I Tried It: Fenty Beauty vs. Make Up For Ever Foundation
The beauty industry has been SHOOK since early September.
The 8th marked the Friday your favorite bad gal and secret bestie, Rihanna, launched her eponymous makeup line Fenty Beauty. The collection that would change black girls and makeup shelves everywhere.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you can't escape the discussion about Fenty Beauty. Everyone is talking about it, and rightfully so. The brand is all that! One of the main praises is the wide range of foundation shades, namely the darker tones. Rihanna met the demand of the cries from women who felt their voices were unheard by makeup brands, who didn't care to cater to their complexions.
A couple of weeks ago, when Make Up For Ever shared their "40 shades is nothing new to us" post, some people felt it was Fenty Beauty shade. After Rihanna responded with the comments "Still Ashy" and "Shook," her fans filled the comment section with posts claiming Makeup For Ever had "casket ready" shades, among other insults, and I grew curious of how the two brands measured up against each other. I already owned Make Up For Ever, and decided to get Fenty Beauty to put them both to the test.
For an entire day, I wore Fenty on the right side of my face and Make Up For Ever on the left. My skin type is combination and I tend to get oily in the t-zone area on my nose, forehead, cheeks, and chin.
To start, I used a blurring primer by Becca, then applied each foundation with a flat kabuki brush and used the Fenty Match Stix Trio (the concealer, contour, and highlight set) and Trophy Wife Killawatt highlighter to complete the look. I documented the performance of each foundation in the morning, afternoon, and night to see which would perform best.
Here's what I found:
Fenty Pro Filter Foundation
Shade: 360 (it's honestly a smidge too light for my preference, I'm going to swap for one shade darker)
Finish: Matte, smooth natural finish
Coverage: Buildable to medium coverage
Price: $34
Review: I love Rihanna (drops mic). I kid, no, but seriously I do. It was so hard for me to get my hands on this foundation, and I could shoot myself for selecting the wrong color when the restock was briefly available online again for 2.3 seconds. All biases aside, the Pro Filter really does give you a natural “filter like" appearance without your skin looking overly cakey or dry. I had a smooth finish all day, and with a couple of oil blotting touchups my skin still held on to the soft matte look. There was little to no transfer and Trophy Wife had me glistening for the gawds all day long.
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation
Shade: Y455 Praline
Finish: Natural dewy finish
Coverage: Buildable to medium coverage
Price: $43
Review: I already owned the Ultra HD foundation and have always loved it. I really like the way it makes my skin look dewy and healthy while still providing good coverage. It applies smoothly and dries down with a dewy finish. There was a bit more transfer with this foundation because it's not matte, but nothing that would be considered a deal-breaker. Still a top pick in my foundation stash.
Here's how both held up throughout the day:
9am
(Left: Fenty Beauty, Right: Make Up For Ever)
1pm
After the first time blotting for the day.
6pm
Final Thoughts
Both foundations were very similar. They leave your skin looking like skin, they are both buildable, and provide a natural-looking coverage, while still allowing your skin room to breathe. The only difference I noticed throughout an 8-hour day was that the Make Up For Ever side of my face got a little dewier (or oilier in my case), and the Fenty Beauty was a little less oily and nine bucks cheaper. That's it. They both performed well and it all boils down to your preference of wanting either a matte or dewy finish.
I'm giving a round of applause to Rihanna and her team for bringing Fenty Beauty to life and paving the way for other women to trail blaze down a lane that caters to all skin tones from light to dark. Although both brands have similar foundations with a wide range of shades, there is enough room for everyone. It all boils down to preference and what your needs are from a makeup line.
Have you tried Fenty Beauty and Make Up For Ever? What are your thoughts?
