“Fenty Beauty was created for everyone: for women of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures, and races.” –Fenty Beauty
Photo courtesy of Metro
Singer, songwriter and actress Robyn (Rihanna) Fenty launched her cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty, in Sephora stores nationwide on September 8, 2017. Fenty Beauty was an instant sensation, but its popularity didn’t just come from Rihanna’s fame and fortune. Rather, it was recognized for pushing traditional beauty norms by designing products for women of all skin tones and shades.
I remember falling in love with Rihanna and her music when “Pon de Replay” first came out. I was eight. I continued to follow her career through her social media platforms and admired her boldness, confidence and political activism. As a lifelong Rihanna fan and a North African/Arab-American with olive undertones that are rarely complemented by foundations, I knew I had to get my hands on Fenty Beauty the moment it came out. Here are my thoughts on some of the products:
Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer: Smooth and hydrating, this primer did a great job minimizing my pores and providing an even base for my foundation. As someone with oilier skin, I usually stick to silicone-based primers, but this primer worked great with my skin. It also smells amazing!
Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation: Natural, matte, full-coverage, lightweight. Need I say more? (I got color-matched at Sephora and my shade was 290.)
Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer: Rihanna has such a perfect pout; I couldn’t wait to try her lip gloss! As someone who prefers gloss to regular lipstick or mattes, I completely fell in love with this product. It’s a gorgeous rose nude shade and strikes the perfect balance of sheer and pigment, which ensures a beautiful look on both paler and darker skin tones.
It’s not surprising that someone as talented and iconic as Rihanna would create a no less than perfect line of cosmetics. Fenty Beauty has already been compared to some of the best, most classic cosmetic brands like Chanel and Marc Jacobs. However, what sets Fenty Beauty apart from other beauty brands is not simply its excellent quality, but rather its mission to provide excellent quality products that everyone can enjoy.
Historically, beauty brands have always ignored people of color – at their own financial peril. More often than not, people of color are not represented in brand launches. Perhaps at no coincidence, the darkest shades of Fenty Beauty foundation were the quickest to sell at Sephora stores across the country.
“For many years the beauty and hair space has treated [people] of color and our specific beauty needs as an afterthought and a special case to be handled when it suits the needs for sales,” says blogger and creator Patrice Grell Yursik. Yursik notes the new possibilities arisen from the success of people of color in the beauty industry and the creation of more inclusive products.
With Fenty Beauty, Rihanna has raised awareness to an industry problem that affects many women, including herself. We can only hope that other brands will follow suit.