No one expected a pop star to turn the beauty industry on its head, but that’s exactly what Rihanna did in 2017 with the launch of Fenty Beauty. Of course, Rihanna is so much more than a pop star, as her groundbreaking foundation shade range made the world take notice—and take a hard look at expanding their own color ranges. Ever since she announced Fenty Skin was coming next, the beauty world has waited with bated breath. Launching on July 31 exclusively on FentySkin.com, Rihanna finally revealed the first three hero products of the clean, genderless skincare line. “Fenty Skin is my vision of the new culture of skincare—I wanted to create amazing products that really work, that are easy to use, and everyone can apply it,” Rihanna has said.
Fenty Skin, in partnership with Kendo Brands, a LVMH-owned beauty developer, encompasses Rihanna’s own skincare journey, her globe-trotting lifestyle and her mission to deliver easy solutions for all skin types and tones. All designed to work with makeup, each product in the line is a 2-in-1 multitasker with eco-friendly packaging and formulas. The trio, dubbed the Fenty Skin Start’rs, encompasses the basics of a full skincare routine. “I wanted it to feel approachable, easy, and to take the pressure off choosing a routine, so I created one for everyone,” Rihanna has said.
Rihanna is known for her flawless skin, but it wasn’t always that way. She struggled with her skin as a teen—not to mention the overwhelming amount of product options out there—and even tried one that discolored her skin, which deterred her from playing with products for a long time. That’s where she got the inspiration to create a skincare line that was clean, inclusive and worked. Fenty Skin spotlights heavy hitting ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. The line is also oil-free, vegan and gluten-free. “I’ve lived and traveled all over the world and I wanted to make sure that Fenty Skin represented the best-of-the-best when it came to our ingredients,” Rihanna has said. “I wanted safe, clean, effective formulas that celebrated and respected what our planet has to offer.”
Of course, the first step in a skincare regimen is washing your face, something that Rihanna does religiously every night before bed. “Washing your face is the most important step for good skin,” Rihanna has said. “Especially when you’re wearing makeup, breaking a sweat in the club, exercising—whatever your thing is. I wanted to create a really deep cleanser that wouldn’t dry out your skin so you can use it every day and night.” The Total Cleans’r Remove-It-All Cleanser is a daily cleanser and makeup remover in one that will never strip skin. It works into a creamy lather to wash away longwear makeup, dirt and oil and keeps shine at bay long after you’ve turned off the water. Its scent comes courtesy of Barbados cherry, which is packed with more vitamin C than an orange to brighten the complexion. The other ingredients include gingko biloba to control oil and clarify, antioxidant-rich green tea to protect from environmental stressors, and quince to condition. As an earth-friendly bonus, the recyclable tube is made with 40% PCR and it doesn’t come in a box or shrink wrap.
Step two is perfecting pores, which is where the Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum comes in. Another twofer, it’s a serum and toner in a cherry and fig scent with a super thick texture so you can apply it straight to your face sans cotton pads. “Fat Water does it all—it makes pores and dark spots less visible, brightens, smooths, fights shine—all without stripping skin. It’s everything for everyone. I’m obsessed with it,” Rihanna has said. It contains Barbados cherry, niacinamide to tackle dark spots and even tone, Australian lemon myrtle and witch hazel water to decrease oil and pores, Japanese raisin tree to detox, cactus flower to hydrate and green tea and fig. Again, there’s no box or shrink wrap to minimize packaging and the bottle and cap are recyclable.
Sunscreen is the crucial last step and according to Rihanna, hydration and sun protection are key every single day, regardless of your skin type or tone. Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen takes care of both. The light-as-a-feather, non-greasy formula quenches thirsty skin while fighting discoloration and dark spots. Its pretty pink tint disappears on all skin tones. Made to be makeup friendly, you don’t have to worry about it pilling, either. “I wanted to create a moisturizer with SPF that was totally invisible—that means no chalky residue and no flashback,” Rihanna has said. “We created this pink hue that works on all skin tones allowing it to blend in effortlessly and leave a healthy glow on skin.” It contains hyaluronic acid and aloe to hydrate and soothe, baobab to moisturize, niacinamide to even tone and prevent excess oil, and Kalahari melon, an antioxidant- and vitamin-rich wild watermelon for hydration. The reef-safe formula is free of oxybenzone and octinoxate. The sleek bottle is refillable and the outer box is recyclable.
