Fenty Beauty: How Rihanna's 40 Foundation Shades Changed the Beauty Industry

On September 8, 2017, Rihanna launched her beauty brand, Fenty Beauty, in 17 countries at once. The centrepiece was a foundation called Pro Filt’r, available in 40 shades.

That number was the message. At the time, many foundation ranges offered far fewer shades, and people with very dark or very light skin often struggled to find a match. Fenty’s darkest shades sold out first in many stores.

Within weeks, the brand was being described as a turning point for the beauty industry.

The Context

The beauty industry had long been criticised for ignoring people with darker skin. Many brands offered limited foundation shades, most of them in the light to medium range. Women of colour often had to mix products, buy from specialist brands or go without.

Rihanna was one of the most famous musicians in the world, with a large, diverse fan base and a strong reputation for style. She partnered with Kendo, the beauty incubator owned by LVMH, which also owned Sephora. That gave the brand access to product development expertise and a large retail network.

Rihanna said she wanted to create a brand for everyone, inspired by her own experience of struggling to find the right products.

The Campaign

Fenty Beauty launched with a range of products, but Pro Filt’r foundation was the star. The 40 shades were displayed prominently in stores, making the range itself a visual statement.

The launch campaign featured models with a wide range of skin tones, including very dark-skinned models who were rarely seen in mainstream beauty advertising. The message was not just in the words; it was in who appeared.

Fenty launched in Sephora stores and online in many countries at the same time, as well as with Harvey Nichols in the UK. The simultaneous global launch created a sense of event, and the brand’s social media channels showed the range and real people using it.

Rihanna herself was central to the marketing. She appeared at launch events, posted on social media and spoke about the brand in interviews. Her personal involvement made the brand feel authentic rather than a simple celebrity licensing deal.

Beauty creators on YouTube and Instagram quickly reviewed the products. Many creators with darker skin said they had finally found a foundation that matched their tone. Their videos spread the message faster and more credibly than ads could.

The brand’s tone was also different. Fenty’s marketing was confident, playful and inclusive. It did not describe darker skin tones as a special category or an extension of the main range; all 40 shades were presented as equally central.

The brand also launched products that were not traditionally marketed to everyone. Its Killawatt highlighters included shades that worked on very dark skin, such as the golden shade Trophy Wife, which became a bestseller and a social media favourite. Fenty used such products to show that its commitment to inclusivity went beyond foundation.

Why It Worked

It served an ignored market. Many consumers had been underserved for years. Fenty gave them products designed for them, and they responded with enthusiasm and loyalty.

The product delivered. The foundation performed well, and the shade range was real, not just a marketing claim. That meant reviews were positive.

The message was visible. Forty shades lined up on a display made the brand’s promise instantly clear. The range itself was the ad.

Rihanna was authentic. She was closely involved, and her personal story matched the brand’s mission.

Distribution was strong. Partnering with LVMH’s Kendo and Sephora put the brand in front of millions of shoppers worldwide from day one.

The Results

Fenty Beauty was widely reported to have generated about $100 million in sales in its first 40 days. TIME magazine named it one of the best inventions of 2017.

The launch changed the industry. Many established brands expanded their foundation ranges to 40 shades or more in the following months and years. The trend became known as the “Fenty Effect.” Inclusivity became an expectation rather than a differentiator.

Fenty Beauty grew into a major global brand and later expanded into skincare with Fenty Skin and fragrance. Rihanna’s stake in Fenty Beauty was a major part of what made her a billionaire, according to Forbes.

The launch also demonstrated the power of a celebrity founder who is closely involved. Many celebrity beauty brands followed, but not all succeeded. Those that did tended to have a clear point of view, strong products and genuine founder involvement. Fenty set a high bar because its mission, inclusivity, was built into the product itself, not just into the marketing.

The Lesson for Today’s Marketers

Look for customers the market ignores. Serving an underserved audience can create strong loyalty and big growth.

Make your promise visible. Fenty’s 40 shades communicated the brand’s values without needing a slogan.

And authenticity matters. Rihanna’s personal involvement made the brand’s mission believable.