Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

Nicky Clarke supershine izora dryer review: A great budget hair dryer for extra shine

This easy-to-use device will have your locks feeling nourished in no time

Chloë James
Tuesday 21 September 2021 11:40 BST
There are fewer settings and modes on this hair dryer than most – but that’s not a bad thing
There are fewer settings and modes on this hair dryer than most – but that’s not a bad thing (iStock/The Independent)

Everybody knows the key to sleek, shiny hair is a good blow dry. Done right, your strands will be left luxuriously frizz-free for hours, if not days, on end — and it doesn’t always have to be done by a professional.

To help anyone recreate a salon-standard look from home, Nicky Clarke’s supershine izora dryer (£44.41, Amazon.co.uk) combines all the elements necessary for a perfect blowout. Like every trendy hair device nowadays, it incorporates ionic technology — or, to be specific, ionic conditioning technology — to prioritise the health of your hair, and keep it silkier for longer.

Unlike a lot of its competitors, the supershine izora dryer doesn’t overcomplicate things. This hair dryer is as straightforward as it gets, bucking the trend for numerous settings and modes to keep things simple enough for everybody to get a premium finish.

Read more:

But when it comes to styling your hair, is less really more? We put the Nicky Clarke supershine izora dryer through its paces to find out.

How we tested

This dryer sounded like the ideal dryer for everyday use — so that’s exactly how we used it. Whether we were going for a rough blow dry or a big, bouncy look, we wanted our hair to both feel and look soft and smooth after every styling session. It also needed to check off the usual requirements like heat, power, and long-lasting results.

Nicky Clarke supershine izora dryer

Nicky Clarke supershine izora dryer.jpg

Buy now £44.41, Amazon.co.uk

  • Attachments: Nozzle
  • Number of speed settings: 2
  • Number of heat settings: 3
  • Wattage: 2200W

The first thing you notice about this hair dryer is, of course, the colour. Its striking blue ombré casing makes it a bold addition to any dressing table, and certainly helps it stand out from the usual white, grey, and black devices.

It doesn’t have anywhere near as many settings as a lot of its competitors. Instead of numerous heat and power options, it has just three speeds and two temperatures (as well as a cool shot). We appreciated the simplicity. Sometimes, you can have too much choice — we have previously found ourselves overwhelmed with options drying our hair, so it’s nice to have these narrowed down for us.

Read more: 10 best hot brushes for styling, volumising and straightening hair

In terms of power, this hair dryer packs a punch. Although it wasn’t the fastest dryer we’d ever used, the highest speed made quick work of our tester’s long, thick hair. It didn’t create any extra frizz or static around the scalp area, and hair felt silky to the touch. And while you don’t get much control over the heat, it never reaches such extreme temperatures that you feel yourself — or your hair — overheating.

This dryer makes a lot of its ionic conditioning technology, which promises to help your hair retain moisture. For those new to ionic technology, this works by emitting negative ions to help seal the hair cuticle for a shinier smoother finish. With this dryer so focused on maintaining hair health, we weren’t surprised to see it did a great job of keeping hair hydrated. The ends of our tester’s hair usually revert to looking dry and damaged after a blow dry, but held the finished result for much longer — especially when blasted with the cool shot button.

Read more: 9 best hair curlers for salon-worthy hair at home

No matter what look we attempted, this dryer was consistently easy to use. It only comes with one attachment — a slim concentrator nozzle — which was useful for both rough-dries and sleek looks when used in tandem with a barrel brush. This kind of attachment definitely works best on already straight-ish styles; we just wish it could have also come with a diffuser to help dry naturally curly hair.

From a purely functional perspective, we had no major complaints. It did feel a bit too heavy at times, especially when targeting the back of your head if you’ve got thick hair. Also, it was much louder than other dryers we’ve used in the past, and we did find we occasionally switched the settings in our fist by accident due to the positioning of the buttons on the handle.

  1. £44 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
Back to top

The verdict: Nicky Clarke supershine izora dryer

All we wanted from this hair dryer was shiny, healthy-looking hair, and it did the trick. No matter how we styled our hair, it was left looking moisturised and full of life. The Nicky Clarke supershine izora dryer isn’t the most complex or ambitious device in the world, but it covers all the basic requirements, is easy to use, and doesn’t overcomplicate things for those less confident styling their hair.

Voucher codes

For the latest discounts on other hair tools, try the links below:

We also put the Remington hydraluxe pro hair dryer to the test, but is it worth the hype?

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in