Rihanna Brings Fenty Beauty Home to the Caribbean
It was a different kind of homecoming season for Rihanna. This week, the makeup maven and pop culture icon officially celebrated the launch of Fenty Beauty across the Caribbean with a launch event in her home country, Barbados!
Rihanna announced in early October that the brands would be available at select retailers across nine Caribbean territories starting October 24, 2024. This includes islands like Antigua, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and Sint Maarten.
Rihanna’s Passion for Bringing Fenty Beauty to the Caribbean
“It’s always felt awkward that my brand has not been in my home, so this is something I’ve always wanted to do,” the Barbadian native told ESSENCE at the launch event. “I’ve always pushed for it. The moment that we were approved to come here—we came.”
Rihanna assured that she plans to continue the Fenty Beauty rollout across the entire Caribbean region. “The Caribbean, I wear that on my back, just like I do Barbados. So even though we launched in nine islands right now, we’re gonna keep opening up and expanding that. We’re going to cover the entire Caribbean and beyond,” the superstar said.
Star-Studded Celebration in Barbados
Celebrities like Reginae Carter, as well as Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley were in attendance at the launch event. The celebration took place at the idyllic QP bistro, an oceanfront restaurant overlooking the island’s dramatic west coast. Rihanna, who is also one of Barbados’ national heroes, delighted attendees by partying alongside guests and even taking over the DJ mic.
Rihanna’s Caribbean Roots Shaping Fenty Beauty
Rihanna touched on the impact of her Caribbean heritage on the development and trajectory of her brands. “Beauty has always been a very sincere space. But now I’m incorporating ingredients from the island into my skincare, into my beauty, into the reason I have Invisimatte, the one powder that will matte you down in the moment,” especially in humidity!
“Launching in the Caribbean actually reinforces what we’ve built this brand to be from the beginning—which is inclusive. Everyone found a shade, everyone found their soulmate on our gondola,” she said. “I want to continue to push that. The first person I ever saw put foundation on their skin was my mom, a Black woman. I never knew there was a void. I just did it from my heart because that’s what I’ve known.”
Rihanna’s Vision for Inclusive, Global Fenty Brands
For Rihanna, “inclusivity doesn’t mean skewing to one space. It means skewing to everyone. I want everyone to be able to shop at Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Fenty Hair—it’s my goal.”
