Inclusive Beauty + Marketing | Fenty Beauty Case Study

Inclusive beauty has become a driving force in reshaping beauty standards in recent years, with brands increasingly embracing diversity in all its forms.

As Generation Z pushes for greater representation, the demand for inclusive beauty has led many beauty brands to break down long-standing stereotypes related to size, race, gender, and even class.

One groundbreaking example of inclusive beauty is Fenty Beauty, launched by celebrity Rihanna in 2017.

Often hailed as a disruptor in the beauty industry, Fenty Beauty made inclusivity a central focus by offering over 40 foundation shades, catering to a wide range of skin tones, from the fairest to the most sun-kissed.

Fenty Beauty didn’t just showcase different shades; it made sure every color and undertone was not only visible but celebrated, making inclusive beauty a mainstream priority.

The success of Fenty Beauty underscores how inclusive beauty is not just a trend but a transformative movement.

By putting inclusivity at the heart of their brand, Fenty Beauty has set a new standard for the beauty industry, proving that true beauty is diverse, representative, and accessible to all.

Fenty Beauty History

At the time of launch, the brand broke the glass ceiling by including the most variation of foundation tones in any brand launch to date, making it the mecca of inclusive beauty.

Within the first month alone, the company did $100 million in sales. The company was also featured in Time Magazine’s greatest inventions (along with Tesla and the iPhone X) only two months after its initial launch.

Within a few months after Fenty's launch, the term “fenty effect” was coined.

Fenty effect encompasses the feeling of finding a foundation that matches your skin tone regardless of the complexity of your undertone or how extremely light or dark you may be. Makeup that doesn't require the user to match several different foundations to find the perfect color or even missing out on a popular product because they don't carry your shade. 

This feeling (at the time) was rare before the inception of Fenty Beauty, causing other brands that claimed to support inclusive beauty, to be ridiculed and coerced into launching shade ranges similar to that of Fenty.

Rihanna's Mission with Inclusive Beauty

Inclusive beauty isn’t a foreign concept to the beauty industry, however, the interpretation of “inclusive” has been narrow with opportunity.

Fenty Beauty was launched to leave no consumer behind.

Rihanna’s goal was “inclusivity for all.”

Not only did she want to reach the underserved communities with deeper complexions, but she also wanted lighter complexions with varying undertones to be represented as well.

Rihanna wanted to act quite literally on the concept of inclusive beauty and include something for everyone.

The idea was for her company to push boundaries and do things differently. It didn't matter if something had never been done before, the goal was to try and fail and learn from the experience…to be different is the biggest risk a new company can take. 

How Inclusive Beauty Guides Fenty's Marketing Strategy

When most of us picture a marketing team, we may imagine professionally dressed people with lots of research and graphs and specialized plans with differing responsibilities for each individual step of the marketing plan.

Fenty Beauty has shied away from “stuffy marketing campaigns”. 

The brand is known to be real, bold and relatable, referring to consumers as “besties” and personalizing the experience of the Fenty Beauty Brand.

They use “colloquialized” terms across social media channels and interact with consumers far more often than any other brand. 

Whereas other brands see it as unprofessional, Fenty Beauty has created an environment where customers trust them more as they seem extremely relatable.

They interact directly with consumers and take into consideration how customers feel about products as well as issues or inconsistencies with products. 

Fenty Beauty’s branding is simple: inclusivity and beauty for all.

Today, there are brands out there with a larger amount of foundation shades available, so why is Fenty Beauty different from any other beauty brand?

The seemingly obvious answer is having the celebrity backing of singer, Rhianna.

Fenty's success, however, stems deeper than just her. Fenty has been successful because they are big on showing us and not just telling us about what matters to them.

Their biggest marketing strategy was word of mouth. They didn't talk about how inclusive they were, their customers did. The entire internet did.

By creating an innovative product that broke the glass ceiling, they were able to grow faster than any other beauty brand in their space.

Why Inclusive Beauty Matters

Fenty Beauty has revolutionized inclusive beauty by ensuring that all models in their campaigns represent a diverse range of skin tones, ethnicities, body types, and identities.

Unlike traditional beauty standards, Fenty Beauty embraces models with various body shapes and sizes, challenging the norm and celebrating diversity.

In fact, Fenty Beauty campaigns showcase models with disabilities, women wearing hijabs, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, further reinforcing their commitment to inclusive beauty.

When you look at a Fenty Beauty campaign, you're not just seeing makeup; you're witnessing true representation.

Fenty Beauty has proven that inclusive beauty goes beyond product diversity — it’s about making sure every consumer can see themselves reflected in the brand.

By using models with different body types, ethnic backgrounds, and unique features, Fenty Beauty makes inclusivity a core part of its identity, allowing everyone to feel seen and celebrated.

Fenty Beauty doesn’t need to explicitly state its dedication to inclusive beauty because the brand’s campaigns speak for themselves.

Consumers aren’t just finding products that match their complexion; they’re discovering a beauty brand that champions inclusivity in every sense of the word. Fenty Beauty has set the bar high for what inclusive beauty should look like in today’s world.

Setting the Beauty Standard

Many mainstream beauty brands claim to embrace inclusive beauty, but they often do so with narrow parameters — usually featuring just a few variations of skin tones and primarily smaller, conventionally feminine models.

These limited representations fail to capture the true essence of inclusive beauty, leaving many consumers feeling overlooked.

Why settle for makeup from a brand that doesn’t offer inclusive beauty representation that looks like you?

For today’s beauty consumers, it’s not enough for a brand to just offer great products; they also want to connect emotionally with the brand, feeling seen and understood. Inclusive beauty isn’t just about having a wide range of shades — it’s about making every customer feel valued and reflected.

Fenty Beauty has set the gold standard for inclusive beauty by featuring a diverse range of skin tones, from light to deep, and representing all body types and ethnicities.

This commitment to inclusive beauty has challenged other brands to realize how essential true representation is.

Especially with Generation Z, who are more open about expressing themselves authentically and breaking down stereotypes, the demand for inclusive beauty has never been more important.

Fenty Beauty’s approach has shown that real inclusivity isn’t just a trend — it’s the future of the beauty industry.

Written by Petreese Boodhan