Opinions

Find Your Pleasing: Harry Styles Polishes Up

2 March 202221 March 2022By
Find Your Pleasing: Harry Styles Polishes Up

As if Harry Styles couldn’t become more endearing, he is now the proud founder of a beauty brand and Opinions Editor, Inayah Shah reviews the new products. 

Singer. Actor. Advocate for kindness. Trendsetter. Headline maker. Best seller. Cover star. Every time you think Harry Styles has done it all, he comes back to do more. This time, he’s come to take over the beauty world.

Presenting Pleasing: Founded by Harry Styles. 

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When well executed, cryptic, aesthetically pleasing (no pun intended) posters start appearing around London and Los Angeles, you would be right to suspect that Harry Styles might be the person behind them. We have seen it before with his debut single from his sophomore album, where simplistic posters asking, “Do You Know Who You Are?” started appearing on the sides of streets. And now again, we see the return of the cryptic black and white posters, with models on a scenic beach, which triggered the launch of Styles’ new beauty brand, Pleasing.

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Fans had suspected Pleasing was a project in the timeline when the name had been copyrighted and eagle-eyed fans circulated that information online. It became clearer that Pleasing was very much an upcoming project when friends of Styles had Pleasing stickers attached to the backs of their phones. It was just a matter of time before the project launched and we understood the full extent of what products he would be releasing. 

Until one night, after one of his comeback concerts, after a prolonged break from touring due to the pandemic, Pleasing appeared on screens outside the concert venue where he was performing, and the world was invited into the era of a new celebrity beauty brand. 

The launch, while initially small, is mighty and there are enough products to satisfy customers and also get a good scope of what the brand’s identity is and what is to come. The major product of the launch are the nail polishes, which come in the Perfect Polish Set as a quartet but if you would rather start smaller, you can buy the Perfect Pearl Polish / Pearly Tops Polish as individuals. 

Testing the products:

To test the waters, I started by initially buying the Perfect Polish set, which included the Perfect Pearl Polish, Pearly Tops Polish, Inky Pearl Polish and Granny’s Pink Pearls Polish. 

I was initially struck by the richness of not only the pigment of the colours but how interchangeable each colour is. The Pearly Tops Polish completely changes the colour and appearance of each colour, and from having a mattified nail look- it transforms into a Pearly Classic sheen. The difference in colour and pigment is reminiscent of one of those day to evening looks everyone should have to hand. 

My verdict:

My favourite and probably the most popular is the Inky Pearl Polish which, on first look, treads the line between black and navy blue. The most striking feature of the varnish, and what sets it aside from high street sellers, is the shimmery tint that appears at its brightest once you apply the top coat. I was taken aback by the difference in colour of the polish from when you leave it without or add on the top coat. 

Inky Pearl Polish

For a simpler day look, apply your everyday top coat and enjoy the simplicity of what first looks like a classic black varnish. However, to truly elevate the look to its top potential, use the top coat to allow the shimmer of the dark varnish to truly come through and become a colour I am yet to find in other nail varnish brands.

If you’re looking for a lighter look, Styles has been smart to include both sides of the colour spectrum, including a pearly white and a shimmery pink. Perfect for Spring and a simpler nail look, I would recommend the Perfect Pearl Polish which truly lives up to its name. My fear with most white nail polishes is that the truer and purer the white, the more striking and unwearable it may be, especially as someone who has normally stuck to darker nail polish colours or nudes and neutrals.

Pleasing, Pearls, Perfection 

I have wanted to start stepping out and being braver with my colour choices, so to now have a white nail varnish which is soft and complements the complexion of my hands is extremely exciting and long awaited. The polish by itself works, much like Inky Pearl but it’s true beauty comes from applying the top coat. This is not to say that you should always wear the varnish with the top coat, but it’s nice to have the option either way (and the top coat really does elevate each polish.) 

Perfect Pearl is what could be described as the perfect wedding day white. It’s classically bridal, and its purpose is to truly emanate the look of pears at the ends of your finger tips (or perhaps inspired by the pearls Styles has been seen regularly wearing around his neck). 

