With the proliferation of social media and internet branding, there is no shortage of celebrity endorsed and curated brands these days. And there are even the occasional celebrity run company - but those cases are usually where the celebrity or influencer is the figurehead and someone else actually runs in with the celebrity having very little involvement. However, one celebrity juggernaut is not only showing influencers how it’s done, but showing the beauty industry what should have been already happening.
Started in 2017 after nearly 2 years of testing and product creation - as stated by the multitalented artist and influencer - Rihanna came into the makeup game strong. With a foundation range like no one has ever seen and a goal to make makeup for all, not just makeup for some, Rihanna is single handedly holding prestige, drugstore, and every other category of brands accountable to not just serve some, but serve all. Releasing her expansive line on the heels of the Kardashian-Jenner lines, Rihanna blew them out of the water and left them spinning. And it wasn’t just Kylie Cosmetics she sent spinning, Rihanna went on to clap back at everyone and anyone who tried to come for her and her line. Not that that response is anything different to what she has been known to do ever since she hit the bigtime over ten years ago.
Being a cultural phenomenon and a beauty lover herself, Rihanna has single handedly changed how we view beauty and what standards consumers should hold brands to.
Fenty Beauty - The Start of an Empire
One of the most ambitious makeup launches I have ever seen, when Rihanna teased her makeup line a year ago, the beauty world was shook to see not 10, not 15, not even 25, but 40, four - zero, shades for her foundation line as a first launch. A year on, this may seem to be the norm to anyone not directly connected with the beauty world, but a year ago I never thought I would see this. And these shades weren’t just for dark tones either. Many people believed when the news first hit that Rihanna was creating a makeup company that she would be focused on shades for the typically forgotten - anything darker than “medium” shades. But that was not the case, she not only released the darkest shades imaginable, the most diverse middle range, and the palest shades imaginable. So pale that even people who are albino found a foundation shade that worked for them - this had never happened before.
And she doesn’t just do foundation, she has since released lip colors, eyeshadow palettes, setting powder, lip gloss, and the best highlighters with some of the greatest color payoff for every skin tone.
Fenty Beauty has since changed beauty culture, holding ever major brand accountable to not just service one small group of people when it is clearly very achievable to serve a large group of people. So clearly, all of the world needs to take notes.
Fenty Savage Rising Higher
May 11th was a day that became history when Rihanna teased about two weeks prior that she was now coming for the fashion game. Launching a size inclusive lingerie line, Rihanna’s most recent venture have left fans and regular consumers wondering just what exactly it is she can’t do. And it was clear how much people were ready for it as by June 8th, Savage X Fenty Lingerie had completely sold out. With a restock coming the next week, Rihanna also showed beauty and fashion creators and distributors that you have to be more stocked than you want to be in order to keep consumers coming back for more.
When I first saw the initial launch, I couldn’t believe the diversity. And not just in size, but in shades as well. Many complaints I hear from friends who are much darker in complexion than I, relate to the fact that nude bras are in fact white or cream on them - because in the beauty and fashion world, nude apparently still means caucasian nude colors. Though her colors range more than just nudes for all, much like her line there are so many styles, colors, and options to help any woman feel perfect in her own skin.
What’s Next for Rihanna?
If it isn’t obvious by now, I love Rihanna. Not just her professional life but also how she conducts herself with fans, consumers, and even the haters. She not only has made a brand for herself, but has brought her brand to the mainstream proving that it is possible to cater to all different kinds of people without sacrificing quality.
So where will she go? No matter what she does it is clear that she is going to make everyone in the industry have to rethink what is important by continuing to climb and tower above all the rest.
