It's been five years since Rihanna changed the makeup game with Fenty Beauty, arguably the first brand to offer a truly inclusive range of foundation and concealer shades. To celebrate her (second) baby's birthday, the Bad Gal announced an appropriately over-the-top drop: a $500 lipstick case encrusted with 975 hand-applied Swarovski crystals.
Releasing on September 12 at Fenty Beauty's website, the case is limited to 100 editions and comes with a certificate of authenticity, complete with Rih's signature and a Swarovski holographic sticker. The opulent offering can be filled with the brand's Fenty Icon semi-matte lipstick, currently available in 10 shades.
Developed in partnership with LVMH, Fenty Beauty was born on September 8, 2017. The brand launched with 40 foundation shades (a revolutionary range at the time), along with contour sticks, highlighter, powder, primer, blotting paper, and brushes.
Like all things Rihanna, the collection was a smash success. Back in 2017, few brands offered foundations that matched the palest of pale to the darkest of dark skin tones — Fenty Beauty filled that gap in the market, pushing consumers to ask: why don't all brands do this?
Quickly, the "Fenty Effect" took hold as competitors scrambled to expand their shade ranges. From then on, the Fenty 40 was hailed as the gold standard for any makeup brand to match — or top. In fact, Rih has added 10 additional shades to the Pro Filt'r range to date, rounding things out to a whopping 50 variations.
Better makeup options for everyone is certainly a cause to celebrate. Happy birthday, Fenty Beauty. Here's to many more.