The last but by no means less important pigment varnish, is Granny’s Pink Pearls which by name and colour is a wonderful addition to your nail varnish collection. The first appearance from the bottle can be deceiving but nevertheless, the appearance on the nails is all the more exciting. As someone who has darker hands, the colour of the nail polish on Styles’ hands compared to mine is obviously different but in line with the ethos around all of his branding, these colours are for everyone, not just lighter skin. 

Pleasing for One, Pleasing for All

I am always sceptical about bright polishes but I felt comfortable and confident wearing this pink colour and hope that other brown people feel comfortable to do so too. The pink polish again can change depending on the application of the top coat and to truly find the perfect look for your hands I would do one hand with the topcoat and one hand without. For a deeper and more striking pink cool, use a generic top coat but to soften the look and add another dimension of shimmer to it, pop the topcoat on and watch your whole look elevate. The pink is perfect for the transition from spring to summer and I can already imagine crowds of people wearing Granny’s Pink Pearls on holiday, at festivals and concerts. 

In the perfect set, the topcoat can also be worn by itself, if you’re looking for a simpler, cleaner look. The topcoat gives your nails a pearly clear finish and is perfect for people who can’t wear pigmented nail varnishes at work or school or perhaps prefer a simpler look from time to time. Alternatively, you can use the topcoat to change the appearance of the nail varnishes you have that are not by Pleasing, and want to change their look slightly to give them a new shine. It’s also worth adding that the nail varnishes come with a pack of nail stickers, full of letters and numbers to level up on your nail art and most excitingly, a Pleasing sticker. 

Styles Steps into Skincare 

Nail polishes were not the only product released by Styles and to add to his first collection of products, he released two skincare products. The Pleasing Pen doubles up with one side of the pen being a refreshing eye gel and the other side being a mattifying lip oil. Sticking with the theme of pearls, the second skincare product is the The Pearlescent Illuminating Serum, which is recommended to be used daily either by itself or to prime the skin before you apply makeup.

The final addition to the collection is the Pleasing crewneck sweater, which has been teased and modelled by Styles and his friends, and released to the public slightly after the initial launch of the beauty products. The website proudly states that the jumper is “ethically crafted, slightly oversized and made from 100% cotton” – so essentially the dream addition to any wardrobe. The crewnecks, first available in all sizes ranging from XS to 3XL, came in cream and black and sold out  very quickly, like the majority of Harry Styles’ merchandise usually does. Not to worry though, we have been collection another drop of crewnecks  to be coming soon! 

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Do Better 

With any new beauty brand coming into the industry at this time, the creator must be in tune with the progressive demands that beauty product users expect. With this in mind, there is a ‘Do Better’ pledge on the website which outlines the ethos of the brand.

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After trying out some products from the collection and researching more into the first drop, it’s safe to say Styles has yet again levelled up on not only his creativity, but his ambitions and what direction his brand is heading towards. There is a clear identity in the aesthetic of the brand and most importantly, it’s a brand for everybody to enjoy. The nail polishes are good quality, worth their price and are different and unique compared to what high street brands are offering. A continuous criticism of celebrity beauty brands is, “are they adding anything new to the industry? Is this brand for everybody? Is this just adding a celebrity face to a brand that they have nothing to do with?” These questions are warranted and should be asked, but most importantly, Styles has answered these questions effortlessly. He has not created something completely unrelated to him, he has shown his love for nail varnishes in the past and is clearly creating something he himself, wants and does use. The brand is for everybody and to prove this, you needn’t look further than the models he has chosen to first promote his brand. Pleasing is something carefully planned, long awaited and well executed, by Styles, his team and a diverse audience in mind. Not only has Drop 1 impressed but it has now captured an audience of unconvinced consumers who are now excited to see what is next for this brand. It is safe to say, Styles has left me, and several fans and beauty lovers alike. – very pleased.