Harry Styles quite often goes viral on Instagram. Even if you're not a fan, his gender-fluid outfits and sepia-toned music videos will find a way to infiltrate your feed, and the news of his new beauty was no exception. This week, Pleasing – which Harry describes as a life brand – launched alongside a cover shoot and interview for the newest issue of Dazed, which led to social media platforms in a frenzy. Unlike many other brands on the market, Harry aims to “bring joyful experiences and products that excite the senses and blur the boundaries”, to the world, that also “dispel the myth of a binary existence”. As the most recent celeb to dip their toe into the beauty realm – Lady Gaga, Pharell Williams and Selena Gomez were the first to start the trend – it begs the question whether these products are actually good, or is it better to trust the founders of beauty brands who work in this field as their day job? 

In a bid to get closer to solving this conundrum, Carmen and Nasreen from the Because team each trialled the set of nail polishes, face serum and lip oil and eye gel pen and have given their honest reviews and ratings below. 



The Perfect Polish Set: 3.5/5
Carmen says... "I've always been awful at applying nail polish, so I often will leave my nails bare or get an expert to do so. Upon trying Harry's new set, it was pleasing (excuse the pun) to find that I managed to apply the four shades without smudging them or getting them onto my fingers. The formulas dried very quickly, and I was even more surprised to find that I could get away with just one coat, even with the darkest shade. In the few days that I've had my nails painted they've barely chipped, and I can't help but be impressed at their durability. But – and yes there is a but – I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that the packaging feels like its meant to appeal only to those under the age of 25, which sadly I am not, and the shades themselves definitely are not ones I would usually gravitate to. Whilst I get that this will be marketed towards the Stylers (the name of his fanbase, if you didn't know), the £50 price point feels a little steep. I'd be intrigued to see what other shades he brings out, but for now I'll be sticking with the brand my manicurist knows and trusts."



The Pleasing Pen: 3.5/5
Nasreen says... "I admit I was a skeptic when I saw that pop star Harry Styles had come out with a beauty line but to my surprise, I've been slightly won over with The Pleasing Pen. The packaging leaves more to be desired but I do like that the product comes in glass rather than plastic. The eye gel roller is like a sensory wake-up call in the morning with its cooling effect and settles with a matte feeling rather than wet, but the promise to 'diminish signs of ageing' remains to be seen! The lip oil also has a... pleasing texture in that it doesn't slip and slide but at the same time, it left my lips wanting more so the hydration felt temporary. Overall, it's a good one to chuck in your bag on the go but I think I'll stick to my tried and true skincare!"



The Pearlescent Illuminating Serum: 2.5/5
Carmen says... "To put it simply: I'm not wowed, but I'm not disappointed either. Packed with Vitamin B5, antioxidants and amino acids, the ingredient list ticks the boxes in terms of what I want from a serum, and despite the synthetic looking pearls that are meant to dissolve into the formula, my mildly sensitive skin didn't react to it. Its gel-like consistency wasn't sticky, and it quickly sunk into my skin leaving it look dewy without a glittery glow that I thought the pearls may add. But after a few hours went by, it was basically unnoticeable, and while my skin didn't feel worse for it, it didn't look that much better. Maybe it's one of those products that has a significant effect the more you apply it, but I don't think I'll be using it long enough to find out." 



Shop Pleasing here.


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