Fenty Beauty

Rihanna and LVMH. Fenty Beauty launched in 2017 as a partnership between Rihanna (real name Robyn Fenty) and the French luxury giant LVMH, run through its beauty arm Kendo. Rihanna co-owns the brand and is the creative force, not a paid spokesperson, she has a major equity stake, which is exactly why Fenty made her so much money. So it is half superstar, half luxury conglomerate.

It changed the game on shade range. When it launched in 2017 with 40 foundation shades, including a wide range for deep skin tones the industry had long ignored, it sold out of the darkest shades almost instantly and exposed how badly competitors had been serving people of colour. That moment got a name, the 'Fenty Effect', and forced rival brands to expand their own ranges. Add Rihanna's global fame and genuinely good products, and it became an instant heavyweight.

Fenty Beauty is cruelty-free, it does not test on animals. On vegan, it is more nuanced: many products are vegan, but not the entire line, so if you want strictly vegan you need to check individual products rather than assume the whole brand qualifies. Cruelty-free across the board, mostly-but-not-entirely vegan, is the honest summary.

Yes, for its hero products. The Pro Filt'r foundations (and concealer), the Gloss Bomb lip gloss, and the Killawatt highlighters are consistently rated among the best in their categories, with huge shade ranges and good wear. Pricing is premium-but-not-luxury, more than drugstore, in line with other Sephora prestige brands. Not every launch is essential, but the bestsellers are genuinely strong, which is why the brand kept its status after the initial hype died down.

Yes, Fenty Beauty is the main reason Rihanna became a billionaire, not her music. The brand generated huge revenue from its first year, and her stake in it (plus her Savage X Fenty lingerie line) is the bulk of her fortune. Forbes and others have reported her billionaire status driven primarily by Fenty Beauty's value. Exact numbers vary since the LVMH partnership doesn't break them out publicly, but the brand made her one of the wealthiest musicians in the world by a wide margin.

The Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer and the Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation are the signature, repeat-buy products. The Gloss Bomb in particular became a cult item, a non-sticky, shiny, flattering gloss that sells in huge numbers. The Pro Filt'r foundation, with its 50-shade range, is the product that built the brand's reputation. If you are trying Fenty for the first time, those two are the safe bets.

Fenty Beauty sells through Sephora (its main global retailer) in stores and online, on its own fentybeauty.com, and via Sephora's regional partners. Availability varies by country, but Sephora is the reliable option almost everywhere it's stocked. Buying from official channels matters here too, since popular shades and the Gloss Bomb attract counterfeits.