It’s no secret that Rihanna’s “Fenty Beauty” line has been a huge success since its launch in September 2017.
For many women, the cosmetics line reveal has been emotional. With 40 shades to choose from, Fenty has ushered in a new era of inclusivity and started a conversation about representation of diversity within the makeup industry. The product line, which has been named one of Times “25 Best Inventions of 2017,” is just the latest example of Rihanna’s unfailing ability to innovate industries. But, I believe Fenty’s success could partly lie in the narrowness of the offerings rather than the depth.
Fenty offers tons of shades within each product category, but the actual types of products offered is refreshingly slim. The business model of most makeup companies is to provide the customer with an overwhelming array of options that can be combined methodically to create an infinite number of different looks. Fenty doesn’t do that. The products focus on creating beautiful skin, mimicking natural glow from the sun and creating a plump lip. The advertisements feature a gorgeous mix of different looking women, but they all feature a similar “RiRi” look.
As an average non-beauty-guru person, this makes the makeup experience easier for me. I don’t have to be the artist, Rihanna already created the look for me.
The small Fenty shelf at Sephora has relieved many cosmetics consumers of the anxious feeling we all face when we walk into an overstocked store. “Forever 21 syndrome,” if you will. As a collector, the game has changed. The small amount of lipstick shades empowers consumers to collect all 14 colors. Typically, no one aspires to own each of the hundreds of shades offered by cosmetics lines. Fenty has given makeup lovers a brand they can truly own.
Fenty is one of the first companies, in any genre, that I’ve seen which fights the consumerism mentality that each product must exist in thousands of flavors, shades, textures or smells. Honestly, do we need “Limeade” flavored Oreos? I think it’s time for us to have a conversation about choices. I highly encourage watching Barry Schwartz’s TED Talk, “The Paradox of Choice.” He talks on something that I reference mentally all the time. The negative impact that having too many choices can have. Schwartz says that too many choices leaves us paralyzed to decide and unhappy with whatever we pick in fear that we chose wrong. If you look at it in this way, Fenty is doing makeup consumers a favor that other brands are not.
When rating a cosmetics line, we usually consider factors like coverage, variety and affordability. Are we forgetting to factor in how much happiness the products bring us? In a world where you can purchase anything, should you purchase everything? For me, Fenty products bring me more happiness than other brands because they offer variety that I can wrap my head around. They have made it easy to replicate the look they advertise. Rihanna has made it possible for other women to live in her fantasy.
Layla Soboh is a UF advertising junior. Her column comes out Tuesday.
