Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty has outshone “hundreds of inventions” from around the world to make TIME magazine’s 25 Best Inventions of 2017 list.
Fenty, created in partnership with LVMH’s Kendo Brands, launched into “an unprecedented 1600 stores across 17 countries” on September 8 with 91 products including 40 “game-changing” shades of foundation.
Rihanna was inspired to create “the global line-up of shades” as she wanted the brand to be suitable for all skin types – particularly “traditionally hard-to-match skin tones”.
Apart from the 40 shades of foundation, Fenty’s launch range also included a universal primer, 30 magnetic Match Stix Skinsticks (to contour, correct, conceal, highlight and blush), six face and eye highlighters, blotting powder and paper, a lip gloss and and a variety of application tools.
Speaking at the launch of the brand in New York, Rihanna said she want to create products that “girls of all skin tones could fall in love with”.
“In every product I was like: ‘There needs to be something for a dark-skinned girl, there needs to be something for a really pale girl; there needs to be something in-between.”
Less than six weeks later on October 13, Fenty followed its launch collection with the release of its Galaxy Collection which includes a 14-shade eye shadow palette, three eye liners, four glitter lip glosses and four lipsticks.
According to TIME, Fenty’s inclusion in the magazine’s “unranked” 25 Best Inventions of 2017 list was largely based on the brand’s decision to create “makeup shades for every skin tone”.
“Makeup companies often cater to women with light to medium skin tones, both in products and advertising, and sideline women of colour,” the magazine said.
“Not so with Rihanna’s line, Fenty Beauty, which launched in September with 40 shades of foundation and a diverse array of makeup models….
“Almost immediately, the deeper tones started selling out at Sephora; shortly thereafter, brands such as Make Up For Ever and L’Oréal launched campaigns targeting women of colour.”
Other products included on TIME’s 25 Best Inventions of 2017 list include
Esight 3 – glasses that give sight to the blind
Halo Top – guilt-free ice cream
Ember mug – mugs that heat your coffee just right
Apple iPhone x – a smarter smartphone
Nike Pro Hijab – a hijab that empowers Muslim athletes
Adidas Futurecraft 4D – a shoe engineered to boost performance
Nest Secure – a simpler home security system
DJI Spark – drones that put selfie-sticks to shame
Molekule – an air filter that zaps away pollutants