Rihanna has given us everything except music in the past eight years. We’ve gotten Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Savage X Fenty, a now-shuttered clothing brand, Fenty, and now she’s giving us … Fenty Hair. Not the wigs we know and love her for that stamp of different eras (I wish) but hair products for every hair type.
Before we talk about the hair brand, let’s take a walk down memory lane. The year is 2008, the singer is donning a short pixie cut — sometimes it’s jet black and other times it has a hint of blonde. Her winning accessory to complement her hair? A bold lip, usually red or a bright pink. Two years later, there was no more pixie; she moved on to a fiery-red hair color, sometimes curled, sometimes long and straight, and other times in a bob. She frolicked down the streets of New York in her What’s My Name video with Drake with red hair so bright you couldn’t miss it. The singer’s hair has always aligned with eras in her life. Still, “creating a hair-care line is a lot more stressful than I thought,” the singer admitted at her L.A. launch party last night. “Considering all hair types, considering all the brands that I’ve been in love with my entire life, and thinking if it’s not better than this one, it can’t work,” she added.
I walked into a salon in Manhattan a few weeks ago with my hair ready to experience the brand. I had no idea what the products were or what I’d do to my hair until it was time to sit at the sink and transport myself to the world of Fenty. Here is everything you need to know about the brand and my initial thoughts.
What is Fenty Hair?
Fenty Hair is a collection of nine hair-care products designed for all hair types.The products, including styling products (like an edge control), as well as hair care (like shampoos), are made with a blend of amino acids, proteins, and antioxidants with a patented technology made up of Barbados gooseberry, upcycled jackfruit extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, green-tea extract, and amino acids. The complex is meant to help strengthen hair, mend split ends, and hydrate the hair.
It smells really good, the first whiff brought me back to my childhood sitting in hair salons. It’s described as a warm, amber-y floral, but the coconut notes stand out to me; it smells warm and creamy. The scent is light, but it lasts and sticks to the hair like glue. My favorite detail of the products are intentionality of the packaging: The pastel-colored bottles and containers have textured caps as sensory tips so if you’re in the shower with shampoo stuck in your eyes, you don’t need to open them; you can just feel the bottles — a genius concept I’ve never seen done before.
What are the Fenty Hair products?
The names of the products are fun and full of personality, like Rihanna.
The Rich One Moisture Repair Shampoo, $29, is a moisturizing cleanser. There was a lot of lather, and my hair felt softer and not stripped. My hair and scalp felt clean, but because of my active lifestyle, I also prefer a clarifying shampoo as a part of my routine.
The Rich One Moisture Repair Conditioner, $29, is a conditioner for fine to medium hair. It promises to reduce breakage and split ends.
The Richer One Moisture Repair Conditioner, $29, is the conditioner I would opt for since I have thicker, textured hair and my tresses usually yearn for a deep conditioner. I didn’t try this at the salon because I used the treatment mask and they aren’t made to be used together, but I do wonder what difference it would’ve made to my hair, because with the damage my hair has, I need intense moisture.
The Comeback Kid Instant Damage Repair Treatment, $36, is the highest-priced product from the line and the treatment I used as a replacement for conditioner. It’s formulated to be rinsed out after three to five minutes (what I did) or it can be left in and styled as desired. My hair was extremely soft after using this, and it was seamlessly detangled.
The Protective Type 5-in-1 Heat Protectant Styler, $28, was probably my favorite product and what I’d recommend overall. Hair stylist, Ursula Stephens described it to me as “a conditioning styler,” because it does all the things a conditioner does — repairs split ends, treats frizz, detangles, and hydrates — all while protecting the hair from up to 450° when using hot tools like blow-dryers and flat irons. I often have a lot of flyaways and have to lock them down with oil, but I didn’t need oil or anything with this heat protectant, though I wish it gave my hair some type of luster.
The Home Curl Defining Cream, $28, is the “curlfriend you call on,” the brand says. It’s for coily and wavy textures for those who desire definition for their curls without the crunchy feeling. I’m not natural and don’t wear my hair curly, so it won’t be a product I opt for.
The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel, $26, is the ultimate product for all slicked-back styles. For a styling gel, it is a bit more expensive than what’s on the market, but this one promises to repair hair through its patented technology since slicked styles can be quite harsh sometimes on hair.
The Controlling Type Hair-Thickening Edge Control, $18, is an edge control not only made to lay and lock edges into place but also to strengthen hair over time, as it claims. I haven’t used it long enough to see how it reduces breakage of the edges, but it’s something I’ll be turning to. It lasted for a few hours, but I also didn’t put on as much as I would normally.
The Sidestick 3-in-1 Edge Tool, $18, is for girls who love to slick their edges down. I’ve used a handful of edge brush tools, but I was impressed with the detailed design of the thumb placement on the brush, intentionally designed to support how you slick your edges, thus putting less pressure on them in hopes that it causes less breakage. The gold tip is also a luxe detail; it’s the perfect hair accessory to throw in your purse.
What is the internet saying about Fenty Hair?
Fans didn’t necessarily want a shampoo or conditioner from the singer. “We don’t need Fenty hair we need Fenty WIGS,” someone shared on X. Rihanna’s array of wigs throughout the past decade have been statement moments that her fans love her for, with a lot of them admitting they’d trust her with a wig and extensions hairline over hair products. (Fans also called Rihanna out for wearing a pixie wig in the promotional images, but this weekend in New York and last night at her launch event in L.A., she wore her natural hair, a short, blonde, curly style with her natural curls looking healthy and hydrated.) Two years ago, fans managed to get their hands on the Fenty Hair trademark that includes hair extensions and wigs as goods and services. So that might be still coming?
Other fans are happy to have all of their essential hair needs from Rih. “Fenty Hair having all of the essentials for the launch is everything. Shampoo. Reg conditioner + deep conditioner. A damage repair treatment. A heat protectant. Edge control. And both a cream AND gel,” another tweet read.
The opinions on the brand still remain split, but the real fan reviews will roll out once fans have their hands on the products.
Should I Buy Fenty Hair?
Of the nine products I tried, I would definitely purchase the heat protectant, the Protective Type 5-in-1 Heat Protectant Styler and the edge styling products, the Controlling Type Hair-Thickening Edge Control, and the Sidestick 3-in-1 Edge Tool. (For transparency, I used the products once in the salon but didn’t go home with them, so I could not keep testing.) As for the others, they will likely not become holy grails in my routine. I’ve seen my hair with more luster after using other products, and that’s important to me. But did my hair feel soft and smell amazing when I walked out of the salon? Absolutely.
Still, there is a product for everyone. If you’re someone like me who mostly wears weaves and has some heat damage, the heat protectant is a great addition to a routine. If you deal with breaking of your edges, the edge control or edge tool could be an asset to gaining strength back. If you like to wear your hair slicked back, the Gelly Type gel could help you achieve those styles; if you’re someone with lots of damage, the Comeback Kid treatment mask could be the hero product for your routine.
Where can I get Fenty Hair?
Fenty Hair will be available starting Thursday, June 13, on FentyHair.com.
Asia Milia Ware , 2024-06-11 23:57:22
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