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 ›
- The Best Fenty Beauty Products Of 2023, Worth Buying - xoNecole: Lifestyle, Culture, Love, Wellness ›
RELATED
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.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
Courtesy
I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
Courtesy
That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
Courtesy
So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
Courtesy
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy