Robyn Rihanna Fenty has come a long, long way from her Pon de Replay days.
On August 1, the first hint at the brand Fenty Beauty was released on Instagram — a picture with the date “9.8.17” and a caption that confirmed the global launch date of September 8.
Within that time, the 29-year-old singer and fashion designer has built up massive hype for her latest venture and delivered on that hype. Here are five things to know about — Fenty Beauty:
Three-year journey
The 91-item line has been in the making for a while. It all started when Rihanna trademarked the brand Fenty Beauty three years ago, signalling that she would be stepping into the beauty arena. Last year, her collaboration with Kendo Brands was confirmed. The rest is history.
Collaborator
Kendo Brands, a San Francisco-based beauty developer, is a play on the phrase ‘can do’. Its portfolio also consists of Kat Von D Beauty, Marc Jacobs Beauty, OLEHENRIKSEN and BITE Beauty.
Biggest launch ever
Go big or go home seems to be Fenty Beauty’s motto. The release of the line on September 8 was the largest make-up launch ever — hitting 1,600 stores across 17 countries on the same day.
Magnetic appeal
There’s nice packaging. And then there’s “OMG, this is so cool” packaging. A hexagonal shaped theme runs through the majority of the collection and some products, such as the Match Stix and the Invisimatte blotting powder, can snap together magnetically. It’s practical, cool looking and fun to use.
Diversity in action
No skin tone will be left behind under Rihanna’s watch. The Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation comes in 40 shades — from very fair to very dark. This is especially poignant for dark-skinned women who have often been overlooked by make-up brands. An excuse often cited is that dark foundation shades won’t sell, which is seemingly being proven wrong. US social media users have pointed out that the darker foundation shades from Fenty Beauty have completely sold out in stores and online, shading brands that have missed the train on this one.
