling, six beauty editors tested the Shark versus Dyson multistyler question and reached a verdict ^[5], and TIMELAB said it has developed an OEM/ODM straightener that reaches 200°C at all three measured points in 15 seconds ^[6] — a signal of how fast heat-up claims are becoming a manufacturing battleground.

The demand data points to brushes rather than premium multistylers. YouTube 'Hair Dryer Brush Review' uploads from the past fortnight totalled 120,241 views across just four videos ^[7], against 35,369 views across four 'Dyson Airwrap Review' videos ^[8] and 15,297 views across ten 'Shark FlexStyle Review' videos ^[9]. UK search interest for 'hair dryer' averaged 44/100 over three months, easing to 33/100 in the week of 7 September ^[10], while 'dyson airwrap' averaged 25/100 and dipped to 19/100 ^[11]. A £70 TYMO dryer brush picked up UK editorial attention at that accessible price point ^[12]. Safety is the counterweight: US regulators recalled Guang Zhou's Wantefully hair dryer brushes over electrocution, shock and burn hazards ^[13].

In brands, Olaplex named a new chief executive ^[14]; UK search interest for the brand held flat at 13/100 ^[15]. France, meanwhile, is seeing hair care 'skinification' ^[16].