Embracing Shades

Lauren Keuning, Opinion|Layout Editor

Rihanna launches universally inclusive makeup line, Fenty Beauty.

Pop star Robyn Rihanna Fenty, more commonly known as Rihanna, is taking the beauty world by storm with her newly launched skin tone-inclusive makeup line, Fenty Beauty.

The line houses an impressive 40 shades of foundation along with highlighters in both powder and shimmer skinsticks, Celia Shatzman said in a review of the products for Forbes. “After years of playing with the best makeup in the industry, Rihanna saw a gap for products that worked for all women, across a range of skin tones,” Shatzman said.

According to fashion website, Fashioners, Rihanna said, “Fenty Beauty was created for everyone: for women of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures and races. I wanted everyone to feel included, that’s the real reason I made this line.”

After two years in development, the Sephora-exclusive line launched Sept. 8 in the chain’s 16,000 stores across 17 countries, according to Forbes.

Fenty Beauty highlights inclusivity, and the makeup gods are loving it.

YouTube makeup vloggers have uploaded reviews of Fenty Beauty products.

Nyma Tang, a YouTube makeup artist from Dallas known for her video series called the “Darkest Shade,” puts brands to the test by applying their darkest foundations and concealers to see if they work for her.

In her YouTube bio, Tang said she was made fun of for her dark skin in high school. In her video review of Fenty, Tang said she struggles to match foundations to her skin tone and that seeing a brand launch such a large range of shades is exciting.

Internet sensation Jeffrey Lynn Steininger, more commonly known as Jeffree Star, and owner of Jeffree Star Cosmetics, praised the line’s formula and variety.

“I love that [Rihanna] didn’t just come out with one thing,” Star said. “I think something that was really cool and important to note is that her brand is very inclusive. The fact that she spent a lot of time perfecting the formulas and creating a really cool shade range, I think is really awesome.”

But promoting diversity is not the only thing Rihanna is doing. Raul Bello, Brookhaven College adjunct marketing faculty and retail business owner, said keeping her price point in the middle, making distribution exclusive and using her name and social status will be key to her success. “It seems like she has obtained some good [marketing] advice along the way,” Bello said.

The Fenty Beauty collection includes 20 shades of matte skinstick, 10 shimmer skinstick highlighters, six powder highlighters, a universal lip luminizer and a few other products, along with the foundations, according to Billboard.

Sephora offers a step-by-step instructional guide of the products that together create the Fenty Face, along with a video of Rihanna applying the line on herself with James Kaliardos, Fenty Beauty resident makeup artist hired to represent the brand, according to Forbes.

“It seemed like it would have been extremely difficult, but I love everything that I do. I love fashion, I love makeup and I love giving back, so it never felt like work,” Rihanna said in an interview with People after the product launched.

Though people are flocking to get their hands on the product, Sephora has been successful in keeping most of the Fenty Beauty products stocked. As of press, Sephora at Galleria Dallas and NorthPark Center have new shipments scheduled to arrive by Sept. 23

The makeup line is available at Sephora stores and online at sephora.com.