How Fenty Beauty Redefined the Industry Standards on Inclusivity

Before the debut of Fenty Beauty, it has become common practice for brands to showcase their shade ranges by swatching them on arms of varying skin tones. What wasn’t as customary, however, was embodying diversity through the shades themselves.

As written on the LVMH website, Fenty Beauty was created “so that women everywhere would be included,” even if it means putting in more work as a team to provide products that will work on traditionally hard-to-match skin tones, and to develop formulas that are safe for all skin types. It was meant to perform well for people “of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures, and races. I wanted everyone to feel included,” Rihanna said. “That’s the real reason I made this line.”

It was also rooted in the entrepreneur’s experience of “seeing a void for products that performed across all skin tones,” according to the Fenty Beauty website. With that, they launched the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Foundation, equipped with a 40-strong shade range (that has since expanded to 50). Their site also includes a thoughtful guide on finding the perfect shade for you.

The brand reportedly made $72 million in earned media value in the first month of their existence. It was named by Time as one of the 25 Inventions of the Year in 2017, and joined the magazine’s Best Inventions Hall of Fame in 2025.

Fenty Beauty will turn a decade old in a couple of years, yet it remains strong and thriving. They didn’t introduce wide shade ranges just because. After all, a bad foundation is still a bad foundation, regardless of how impressive its shade is. Rihanna told Time that their “highest priority” and “the most important part” of their brand is the texture of all their products. She explained, “It was really important to me that each product is made to easily build and layer with lightweight textures that are flexible even when you want to re-apply.”

All factors considered, “The Fenty Effect” started to take place.

“The Fenty Effect” can be defined as the chain reaction caused by the brand, which led others to practice inclusivity more—and properly. Beauty brands were expanding the range of shades and products that they offered, redefining a new standard in the industry.

“It was the first time underrepresented, underserved women and cultures were featured in a global prestige beauty campaign,” Sandy Saputo, then-Chief Marketing Officer at Kendo Brands, said regarding Fenty Beauty’s debut. “We knew the brand would touch women’s hearts around the world, but we had no idea of the greater impact our work would ultimately have. There was no precedent to our radical approach to inclusivity.”

The campaign featured women of different skin tones and nationalities, and it became “the biggest beauty brand launch in YouTube history.” Sandy saw what the media called “The Fenty Effect” as “a call to action for all industries to do more and challenge the status quo.” Fenty Beauty never used the word “inclusive” in any of their materials; it was simply how they were seen.

“What began as a concept, a desire really, for every person to feel truly represented, and not only included, but celebrated, has now become bigger than I ever imagined,” Rihanna wrote on Fenty Beauty’s website. Since then, the world of Fenty has also introduced other branches that carry the same north star of representation, such as Fenty Skin, Fenty Hair, and Fenty Eau De Parfum.

The longwear Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Foundation is buildable from medium to full coverage. It also features climate-adaptive technology, so it stays looking fresh even as it fights heat, sweat, and shine.

A show-stopping shine is delivered by the Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, which is also equipped with nourishing ingredients like shea butter. One luscious swipe of its thick wand easily makes the lips look fuller.

The Invisimatte Instant Setting + Blotting Powder mattifies the face in no time, blurring the appearance of pores, absorbing shine, and extending makeup wear at the same time. Fun fact: Rihanna did a quick touch up using this in the middle of her iconic Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.

A targeted application is promised by the Match Stix Contour Skinstick, a longwearing cream-to-powder contour stick that feels light as air. It’s buildable, too, with a shade range that would look good on the full spectrum of skin tones.

The Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter effortlessly illuminates the skin—no hard work needed to blend it in. It keeps your skin lit even as the sun goes down. Apply it anywhere you crave a touch of light, whether that’s on your face or on your body.