This Week in Beauty: BBHMM 💵
'Ballin' bigger than LeBron'
BEAUTY IRL is a newsletter run by @darian that covers beauty at the intersection of politics and pop culture. If you’re passionate about this world, consider a yearly or monthly subscription to support the everyday operation of this newsletter 🧠⚡️💄
Beyoncé on the Icon Issue of Harper’s Bazaar; hair by Nakia Rachon and Jawara Wauchope, makeup by Francesca Tolot and manicure by Miho Okawara. Introduction by Kaityln Greenidge, which had me thinking about Black girls and the digital revolution all morning. Every Tuesday I hop on Clubhouse to talk about the latest beauty news, and this cover release was perfect timing. We got less into the specifics of each looks, and more into what we took away from the entire spread. Ultimately, we like the message of new beginnings, evolution, and the nod toward the renaissance emerging. (It has arrived.) This is felt among so many of us.
Here’s what else is ⬆️
As you know, Rihanna is officially a billionaire. According to Forbes, the pop star is now worth $1.7 billion, and the bulk of that has come not from her music, but rather her iconic beauty line, Fenty Beauty.
This announcement was a defining moment for me. Upon hearing the news, I finally said out loud, “Rihanna is not going back to music” with peace of mind. I accepted it. I turned on “Desperado” and I started thinking about something else. A part of me uttered (to myself), why would she? The frequent argument is that Rihanna has enough money to start or stop doing whenever she wants. Rihanna can do whatever she wants. But I also think a lot about the music industry, and how toxic and harmful it is. “It takes your spirit and light, then spits you out.” Beyoncé said of the music industry in her Q&A for Harper’s. All of this makes me wonder why Rihanna wouldn’t pursue other avenues where she has more control over her time and creativity. Plus, when I look at some of my favorite artists right now, it seems they are focusing on ventures outside of music, but adjacent to them. Especially since the pandemic put live performances to a halt. It also makes me wonder what Rihanna would be doing if she was still a signed artist with no beauty empire. (Why did typing that feel poor?!?!?). Listen, this is a beauty newsletter, but music is a universal language, Rihanna is a pop star, and one thing is true: Fenty launched as a brand so on pulse with conversations in culture, and aligned with desires of global beauty lovers, that it can’t be ignored.
More details on Rihanna’s money: She owns 50% of Fenty Beauty, with LVMH owning the other half. The second-largest sum of Rihanna's wealth is reported to be from her stake in her lingerie brand Savage X Fenty, which is worth an estimated 270$ million. Rihanna doesn't seem to be ramping down her beauty endeavors anytime soon, with the release of Fenty Parfum, which is now sold out:
Caption: how I woke up after #FENTYPARFUM sold out this morning!!!
90's kids, this one's for us: Wet N' Wild has launched a Saved By The Bell-themed makeup line, complete with everything from eye shadow palettes, plumping lip glosses, highlighters, and more. This line follows the trend of other brands releasing nostalgia-induced collabs, such as ColorPop's Lizzie Maguire makeup line.
Sephora paid tribute to Black beauty in its latest campaign, “Black Beauty is Beauty.” The campaign included a 60-second short film directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Garrett Bradley that showcases the global influence of Black beauty.
On Sunday, FOX SOUL, FOX's free Black streaming platform, aired the 35th annual Miss Black USA pageant. Miss Black Virginia Myja Gary is the Miss Black USA! The pageant was founded by Karen Arrington, and is the largest scholarship pageant for women of color, as it awards over 500k in scholarships. You can rewatch it here.
CoverGirl is the latest brand to participate in live shopping events through partnering with Amazon Prime’s, ‘‘Making The Cut’’. The show, a Project Runway of sorts, can be accessed through Amazon’s mobile app or desktop site.
L'Oréal is partnering with period-tracking app Clue to explore the relationship between skincare and the menstrual cycle.
ICYMI:
New Megan Thee Stallion makeup is here. The rapper is a global brand ambassador for Revlon and together they launched a ''Hot Girl Sunset'' makeup collection, which includes false lashes, an eye and face palette, and lip gloss. The collection was launched exclusively on StockX making it the first beauty brand to be sold on the online marketplace. Priced starting at $40, the set is now selling for $60 on StockX.
As if Adam Driver didn't already have a chokehold on the internet, he's outdone himself with this new Burberry campaign. In a new ad for the luxury brand's latest fragrance, Burberry Hero, Driver attempts to outrun a horse before diving into the water and morphing into one with the horse itself. The result is an unexpectedly sensual image of Driver atop (or intertwined with?) a stallion. To say the internet had a fun time with these images would be an understatement.
The White House is once again getting creative with its vaccine efforts. The Biden administration has sought after the likes of everyone from Black hairstylists to Olivia Rodrigo to encourage Americans to get vaccinated, and their latest effort involves influencers and TikTok stars.
MEDIA DROPS
The Instagram Exec Amplifying Black Beauty Creators — Erica Smith
Here’s To The Stripper Heel — Marie Lodi
Sir John Says “Emotional Beauty” is the Next Big Trend — Sam Neibart
How Nail Art Became an Olympic Beauty Ritual — Megan C. Hills (This is a great piece that looks at nail art throughout various sports played at the Olympics, highly recommend.)
Related: Suni Lee says her square-tip nails aren't just for looks — they help her grip the uneven bars — Celia Fernandez
Why I Got Tattoos to Cover My Self Harm Scars — Zoewy Spector