When Rihanna rolled out Fenty Beauty last September, her vision was crystal clear: honor beauty in every shape, shade, and form it takes. During a New York City gathering, she explained, "I aimed to create items that women of every complexion could cherish... My whole pitch was, 'Women with deep complexions need options, fair-skinned women need their own match, and everyone in between deserves to feel seen too.'"
Just four months post-launch, the cosmetics line has already shattered narrow, Westernized ideals of what counts as attractive. Need evidence? Check out the touching Instagram message from Fenty face Slick Woods about why visibility matters.
On January 2, Slick shared a snapshot of her Google search results for the term 'beauty.' The page returned images of both her and Rihanna, snapped during the Fenty promotional shoot.
Her caption read: "Phoning my mom today, I let her know she's the very picture of beauty. Endless thanks to @badgalriri for transforming the conversation, for proving to every young Black girl that she hails from royalty and that each woman carries beauty in her own way. What a stunning way to open the year, and a whole new way of viewing what beauty truly represents... honestly, however the hell you choose to define it."
Slick's 420,000-strong Instagram following showed up in the comment section with uplifting messages. One follower posted, "Keep pushing forward and showing young Black girls that they are valuable and mighty." Several labeled the moment "a milestone," while another commented, "This genuinely has me in tears."
Though we've always recognized Slick's striking looks, this acknowledgment marks meaningful progress for inclusivity in media. We'll be over here Googling "beauty" just to admire her features once more.
Image Source: Getty / Dimitrios Kambouris
Image Source: Getty / Thaddaeus McAdams
