Fenty Beauty: Rihanna’s Makeup Brand is the Leader in Diversity and Inclusivity

Rihanna shook the whole world with her Super Bowl Halftime show, where not only did she perform her most iconic songs and reveal she is pregnant with her second child, but also made a subtle, but not any less showstopping, shoutout to her makeup brand, Fenty Beauty.

The company, which is why the singer is now a billionaire, has become a pioneer in the makeup industry and the fight for diversity and inclusion.

Photo Credit: CBS

Rihanna created Fenty Beauty, a black and woman-owned business, to provide an inclusive range for all skin tones. In her first launch, in 2017, the businesswoman released 40 shades of foundation and has since expanded to 50. The inclusion of Fenty Beauty concealer includes 50 shades, offering a wide variety for all skin types. Since then, many other makeup brands have followed the “Fenty Effect,” creating more inclusive tones.

Image: FentyBeauty.com

The singer’s brand managed to change people’s perspectives on women of color wearing red lipstick with the launch of Red Stunna Lip Paint lipstick in 2017. After its success, the brand expanded the line to include other colors like baby pink, chocolate brown, black, and nude peach.

In addition to keeping darker skin tones in mind, the brand also includes the albino community by creating shades that suit their color.

The brand has received worldwide acclaim for the diversity in its advertising campaigns, which prominently featured numerous black models and other models of color, plus people of different body types and sizes. 

Image: FentyBeauty.com

Fenty has crossed over gender lines, having Instagram star Kway promoting the brand, as well as actor Daniel Kaluuya walking the red carpet at the Oscars wearing Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’R Foundation. The company also has unisex fragrances and skincare items that work quite well for both men and women.

Speaking of fragrances and inclusivity, the brand released its Fenty Eau De Parfum on Valentine’s Day this year, showcasing different famous couples for its advertising campaigns. Among the gay, black, and Latino love birds were former Miss Universe pageant contestants, Fabiola Valentín from Puerto Rico and Mariana Varela from Argentina, who recently got married. In the campaign, the models can be seen kissing and cuddling while they tell the story of how they met during the 2019 Thailand pageant. In the end, they compare the fragrance to their relationship: “Sweet but soft at the same time.”

Rihanna includes not only models but also superstars that celebrate diversity in her annual Savage X Fenty show, such as Brazilian singer-songwriter Anitta and Mexican-American singer Ángela Aguilar. She has also been joined by Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, and Daddy Yankee in previous shows. 

Instagram/ FentyBeauty.com

However, Rihanna has been criticized for failing to cast transgender models in her campaigns. She has responded with a desire to avoid tokenism and respect privacy, stating:

“I have worked with many gifted trans women throughout the years. However, I don’t go around doing trans castings! Just like I don’t do straight non-trans women castings! I respect all women, and whether they’re trans or not is none of my business! It’s personal and some trans women are more comfortable being open about it than others so I have to respect that as a woman myself! I don’t think it’s fair that a trans woman, or man, be used as a convenient marketing tool!”

Fenty Beauty is now worth 1.4 million dollars, according to Forbes, and is shared 50/50 between Rihanna and the French conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH). Along with the makeup brand, Rihanna also owns Savage X Fenty, a lingerie company that has skyrocketed her net worth, as well as her passion for inclusivity; it includes a wide range of sizes and portrays models of every skin tone and gender on their advertising campaigns.