Hot on everyone's lips lately has been the latest addition to Rihanna's growing empire - Fenty Beauty. In her own words her aim was to create a makeup line in which “women everywhere would be included.” The most impressive (and talked about) aspect of the brand is that Fenty Beauty launched with 40 foundation shades which aim to deliver across the spectrum from very pale to dark skintones. Why is this such a big deal? Most established brands only carry 10-20 shades and often there's only a couple of shades at either end of the spectrum. From what I could find MAC, Lancôme and Estée Lauder are amongst a very small number of brands which have 35+ shades and this is usually for their most popular foundations. For a first launch Fenty Beauty has set the bar very high by simply catering to tones constantly forgotten about by the beauty industry as a whole. It's not hard to see why then that Fenty Beauty has become the brand that everyone is talking about.
The launched contained predominantly foundations, concealers and highlighters with a primer, a few tools and blotting products. I ordered Fenty Beauty products when they first dropped in the UK on the 8th September from Harvey Nichols (where it's exclusively available) and I tried to only order products I genuinely thought I'd use regularly. I spent £140 in total which got me 7 products. I've been wearing most of the products daily since so whilst they're still pretty new to my beauty routine I've been using them enough to give some detail on how they perform.
I've tried a lot of new foundations this year and the Pro Filt'r is my favourite. The packaging is solid with the foundation contained in frosted glass with a pump for easy dispensing. I ordered my shade without swatching in-store and there's been long queues around the corner of Harvey Nichols just to take a look at the products! My selection of 310 seems like the best match but it's not perfect and I might have to grab 300 as my skin is already getting paler as the weather gets colder. Shade 310 is made for tanned skin with very warm undertones. The foundation dries slightly darker on the skin than it looks as a liquid (so I'd suggest getting a lighter shade if you're deciding between two) but I haven't noticed any oxidising (turning orange after mixing with the skin's natural oils) after it's initially dried down. The coverage is described to be medium to full but it feels more like a medium to me as it covers dark marks and redness well but not completely. The finish is skin-like and there's no cakiness even when building up the coverage. I've found it lasts really well on my oil-prone skin - especially as I rarely use powder on my face currently and tend to go heavy on the moisturiser - but as with any foundation it lasts far longer when applied after a primer.
Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer (£16/9ml)
The Gloss bomb is currently the one and only lip product within the Fenty Beauty line and I of course had to have it. The gloss comes in a hexagonal-shaped package with reflective lid and the large doe-foot wand applicator makes the product easy to apply. It's intended to be universally flattering and the sheerness of the pink means it can be worn by any skintone. I love gloss and this rosy-toned lip luminizer is super shiny without being sticky and it's scented like fruity sweets (very similar to the LimeCrime Diamond Crushers).
Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Trophy Wife (£26/8g) and Duo in Mean Money / Hustla Baby (£26/2x3.5g)
Being a highlighter junkie, I've tried a lot of great products and let's just say my expectations are always high. There are currently 6 Killawatt compacts currently, 2 of which are single shades and the other 4 are duo compacts. All of the powder highlighters come in white packaging which has tiny holographic glitter in complete with a mirror in the lid. Possibly the most talked about product from Fenty Beauty is Trophy Wife, a glittering green-gold highlight, which you can probably spot from space. I wanted to really love this highlight but on the cheeks it's far too intense for me as it's so pigmented and glittery it's really hard to tone down. I won't be using it as a highlight for that reason but it looks gorgeous on the eyes. It's a different story with the Mean Money / Hustla Baby duo compact which contains two champagne-toned highlighters which are my ideal. The product is so soft and easy to build up or sheer out. Mean Money is a sheen which is more subtle on the skin suited to everyday use whereas Hustla Baby is much more intense. Both highlights are shimmery with an almost iridescent feel to them. Of the two I've been reaching for Hustla Baby most and I tend to just apply it on my cheek and brow bone.
Match Stix Trio in Tan 300 (£46/3x7.10g)
There are currently 30 Match Stix products designed for highlighting, contouring and concealing. The magnetic mauve packaging allows them to connect together and it contains roughly 2cm of product. I find them quite chunky given how much product is inside but the packaging is solid enough that the product is protected well for travel. They're priced at £21 each and there's also Match Stix Trio kits for £46 which contain 3 products to conceal, contour and highlight. They're not currently customisable so, providing you love all 3 shades, the kits are a way to save some cash on buying 3 Match Stix products individually. The Trio sets are available in 4 variations - Light, Medium, Tan and Deep. I purchased the Tan set which contains 2 Matte Match Stixs in Caramel (Concealer) and Truffle (Contour) and 1 Shimmer Match Stix in Rum (Highlight). The formula of the products apply and feel like powder so they're not like you're typical creamy makeup sticks but they're fairly easy to buff into the skin and are ideal for normal to oily skin types. The concealer Caramel is too deep and warm for my skintone so it's the only product here I haven't been able to use. Truffle is the perfect contour which is fairly dark but easy to sheer out and I've also been wearing it on my lips as it's a beautiful brown! The Rum Shimmer Match Stix is described as a 'gilded bronze' and it looks this way on my arm but on my face (which is warmer in tone) it looks slightly pink so it's more like a blush on my cheeks. The finish is so beautiful it's definitely made me want to grab more shades of the Shimmer Match Stixs.
When it comes to applying the products together, the first look below is how I've mostly been wearing them for everyday. I start with the foundation applied over a hydrating primer before contouring lightly with Truffle and highlighting with Hustla Baby. I also often use Rum on my cheeks and swipe a little over my lids for a subtle pop of colour before finishing with the gloss. The second look is more how I would wear my makeup for an evening out. I applied my base, highlight and contour the same as the first look but used Trophy Wife on the lids and Truffle mixed with the gloss on my lips.
Overall I'm really impressed with the products I've tried. It's clear a lot of thought has gone into the products and shade range and the selection is so wide for a new launch of products. It's not often I spend a lot on makeup as I receive so much from brands as a blogger and ASOS insider but I would definitely buy a few more items. The Match Stix products are first on my list and possibly a lighter shade of the Pro Filt'r Foundation for when my skin inevitably gets paler during the Winter months. The 'Holiday Collection' was also recently announced to be dropping next month which includes an eyeshadow palette, lip colours and liquid liner. I've already got my eye on a few items from the Holiday collection so it's safe to say I've become a Fenty Beauty convert!
When it comes to applying the products together, the first look below is how I've mostly been wearing them for everyday. I start with the foundation applied over a hydrating primer before contouring lightly with Truffle and highlighting with Hustla Baby. I also often use Rum on my cheeks and swipe a little over my lids for a subtle pop of colour before finishing with the gloss. The second look is more how I would wear my makeup for an evening out. I applied my base, highlight and contour the same as the first look but used Trophy Wife on the lids and Truffle mixed with the gloss on my lips.
Overall I'm really impressed with the products I've tried. It's clear a lot of thought has gone into the products and shade range and the selection is so wide for a new launch of products. It's not often I spend a lot on makeup as I receive so much from brands as a blogger and ASOS insider but I would definitely buy a few more items. The Match Stix products are first on my list and possibly a lighter shade of the Pro Filt'r Foundation for when my skin inevitably gets paler during the Winter months. The 'Holiday Collection' was also recently announced to be dropping next month which includes an eyeshadow palette, lip colours and liquid liner. I've already got my eye on a few items from the Holiday collection so it's safe to say I've become a Fenty Beauty convert!
Lesley x