If you can believe it, it’s been almost six years since Rihanna put down the mic and decided to bless the beauty industry with her namesake brand, Fenty Beauty. While there were various celebrity forays into beauty before Rihanna, no one had managed to disrupt and redefine the makeup space with such innovation as her.
Riri didn’t just break the mould, she created a whole new one for the brands that came after her (and many celebrities tried, as we now know), championing inclusivity in shade ranges and formulations in a way that brands had failed to before.
But Fenty Beauty didn’t just launch with a bang; the brand has consistently continued to create pioneering products and viral hits and shows no sign of slowing down – great news for us.
Fenty Beauty has since expanded into Fenty Skin, with the Fenty empire spanning everything from lip stains to extensive foundation ranges, facial SPFs and even fragrances.
I’ve been a fan of Fenty Beauty since the start and have been lucky enough to try out every product from the range along the way. With so many high-performing formulations, it wasn’t easy to choose my favourites, but I’ve managed to narrow it down to the products I truly think will change everyone’s makeup routine.
The best Fenty Beauty products
If you too have Fenty Beauty on the brain, read on to find out the six products I rate above all else from the brand.
Fenty Beauty PRO FILT’R Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, £30
I never opt for matte foundations, but I can confirm this is a foundation that even the matte-averse will fall for. Although this has buildable, full coverage, the feel of this formula is as light as some tinted moisturisers I’ve tried, with a texture that melts into your complexion for a second-skin finish.
There are so many impressive attributes to this foundation. It currently comes in 50 shades, is sweat and humidity resistant, and absorbs oil and minimises shine.
It photographs on the skin beautifully and so is the ideal foundation to wear for an event with photos, especially weddings.
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat Lip Luminizer and Plumper, £20
TikTok is obsessed with this gloss, and it deserves all the hype it gets. It’s one of the best lip plumping glosses out there, hands down. The tingling isn’t too intense, but your lips look instantly fuller and stay plump even after the gloss has worn off.
Plumping credentials aside, the formula and finish is smooth, glossy and an overall dream to apply with a thick, cushiony applicator. There’s no glitter, just a buttery, wet-look finish.
Shade ‘Hot Chocolit Heat’, a 90s warm brown gloss, is my absolute favourite and looks beautiful on all skin tones, but there are six hues in total to choose from, including ‘Cherry’, a sheer red, and ‘Fu$$y Heat’, a rich nude-rose.
Fenty Beauty Bright Fix Eye Brightener, £19
Fenty Beauty’s under-eye brightener is one of the brand’s biggest unsung heroes, IMO. Becca’s Under Eye Brightening Corrector was my ride-or-die before it closed down (RIP), but thankfully Fenty stepped in with its Bright Fix formula, and I’ve never looked back.
It has a thinner, more liquid consistency compared to Becca’s cream version, but I prefer this as it doesn’t crease under my eyes, while still offering the same amount of dark-circle coverage.
The smallest dot of this under each of my eyes adds brightness and colour corrects, adding the equivalent of an extra five hours sleep to my under eyes.
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick, £23
While I prefer other products to conceal, the Match Stix Skinsticks are unrivalled when it comes to contouring. I’ve always struggled to find a pigmented, cool-toned contour for my fair skin, and this one ticks all the boxes.
The cream formula doesn’t disrupt the makeup underneath and blends out seamlessly with a brush or sponge, leaving a natural, subtle shadow that can be built up for more intensity.
For the price and amount of product you get (I’ve been using mine for over two years and I’m not even close to finished), it’s the best affordable cool-toned contour stick out there. There’s a sculpting shade that works for every skin tone (Rihanna uses shade ‘Truffle’ to contour) and the oil-free formula sits as beautifully on oily skin as it does dry skin.
Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain, £19
This was one of the most exciting beauty launches in the Eliza office last summer. At first swipe, the lip product delivers a vibrant pigmented gloss to the lips, and once that’s worn off (or you can blot), it leaves behind a stunning lip stain that does. Not. Budge.
The oil-in-water formula quenches dry lips and keeps them feeling hydrated and conditioned, with a smooth, not sticky finish.
The shade range is unique too, with six fruity, slightly opaque summery hues, including deep berries and cherry reds that look different on each skin tone.
Fenty Beauty Liquid Killawatt Fluid Freestyle Highlighter, £24
The 90s dewy skin look (courtesy of Ashley Olsen) is back doing the rounds on TikTok, so naturally, highlighters are having their moment too. This one remains in the top three that I have on rotation, with a super-lightweight liquid formula that dries down to a glossy, pearlescent finish to last through the day.
While powder highlighters can deliver incredibly luminous pigments, they often look obvious, leaving a line that sits in contrast to my base. Fenty’s liquid highlighter blends in seamlessly and gives the most natural, lit-from-within radiance.
You also only need the tiniest dot to impart a high-wattage glow to the skin, so this tube will last you forever.