Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

As much as I love makeup, I never thought I’d be the kind of person to wake up at the crack of dawn to attend the launch of a new makeup line, especially not one created by a celebrity!

Yet there I was standing outside Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar in the pouring rain at 7am for the big reveal of Rihanna’s new makeup collection, Fenty Beauty.

Like so many of us, Rihanna has always used makeup as a way to express herself and after identifying a gap in the market for products that performed for all skin types and tones Fenty Beauty was born.

Rihanna wasn’t messing around either when she said this, as Fenty Beauty includes 40 shades of foundation with whispers of more to be added to make sure even traditionally hard to match skin tones are included.

That was the surprising thing for me with this collection. After being mesmerised by her fashion forward and very daring looks on the red carpet, I expected Fenty Beauty to be full of bright lipsticks and eyeshadows. Pretty to look at but not really wearable. However, there isn’t a blue lippy in sight and only 1 lip product in this whole collection! Instead, Rihanna has developed a line of products to help you achieve a flawless complexion with killer radiance. A look known as “The Fenty Face”.

The Fenty Face includes all the key steps to starting your makeup, regardless of the look you are going for. The very first step and the secret to radiant skin is a soft matte filt’r, as Rihanna believes adding glow on glow creates unwanted shine. Next is of course layers of highlight strategically placed for the ultimate glow. Finally, photoready means being shine free so blotting on the go is a must.

With that in mind, let’s go through some of the products:

Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation (£26)

The oil free formula of these foundations gives an instantly smooth, shine free finish that is easy to build to a medium/full coverage without clogging pores. It feels super light on the skin and with shades for even the palest to the darkest of skins this foundation is the ultimate photo filter.

Match Stix Matte Skinstick (£21)

These magnetised makeup sticks are genius. Choose from the 20 shades available to conceal, correct and contour in a matter of minutes. Made from a buildable cream to powder formula they are so creamy and easy to blend on the skin without feeling  My particular favourite is Amber, a cool tone contour, that has just enough grey pigment to give the impression of real shadow below your cheekbone.

If you are struggling to choose from the impressive shade range then don’t panic as Rihanna has taken the guess work out for you by also creating a conceal, contour and highlight Match Stix Trio (£46).

Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick (£21)

The second step of The Fenty Face is all about the cream to powder shimmer stick. Used as highlight, blush and even lipstick, these 10 universal shades range from juicy tangerine to pretty purple with all those classic highlighter colours in between. They are on the shimmer side of highlighter products with flecks of fine sparkle throughout but that doesn’t mean they are garish or over the top.

I have the shades Starstruck and Chili Mango, both of which I have tried as a highlight and can confirm they are really creamy as well as lasting all day. Honestly they feel lighter than air and blend easily with fingers over my skin. Ultimate glow has been achieved!

Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter (£26)

These next products are for when you want to blind people with your highlight. From Trophy Wife, a single gold highlighter that needs to be seen to be believed to expertly paired duo compacts for all skin tones, Killawatt provides killer radiance.

I have the highlighter duo with the more subtle Girl Next Door on the left (perfect for day time) and the more intense shimmer Chic Phreak on the right and I am in love.

Finally, Rihanna has completed this range with an Invisimatte Blotting Powder (£24) and Blotting Paper (£13 & £8) for that instant refresh and shine free finish. Add to that a range of portable and magnetic brushes that can attach to your favourite Match Stix skinsticks and you’ve got a whole personalised makeup collection to achieve the perfect Fenty Face on the go.

Overall I am really impressed with the whole collection. What I thought would be very gimmicky turned out to be a well thought out beauty line suitable for everyone. You can tell Rihanna has put her heart into every single product. From the names, package design and even the models for the campaign, all were chosen by Miss Fenty herself.

It appeals to the model in all of us as well as those with a busy lifestyle who just want a flawless base but are strapped for time. Plus with the Fenty Face steps even makeup application novices like me can channel our inner Rihanna without getting flustered.

Yes Fenty Beauty isn’t drugstore cheap (think Charlotte Tilbury or Urban Decay prices) but they are quality formulas that work and I promise you Rihanna hasn’t cheated us with small product sizes either.

All Fenty Beauty is cruelty free and can be purchased exclusively from Harvey Nichols in the UK and Sephora in the US. I recommend going to your nearest store and trying out things for yourself. Swatches just don’t get across how blendable the match stix and highlighters are over foundation to help get that coveted flawless finish. I’m even booked in later this month to get my perfect Fenty Beauty colour match.

BadGalRiRi has done good!