Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017 when she was 29 years old. Previously she had collaborated with MAC Cosmetics, as well as released 10 fragrances via Parlux Ltd, but Fenty Beauty was her first solo cosmetics brand. She developed the line with luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey (LVMH), signing a deal in 2016 to produce Fenty Beauty through LVMH's Kendo division. Kendo Holdings, Inc, is an "incubator" company that manufactures cosmetics as white-label products for sale through cosmetics retailer Sephora, another LVMH subsidiary, as well as other outlets.[6] Women's Wear Daily reported that LVMH may have paid $10 million (USD) for the agreement, which followed on Kendo deals to produce Marc Jacobs Beauty and Kat Von D Beauty lines.
Rihanna, who is from Barbados, created Fenty Beauty to provide for the inclusion of all skin tones in cosmetics offerings, including extensive shade offerings for people with deeper skin tones.
Fenty Beauty's first products went on sale on September 8, 2017. The launch coincided with New York Fashion Week, where Rihanna also had a runway show for her collaboration with Puma. Promotion was so extensive, The New York Times wrote, "one might be forgiven for thinking it's actually Rihanna New York Fashion Week." In the US, the line launched in Sephora stores, on the Sephora website, and on Fenty Beauty's website. In the UK, Fenty Beauty was initially exclusive to Harvey Nichols department stores, until it was announced in May 2019 the line would also become available in the high street chemist Boots UK. Fenty Beauty is available online or in store in over 15 countries. Fenty Beauty arrived in Saudi Arabia, seen as a potentially lucrative market for the brand, with cosmetic sales in the country at an all-time high.
Fenty Beauty products have drawn international praise for the range of shades offered, in particular for including darker shades among the first 40, then 50 different colors for its Pro Filt'R foundation, addressing a long-criticized gap in cosmetic industry offerings for black women and other women of color. Subsequent launches of new products and new lines have been criticized for the failure to live up to the new standard set by Fenty Beauty, for instance Kim Kardashian West's line KKW Beauty, Tarte's Shape Tape Foundation, and Benefit's Hello Happy foundation. The line's Stunna Lip Paint, a red lipstick launched November 23, 2017 (Thanksgiving, just ahead of Black Friday Sales), also drew broad enthusiasm. Reviewing the product at BuzzFeed News, Leticia Miranda noted the history of controversy around red lipstick, particularly for women of color, saying the context made the choice of color for Stunna "assertive, confrontational, unapologetic". Since the release of the original red Stunna Lip Paint, Fenty Beauty has also released four more lip paints in baby pink, peach nude, chocolate brown, and black.
On March 23, 2018, the line launched a limited-edition highlighter called Dirty Thirty for Rihanna's 30th birthday; it is the line's popular Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Trophy Wife shade (metallic gold), packaged with XXX (the Roman numerals for 30) instead of the brand's FB logo.
On April 6, 2018, Fenty Beauty released three products in its Beach, Please collection. Body Lava, Fenty Beauty's first body product, is a liquid that can be buffed into any part of the body for illumination and is available in either a peach tone called Who Needs Clothes or a golden one, Brown Sugar. To apply the Body Lava, the Kabuki Brush is available for purchase separately. Meanwhile, the Fairy Bomb Glittering Pom Pom is both applicator and product: the pom pom is packed with rose gold glitter designed to fit all skin tones. The pom pom also has a vanilla-coconut scent.
On October 4, 2018, Fenty Beauty launched their winter collection titled ChillOwt, which included a variety of winter-themed and cool-toned products. These included the Killawatt Foil Palette,[45] a highlighter palette with seven metallic shades, two lipstick sets (Snow Daze and Snow Nights), and a number of multi-use products, including sets of crayons for lip and eye (titled FrostHunny, FrostBunny, and FrostMoney) and loose pigmented powder (Avalanche Powders), for eyes, lip and cheek, in seven metallic shades.
On January 11, 2019, Fenty Beauty launched Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer in 50 shades. In addition, Pro Filt’r Foundation add 10 new shades, bringing the total to 50, with the concealer shades number to correspond to the same number foundation. Each shade of Pro Filt’r concealer range is made to correspond with the same or any suitable Pro Filt’r Foundation number. The company also announced a setting powder product, the Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder in eight translucent shades, as well as a number of beauty tools, including Powder Puff Setting Brush 170, Precision Concealer Brush 180, and Lil Precision Makeup Sponge Duo 105.