Ok, I fell for the hype hard. I wasn't even planning on getting anything from Fenty Beauty, but when it launched, I realized how beautiful everything looked, how well it seemed to fit with my own makeup goals, and how it wouldn't be a scramble to look around on the website and get something before everything sold out. I wanted to get a good representation of the line for the purpose of a review, and I made sure to stick to products I'd still actually use. I don't always listen to Rihanna's music, but I'm a big fan of her as a person, so I was super excited to see what she'd bring out. I love seeing how involved she was in the process, and it seemed like a true passion project rather than a celebrity money-grab.
Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation | I've been on the glossy, dewy train for so long that I was starting to think I needed just one foundation in my collection that wasn't. I was going to go for the Milk Makeup one, but then this dropped and I had to have it. I was nervous at first because my skin is quite dry, but oh my goodness I'm obsessed with this foundation. I do have to make sure my skin is prepped properly to prevent it catching on any dryness, but I find that a layer of Glossier Priming Moisturizer mixed with a drop or two of rosehip oil makes a perfect base. When first applied, it doesn't look great. But as it sits on the skin, it transforms to such a beautiful finish. It lets the perfect amount of my natural oils through and looks velvety and luminous after just an hour. It continues looking lovely on the skin for such a long time - usually my skin drinks up foundations within a few hours, but this one lasts all day (around 8-10 hours). I did end up getting a shade that's too light, but the undertone is spot on. I can make it work with light coverage, but I think I'm going to order another shade at some point for mixing so I can build it up more. Also, it's amazing to see so many different shades included, especially in an initial launch. It's been so nice to see people online and in Sephora so excited to see a shade they can actually use. Rihanna really paid attention to undertones as well as bringing out actual wearable deeper shades, something I hope the rest of the beauty world sees and follows suit.
Full Bodied Foundation Brush 110 | I picked up the brush to go along with the foundation because I couldn't get over how beautiful it looked. It's quite soft and dense, and it's a bit of a hybrid between an old-school paddle foundation brush and a buffing brush. It's a similar shape to the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, actually, which is one of my favorites. This brush really gives a flawless, high coverage finish. I'm not used to applying my base with a brush so I do tend to go over it with a damp sponge once applied, but I can definitely still see myself using this brush for foundation application and perhaps blending out contour. I'm super intrigued by the highlight brush as well - if you've tried it, let me know!
Match Stix Matte & Shimmer Skinsticks, 'Amber' & 'Starstruck' | I thought these were going to be the stand out products for me from the line, seeing as I love anything in stick form. The contour shade (Amber) is beautiful and perfect for my skintone - it's quite an ashy brown, and it creates such a natural-looking shadow. Both shades are drier than I was expecting, but Amber has a bit of a silicone "slippy" feel that makes it super easy to blend. It doesn't break me out, either. Starstruck is a beautiful pink champagne with lots of silver shimmer, but I find it's a bit too dry to use on my cheekbones - I have a hard time getting it to blend out without dragging glitter all over my face. I do love it on my eyelids and inner corners though, and the dry texture lends itself well there - it doesn't move around at all.
T-B | Girl Next Door, Chic Phreak, Starstruck, Amber, Fenty Glow
Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter, 'Girl Next Door/Chic Phreak' | I think I was most drawn to these beauties out of everything that was released. I love the packaging, and the idea of having a duo of subtle and intense highlighters really appealed to me. I got the Girl Next Door/Chic Phreak shade thinking the pink-toned shades would work well on my cheeks as well as eyes, but these are actually less pigmented than I thought they'd be. Rather than showing up super pink like they do in the pan, they give the skin more of a sheen without color. This isn't a bad thing at all - it's one of my new favorite highlighters for sure. The more subtle side (Girl Next Door) looks just like a cream product on the skin, so it'll be one I reach for when I want something more longlasting than a cream, but still want the cream look.
Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, 'Fenty Glow' | I've been super into glossy lips lately, and this one stole the show and is definitely my favorite product out of everything I got. It's a lightweight, comfortable formula that isn't sticky, gloopy, or runny. The shade is a lovely warm rose nude with a bit of golden shimmer, and it really seems like it would be a flattering shade on anyone. It lasts well throughout the day, even after eating and drinking. I love the scent (it's fruity and reminds me of something from my childhood), but I wish it faded more quickly. I do love that it makes my lips look a little more pouty and full, without even having to line/overline them.
Overall I'm quite impressed with the products I picked up, and I can't wait to see what's in store for Fenty Beauty next.
Did you pick anything up when they launched?