Men Are Snapping Up Products from Rihanna’s Beauty and Skincare Line, Just as She Intended
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Men aren’t just getting more attention from the beauty industry — Rihanna‘s eyeing them (and their personal care routines), too. The musician-turned-mogul launched Fenty Skin over the summer, with a note that the clean and cruelty-free skincare line “is for my fellas too.”
The Barbados-born businesswoman announced in an Instagram post that her new self-care label was also gender neutral. “No matter who you are, you deserve to have great skin,” she added. Also pictured with her in that photo was A$AP Rocky, who’s an ambassador of the brand, alongside fellow rapper Lil Nas X.
No longer reserved for gentlemen of showbiz and drag, men’s cosmetics and skincare are part of a growing market that’s expected to reach $166 billion by 2022, according to Allied Market Research. A study by Grand View Research also found that men are looking for more sustainable offerings and natural ingredients.
“Skincare is important for men because the skin is your largest organ of your body. It’s what’s protects the cells [so] you want to make sure you’re nourishing and protecting that from pollution [which] ages the skin,” Fenty Skin Global Ambassador and New York-based esthetician Sean Garrette tells Rolling Stone. “Healthy skin just makes you feel better about yourself, it looks better in job interviews, on dates, it’s really a part of of your hygiene.”
“The average man wants something simple and concise — not a routine where he needs to use 20 different products to get that result,” he continues. “I think that’s why men gravitate towards Fenty Skin; it’s a simple routine; it’s really six steps in three products.”
Fenty Beauty Global Makeup Artist Hector Espinal notes that “Men and women alike are sharing their beauty looks and their routines more openly and regularly on social media. This definitely helps to make men and makeup a bigger part of the beauty convo.”
Espinal continues: “It’s one of the reasons that I love working for Rihanna; she makes sure everyone is represented and included in her brands. I think, also, in general, people are just more attuned to their appearances and their beauty routines, especially with all the FaceTiming and Zooming we’ve been doing recently.”
Beverly Hills-based esthetician and makeup artist Lashelle Ullie (who has worked with Toni Braxton, Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowland) says “complexion enhancement” products such as tinted moisturizers and cosmetics are also growing in popularity among men. His male clients want to blur imperfections and blemishes, but don’t necessarily want to look like they’re caked in foundation. Men’s makeup helps them to feel more confident in their skin, he says.
What Are the Best Fenty Products for Men?
Fenty Skin debuted with three multi-tasking hero products: a lathering cream cleanser, a toner serum, and an SPF 30 moisturizer. It recently added an overnight gel-cream to its lineup. All of the packaging is recyclable, and the brand sells refills for its reusable moisturizer tubes. The brand also follows the European Union’s standards for cosmetics, which bans over 1,400 potentially harmful ingredients.
When looking for the best men’s skincare, Garrette says guys should look for ingredients that soothe the skin before and after shaving. Niacinamide helps to improve pigmentation — an issue that his clients of color often face — and reducing wrinkles, while green tea extract is rich in antioxidants that help protect the skin.
If you’re looking for RiRi-approved skincare and grooming essentials, but aren’t sure where to start, we’ve rounded up the best products for men from Fenty’s skincare line. From pencils that keep stray arch hairs away, to a complete and easy men’s skincare regimen, read on for our top picks.
1. Fenty Skin Start’r Set
This travel-sized set of Fenty Skin’s debut product is a good way to dip your toes into better skincare. The Total Cleans’r boasts a creamy consistency that removes grime, oil, and sweat without leaving your skin dry, and it has a subtle cherry scent that’s more fresh than fruity. The Fat Water toner serum reduces the appearance of pores and dark spots. The SPF 30 Hydra Vizor moisturizer is a lightweight formula that addresses discoloration and doesn’t make dark skin tones look ashy.
Fenty Skin Start’r Set, $40, available at Fenty Beauty
2. Fenty Skin Instant Reset Overnight Recovery Gel-Cream
Designed for all skin types (oily, dry, and combination), the Instant Reset overnight gel-cream moisturizer does the hard work while you’re sleeping. It contains active ingredients such as niacinamide, which reduces shine and the appearance of dark spots while making the skin tone look even; hyaluronic acid and aloe, which soothe and moisturize the skin; and kalahari melon oil and baobab, which deeply nourishes and hydrates. The cream also has pore-refining Australian lemon myrtle and antioxidant-rich cactus flower and green tea, which the brand says “defends against environmental stressors.”
Fenty Skin Instant Reset Overnight Recovery Gel-Cream, $40, available at Fenty Beauty
3. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Foundation
This lightweight product is great for hiding acne scars or blemishes, and stays put while giving skin a natural-looking even finish. It’s available in 50 shades (so there really is something for everyone) and is formulated with nourishing grapeseed oil and sodium hyaluronate that makes your skin look healthy.
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Long Wear Foundation, $35, available at Fenty Beauty
4. Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler
This double-sided tool has a styling brush for grooming your brows into your preferred shape and a fine pencil for filling in the gaps and giving your eyebrows a fuller look.
Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler, $20, available at Fenty Beauty
5. Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Sculpting Wax Pencil & Styler
This easy wax pencil will keep stray eyebrow hairs in line without making your arches look too “done.”
Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Sculpting Wax Pencil & Styler, $20, available at Fenty Beauty
6. Fenty Beauty Invismatte Blotting Paper
Banish mid-afternoon shine with this pack of oil blotting papers, which come in a roll that fits conveniently in a compact case that allows you to tear away just the amount you need.
Fenty Beauty Invismatte Blotting Paper, $16, available at Fenty Beauty
7. Fenty Beauty Gentlemen’s Fenty Face Custom Complexion Set
If you’re ready to go all-in on your complexion routine, the brand also offers a five-piece set that can be customized for your skin tone. The kit includes a matte long-wearing foundation, concealer stick, blotting paper, and a portable touch-up brush.
Fenty Beauty Gentlemen’s Fenty Face Custom Complexion Set, $109, available at Fenty Beauty
The skincare brand is the latest in Robyn Rihanna Fenty’s namesake empire with luxury conglomerate LVMH that includes lingerie company Savage X Fenty and a ready-to-wear fashion line. It joins the singer’s inclusive cosmetics label Fenty Beauty, which launched in 2017 and continues to be a cult favorite for its range of makeup that comes in 50 shades.