Beloved musical artist, singer, and businesswoman, Robyn Rihanna Fenty, is no stranger to success. Aside from being the second-best-selling female artist of all time, with only eight studio albums and over 250 million record sales, she is also the CEO of a legendary and inclusive makeup brand, Fenty Beauty. After years of experimenting with the best of the best in beauty, she was inspired to create her company due to the lack of inclusive products across all skin types and tones. Fenty Beauty was launched in 2017, alongside 50% shareholder, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey (LVMH), a company that manufactures cosmetics as white-label products for sale through cosmetic retailers. Fans had struggled with Rihanna’s abrupt stop from making music, but the self-made billionaire set out to accomplish more goals of her own. In a 2008 InStyle Interview, she was asked: “Where do you see yourself in ten years?”, and Rihanna stated, “That’s a cool question. In ten years I want to have already started my family and have some businesses of my own.” She went on to say, “A fashion line, a makeup line, and I still want to be doing what I’m doing at a much bigger capacity – by the grace of God!” And now at the age of 36, she has accomplished all she had set out to do, with legendary music, starting a family with A$AP Rocky, her influential Fenty Beauty cosmetics, Fenty Skin, and Fenty fashion line. It seems to me that stopping the music and branching out was the best decision she could have made for herself!
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Before Fenty Beauty
Simply put, Fenty Beauty has changed the game for makeup. Before the much-needed release of Rihanna’s line, makeup had been exclusive and lacking in several areas. A problem that many saw, especially those of a darker skin complexion, was the lack of shade ranges. Many brands have offered a limited amount of shades, particularly for foundations and concealers. The purpose of the foundation is to match your skin tone as closely as possible to create a more even-looking complexion, while the use of concealer is to hide dark circles, blemishes, and more by blending them into specific spots on the skin. This lack of diversity made it extremely difficult for many individuals to find suitable products that matched their skin. In addition, marketing plays a big role in who buys your products, and it’s hard to appeal to a larger audience when there’s a lack of representation in marketing campaigns. Mainstream makeup advertisements and marketing have often featured predominantly lighter-skinned and fairer-skinned models. This underrepresentation has made it challenging for people of color and those with more blemishes to see themselves reflected in the beauty industry. Stereotypical beauty standards were also an ongoing issue within the beauty industry, leading to the marginalization of diverse beauty ideals, as Eurocentric features and blemish-free faces were at the forefront of campaigns. People with features that did not conform to these standards often felt overlooked by the makeup industry. As we know, makeup is supposed to make you feel good and look good, and exclusion and limitations within the industry make it complicated for certain people to do either of those things.
The Power of Robyn Fenty
Rihanna explained to LVMH that she created Fenty Beauty, “So that women everywhere would be included.” Her vision states: “Makeup is there for you to have fun with. It should never feel like pressure. It should never feel like a uniform. Feel free to take chances, and take risks, and dare to do something new or different.” Fenty Beauty focuses on expanding upon skin tones and formulas that benefit all skin types. When the line was first released on September 8, 2017, it opened with 40 foundation ranges (and has since gone up to 50+) that includes shades for everyone, and a well-thought-out, diverse marketing campaign. Though certain makeup brands have already been incorporating inclusive products, Fenty’s emphasis on wanting to expand upon diversity and inclusion in their products shed light on what was lacking in the makeup industry, making Rihanna’s makeup line a hit! In a little over the first month, the brand made $100 million in sales and over $550 million in annual revenue within the first year. With all the success that came to Fenty in its first year, it influenced many brands to follow Rihanna and her team’s lead. Over time, there was a rise in shade releases, making 40 the “new normal”. The celebration from the general public was short-lived, as people noticed a greater variety of hues from brands, but they still struggled to broaden the range in the medium to dark tones. Unlike others, Fenty was able to maintain the variety, while keeping up with formulas that benefited all shades. And over time, other brands followed suit.
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Fenty’s Favorites
At the heart of Fenty Beauty’s success are its signature products, Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, Killawatt Freestyle Highlighters, and the non-sticky Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizers. Coming from the Fenty website, I found that aside from winning the 2019 Allure Reader’s Choice Award, the Pro Filt’r Foundation currently offers 59 shades suitable for long wear and is said to be adaptive in different climates. It’s also noncomedogenic (will not block your pores) and it is as light as air on your skin. The Killwatt Freestyle Highlighter is said to be weightless and long-lasting and ranges from subtle to super shiny with shades that are curated for every skin tone. Lastly, the Gloss Bomb Lip Luminisers come in 11 shades and are created with a shiny, non-sticky formula, that also conditions the lips with enriching shea butter. Each of these products embodies Rihanna’s vision of beauty without limitations. As consumers, it’s not just about the quality of the products, but the ethos behind them. Fenty has a commitment to inclusivity that resonates with many around the world.
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Influence and Change All Around the World
Robyn Rihanna Fenty has invoked change far beyond the realm of cosmetics and skincare with Fenty Beauty, as it transcends cultures and borders. The cosmetics line has reached millions of individuals globally and has sparked a conversation about representation and diversity all over the world. Fenty Beauty represents inclusivity and empowerment and inspires people of all groups and backgrounds to embrace their unique beauty with confidence. And though Fenty Beauty may not be everyone’s favorite brand, it has opened the eyes and minds of your favorites to broaden their ranges, celebrate representation in their products, and do so with the correct formulas.
By Kaili Spooner
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
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Author
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Kaili Spooner’s passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
Kaili Spooner’s passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
