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Hi! Today I am excited to share my review of the new line, Fenty Beauty, by Rihanna. This collection debut last Friday (September 8) exclusively at Sephora and FentyBeauty.com. I picked up the collection the following day and have been testing it out for the week. Normally, I like to take my time using products for weeks and/or months before making a final decision. However, since this is such an anticipated debut, I wanted to share my thoughts now in case anyone wants to make a purchase. I chose items from almost every category including the foundation, stick contour/highlight/concealer, powder highlighters, lip gloss, and highlighter brush. I did not pick up the blotting powder, blotting paper, primer, makeup sponge, and a couple of the other brushes. Check out my Instagram @theprudenceprofile for makeup looks I created with Fenty Beauty (hint: high glow).

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Packaging

First of all, the packaging is incredibly appealing. Of course, the packaging does not necessarily reflect the quality of the product, but I can appreciate when time and care is put into the presentation of product. It feels like owning a small piece of luxury when the packaging is sleek and well-thought out. The outer packaging echoes the Rihanna persona with black and light blush graffiti and paint spray images. The actual products have hexagonal shapes with nude blush and white colors. In additional, the “match stixs” are magnetic and create a honeycomb when attached together, which looks nice on the vanity if that is something that matters to you.

I will be reviewing each product below and ranking them from least to most favorite. I will explain why they did or did not work for me and who it may work for.

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Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

This foundation has a unique finish. It dries quickly from a liquid to powder finish on the skin. It has medium to full coverage. In addition, there are 40 shades available with a wide range of light and dark shades and various undertones. Due to this, I recommend going to Sephora to get color matched and have an in-store application. This foundation darkens about 1 shade when the foundation dries on the face compared to what appears straight from the bottle so wait a couple minutes before deciding your final shade. The shade I chose was 220, but it has too much peach/orange tones for me.

I do not recommend this foundation for people with dry or dry combo skin like me. It clings onto dry patches and looks cakey on the skin. I found that it emphasized my pores along with any other imperfections. In order to make it work, I had to exfoliate, use a moisturizing primer, and a makeup sponge to apply the foundation (versus a brush). It still did not give me the natural or seamless look I prefer. As the day goes on, the foundation does soften as it melds into the skin more, but it also creased around my nose and faded around the mouth. When chatting with the Sephora rep, I was recommended to use a moisturizing or water-based primer with this water-based foundation rather than a silicon or oil-based one, because that would break it apart.

Who would this foundation be good for? This would be great for people with oily skin and those in humid climates since it has a matte, powder finish. Add the oil-free primer from this line, and it could be quite long-lasting for special occasions.

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Match Stix Trio 

There are four sets available (Light, Medium, Tan, Deep) with curated shades to match each skin tone; I chose Medium, which includes Bamboo, Mocha, and Trippin. Each trio contains a contour, concealer, and highlighter shade. Each stix is hexagonal and magnetized. I normally do not use cream contour and concealer, because for me, it takes too much time that I can’t be bothered (true life…). Much like the foundation, these creams are better suited for oily-skinned gals. It has a drier cream formula, which made the concealer difficult to blend in under the eyes. It provides light to medium coverage. I did enjoy using the contour stix, which blended relatively easily (almost too easily). The surprise of the set is the highlight shade Trippin, which is a coral shade with gold shimmer (think Nars Orgasm). I didn’t expect to like it, but it works pretty well as a glowy blush. I use my fingers to apply the color. Overall, none of the colors were long-wearing on my skin in both hot and cool climates.

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Match Stix Shimmer Skinstix

In addition to the trio, I purchased two Match Stix with the shimmer finish in Sinamon and Starstruck. These versatile sticks are meant to be used as highlighter, eye bases, bronzers, on the lips, etc. The shimmer skinstix are thin, lightweight and have small flecks of glitter. Personally, I am not a big fan of glitter. I used Starstruck, a icy pink pearl shade, as a highlighter for cheeks, inner corner of the eyes, and browbone. It looks more natural when blended out but the glitter is still noticeable. I used Sinamon, a warm bronze, on my eyes and also blended it into my bronzer. I like the effect when used both ways, but the color did fade and crease on my eyes after 6 hours of wear without use of eye primer.

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Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter

Aside from the foundation, there has been a lot of hype about the powder highlighters. There are two one-shade compacts and four split pan compacts available. I picked up Mean Money/Hu$tla Baby and Ginger Binge/Moscow Mule. In the duos, one is a subtle highlighter while the other one has a higher glow impact. Of the two, I prefer the champagne duo with the favorite being the subtle Mean Money shade; it gives a very natural glow. Meanwhile, Hu$tla Baby, although pretty, has quite a bit of glitter; it would be perfect for a night out or if you’re looking for an editorial look (or if you like glitter!). I used the red, warm Ginger Binge/Moscow Mule very lightly as blush and also for the eyes (layered on top of the match stix or solo); it’s quite gorgeous, but once again, I would only use it for specific purposes, not everyday use. There is another highlighter compact, Metal Moon, that also looks natural that I might look into. With a light application, these last about six to eight hours before fading. Overall, I recommend these compacts if you’re looking for a more creative or glamorous look. I would pass if you’re looking for an easy natural, everyday look unless you’re willing to use only half of a duo.

Cheek-Hugging Highlight Brush 120

What attracted me to this brush was its unique shape; I don’t have anything quite like it. True to its namesake, the brush hugs the cheekbones perfectly. Flip it on its side and it can be used to set the undereye, apply eyeshadow, or place bronzer. The bristles are soft and its nude blush hue makes makeup application just a hint more glamorous.

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Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

So my favorite item from the line is a lip gloss? Really? Yes, really. Let me explain. This rosy-hued gloss has subtle gold flecks that enhance the lips to make them look full and luscious. It’s not too sticky and has a nostalgic scent (Lip smackers?). Since it’s slightly sheer, it looks great on people of all skin tones. I’m normally not a gloss person, but I am enjoying this a lot. For more opacity, layer this on top of a lip liner or lipstick. It’s also the perfect last step to complete a natural makeup look, which is my go-to look.

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All right, here are my final thoughts on the Fenty Beauty line. As a whole, the complexion products are geared towards people with oily skin. Also, the colors and finish of the makeup would be perfect for people who like to experiment with looks that are editorial and/or high glam. There are ways to use these products to get a more subtle look, but overall it’s more flashy (which isn’t a bad thing depending on what you’re looking for). Lastly, I recommend that you swatch and try the makeup in person, because the formulas and finishes are unique.

I hope you enjoyed my review of the Fenty Beauty line. Let me know what product intrigues you. If you have already purchased something from the line, what do you think about it? I ‘d love to know!

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