An Honest Review of Fenty Beauty

            Hello everyone! This past month has been crazy in the beauty community because Rihanna just came out with her own beauty line! It is especially exciting because of Rihanna’s great reputation and her attention to all skin-tones. Rihanna is the best, and the packaging is beautiful, but does the quality compare? I think a lot of people are so blinded by Rihanna’s beauty that they automatically give Fenty beauty a glowing review, but I am here to tell the entire truth! Keep reading for an in-depth, and honest review of all things Fenty Beauty.

Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer

            I have no real opinion about this primer. The consistency was nice. It was lightweight and not oily. I would compare this to the Hourglass primer that was so popular last year, mostly because of the consistency and how it didn’t seem to have any effect on my face or makeup. I didn’t notice anything different about my face, except it may have made me slightly less oily than usual. All in all, it didn’t do anything for me, good or bad.

Pros

• ·      Good consistency
• ·      Not oily
• ·      Made my face slightly less shiny

Cons

• ·      Didn’t make much of a difference

Overall Score: 3/10

*Note: There is no picture because I only received several sample sizes of this product.

Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

           

            This foundation is one of the most exciting products in the collection. It stands out for it’s large shade range, and beautiful packaging. I have seen a lot of people use this on Instagram but I don’t think they give a true representation of the product.

This foundation does not blend easily. You have to be careful to only blend one area of your face at a time. Usually, I dot my foundation around my face, and then go in with a beauty blender and blend everything out. I tried the same method with the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation and was left with dried dots of foundation in the areas that I blended last. You really have to be quick because this stuff dries like cement. That being said, it really is long lasting, and I believe that to be due to the fast-drying, cement-y nature of the product.

Unfortunately, it not only dries like cement, it also looks like cement. I was shocked at how chalky this foundation made me look. It reminded me of when I used to pile on powder foundation in 7^th grade. Not good. Thankfully after about an hour of wear, after it interacts with the oil on your face, the chalky-ness goes down. I was really disappointed because I expected something really glowy from Rihanna. I understand that this is a matte foundation, but it doesn’t even slightly resemble real skin.

Additionally, I was disappointed to see that this is a medium coverage foundation. It seems that this line was intended for a full beat. The Match Sticks, and Killawat highlighters are really only something I would use when doing a full face, which is usually done with a full coverage foundation. The coverage isn’t terrible, in fact it is actually on the higher side of medium coverage. This would be good for people with minor discoloration and blemishes, but for people like me that struggle with rosacea and acne, the foundation alone was not going to cut it.

 Lastly, I was impressed by the color range. I am very pale and often times makeup brands don’t make foundation light enough for me. I was happy to see that Rihanna chose to accommodate those with albinism, those with very dark complexions, and everyone in between. I usually order the lightest shade available, but this time I purchased the third lightest shade, 120. I was super nervous that it was going to be way too dark but was blown away when it was the perfect shade. And by perfect shade I mean, the PERFECT shade. I have never had a foundation match as perfectly as this one does. It matched so closely, I didn’t even have to blend down my neck! Now THAT’S a match. It oxidized very slightly, and seemed to match even better. I personally have not confirmed that the lighter shades are suited for those with albinism, but I am about as fair as they come and there are shades that are even too light for me.

Pros

• ·      Long wear
• ·      Good coverage for medium coverage foundation
• ·      Excellent shade range
• ·      Very minimal oxidization
• ·      High quality packaging

Cons

• ·      Chalky looking
• ·      Dries too fast
• ·      Not good for full beat

Overall Score: 6/10

Match Stix

            I purchased the light Match Stix Trio which included a matte highlight, a matte contour, and a shimmer highlight. I was really excited to try out these out because of the growing popularity of stick makeup. Most stick makeup has been an absolute flop so I was excited to see how Fenty Beauty’s compared.

Most stick makeup has a tendency to be way too difficult to blend and cling to dry patches. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the match sticks blended well and acted like a normal foundation. They gave good coverage and didn’t cling to dry patches.

The contour shade was perfect. It wasn’t too dark and it was perfectly neutral which gave a really natural look.

Unfortunately, the matte highlight and shimmer highlight were not so great. The matte “highlight” was the same shade as my skin, so not really a true highlight.

The shimmer highlight was also disappointing. It was really expecting it to POP, but it did not deliver. It was also a little too dark for my skin. It might be good for a more natural look. Even so, it was harder to blend than the other shades.

I also noticed that the Match Stix layered on top of the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation made my face look even more chalky than with just the foundation alone. I did use the Match Stix by themselves as well, and the finish was a little nicer, but I am upset that the foundation and Match Stix can’t be layered together.

            Lastly, the packaging is so cool! The chicness of the hexagon shape, the silver letters, and the way they snap together magnetically is so cool and innovative.

Pros

• ·      Natural contour shade
• ·      Blend relatively easily (except shimmer highlight)
• ·      Doesn’t cling to dry patches
• ·      Finish is decent when used alone or with different foundations
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Cons

• ·      Matte highlight shade isn’t a true highlight for fair skin
• ·      Shimmer highlight doesn’t blend well
• ·      Shimmer highlight isn’t a true highlight for fair skin

Overall Score: 5/10

Killawatt Highlighter

            The Killawatt Highlighters were definitely the most exciting part of this collection. I’m upset to say that it turned out to be the most disappointing part. I really was expecting this highlighter to be more poppin’ than any other highlighter I’ve used before, but ended up being so disappointed when I swatched it for the first time. The shades looked beautiful but the color payoff was next to none. It stayed dull even when I wet my brush. I use this from time to time when I want a natural glow. There’s nothing wrong with a good natural highlight, but I would’ve expected Rihanna to come out with the most extra glow of 2017. The best part of this product is the beautiful packaging with a purple sheen in the light and mirrored compact.

Pros

• ·      Good natural highlight
• ·      Beautiful packaging
• ·      Large shade range

Cons

• ·      Not poppin’
• ·      Weak color payoff

            Overall score: 3.5/10

From top to bottom: Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Mean Money, Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Hu$tla Baby, Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 120, Match Stix in Linen, Match Stix in Starstruck, and Match Stix in Amber.

            All in all, I think a lot of people are making Fenty Beauty into something it’s not. I love Rihanna, and I really wanted to love this collection but it really didn’t wow me.

The best part about the collection is the broad shade range of foundations and the beautiful, unique packaging. Everything else is just average. Although the quality isn’t the best, they look really nice sitting on top of my vanity. Everything is so pretty!

I don’t love it, and I don’t hate it. I think the only thing worth repurchasing is the contour Match Stix and maybe the foundation because of the color accuracy. Otherwise, I can do without.

            This is Rihanna’s first venture into the beauty industry so I am totally going to cut her some slack! I am sure she will work on her formulas and put out better products in the future. I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next, and I’ll be waiting to review them! Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for a full-face Fenty Beauty tutorial! xoxo