Fenty Skin Start’rs Skincare Honest Review

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Fenty Skin. Ugh another celeb skincare line? Many of us, including myself, are skeptical when celebrities or influencers launch make-up and skincare products. Celebrities and influencers are usually the face of the brand but that does not mean the products are of high quality.

A brand I would never purchase is Kylie Skin. Her products are simply not good. Her walnut scrub is harsh. The ingredients are simply not in high enough concentration to be beneficial or are super irritating. Lastly, her range is incredibly basic. I was watching this Kylie Skin review from Hyram (a skincare king himself) who gave a really critical review of her brand (click to watch).

However, one celebrity brand that stands out and is generally well-received is Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. When Fenty Beauty first came out, everyone was so impressed and commended her huge foundation colour range. The range was inclusive and catered to everyone. In fact, her foundation (Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation) is a holy-grail. It is suitable for oily skin and I have repurchased it so many times.

So when Rihanna launched Fenty Skin, I was super intrigued. I purchased this directly from the Fenty Beauty website because they were doing a really great deal. I purhcased the Fenty Skin Start’r Set which includes a cleanser, toner and 2-in-1 sunscreen moisturiser.

For reference, my skin is oily and sensitive (eczema) but it is not super prone to breakouts.

Since I have eczema, I have to address the elephant in the room which is the use of fragrance in all of Fenty Skin products. Growing up, I was told to not buy fragranced skincare since this can irritate my skin. I spent almost every school holiday at the doctors at least once during primary school due to a new skin irritation. What a joy!

However, as an adult, my eczema is so much milder and I did not experience any irritation with these products. Because of the use of fragrance, this may not work for you or you may not like this due to personal preference and that is okay.

It is disappointing that these were so heavily fragranced because a lot of the time, fragrance does not enhance a skincare product. I do want to point out the use of the sustainable packaging which I was super impressed. It’s packaged in recyclable cardboard.

Anyway let’s jump into this review.

Total Cleans’r Remove-It-All Cleanser $25

Definitely my least favourite out of the three. However, I will applaud the sustainable packaging here as you simply twist the bottom to get product out and there is no lid. A little goes a long way and I like how this lathers and cleanses my face and removes all makeup.

The cleanser has Barbados cherries (aerola) which has anti-inflammatory properties and can help hydrate and brighten the skin. However, this cleanser had a very strong cherry smell. Luckily, the scent does not linger and doesn’t smell horrible but this is enough for me to not repurchase this.

The cleanser wasn’t ground-breaking or better than any cleanser I already had.

Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum $28

I love the name fat water – it’s such a fabulous name. I’ll mention here that I don’t love the packaging. I feel that too much product comes out and it feels very wasteful and I’ve seen a few complaints about the packaging on the Fenty website so this isn’t just me.

The product absorbs well and it leaves my skin really glowy and replenished. I also do love the multipurpose of it being both a toner and a serum. The fragrance in this is not as strong as the cleanser but it does contain witch hazel which is not a great ingredient (can dry up moisture). On the plus side, it does also contain niacinamide which is great because it reduces inflammation and blemishes.

However, The Ordinary – Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% gave me a similar effect to the Fat Water Toner Serum. It applied quite thick and left me looking really glowy. This is a serum I recommend at a fraction of the price.

I will say I enjoyed this product but I am enjoying it less and less and probably won’t repurchase this in the future.

Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen $35

This was by far my favourite product out of the three. Wearing sunscreen is so important not just when it’s hot in the summer but all year round. Don’t worry – I’m guilty of forgetting and I live in Australia.

I really like the concept behind the product and I love how Rihanna made a sunscreen that did not leave a white cast. This is something a lot of darker skin types suffer when applying sunscreen – including myself.

The sunscreen is also lightweight and not greasy. The moisturiser is hydrating without being heavy and is suited to oily skin types. It also contains niacinamide and safflower oil which acts as a moisturising facial oil.

This is the least scented of the three but is still fragranced sigh. I use it in the morning before applying makeup and it absorbs quickly and overall, I am pleased with it.

Conclusion

Overall, I think the main takeaway with the Fenty Skin range is that the products are fragranced. As someone who has sensitive skin and deals with eczema, I am disappointed with this. I will say I had no irritation with these products and I do think my skin looks nice but I can’t say this will work for everyone.

Fenty Skin is a great addition to your skincare regime if you do not have troubled skin and are looking for something simple. I think the line is really promising and I am excited for what other products Fenty Skin bring out in the future.