Rihanna’s highly-anticipated Fenty Skin has announced its initial launch products and the skincare world is quaking.
Packaged in sleek dusty grey bottles from largely recycled materials, Fenty Beauty’s new skincare sister is launching with three staple products: a gel-to-cream cleanser, a toner-serum hybrid, and an SPF 30 moisturiser. In a reveal video posted to the brand’s YouTube page, Rihanna makes note that all products are oil-free, vegan, and cruelty-free. The SPF is also coral-reef friendly.
The brand announced Monday that products will be available from Wednesday 31st July. This announcement also meant Fenty Skin ambassadors, who have been trialing the products for the past month or so, were given the green-light to share their experiences with the products.
And let’s just say…things got heated.
While many gave the products glowing reviews— namely, the cleanser for cleaning skin without leaving it tight or dry and the SPF for being “invisible” and “lightweight”— others were more critical of the new range for its obvious fragrance.
The debate began Monday night when beauty influencer and licensed esthetician Tiara Willis of @MakeupForWOC tweeted her review in a lengthy thread, writing that fragrance in skincare “can be problematic for some.”
“Fragrance sensitizes the skin due to it volatile properties (even in small amounts),” she tweeted. “Which is why it’s the #1 cause of contact dermatitis.”
I’ve been using the Fenty Skin products for about a month now. Read this thread before making a purchase
— Tiara Willis 🙂 (@MakeupForWOC) July 28, 2020
Tiara explained that she had a reaction to the fragrance, saying it broke her out in small red bumps across her face. The influencer also noted that not everyone will have an adverse reaction to fragrance and of course, it comes down to personal preference. She said this was a challenging review to write, as she loves everything else about Fenty Skin and is so appreciative of Fenty’s support.
You can read her full thread here.
First off, I would like to say a huge thank you to @fentyskin for letting me try the products! The Fenty team has always been so supportive of me when it comes to makeup, so I feel very honored that I get to try Fenty SKINCARE now ? support black women in skincare all 2020
— Tiara Willis 🙂 (@MakeupForWOC) July 28, 2020
I have dry, sensitive, acne prone skin for reference! I was so hurt y’all. I hope they come out with a fragrance free version. Because I love EVERYTHING else about the Fenty Skin line. The ingredients, the texture, the packaging — beautiful. Let me tell you why:
— Tiara Willis 🙂 (@MakeupForWOC) July 28, 2020
Fragrance is added to mask the scents of other ingredients + for branding! They want to have a signature smell for the brand. Skincare is an experience too. But this can also be done with using non-fragrant extracts! Cucumber, watermelon, mango, shea butter – smell yummy
— Tiara Willis 🙂 (@MakeupForWOC) July 28, 2020
Tiara’s honest feedback sparked discourse across the beauty community, with fans voicing their opinions on fragrance in skincare and Fenty’s decision to include fragrance in their range.
Many also note the contradiction of including witch hazel in a hydrating product like the Fenty Skin FAT WATER toner-serum. Though it contains several antioxidants that benefit the skin, witch hazel has developed a controversial reputation over the years for its drying effect thanks to one of its main chemical groups called tannins. In short, tannins decrease the look of pores initially, however long-term use can lead to sensitized skin. Witch hazel is also known to contain ethanol which can impair the skin’s surface.
The second ingredient in the Fenty Skin toner is witch hazel?
— Rachelita? (@raaachyrach) July 28, 2020
However, skincare expert and Fenty Skin ambassador Sean Garrett addressed some of the backlash, explaining that witch hazel as a single ingredient is problematic, however when incorporated into a formula it “is completely different.” He says FAT WATER is hydrating and doesn’t have “drying protestors” like pure witch hazel.
I‘ve been pretty vocal about my dislike for pure witch hazel being used as a toner. using a single ingredient v.s it being included in an overall formula is completely different! — Fat Water is hydrating and doesn’t have drying protestors like pure with hazel! https://t.co/g4YsG9mroQ
— Sean Garrette (@sgarretteskin) July 28, 2020
Fenty Skin’s offical Twitter account backed this up, explaining that FAT WATER contains witch hazel distillate, listed as “witch hazel water” on their ingredients list. Fenty says witch hazel water is alcohol-free so FAT WATER will not strip skin of hydration.
So FAT WATER is alcohol-free and won't dry you out— the formula is balanced to deliver each ingredient without stripping skin
— FENTY SKIN (@fentyskin) July 28, 2020
As always, skincare is never a one-size-fits-all, but if you’re sensitive to fragrance, we recommend possibly skipping this collection for now.
Sign up to get exclusive access to Fenty Skin the minute it launches here.