Rihanna’s Humanity — And Not Her Celebrity — Is Why She’s Changing The Beauty Industry

Yahoo Lifestyle’s Diversity in Beauty Awards (the DIBs) highlights and celebrates personalities, brands, and products that embody inclusiveness and innovation. Fenty Beauty was a 2018 winner. 

Rihanna is an award-winning musician who made the world fall in love with radio hits such as “Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” and “Wild Thoughts.” She is also a fashion muse for designer brands, including Dior and Puma. While there is no doubt that these successes play into the self-proclaimed bad gal’s superstar status, in 2017 it was the debut of her cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, that truly changed the game.

On Sept. 8 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Rihanna unveiled Fenty Beauty to a room full of beauty editors, bloggers, influencers, makeup artists, and industry experts. The range included a primer, highlighters, blotting powder, lip gloss, makeup brushes — and last, but certainly far from least — 40 foundation shades, ranging from very fair to very deep.

“After years of experimenting with the best-of-the-best in beauty — and still seeing a void in the industry for products that performed across all skin types and tones, she launched…