What Is Fenty Beauty?
On September 8, 2017, Rihanna debuted her cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty (stylized as FETY BEAUTY). Its Pro Filt’R foundation quickly rose to popularity for its broad inclusivity across different skin tones after its initial release. There were 40 hues available when the foundation was first introduced, but there are now 50. Fenty Beauty’s concealer is included and comes in 50 different colors, catering to all skin tones.
How Fenty Beauty Came
When Rihanna registered her last name, Fenty, as a trademark in June 2013, it raised the possibility that she would start working on projects apart from music. One of these new trademarks was for Fenty Beauty. In 2017, at the age of 29, Rihanna established the Fenty Beauty brand. She had previously worked with MAC Cosmetics and launched 10 scents under Parlux Ltd, but Fenty Beauty was her first independent cosmetics company. In 2016, she signed a contract to produce Fenty Beauty under LVMH’s Kendo subsidiary, working with luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Mot Hennessey (LVMH) to develop the range. An “incubator” business called Kendo Holdings, Inc. creates cosmetics as white-label goods for Sephora, another LVMH affiliate, as well as other retailers. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the transaction, which came after Kendo agreements to make the Marc Jacobs Beauty and Kat Von D Beauty lines, may have cost LVMH $10 million (USD). Fenty Beauty was founded by Rihanna to give a comprehensive selection for all skin tones, including numerous shade options for those with deeper skin tones.
The First Launch Of Fenty Beauty Products
The first Fenty Beauty items went on sale on September 8, 2017. During New York Fashion Week, the unveiling took place at the same time as Rihanna’s partnership with Puma. The range debuted in the US through Sephora retail locations, on the Sephora website, and on the Fenty Beauty website. Up until May 2019, Fenty Beauty was only sold in Harvey Nichols department stores in the United Kingdom. After that date, the brand would also be sold at the neighborhood drugstore Boots UK. Fenty Beauty is currently offered in 17 nations.
The Marketing Strategy
Prior to other well-known brands like Kylie Cosmetics, Benefit, Urban Decay, KKW Beauty, and NYX, Fenty Beauty recorded $72.0 million in earned media value in the brand’s first month. 132 million people watched Fenty Beauty-related YouTube videos in the brand’s first month. An advertisement for Fenty Beauty with rapper Saweetie that depicted a group of women getting ready for the Super Bowl was released in February 2018. The advertisement received praise for its parody of the acclaimed 1990s Budweiser ad campaign “Whassup,” in which a group of drunken men repeatedly uttered the phrase “What’s up?” The Fenty version, however, also drew criticism because the women introduced themselves to one another in “Whassup”-style drawl by using the word “bitch.”
How Much Is Fenty Beauty In South Africa?
The price point for the Fenty Beauty items is similar to that of high-end brands like Mac, Inglot and Bobbi Brown. One can expect to pay around R360 for a primer, R350 to R450 for a lip gloss and close to R800 for foundation.
