Rihanna Was Shocked by Fan Reactions to Fenty Beauty
Rihanna has shown us all that there is nothing she can’t do. The popstar burst on the scene 15 years ago as a protégé of Jay-Z, and from there, she has made a name for herself. From countless hits and albums to her humanitarian efforts, the Bajan songstress is multifaceted and iconic.
In addition to her musical talent, Rihanna has also dove into the fashion industry with her fashion house, FENTY and lingerie line, Savage x Fenty. However, it was her beauty brand, Fenty Beauty that truly began to solidify her status as a mogul.
When Rhianna launched Fenty Beauty in September 2017, people ran online and to Sephora to get their hands on the inclusive brand. For years, despite the numerous labels in the beauty industry, Black and brown women struggled to find makeup that would fit their skin tones and textures. Now, Rihanna has revealed why she was so shocked by fan reactions to Fenty Beauty.
Rihanna created Fenty Beauty for everyone
For years, Rihanna perfected her go-to makeup technique, refining it and testing out different things before launching Fenty Beauty. Now, the line includes foundations, highlighters, lip glosses, lipsticks, mascaras, shadows and everything in between.
Rihanna had one singular mission in mind when she launched her brand. “Fenty Beauty was created for everyone: For women of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures, and races,” Rihanna said in a statement. “I wanted everyone to feel included. That’s the real reason I made this line.”
According to Forbes, after just 15-months of business Fenty Beauty generated an estimated $570 million in revenue.
Rihanna writes all of the copy for Fenty Beauty
The fashion and beauty mogul is super hands-on with her Fenty Beauty brand. While the foundations are numbered, Rihanna is solely responsible for coming up with the copy for the entire line of products.
“I write all of the copy for the websites, the product descriptions, product names, the color names…” she told British Vogue. “I do have a huge team, but I just don’t necessarily think their tone is mine. I’d feel like a fraud selling something that I can’t stand by.”
This is why Fenty Beauty has such bomb product names like the Stunna Boss Nude lipsticks or the “Who Needs Clothes?!: Body Lava Body Luminizer” Honestly, who wouldn’t want to buy that? Still, despite the mega-success of her makeup brand, Rihanna was absolutely shocked by fan reactions when she launched it.
Rihanna was disappointed by Fenty Beauty being called groundbreaking
With over 40 shades of foundation alone, Fenty Beauty has set the tone for inclusivity in the beauty industry, forcing other brands to scramble to catch up. Still, Rihanna was not prepared for this reaction.
“I’m shocked by people saying, ‘Oh my god, what made you think of making make-up for black girls?'” she explained to British Vogue. “I’m like, ‘What? You thought this was like, a marketing strategy? Like I’m a genius?’ It’s shocking most of the time. Then it turns into disappointment that this is groundbreaking right now. In my mind, this was just normal.”