- I Tried It: Fenty Beauty vs. Make Up For Ever Foundation - xoNecole ›
- 16 Best Foundations Offering Range For Dark Skin 2020 - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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We all love that Beyoncé's recent foray into country music has turned the world's attention back to the impact of Black legends and icons who were foremothers of the genre. All of the buzz around the superstar's take on country music (along with the fab TikToks of Black women getting their country glam on to prep for a possible country music tour), brings to the forefront stories of the amazing impact of women like Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Elizabeth Cotton, and Linda Martell. These women laid the groundwork for folk, country, and rock music way before any of us reached our mother's wombs.
I've loved country music since childhood and would rock, sway, and sing along to songs by The Neville Brothers, Patsy Cline, and Elvis. (Yep, I loved me some Elvis, honey. It was an admiration I inherited from my mom.). Back in the day, my friends and I would all enjoy the country music songs played at a popular hangout spot, the local skating rink. The DJ would go from 69 Boys, Brandy, and Usher to Billy Ray Cyrus ("Achy Breaky Heart), Dolly Parton ("9-to-5" and "I Will Always Love You,") and Shania Twain ("Man! I Feel Like A Woman.") Country music has always been part of my life's soundtrack.
Since it's Women's History Month, what a perfect time to highlight some of the other Black women who have been standing it the gap for years, doing this country music thing, and doing it well. Here are a few to add to your playlists this month and beyond.
The Boykin Sisters AKA The BoykinZ
Sisters Nylan, Nytere, Anale, and Alona took the country music world by storm on TikTok, drawing more than 480,000 followers and 10 million likes for their soulful country music swag. They've performed with Shania Twain on the Country Music Awards, appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and have recorded with legendary country music producer Nathan Chapman. Each brings their own unique flavor to the group, from style to music abilities.
Rissi Palmer
She released her self-titled debut album with hit singles, “Country Girl,” “Hold On To Me,” and “No Air,” and has since performed at The White House, New York's Lincoln Center, and the Grand Ole Opry. She’s also shared stages with country and pop music heavy-hitters including The Eagles, Charley Crockett, and Taylor Swift. Taking things to the advocacy level, she launched her own radio show Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer on Apple Music Country and created the Color Me Country Artist Grant Fund to support newbie country artists of color to reach their entertainment industry dreams.
C Brandon / Contributor/Getty Images
Yola
A U.K.-bred country music artist, this singer and actress was nominated for multiple Grammys for her 2019 debut album, Walk Through Fire, including Best Americana Album. Her 2021 album, Stand For Myself, mixes country and soul with intriguing and relatable visuals. She also magnificently starred as Rosetta Thorpe in the 2023 Elvis biopic, a film whose soundtrack was an American Music Award winner.
Mickey Guyton
A modern-day pioneer in her own right, Mickey Guyton was the first Black woman to be nominated in the Best Country Solo Performance category at the Grammy Awards in 2021, and, that same year, she became the first Black woman to co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards. Her song, “Black Like Me,” released in the wake of the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, added more to her legacy of being a leader and advocate in country music.
Brittney Spencer
This newbie artist in the game has given us strong previews of her talent, releasing two EPs and receiving Country Music Awards and Country Music Television award nominations. Elektra signed her to a deal in 2022, and this year, she released her debut album, My Stupid Life, which has been described by one Rolling Stone reviewer as “one of the most convincing country statements in a while.”
Reyna Roberts
The self-proclaimed "Princess of Outlaw Country," is serving soul, sass, and style with her music, with a debut album titled, Bad Girl Bible, Volume 1, sparking intrigue and fan support. Her more than 300,000 followers on IG rally behind her, as she campaigns for big-ticket performances that we are sure, will be in her future.
Chapel Heart
Sisters Danica and Devynn Hart have joined musical forces with cousin Trea Swindle as a country music trio, and found early viral success performing on “America’s Got Talent.” In 2021 the group was inducted into Country Music Television’s “Next Women of Country,” and they’ve been honored as “International Group of the Year” as well as “International Song of the Year” for the single “You Can Have Him Jolene” in Scotland. They have been nominated for several British CMAs including “Group of the Year” and “Album of the Year” for their second album release The Girls Are Back In Town.
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Featured image by Emma McIntyre / Staff/Getty Images