Finding the perfect Summer foundation - featuring Fenty Beauty

Back in the day, women of color had a limited option of foundation shades to choose from. There were no “perfect matches” and instead we had to settle for what was close enough. Now that cosmetic companies are more inclusive, women have the luxury of choosing between an array of brands and colors.  

Enter Fenty Beauty. Rihanna's makeup line, introduced to us in 2017, carries a variety of tones for women of different complexions. The businesswoman stated that she was inspired to create Fenty Beauty so that women everywhere would be included, focusing on a wide range of traditionally hard-to-match skin tones and pinpointing universal shades.

And that she did, ladies. Which brings us to here.

I’ve tried my fair share of beauty products to know which ones work and don’t work for me. Once I find a product that looks good on my skin, I’ll stick with it for life.  Currently, Kat Von D Makeup Lock is my favorite foundation because it has heavy coverage and a few pumps go a long way. With all the rave reviews of Rihanna’s makeup line, I decided to see for myself if it was worth adding to my beauty shelf.

When looking for the right color match, let me say that this was no easy experience. I went back and forth to Sephora and even switched between Sephora JC Penny and the standard Sephora to avoid looking like a nuisance (lol). After testing a variety of shades at the store, I  purchased 340, 350, 360, 370, and 380. To my surprise, I discovered my undertones are not red but a neutral yellow color. 

To determine the best match, I examined my makeup under different lighting: sunlight, tungsten and studio.

My thoughts on the product itself. Fenty Beauty’s Pro-Filtr Foundation has a powdery feel to it once applied. Three pumps per makeup brush for each side of the face gives a nice light coverage. I’d suggest doubling up the application to get a full coverage look. My preferred applicator of choice is a domed shape or flat buffer makeup brush. For your primer, I recommend using a lightweight cream based primer like this one.

One thing I must highlight about this makeup is that it feels so lightweight compared to Kat Von D's and has minimal rub off. I have oily skin that makes my makeup smear onto products no matter what finishing powder or primer I use. Somehow Fenty Pro-Filtr minimizes the oil production and my skin is not as shiny when I use it.  And if you ever see my face shine - that's just a glow, baby *wink*.

So will I give Fenty Beauty a place on my beauty shelf? Definitely yes, for now. It doesn't match my complexion perfectly - I use Mac Studio Fix powder on top to balance the colors. However, it does make my skin feel like it's breathing and covered at the same time, something I couldn't achieve with any other makeup to date. The search continues but until then, I'm enjoying the switch. Thank you Rih-Rih!