Rihanna launches beauty care products in Barbados

Barbadian and global superstar Rihanna returned to the place of her birth this week to launch a beauty care line that will initially be available on the island, parts of the Eastern Caribbean and elsewhere in the region.

Hundreds turned up at Duty Free Caribbean’s city outlet in Bridgetown to witness the launch of Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty ensemble that include face, skin and hair products as well as creams and fragrances. Duty Free is the authorized distributor.

The line will, for now, be available only in Antigua, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and & Tobago, Grenada and St. Maarten.

Locals gathered at the facility at least an hour before Duty Free had opened its doors, ready to support Rihanna who had been declared a national heroine in late November 2021 during a glittering ceremony while Barbados was switching from an independent nation to a republic. She can be referred to as “Right Excellent and an ambassador.

The Fenty line was launched back in 2017.

“It’s an emotional, special, exciting day, and to be launching it with partners as strong as we have in Essence Corp from Miami and the Kendall team, who are obviously in charge of Fenty Beauty, is especially emotional to have them here,” said Manager Katherine Harris. “We are offering a brand that’s diverse, and a diverse brand means we can cater to all customers. I think that’s so important in makeup, and having the assortment of any color to suit any woman in Barbados, internationally and locally, is something that will definitely benefit us.”

Early indications are that the brand will likely do well given Rihanna’s popularity, her strong attachment to Barbados and the Caribbean and her relatively humble approach to superstardom, officials say.

She has been on the island for most of this week and was even spotted at a nightclub on the trendy west coast, ordering hot dogs and burgers for everyone mingling outside the club before leaving with hubby A$AP Rocky, according to the Nation newspaper. Duty Free says that its staff is prepared to properly serve customers and tourists who are expected to throng the venue in the coming months.

“We have three specialized makeup artists who have been fully trained by the brand, ensuring they can cater to any customer who walks through the door. Today, we’ve already seen the benefit of that, with our artists being able to color-match and help customers make the right shade decisions,” Harris noted.