Mark your calendars, it’s May 27, the day is finally here! After years of many gorgeous, gorgeous African girls asking, @badgirlriri sashayed into our timelines in a Thebe Magugu design and changed our lives forever.
The 50 shades of Fenty Beauty is finally in Africa. Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin founded by popstar turned billionaire, Rihanna, announced it will be available at Arc Stores and Edgars in South Africa.
From light-weight base to a glow from the gods, Fenty Beauty — a deliberately diverse and inclusive foundation shade range — is oil-free, vegan and gluten free.
Hand-picked by Rihanna herself, high school dropout turned Fenty Beauty’s global makeup artist, Hector Espinal is the one to go to for all things Fenty Beauty.
“Let’s go and get this beautiful face done”, is Rihanna’s system for using Fenty Beauty products”, says Hector Espinal. Hector gives us some serious tips on his highest ranking Fenty Beauty products and how to make the new range work for you.
This is the foundation that started it all. The Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation literally changed the makeup game when it launched with 50 shades. Hitting all those previous hard-to-hit shades, the Pro Filt’r Matte Foundation is the “big boom” that Fenty fans everywhere have been waiting for.
Perfect for summer because it is humidity and sweat resistant, the Pro Filt’r Foundation never misses a beat nor undertone. It doesn’t matter if you’re team-liquid-foundation or team-powder-foundation, Rihanna’s got you covered.
The Pro Filt’r Foundation has a colour-to-colour match to pair with Fenty’s Full Coverage Concealer and Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder.
If you’re after that dewy, light-weight, no-makeup-makeup look, the Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint is the flexible go-to for winter 2022. With 25 shades to choose from, Fenty’s Skin Tint is just as easy to navigate as its full-coverage counterpart.
As a man who wears makeup, Espinal says it’s the perfect product for guys getting into wearing face makeup. The Skin Tint balances everything out, it’s that “your skin, but better” moment.
Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer (R690)
Espinal is the pioneer of Fenty’s bronzer. “Everyone loves bronzer. It gives us warmth, it’s sexy, and contours,” says Espinal.
Sun Stalk’r is a go-to to sculpt the face and shape the eyes. The compact’s hexagon shape gives you the ultimate no-slip control to get your face done. No one’s winter or summer shade gets left behind, with nine shades from Thick Mint, for deep skin tones with a neutral undertone, to Island Ting, with a warmer undertone for medium skin tones.
Fenty’s super saturated, felt-tip liner comes in black and brown, or rather “Cuz I’m Black” and “In Big Truffle”.
Just when you thought an eyeliner could not be anything unique, Fenty’s Flyliner proves itself as another easy-to-control liner, from fine lines to thick flicks.
Snatch your winged liner looks with a satin-finish, super pigmented liquid liner from every angle because we all know our angles.
When Rihanna sang “shine bright like a diamond”, she definitely brought it to life with the Diamond Bomb All-Over Veil. Once again, Fenty proves that products with a universal flair are possible. The Diamond Bomb has no base shade, leaving a glamourous, gem-like sparkle on your skin.
This veil is not a pigment covering your natural skin tone, but an elevation of what you already have to offer.
This is the piece de resistance, the true gold highlighter that shouts, “I got this from Fenty”. Espinal points out despite being a true, yellow gold, Trophy Wife is made for everyone. Rihanna uses it as a highlighter, yet, 90% of Fenty fans use Trophy Wife as a eyeshadow and lipstick topper.
The Killawatt Highlighters are an electric injection of glow wherever you want the light to catch: eyes, high-points of the face, cupid’s bow, collar bones and more. There is also a cream-to-powder formula for extra control for when you decide you want your skin to get some glowy radiance.
Be warned… the Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer is addictive. It’s hydrating, moisturising, yet not sticky. Espinal even uses the lid as a mirror to apply.
Follow Rihanna’s approach to making this more-than-a-lip-gloss work for you: start with your cupid’s bow, go up along your upperlip’s line — not down — then saturate. It’s all about the layers.
The best way to get Rihanna’s beautiful, one-of-a-kind cupid’s bow is to “go to your nearest doctor,” laughs Espinal.
Rihanna is all about her lips and nobody can touch it, says Espinal.
The Stunna Lip Paint is such a unique formula that it can only be stored in a glass bottle. You only need one swipe with this punchy, pigmented lip paint that glides on your lips like the canvas that they are.
Fenty Skin’s Three Step System (R1 560)
Despite only having three products in the collection, Fenty Skin is a full system that has your cleansing, moisturising and SPF covered.
“It’s universal in its products and its formula. It’s weird and it works,” says Espinal.
The Total Cleans’r removes makeup and cleanses. The Hydrovisor has your moisturiser plus SPF covered, and the two-in-one Fat Water toner and serum is the go-to when coming home from a late night out.
“Lashes, liner, lips, everything comes off,” declares Espinal, who also recommends pressing your face with a hot towel after using Fat Water because it feels like “you never had anything on in the first place!”