Exploring the 'Fenty Effect' and why Rihanna will, once again, galvanise beauty for people of colour
As the Fenty Beauty empire grows to include skin care, we talk about the effect Fenty Beauty has had on the beauty industry and why it's more than just skin deep.
Rihanna has had unprecedented success with her Fenty Beauty makeup line. Created with promise of inclusion for all women and offering an unmatched offering of shades and colours, Fenty Beauty has revolutionised the global makeup industry and next, she's focusing on skin.
Rihanna began Fenty Beauty in late 2017 with the the hope of creating a makeup line that did exactly what it promised to do. Whereas many lines claimed to have diversity in mind, a lot of their product offerings fell short with black and brown women feeling grossly underrepresented.
59.5k Likes, 214 Comments - FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA (@fentybeauty) on Instagram: "Ready to get your #FENTYFACE??? We've added 10 shades to our #PROFILTRFOUNDATION collection and..."
Global beauty brands, in particular from the luxury sector, where shamelessly lacking when it came to catering to the needs of people of colour.
Ima, 26, a PR executive and beauty aficionado says, ''I have always loved makeup but if I'm being honest, I have rarely felt 'seen'. My experience of makeup has been a series of trials and error. Even in high-end beauty campaigns, it feels like black women are completely excluded from the conversation despite having the buying power. I just want to look at a campaign and see a girl like me staring back, I don't think I'm asking for too much.''
The launch of Fenty Beauty left many beauty houses scrambling to expand their colour ranges in what has now come to be known as the 'Fenty Effect'. However. Fenty remains the originator and the favourite. The brand have marketed themselves as being a champion of inclusion and diversity and continue to be one the go-to for people of colour.
Elaine, 28, says, ''Fenty Beauty was the dawn of a new era from me. From the very start, I understood it and it felt like it was made just for me. Do you understand how special that is? Just for that, I will continue to support Rihanna in anything she does because she did this for US.''
Other brands, who have begun expanding their own lines as a knee-jerk reaction, have been accused of being performative and doing so only to increase their profit margins rather than actually caring about the representation of people of colour on the global beauty stage.
Brands like Dior, among others, who have began expanding their ranges, have been accused of not celebrating diversity but accommodating people of colour in a bid to keep up with an increasingly competitive industry, At some point, we have to question the integrity of these brands and ascertain whether they truly care about inclusion or whether they're using people of colour to make money. Fenty Beauty felt like the first brand that truly 'cared' and that's what drove its success.
Following the launch of Fenty, affordable beauty brand Make Up For Ever were quick to remind people that they already had a 40-shade foundation range since 2015 and what Fenty was doing was 'nothing new'. Always the queen of clapbacks, Rihanna's reminded them that although their range was in existence it was 'still ashy', suggesting that though their range existed, it failed to address the important nuances pertaining to black beauty including undertones.
Where Make Up For Ever failed, Fenty flourished with their iconic Pro Filt'r foundation which not only supported a wider range of skin tones- but also took into account that not all shades are equal and created that shades which appeared identical but had fundamental differences which made it easier for people to find the perfect shade for them.
Not only did Fenty Beauty excel in their shade selection for darker skin tones but were widely praised for including shades that included extremely light shades for people with albinism. Fenty Beauty was the first beauty brand to truly understand that the full spectrum and cater to it all.
According to We Are Ready, recent research from George Washington University showed that mercury and other potentially harmful ingredients are found in cosmetics products commonly marketed to African American, Latina and Asian women, and even small exposures to suspected toxic chemicals can lead to health problems, such as premature reproductive development in young girls, neurodevelopmental issues and cancer.
The truth is, diversity in beauty goes far beyond makeup and colour ranges. There needs to be a diversity push through every aspect of the production line. There need to be more people of colour involved in the process from the cosmetic chemists in the labs who understand the molecular differences of coloured skin to marketing and branding. Brand ambassadors for the brand also need to be relatable and representative of the people it appeals to.
This is why Fenty Skin is going to be another important milestone for the beauty industry, According to Business of Fashion who spoke to said Theresa Yee, a senior beauty analyst at WGSN, “Everyone wants that dewy, natural-looking glow today, and, to achieve that, these women need skincare that actually works for their skin texture. There is still a real gap in the market and a huge consumer demand for more inclusive products.”
As someone who has proven that she understands issue people of colour face, Rihanna is bound to excel at skin care. We expect Fenty Skin to provide solutions to the more common issues that women with darker skin tones deal with including hyperpigmentation, differences in skin texture and acne scarring among others.
It seems Rihanna has sparked a seismic change in the beauty industry and we are entering a new phase of beauty that has space for everyone to explore their love of makeup and feel included in the conversation.
That Rihanna reign really won't let up.
