Our verdict on the Harry Styles Pleasing beauty line: perfectly serviceable

The singer has launched a ‘life brand’ complete with nail varnishes and rollerball serums. Does it live up to the Harry hype?
Dazed Magazine
Joe Bromley19 November 2021

He sings, he acts — now Harry Styles is turning his hand to being a beauty mogul.

To the delight of Stylers worldwide, his new ‘life brand’ is on a bold mission to bring joy and “dispel the myth of a binary existence”. Drop one: unisex cosmetics.

Launching a beauty brand has become something of a rite of passage for A-Listers – Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston and Ariana Grande have all hopped aboard, and there is money in it. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, launched in 2017, is now worth $2.8bn, while Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs is reported to be the third most successful celebrity beauty line in the world.

Styles’ take is more pick-me-up than cover-up. “I didn’t want to make products to mask people’s faces,” he says. “I wanted to highlight them and make them feel beautiful.” The first range, Perfect Pearl, includes a hydrating serum, a double-ended rollerball stick of eye and lip serum and a foray into nail varnishes, yours to buy from 29 November. But before you do, are they any good?

Nail Polishes (£16 single / £50 set)

Courtesy of Pleasing

These little bottles are Pleasing’s most stylish offering, which was to be expected from a man who is famously partial to manicures. There are four varnishes that come as a set, their brushes topped with chunky marbles. There’s a nod here to vintage perfume decanters, but they don’t make painting your nails any easier. The polishes themselves apply smoothly and have a very (very) subtle pearlescent shimmer.

‘Granny’s Pink Pearls’ comes out pretty bright, edging towards a coral shade. ‘Perfect Pearl’ is milky white with a glimmer. My favourite is ‘Inky Pearl’, though, a deep sea blue-black that feels like an upgrade for anyone into dark nails. There is also a clear matte polish, either to layer over the others or use alone for an understated mani (you can buy this one, and the Perfect Pearl, separately as well). I took the lead from Styles who paints each nail a different shade. Result: fairly hectic. If you’re aiming for chic, perhaps best to stick to one.

The Pleasing Pen (£23)

Courtesy of Pleasing

While it sounds like something you can pick up at Ann Summers, this is in fact a dual-ended eye and lip serum wand. The undereye rollerball really works, the cool metal helping to de-puff eye bags and leaving them feeling a little tauter. It has lingonberry, okra, and hyaluronic acid to hydrate, protect, and make you look semi-alive during the morning commute. “The Pleasing Pen is great because if you’re feeling a little less than lovely you can refresh yourself anywhere,” Styles says. What he means is – this will help the after two bottles of red at last night’s office Christmas party.

The matte lip oil on the other end is less impressive. Also rollerball-dispensed, this feels more watery than nourishing. Its marshmallow extract is supposed to hydrate and moisturise, but I didn’t notice any real effect. You’re probably better off with Carmex.

The Pearlescent Illuminating Serum (£27)

Courtesy of Pleasing

Floating synthetic mica pearls are submerged in this clear serum-cum-primer. Peculiarly, it is “inspired by Japanese skin divers - female divers who collected pearls for Morimoto with no gear, just a net,” Styles says. “Their skin looks so fresh, shining in the sun, and I wanted a product that would give that feeling.”

Dispense a pump and fragments of the fairly cheap-looking pearls dissolve to smooth and illuminate the face. I can’t say my skin has transformed since I started using it, but it does provide a refreshing gentle shimmer. Sold at a half-ounce, though, and without any ingredients of impressive note, it’s on the expensive side. Evening Standard beauty director Ingeborg van Lotringen agrees: “these are perfectly serviceable products,” she says. “But I expected something a little more thrilling and chic from Harry, especially at these prices.” Let’s hope your next drop brings more joy, Mr Styles.

Dazed

Pleasing is available to buy from November 29, pleasing.com

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