In November, Harry Styles announced the launch of Pleasing, his first beauty brand, in his Winter 2021 Dazed cover story. As he shifts from musician to beauty mogul, he prepares to enter a new, risk-taking and career-defining chapter. Styles, who is known for his gender-fluid wardrobe and love of nail polish, dropped a vegan and cruelty-free beauty range currently comprising six products: four nail polishes, a dual roller ball lip and eye serum and a facial serum.
The first launch is centered on a nail polish collection featuring the Perfect Pearl ($20), a pearlized white polish with a glossy finish designed to either be worn on its own or experimented with others, and the Pearly Tops ($20), a clear polish that can be used as a topcoat to give a matte finish with a touch of luminescence or provides a “barely there” effect on its own. The Perfect Polish Set ($65), which contains both above-mentioned products plus Inky Pearl, a pearlescent black, and Granny’s Pink Pearls, a pearlescent pink. Within the set, three alphabet sticker decals are also included for endless customization.
These polishes, in addition to The Pearlescent Illuminating Serum ($35) and The Pleasing Pen ($30), a dual roller ball lip and eye serum, are no longer available for pre-order, but the line officially launches on the website on Nov. 29 at 10 a.m. PST/ 1 p.m. EST/ 6 p.m. GMT.
Pleasing also states that the line was inspired by pearls, which is one of the star’s signature flourishes, calling it an “ode to the beauty found in a simple shell.” Staying true to his gender-neutral approach, the campaign models include both men and women. A press release said the brand celebrates “the multitude of unique identities in our community.”
As men continue to move beyond basic grooming, Styles joins a growing list of male celebrities to launch nail products in recent years, including A$AP Rocky, Machine Gun Kelly and Lil Yachty. CNBC reported that men are a multi-billion growth opportunity for the beauty industry.
For companies, there’s a huge opportunity whether men are looking for traditional grooming products, discreet moisturizers and beauty balms or to bend gender norms. Nearly 40% of adults aged 18-22 have shown interest in gender-neutral beauty products, according to NPD’s iGen Beauty Consumer report.
“In recent years, the notion that men can’t or shouldn’t be using skincare products or caring more in general about all aspects of their appearance has been receding,” said Andrew Stablein, research analyst at Euromonitor International in a research note.
The belief that men’s skin is diametrically different from women’s, is just one of many myths. While this may be true in a structural sense, Mumbai-based dermatologist Dr. Madhuri Agarwal believes that the skincare requirements for both genders are the same.
With consumers increasingly moving away from traditional beauty norms, a sharp rise in gender-neutral skincare has been seen over the past few years. Society is shifting as more and more people embrace gender neutrality, expressions of femininity and new definitions of masculinity.
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