I was in the same room as Rihanna!!!
And she is absolutely stunning in person and even more ready to get soft'LIT!
Commissionable links are used in this article
Fenty Beauty had the BIGGEST LITTEST global 🌎 launch of the year!
And I had the absolute pleasure of being personally invited by the brand to this event to celebrate the launch of their golden hour in a bottle Soft’Lit Luminous Longwear Foundation available in their inclusive 50 shade range! So let me give you the inside scoop on what the event was like as if you were there with me!
None of us knew if Rihanna was going to show up or not!
A lot of your favorite beauty girlies showed up and showed OUT for the chance to spot Rihanna at her brand event! The fashions were fashioning! From fly comfy fits with Puma Creepers, to cocktail dresses and stilettos, everyone put their own personality twist to their outfit. None of us knew for sure if she was going to grace us with her presence because the Fenty team would not let a word slip! And it was intentional…she’s a celebrity’s CELEBRITY of course! They couldn’t risk anybody leaking her location to the public. The event was at a secluded, secure, and unassuming location in Los Angeles with security and paparazzi outside! When she finally did show up (as we all were suspecting) an hour after the event ended, truly fashionably late, the uppity influencer prestige flew out the window and every one turned into a screaming fan! After she was done with her press interviews outside on the golden carpet, she finally walked in and the room went crazy! Our feet (not mine though!) were DONE for the night, but seeing Rihanna for the first time in person gave us all a much-needed boost of energy to keep the night going. Watch this special moment I captured of Rihanna speaking to all of us in the room:
Now…I’m not new to this, I’m true to this
So I knew wearing heels to a 4-hour event at a huge warehouse building that would require one to walk around extensively to socialize with everyone and take pictures would be a HUGE mistake! Baby, I would snap, crackle and POP within 5 minutes, my feet cannot hang! So I dressed the more casual route in a full denim fit with fly furry Nike sneaks and sunglasses, and I’m so happy I did! No one was going to call ME tacky for taking my heels off okay! However, it was actually very comforting seeing some of the girls at the event throw their heels in a corner and work the room barefoot. At first they will judge you for wearing sneakers to an event (lol), but half way through they gon’ be jealous they didn’t think to wear comfortable shoes like you too, trust me! The comfort level you choose to show up at an event in will determine how you navigate the event, and honestly no one really remembers what you wore, they remember how you made them feel and the interaction they had with you. You’re more confident wearing what you feel best in.
Jackie Aina is a literal ✨Walking Filter✨ in person!
I finally met Jackie Aina at the Fenty Beauty event ahhh! As I was grabbing my third cocktail (lol) at the bar, I was thinking to myself, “It would be so cool if I saw Jackie tonight, I feel like she would be here.” The bartender topped off my drink and as I was grabbing for it, out of the corner of my eye I saw her angelic presence right in my vicinity! For those of you who may not know, Jackie supports a lot of small black creators behind the scenes and has supported me for years! She has paved the way for a lot of us to have the beauty influencing careers that we do! I was a little nervous to approach her as everyone wanted her attention (of course!), so I played it cool and waited for the right moment to go up to her and say hi. I always overthink what to say to someone I admire, but I remember to tell myself that they’re human just like you.
After about 30 minutes of waiting for my opportunity, I decided to respectfully interrupt a conversation she was having with Monet McMichael (sorry Monet, I had to seize my opportunity girl!), and gently placed my hand on her shoulder and mustered up the confidence to say, “Hey, Jackie!” She immediately recognized me and was so happy to see me! That in itself made my night! She said, “I knew I recognized that face!” Honestly, when I’m nervous, I word vomit! I vaguely remember what I said verbatim, but I do remember saying which video of hers made me immediately subscribe to her Youtube channel and how much her realness was inspiring to my early 20-something self! She then told ME that EYE inspired HER, what?! And her luxury lifestyle content pivot was because of ME! She has said this to me before via DMs, but to hear it in person was really affirming. As a micro-beauty creator, you never think of yourself as inspiring to those more successful than you. She is the only one in her position to treat me this way, and I am so grateful to have had this interaction.
Speaking of Monet…
I wore her DEZI x Monet Money Bags sunglasses on purpose because I knew I was going to see her there and wanted to show her my support! The moment I walked into the event, she’s the first person I see and I’m immediately nervous because I wasn’t ready to approach her yet lol! I need time and a DRINK to muster up the courage on what to say to people I’m meeting for the first time! In this setting, it is not appropriate to be a fan girl (unless it’s Rihanna!) so you have to play it cool at influencer events. I went to the bar for my first cocktail, and she runs up to ME, puts me in her vlog and thanks ME for supporting her collaboration, what?! That was so cool! It broke the ice and I immediately embraced her. She then put on HER Money Bags sunglasses to take a few pictures with ME! Such a natural interaction, I love when it happens that way! Shortly after, I walk to the front of the event to get more content in, and I run into Desi Perkins who is also super excited to see me in her sunglass line! Every interaction was happening so effortlessly as if I were meant to be everywhere at the perfect time. Desi pulls out her phone, and I start serving face honey! I made it into her mini vlog and you can see both of their reactions in my mini vlog!
Overall, this was such an empowering, inspiring and ICONIC room to be in! Fenty filled the space with Black, Brown, Latina, and Asian creators of all followings in the beauty, fashion, lifestyle, luxury and modeling niches and stood on the inclusivity standard they hold for their brand. You felt so seen and deserving to be there. One of the best events I’ve been to thus far! If you didn’t like the original soft matte foundation because it dried down too fast, you’ll love the formula of the new Soft’Lit Luminous foundation!
Thank you so much for reading my first beauty newsletter!
I hope it was an enjoyable read!
I’m soooo very proud of you!!! This was so cool to see and read 🩷 Artist, Business Woman, Walking Filter, and now a Writer !!! *snap snap snap* yessssss multi-faceted QUEEN !😍👑