Rihanna’s cult-favorite beauty line, Fenty Beauty, is celebrated for its foundation and concealer’s inclusive shade ranges, pigmented eyeshadow palettes, and sleek packaging. The brand launched in 2017 with a host of products including 40 shades of foundation, primer, blotting papers, contour sticks, mattifying powder, lip gloss, several brushes, and a number of dazzling highlighters. Since its debut, Fenty Beauty has continued to evolve with the release of more playful cosmetics such as the Body Lava Body Luminizer as well as expanding the brand’s shade range even further. Notorious for her flawless complexion, it was no surprise when RiRi announced she would be launching Fenty Skin. After a few teasers on social media, Fenty Skin launched on July 31 with three products in a collection dubbed “Fenty Skin Start’rs.” The trio of products includes: the Total Cleans’r Remove-It-All Cleanser ($25), Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum ($28), and Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen ($35).
Beauty editors and fans alike flocked to review the collection and consequently, there were a few mixed reactions from the likes of Refinery29 and beauty reviewer Tiara Willis. One of the main concerns was due to the fragrance in each product. Rihanna has since offered a transparent video stating that each product has less than one perfect of synthetic fragrance added in order to create a specific sensory experience for users. Other reviews fawned over the easy-to-use and environmentally-conscious collection. We decided to do a bit of a deep-dive into Fenty Skin below.
Fenty Skin Start’rs
Ingredients:
While Fenty Skin is clean, vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free, it does not claim to be all-natural or organic. And, it is important for fans of Fenty Beauty to know that the ingredients used in Fenty Skin are not your typical skincare formulas and are very fruit-heavy, meaning, if you have sensitive skin, you might want to proceed with caution. The main ingredient used in the Total Cleans’r Remove-It-All Cleanser and Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum is one of Rihanna’s favorite: Barbados cherry which is packed with vitamin C to help brighten and creates a delicious aroma. The cleanser also includes green tea, fig, quince (a fruit that is infused with minerals), and gingko biloba (a tree used in ancient Chinese healing techniques). Chances are you won’t find these ingredients in your current roster of skincare products. The Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen is made with Kalahari melon which is a watermelon packed with antioxidants and vitamins to hydrate, and has a naturally sweet scent. Other ingredients include niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and aloe, and African baobab. Again, not your typical list of ingredients.
Application:
The Total Cleans’r Remove-It-All Cleanser effortlessly wiped away my heavy-hitting Urban Decay Volumizing Lash Freak Mascara. Seriously, a dime sized amount of product and my face was clean. No residual eyeliner flakes or rogue eyebrow gel to be found. My skin is fairly “normal” but I am prone to a nasty breakout here and there. This cleanser left my skin feeling nourished and fresh without stripping it of all my natural oils. The Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum‘s consistency is exactly in between a toner and a serum. This thickness allows you to simply squeeze a bit onto your hands and pat onto your skin. Skip the cotton pad. Skip the toner dripping through your fingers and consequently needing to use more. It will refine your pores, brighten, and prime your skin perfectly. Due to the serum qualities to this toner, you’ll have to allow it to absorb into the skin for about a minute or two before applying moisturizer. Another dual-action product: Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen. This is a super hydrating daily moisturizer, but not too heavy where you can’t flawlessly apply makeup over it (you can). A little goes a long way with this product, especially if you are using the cleanser and toner as well. The scent from the melon is summery and sweet, but, if you plan on using this as your sole SPF protection from the summer sun, RiRi suggests reapplying every two hours.
Fenty Skin Start’rs
Packaging:
Fenty Skin has a huge focus on the environment with earth-conscious and streamlined packaging across the entire collection. The cleanser‘s tube is made with 40 percent PCR (post-consumer resin) materials and the twist top prevents you from over-squeezing and wasting product. The toner serum has a similar twist top and Rihanna eliminated any extra packaging such as a box or shrink wrap. Finally, the moisturizer comes with refillable packaging, so once you’re out of product, recycle the inner cartridge and replace into the beautiful purple tube. This product is also coral reef-friendly (doesn’t contain Oxybenzone or Octinoxate). Yes, we like all of these things.
Final Thoughts:
Rihanna has upheld her standard for inclusivity in the beauty industry. Fenty Skin was created for men, women, and for a range of skin types. While the ingredients are not so typical and Rihanna admits there is added fragrance, these three products feel effective and safe for many skin types, tones, and textures. Nothing was super harsh or abrasive and the two-in-one uses make the collection super approachable. Separately, a huge gripe within the beauty and skincare industry is the excess packaging a lot of brands indulge in. We applaud Rihanna’s effort to create products using PCR materials and incorporating refill systems.
Fenty Skin is currently available on fentybeauty.com.
