Rihanna Told Us the One Beauty Product That’s Getting Her Through Pregnancy

On September 7th, 2017, I watched 29-year-old Rihanna glide into the room in a sweeping yellow ball gown skirt and matching top to ring in Fenty Beauty’s very first sale at the brand’s official launch in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The makeup line’s neutral, magnetized packaging, rainbow of colors, and range of textures (adamantine glitters, subtle shimmers, and flat matte finishes), were unlike anything we, an assemblage of beauty editors from every top editorial destination in the country, had ever seen. Fast forward to today – some four years, five months, and five days later – and the Fenty empire has blossomed, now encompassing Fenty Eau de Parfum, Fenty Skin, and Fenty Beauty.

Fittingly, Fenty’s founder, now 33, has blossomed, too. On February 11 in Los Angeles, Rihanna stepped out in front of another assemblage of press and celebrities while dripping in pink and white diamonds with a glittering green halter top that showed off her newly announced baby bump. To mark the occasion, Rihanna shared her thoughts with Allure on her must-haves from the trio of Fenty brands, the beauty technique she wishes she had known sooner, and how pregnancy has changed her outlook on her regimen — and life.

The party was planned to celebrate Fenty Beauty, Fenty Parfum, and Fenty Skin coming together under one roof for the first time. I asked Rihanna which two Fenty products, and only two, she would choose to gift to each of her fans if she could. “I would want them to have the Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer because it has SPF,” Rihanna says. (Specifically, it has SPF 30, which is the sun-protection sweet spot, according to dermatologists.) “Spring and summer are about to come around the corner like that, and you’re going to need it.”

She pauses, flipping through her mental catalog of what, by now, has become hundreds of SKUs to settle on her second and final recommendation: “I would also gift the Icon Refillable Lipstick because I feel so proud of this product, from the packaging all the way to the bullet — which was designed to match the shape of my Cupid’s bow — to the texture and performance of the lipstick itself,” she says. The lipstick is, in fact, incredible. It’s creamy, has the softly glowing finish of taffeta, and has uniquely sharp angles perfect for sharply shaping a Cupid’s bow, like Rihanna demonstrates at the event with the lipstick in The MVP, a vivid crimson. It’s also ideal for coloring in your lips precisely without lip liner, the way I like to when I’m too lazy to apply more than one product.

In the four-plus years since the launch of her brand, Rihanna has grown from a musician slash beauty enthusiast to the CEO of a global beauty brand in partnership with Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy and the richest female musician on the planet (according to Forbes). I have to ask, with all the beauty knowledge she’s amassed, if there are any application techniques she wishes she had known earlier in her career. “Earlier in my career — wow,” she says, her eyes widening as if she’s seeing the apparition of regrettable makeup looks past. “The way I powder underneath my eyes; I wish I had better products back then or better techniques.” Now, she says she uses Fenty’s Invisi-Matte Blotting Powder exclusively. “Making that product was huge for me. That’s how I tested it: flash flash flash from the side, flash from the front. I’ve been a victim to the good old flash and the white reflection from under your eyes. I cannot with that,” she emphasizes.

Rihanna proceeds to explain her powdering technique for an appearance, which is about as complex as you’d expect from someone as intensely photographed as she is. First, she brushes a heavy layer of her Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder onto her T-zone after her concealer and foundation have been applied, she says, pointing to the area on and around her nose. She lets that bake for 15 minutes before brushing it off. The area under her eyes, she leaves for last: she’ll brush or press on a bit of Invisimatte Blotting Powder under her eyes “last, last minute, and go,” she says.

Finally, I ask her how her beauty routine has changed since she found out she was pregnant. “I would say I’m staying more moisturized than ever, obviously,” she says. “Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream is my go-to.” The CEO looks thoughtful for a minute and adds something I didn’t expect: She’s now more deeply concerned with her brand’s impact on the planet than ever. “Pregnancy makes me look at being more sustainable — with everything, all around,” she says. “We’ve done a great job at that with Fenty Skin, so now we want to make sure we’re doing that with Fenty Beauty as well.”

The line’s new refillable lipsticks are a start: The cases retain the same pentagonal columnar shape as her very first launches, but this time in sturdy, reusable metal. It’s elegant, purposeful, and thoughtful. Like the woman before me.

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