Only Harry Styles Could Charge $20 for Nail Polish
Image Courtesy: Strike FAU
The world has watched Harry Styles grow and change, sampling various careers and music genres; from the 16-year-old singing “What Makes You Beautiful,” a solo artist, and an actor with multiple movie roles, Harry has certainly shown versatility. However, his most recent venture is his brand Pleasing, released last November.
The first collection of items on the website was the Perfect Pearl nail polishes. Not surprising, considering Mr. Styles loves to rock colorful nails during his shows. They now have two collections on their site: Perfect Pearl and Shroom Bloom. The two sets of polish come with four shades for the pretty price of $65. There are single polishes, including Sprouting and The Whole Dewniverse, each available for $20. For that price tag, these better contain magical healing powers.
Upon release, their Instagram was flooded with photos of all genders and ages, being all-inclusive from the start. Not that we should expect anything less from Harry. Pleasing’s motto reflects the value that everyone should “find their pleasing.”
Their first set of items contained the Perfect Pearl polishes, a double-sided eye and lip serum pen, and an illuminating serum. Since then, they have come out with even more skincare. First, the Acid Drops: Lucid Overnight Serum—perhaps a nod to his shroom days which brought us Fine Line. The Serum is $35.
The last skincare product in Shroom Bloom is a hand cream that actually does contain mushrooms, although probably not the psychedelic kind that seems to be the theme of this collection. The Hand + Nail Balm is $25 and contains snow mushroom as a source of plant-based collagen.
They also have apparel sustainably made from half organic cotton and half recycled cotton. The pullovers range from $95 to $105, and the t-shirts are $65. While I would love nothing more than to support you, Harry, I have rent to take care of, and I don’t see Afterpay on Pleasing’s website.
This month, their colorful and playful Instagram posts have been largely centered around the one and only Mick Fleetwood, photographed for the collection wearing shades of green and red on his nails and fitted with the Pleasing apparel. The only thing missing was Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” playing in the background.
The other guest star sharing the spotlight with Fleetwood is a green frog named Cheese, who was apparently found on the streets of Manhattan and is now living his seven minutes of fame as the face of Shroom Bloom.
Perhaps one of the best parts about Pleasing is its gentle, gender-neutral, and simple nature. It’s a model for the future of sustainable products and their target audience. Skincare and nail polish shouldn’t have a gender and shouldn’t only be marketed toward women. Everyone needs good skincare, and right now, most skincare lines are clearly marketed toward separate genders. Men’s products are often all black or gray and have scents like Wild Beast or Fresh Chopped Wood. Why? We know the men wearing these products aren’t out there chopping wood wearing their Wild Beast deodorant. What they really want is to put on a coat of Perfect Pearl and listen to Fine Line on vinyl.
The only downside is the price point and the accessibility of the products. However, customers aren’t just putting money into Harry’s pocket. Pleasing partners with non-profit organizations for each collection. As for the Perfect Pearl collection, Pleasing partnered with Nest, a non-profit organization supporting artisans and creators to “build a world of greater gender equity and economic inclusion.”
Their most recent collection, Shroom Bloom, supports Cool Earth, an organization built to help fight the climate crisis and protect the rainforests and the communities of indigenous people living there. So, although the prices are high, they are going toward a good cause. Organizations like these depend on companies like Pleasing to spread their message more widely and are vital to helping people as well as the planet. Even if you’re not purchasing anything, moral support goes a long way.
Pleasing’s products are for everyone and are marketed as such. Additionally, the products are sustainable and made with simple ingredients, which is not very common in the beauty industry. Most products on the market are made with ingredients that we can’t even pronounce. Hopefully, products like this will become more mainstream in the future and more accessible. Harry never ceases to amaze his audience and will continue to wear pearls and painted nails proudly, as we all should.
Strike Out,
Emma Saunders
Boca Raton
Emma Saunders is a Content Writer and Photographer for Strike Magazine Boca Raton. In her free time, she enjoys saving the planet, drinking iced coffee, and listening to Red (Taylor’s Version only) on repeat. You can reach her at emmarose3900@icloud.com
