Whether she’s on the radio, on the big screen, or on the catwalk, Rihanna makes waves with her devil-may-care attitude and iconic sense of style. That style undoubtedly inspired her latest endeavor; she recently released her own makeup line, Fenty Beauty. Makeup enthusiasts everywhere anticipated the brand for months, myself included. The majority of this hype was generated by women of color, and for good reason: Rihanna promised that her foundation would come in forty shades, catering to all skin tones. This is almost unheard of in the cosmetic world.
With the makeup industry being dominated by white women, the darkest shade of foundation in an average makeup line usually isn’t very dark at all. Women of color often find themselves relentlessly trying to find that perfect foundation shade to no avail. It’s not unusual for brands to conveniently exclude dark-skinned black women from their shade ranges. It is merely a small example of the numerous microaggressions that women of color face in their daily lives.
As a biracial woman, Rihanna recognizes the need for a more inclusive cosmetics brand in the beauty industry. In addition to creating a forty shade foundation range, she insisted that her advertisements included women of all races. A Hijabi woman is also featured, a brilliantly bold move in a country full of growing Islamophobia. This representation is crucial in today’s whitewashed media. Rihanna uses her platform to benefit women of color everywhere. With this advertisement, she is exclaiming, “We exist!”
Rihanna is extremely vocal about her support of the Black Lives Matter movement and women’s rights. A makeup line created by an outspoken biracial feminist is incredibly refreshing.
If you want to support the work of a beautiful bi-racial businesswoman and rock a bomb highlight at the same time, check out Fenty Beauty the next time you go to Sephora.