Fashion

I Copied Rihanna's New Fenty Beauty Makeup Tutorial & I'll Never Use My Match Stix The Same

by Bella Gerard
Fenty Beauty // Bella Gerard

If it wasn't already obvious, Fenty Beauty is one of the most innovative brands the beauty sphere has seen in a long time. Led by boss-babe, badass and makeup, style, and beauty icon Rihanna, how could it not be? With a truly groundbreaking foundation shade range, plus tons of other fun products to play with, the brand is already brimming with creative possibilities. So when Rihanna's new Fenty Beauty Makeup Tutorial hit her Instagram Stories, I was surprised to find yet another clever way to put my Fenty products to good use.

In a super low-key string of Instagram Stories videos and Boomerangs, Rihanna graced us with a quick getting-ready routine, featuring all of her Fenty Beauty faves. I did my best to screenshot the important parts, and fortunately for all of us, she saved the story as a Highlight on her profile, so you can rewatch and recreate her whole look at your leisure.

For her eyes, she used the new Moroccan Spice Eyeshadow Palette ($59, fentybeauty.com) from her latest collection, and wisely informed viewers that the art of eyeshadow is "all 'bout dat blend sis." Iconic.

badgalriri/Instagram

I'm not surprised she went for her latest palette for this look, but what did blow my mind? She used one of her most popular cheek products, the Match Stix, as a lipstick. Shook.

badgalriri/Instagram

My teeth? Straight. My wig? Snatched. My rent? Paid. My life? Saved — all thanks to learning this iconic tip from the Fenty mastermind herself. Attention, people who actually edit Wikipedia pages, please update Rihanna's to reflect her new position as "most genius and creative woman on the planet," thanks.

badgalriri/Instagram

To get the glowy lip look, RiRi used her Match Stix Shimmer Skinstix ($25, fentybeauty.com) in shade "Blonde," described by the brand as a "glimmering gold."

Turns out, Rihanna's been trying to tell us this tip since the brand launched in September 2017. Back then, she posted a photo of herself literally using the Match Stix on her lips, but I guess we were all too preoccupied with the newness to notice.

Personally, my favorite Fenty product has always been the Match Stix. After eagerly splurging on the KKW Beauty Crème Contour Stick ($18, kkwbeauty.com) when it launched last year, I quickly became addicted to contouring my face with cream products. In fact, I ran out of the KKW Beauty product after about a month of light daily contouring. To fill the void and find the next best cream contour on the market, I picked up the Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick ($25, fentybeauty.com) in the shade "Mocha" on the very first day the brand launched.

My new go-to had the same impressive pigmentation as its KKW counterpart, plus easy blendability and the convenience of a stick applicator. I've been repurchasing ever since that first swipe, and it's definitely one of my Holy Grail products. So after seeing that RiRi had introduced yet another way to use it, I knew I had to try it out myself.

Granted, my shade "Mocha" is one of the Matte Match Stix, and RiRi's "Blonde" is one of the shimmer varieties, so when I put mine to the test, I wasn't expecting my results to be as glowy. Instead, I was hoping to stumble upon my new favorite nude lip, and spoiler alert: I totally did.

Behold, my new favorite lipstick, the Fenty Beauty Match Stix in "Mocha":

Bella Gerard

Am I nuts, or does this look really good on me?? Haters, before you answer, please ask yourselves, "What Would Rihanna Do (WWRD)?" because I feel like she would praise my awkward selfies in the name of Fenty research. Personally, I think it's a really flattering shade, and it's actually giving me major Kylie Cosmetics "Exposed" Lip Kit ($29, kyliecosmetics.com) vibes. That's one of my all-time favorite nude lips, and the Match Stix formula is way more comfortable than a drying liquid lipstick, so I'll take it! You were right yet again, RiRi.

Now that I know the matte Match Stix make for good lippies, I'll definitely be investing in some of the shimmer shades to make the most of this Rihanna tip. While "Blonde" likely won't suit me as well as it did Riri, I have a feeling peachy-pink "Yacht Lyfe" could be a great everyday color for me, with "Chili Mango" as a front-runner for an orange-y summer statement lip.

And with that, folks, we've reached the end of our research. The conclusion? Fenty Match Stix double as highly pigmented, comfortable, stunning lipsticks. Tell your sisters, your brothers, your friends, and your Instagram followers. You can even tell your haters — everyone deserves a pro-tip from Rihanna herself.