Fenty Beauty made a splash when it entered the beauty scene in September 2017 for its shade-inclusive products, with many of the brand’s darkest shades selling out in a matter of days. Innovative at the time, the formula spawned a movement of lookalike cosmetics appealing to all skin types. But thanks to its billionaire founder, singer Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, the brand has stayed relevant with a combination of star power and a masterclass in marketing virality. 

The LVMH-owned beauty brand has been hard to miss in 2023 as its marketing team made efforts to reach every potential demographic. Fenty Beauty teamed up with Ulta Beauty to tour college campuses this spring to host #ShadMatchU events and promote the Pro Filt’r Foundation and Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint shades. The brand also launched the #HellaThiccChallenge challenge on YouTube Shoppable Shorts.

Yet perhaps most notable was Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance, where she simultaneously showcased a Fenty compact mirror, debuted new styles for her lingerie brand Savage X Fenty and announced a pregnancy. The feat resulted in Fenty being the most-talked-about brand on social media of the night—no $7 million commercial necessary.

The public has also been fascinated with the singer’s unabashed celebration of her two pregnancies. From announcing her second pregnancy at the #FentyBowl to applying Fenty Beauty’s Diamond Bomb shimmer all over her rounded abdomen in June, Rihanna used her beauty line to show off her baby bump.

The results are hard to argue. Fenty Beauty doubled its revenue in 2022 “thanks to the expansion of its distribution network and the success of its launches,” LVMH shared in its year-end report. In its first-quarter 2023 earnings report, LVMH also remarked on the brand’s “strong visibility” during the Super Bowl halftime show.