Fenty Beauty: First Impressions & Mini Review

Monday, September 11, 2017

Well it's only been able to buy for 4 days I'm already sick of reading/hearing about Fenty. The social media storm came hard and fast, and even though I was affected enough to get my butt to a local Sephora as soon as it opened, damn did it all get old fast.

Yes, I saw Trophy Wife. No, I did not buy it, because it was glittery as f*ck and very yellow and that is not a look that works for me. Overall I thought the line was nice, with attractive packaging both on the products themselves and on the outside. I'm a fan of the frosted glass and the color scheme, don't care about the way products magnetically click together, and for the most part consider it a worthwhile brand to shop if you want comparable-to-its-price-competitors level products that support an artist you admire.

Generally speaking I went in to Sephora to *see* the line with very little expectations of buying anything, because I'm a highlighter n00b and the second ingredient in her primer was dimethicone. But swatching the line was actually kind of enlightening - despite the dimethicone, the primer didn't apply like a silicone primer at all, instead it's a lotion that dries to a matte finish. The trios - concealer, contour, and shimmery highlight - apply pigmented from the tube, and while "Tan" wouldn't have exactly highlighted my under eye (and I'm not convinced it's emollient enough to even be applied in the area) it would have been a great face concealer, easily paired with the other two products for an on the go look.


The lip gloss is fine, pretty and I agree universal, but it's super sweetly scented so I didn't even bother trying it on.  The shimmer sticks live up to their name and deliver GLITTER with a hint of color, so even the fun coral "Ridiiic" was not going to work on my oily skin. Instead I brought home the primer and one of the highlighter duos, which actually might be my favorite product in the line (I haven't tried the foundation yet). The duos all come with a subtle highlight on one side, and a BAM beat-to-the-gods highlight on the other, which I think make them much more versatile.


As per the website, Mean Money and Hu$tla Baby are described respectively as a "soft champagne sheen" and a "supercharged peachy champagne shimmer", and I'd call both of those pretty correct. I prefer to apply Hu$tla Baby to the inner corner of my eyes and slightly to my brow bone, and Mean Money on my face. I'd also like to try them both as eyeshadows, but I haven't gotten there yet.

Final Verdict: Quite nice! I like the control having both highlighters gives me, and think they're very flattering on my skin tone. Are they groundbreaking? Probably not, but depending on the size of your collection I think one of these could make a home with you very easily!

I'm still testing the primer, but can already tell you I prefer it under liquid to stick foundations. Under my Dior Forever it helped prevent creasing in the smile lines around my mouth, even as I got dewier throughout the day. Under the ABH Stick Foundation the initial finish was actually too matte and a little dry, so it looked better approximately 30-45min after application. Once both foundations got to the dewy stage they stayed that way throughout the rest of the day, without tipping too far into oily, and at the end of the day I could still see my blush/bronzer.

The primer is slightly pink tinted but applies with no visible color, and is just scented enough that I can smell it when I hold a glob up to my nose, but not at all once it's on my face.


Final Verdict: If you're looking for a new primer I think this one is good, and doesn't make me the super oily mess that most silicone primers do. I'm still not sure it's all that special, but I am invested enough to want to see how it holds up during the winter months.

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