Circa 2013 to 2015, you’d be hard-pressed to find a teenage girl who hadn’t dreamt of a night with Harry Styles. And while the man himself isn’t available, he has bottled up the olfactory equivalent of a passionate dalliance, in the form of a trio of sensual fragrances. The fragrance offering is the latest addition to Styles’ lifestyle brand Pleasing, which thus far comprises nail polish, skincare, beauty, and laidback apparel.
Formulated in collaboration with eco-conscious French perfume house Robertet and perfumer Jerôme Épinette — whose olfactory oeuvre includes Byredo Bal d’Afrique, Ellis Brooklyn Myth, and Vilhelm Parfumerie Morning Chess — the debut release is equal parts horny and hedonistic, yet exercise a sense of restraint in their composition. In keeping with this, the marketing material is devoid of images of Styles’ himself, ostensibly in an effort to differentiate the release from the veritable plethora of ‘celebrity’ fragrances.
“We made a conscious effort to kind of steer away from the overly-complex scents that we’re seeing in the market,” Shaun Kearney, CEO of Pleasing, told The Business of Fashion. “Our launch really celebrates this level of simplicity.” Fragrance house collaborator Robertet is known for its use of sustainable natural raw materials, making it an apt fit for the collection.
The debut collection comprises a floral, fresh amber; a woody amber; and a woody musk scent. Explore the Pleasing fragrance collection below.
Pleasing Rivulets
“A delightful encounter with a stranger. Strolling, wandering, floating like tiny specks caught dancing in the slanting light of an unfamiliar room. Time suspends, the space remains constant, the centre of an old world, new again.”
A floral, fresh amber scent, Rivulets combines ambrette seeds with lemon and black pepper, with a white linen accord adding a sense of freshness. Ambroxan and skin musk lend their signature sweet, intimate, animalic elements. Perhaps the sexiest scent in the collection.
Scent notes: ambrette seeds, lemon, black pepper, white linen accord, poplin blossom, ambroxan, skin musk
Pleasing Bright, Hot
“Fading into sleep beneath the hot sun. Eyelids gently, slowly shut, the orange hue behind closed eyes transforms into a canvas for a dream. An exhilarating adventure. Time slips away, basking in a midday reverie.”
A woody amber scent that sees top notes of plum and tobacco tempered with orris butter and marine accord, rounded out by the dryness of cedarwood, tonka bean, amber, and a hint of vanilla.
Scent notes: plum, tobacco leaves, orris butter, marine accord, cedarwood, tonka bean absolute, vanilla absolute, crisp amber
Pleasing Closeness
“A long warm day lingers, held in place, then swept away by a gentle breeze. Evening descends, a door opens. A brush, a touch, a whispered ‘yes.’ Skin pressed against skin, soft, matte, glowing underneath the light of the moon, while still, deep water reflects swift-moving clouds from above.”
Likely the most cosy scent of the bunch, Closeness is a woody musk that combines pink pepper, cardamom, and clean sheets accord with orris butter, carrot seed, and bamboo. Soft base notes of salted musk, papyrus, and cashmere woods provide an intimate drydown.
Scent notes: pink pepper extract, cardamom, clean sheets accord, orris butter, carrot seed, bamboo, papyrus, cashmere woods, salted musk
Harry Styles’ Pleasing fragrances are priced at $221AUD and are available to residents of New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory via the Pleasing webstore, with shipping an additional $70AUD.
Words by AR Staff
