In 2017, Rihanna turned the beauty world upside down with the launch of Fenty Beauty. Fenty Beauty was the first ever make-up brand to offer a foundation range with 40 different shade variations. In addition to this, the brand's campaigns were inclusive, representing all skin tones, sizes, and genders.
In an In an interview with Time magazine shortly after Fenty Beauty was launched, Rihanna said that she "never could have anticipated the emotional connection that women are having with the products and the brand as a whole". Finding the right foundation shade can be a real struggle for most Black and brown people, so it's safe to say that a lot of prayers were answered with the launch of Rihanna's revolutionary brand.
Not even a year after the launch, historic brands such as L'Oréal, Dior, and Cover FX extended their foundation ranges, giving equal consideration to people of colour when it came to their shade offerings. Fenty Beauty was the wake up call that the beauty industry needed to do better. It was impossible for other brands not to follow in RiRi's footsteps.