When trying new products, really TRYING them is key. You can’t use a product for 2 weeks and think you’ve got it all figured out. Introducing a new product in the midst of your skin cycle isn’t going to give you a complete picture of products effectiveness.

So with that being said, I present you my review of our beloved Queen Rih Rih’s Fenty Skin. I have always been a big fan of Rihanna’s, well, everything. A cornerstone of her work (lingerie, makeup, clothing) has always been inclusivity and innovation. But what does it mean to be inclusive in skincare? This is a questions that I think is VITAL when we think about skin. Does it mean inclusive for all skin conditions? Skin colors? Skin types?

Often, I find when skincare brands try to be inclusive they attempt to make a: For All Skin Types product. Truthfully, i’m not a fan of “For All Skin Types” products. Why? Because it’s rarely true. What my oily sensitive skin needs does not work for your dry acne prone skin. We are not the same! Instead, inclusive should be a variety of products targeted for different skin types.

Innovation however, is something that Rihanna and her team have on lock. Her packaging (being mostly recyclable) and in the case of her SPF reusable, is awesome! Thinking about sustainability with packaging is so important and should not be an afterthought anymore. However, by pushing the boundaries, can brands lose sight of basic functionality? Is that even important to you as a consumer?

As in my previous reviews, I will grade all of the products based on these 6 categories:

At the end, I will answer the most important question, IS IT WORTH IT?

Scent: 0/10

I cannot begin to tell you how much I have dreaded using these products for the scent alone.

Texture: 8/10

Total Remove- it-all Cleanser: Love this texture for oily prone skins. A great way to train oily people to not be so stripping and rough. This creamy cleanser turns into a gentle foam so you still get a great cleanse with a gentle approach.

Fat Water Toner/Serum: I think this is such an innovative texture. I love the idea of a jelly, almost cream like toner. Toner has the rep for being a drying, squeaky clean agent and it does not have to be!

Hydra Visor SPF 30 Moisturizer: Medium weight SPF moisturizer, no complaints here.

Color Match: 10/10:

SPF is is clear and blends into the skin seamlessly for all skin tones.

Finish: 6/10

Total Remove- it-all Cleanser: Cream to foam cleanser that doesn’t leave my oily combo skin feeling tight or like it has residue left!

Fat Water Toner/Serum: Contrary to this fabulous texture, this product dries my skin out. At first I couldn’t believe it because of how gentle and jelly like this formula, however after looking at the ingredient list, I now know why.

Hydra Visor SPF 30 Moisturizer: If you have drier skin, you’ll probably really like this. I however, was a greasy mess. I’ve played with the amount that i’m using and still; greasy.

Packaging: 7/10

Total Remove- it-all Cleanser: This can be incredibly mess. It’s a pretty viscous cream cleanser and squeezing it out of the tube is hard. Not to mention the cap is a twist off, bottom standing product. With the slow spill out of the product, the lid is messy, then your counters messy, and it would have been much more effective in a pump!

Fat Water Toner/Serum Same twist off mechanism, however now this product is in a hard (not soft) plastic container. It’s so hard to squeeze UP the product and if you squeeze it upside down, you’ve now got a PLOP of product. Again, a pump or a pump dispenser would have been MUCH more effective.

Hydra Visor SPF 30 Moisturizer: This is by far the most innovative and smart packaging I’ve seen with SPF. I love that you can reuse the canister and replace the SPF when needed. I wish more brands would create packaging like this, ESPECIALLY if it’s plastic packaging.

Formulation: 6/10

Total Remove- it-all Cleanser: This is a fine cleanser. Won’t change your life, but it does it’s job.

Fat Water Toner/Serum: The second ingredient in this Toner is Witch Hazel. Witch Hazel is a natural astringent that I rarely recommend, and if I did, would only recommend for oily or very acne prone skins. The gently jelly like texture of this product is in direct juxtaposition with the stripping and astringent nature of it’s formulation. That sounds super sciencey, but back to original point which is “All Skin Type” products are generally fails. This is one of them. I have oily skin and whipping this on my skin over weeks made my skin irritated, dry, and flakey.

SPF:

AVOBENZONE 3%, HOMOSALATE 9%, OCTISALATE 4.5%

Listen guys, it’s fine. I don’t had the formula, I don’t love the formula. It’s a great “Street” SPF. I love an SPF moisturizer and think some skin types will really enjoy it. However, the fragrance is a problem for anyone with a fragrance sensitivity. Shooot, I didn’t even know I was sensitive to fragrance until I tried this product. That tells me that there is A LOT in there. I’m sadly not a fan.

Final Thoughts:

I love Rihanna and want to support anything she does, so it was a no brainer that I was going to buy these products whether I liked them or not. I think with most brands, you’ve got to put some feelers out there and see what people are liking or loving. I think this is a pretty good first attempt launching products, but Rihanna or not, the average consumer is MUCH smarter about skincare these days. As the products currently stand, I would not repurchase anything other than the cleanser. She needs to reformulate these products WITHOUT FRAGRANCE, tweak some packaging effectiveness, and get a little bit more specific with her products as opposed to general, this works for everyone. I am realistic and I know that she can’t come out with 15 products per skin type as her first attempt like she did with her foundations. Skin care is a different ball game than makeup.

So, is it worth it?

No. Not right now in it’s early stages. I would recommend you wait, let her continue to develop her products, and come back. I know i’ll be back.