Fenty Beauty’s Success Story


Via Wikimedia Commons

Ever since its launch on September 8, 2017, Fenty Beauty has taken the cosmetic industry by storm. It not only surpassed other celebrity-owned cosmetic brands, such as Kylie Cosmetics, in popularity but also other well-established cosmetic brands, such as Benefit and Urban Decay, by recording over $72 million in earned media value one month after its release. Currently, the brand continues to grow. Forbes estimated the brand to be worth $2.8 billion in 2021.  

The brand’s explosive popularity cannot simply be attributed to Rihanna’s fame as a celebrity. Several celebrity brands have demonstrated that the celebrity’s stardom isn’t enough for a successful cosmetic company, with a prime example of this being Lady Gaga’s Haus Laboratory. Despite being heavily promoted by the star, a pop icon, the brand failed to recapture attention following its initial launch.

Then, what is the reason for Fenty Beauty’s success? What differentiates Fenty Beauty from other cosmetic companies? 

One reason for the brand’s success is Rihanna’s partnership with LVMH, the luxury conglomerate behind several successful fashion and beauty brands, in launching the brand. The singer launched the brand under Kendo, the umbrella of LVMH’s beauty incubator. This gave Fenty Beauty technical expertise, given the conglomerate’s multiple cosmetic brands, and financial backing, which was a €30 million investment in cash. Most importantly, the partnership gave the brand easy access to the shelves of Sephora, the top beauty retailer in the United States that LVMH also owns. This gave the cosmetic brand a built-in distribution channel. Undoubtedly, the partnership gave the brand a solid foundation to produce and distribute its products. 

However, the reason most commonly attributed to the brand’s success is its inclusive products. Rihanna says, “Fenty Beauty by Rihanna was created for everyone: for women of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures, and races. I wanted everyone to feel included. That’s the real reason I made this line.” Ever since its launch, the brand has been marketed as an inclusive brand and has acted in accordance. The brand began with a foundation line consisting of 40 shades. This was almost unprecedented in the cosmetic industry, as most brands did not have enough product shades appropriate for those with darker skin tones. In fact, brands were criticized for lacking product diversity, one being Tarte Cosmetics’ Shape Tape Foundation released in early 2018. The foundation line consisted of 15 shades; of these 15 shades, 13 were light beige, and three were darker than a slight tan, unsuitable for those with darker skin tones. Shortly after its release, it was met with harsh backlash. Alissa Ashley, a beauty influencer, criticized, “the fact that there is such a limited shade range for people of color, people with melanin, is just so disappointing.” As such, at the time of Fenty Beauty’s launch, there was a shortage of inclusive shade ranges despite high demand for them, making the brand’s 40-shade foundation line that much more innovative. The brand continues to expand its shade range, currently offering 50 shades. 

Fenty Beauty’s influence isn’t limited to its own success. Known as the “Fenty Effect,” the brand set 40 shades as the new standard, influencing other brands to extend their shade ranges to accommodate darker skin tones. Brands even began competing to outdo each other, with some even launching 100 foundation shades. Through its commitment to diversity, Fenty Beauty has become a top cosmetic brand and will leave a lasting impact on the cosmetics industry.

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