It’s been a little over two weeks now since Rihanna’s new makeup line, Fenty Beauty, hit the shelves at a Sephora near you. There was lots of hype surrounding the release of this line, and as of right now, it’s lived up to every expectation and more. However, Fenty Beauty’s products aren’t flying off shelves solely because they’re well-made (and made because they’re made by the bad gal herself). The importance of this new line goes far deeper than quality and aesthetic appeal.
There has always been conflict and controversy in the beauty community because of certain makeup brands’ unwillingness to cater to people whose complexions are on either end of the spectrum- very pale-skinned, or very dark-skinned. That’s where Rihanna comes in. According to Fenty Beauty’s website, the line was released in order to focus on “traditionally hard-to-match skin tones” in addition to formulating products that work for all skin types.
So, how does it measure up to other makeup lines? For one, Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r foundation comes in 40 shades. The typical number of foundation shades for a brand is usually around 20-24. Not only are there plenty of shades to choose from, but Fenty Beauty has gone the extra mile with making sure (as Rihanna puts it) your skin looks like skin. They’ve formulated their foundation so that instead of just pink and yellow undertones, there’s greens, blues, purples, and various shades of red. This aspect only adds to the inclusivity of the line, because it caters to everybody. Here’s a few examples of what the foundation looks like on real people, not just swatches on arms.
Shade 490
Shade 350
Shade 220
Shade 120
As for the concealers, Fenty Beauty has created 20 shades ranging from light to deep, which is once again more than the average amount of shades for a prestige makeup line The line also features varying shades of highlighters, foundation primer, lip gloss, and brushes. There’s one highlighter in particular I’d like to highlight (no pun intended), and it’s the Killawatt freestyle highlighter. Rihanna rocked it at the release of Fenty Beauty, and she’s absolutely glowing.
The five star reviews and sold out products speak volumes about Fenty Beauty, but when it comes down to it, the most important thing about this line is its ability to cater to everybody. Makeup is something everyone should be able to enjoy, and a person shouldn’t be limited to what they can create because a brand doesn’t cater to the color of their skin. Additionally, since the release of the line, other brands have been making some moves to become more diverse in their foundation selections and modeling campaigns. It’s clear Rihanna’s raised the bar in the beauty community, and hopefully it only goes up from there.
Credit to: @fentybeautty on Instagram for the photos