“We are pleasing, never perfect” Because he has run out of areas of pop-culture to conquer, pop-icon Harry Styles has ventured into the beauty world. Recently, the 27 year old singer launched Pleasing, an online website pushing body-positivity and being “pleasing, never perfect”. The site currently sells nail polish, a facial serum, and a lip-and-eye pen, as well as a crewneck.

Fans first started to suspect that Styles was coming out with some sort of brand a few months ago when he was seen around London and Los Angeles wearing a hoodie with the word pleasing on the front. Then, a patent application leaked saying that Harry had filed for a patent in beauty and cosmetics. People were quick to jump to the conclusion that the brand was called “Styles, Harry Edward” or “S.H.E” not only Harry’s name but the title of a song on his 2019 album Fine Line. However, it turned out that no one making this assumption knew how to read a patent because that ended up just being Harry signing his name, with the real brand being revealed to be, Pleasing. 

The initial reactions of fans were mixed. There was a large majority who praised Harry for yet again defying gender norms and especially for selling nail polish, something he was largely afraid to wear during his One Direction days. There were others who were confused and frustrated at the high prices of the products, especially once it was combined with costly shipping. Of course, most felt a conflicting combination of the two. @idealouist on Twitter said, “the concept of @Pleasing is so beautiful but what I really love is the transparency and commitment that the brand has, it is so important. I’m very happy and proud of you @Harry_Styles ily” on the completely opposite side, Twitter user @goldenivymoon tweeted, “BREAKING NEWS: Harry Styles being arrested for taking all of his fans’ money through his new company pleasing” while @CrystalMoonx said, “Also just cause I’m criticizing pricing etc etc doesn’t mean I don’t support Harry and pleasing. I’m beyond proud of him & what he’s accomplishing with the brand. It’s [expletive] great that he’s doing new things other than acting and singing! Beyond proud.”

For context, the four piece nail polish set, “The Perfect Polish Set” including three shimmery creme nail polishes, and one pearly top coat is $65. The crewneck? $95. For context, your classic drug store nail polish is typically around $9 a bottle. Pleasing’s is roughly $16. But the prices aren’t the only thing bugging would-be-buyers. The “Pleasing Crewneck” which was only released to the public on Thursday, December 2nd, and sold out in a matter of hours, only comes in sizes up to 3XL, and even then, 2XL and 3XL aren’t available outside the UK/EU. Twitter user @TorinDee put it well, replying to Pleasing’s tweets about the sold out crewnecks they said, “Let’s take restocking as an opportunity to have inclusive sizing. 3x is the bare minimum. It is important to include all bodies, at the very least 5 and 6x. All bodies are pleasing in every corner of the world and they deserve to be included. #pleasing #allbodiesarepleasing”

Regardless of everything mentioned above, (not to mention the fact that many nail polish sets have been showing up broken or even exploded, although that can hardly be blamed on the company) there is still a dilemma. Is it worth the price for a brand name? Most people buying these products wouldn’t have if they weren’t associated with Harry Styles. It’s a personal decision to be sure, are you willing to spend that much money? Is it overpriced? Does the quality match up to the price, or is it just for the brand and Harry’s name? Personally, I think the nail polish isn’t ridiculously overpriced. A nail polish company I regularly buy from has singular bottles that cost from $11 to $14. Granted, if I were to purchase this product it would be for Harry’s name. The way I see it, it’s like any merchandise. If Olivia Rodrigo came out with a t-shirt, and someone bought it, it would most likely be to show their appreciation for her and her music, not just because they thought it was a cool shirt. However, I do think the crewneck is overpriced. I can’t speak on the quality, but when you boil it down, it’s a black or cream crewneck with the word “Pleasing” on it. For almost a hundred dollars. Anyone who buys it is only buying it for the brand. But again, it’s all up to personal preference and what you’re willing to spend your money on.