Fenty Beauty Body Lava Review

What is Fenty Beauty?

 

Fenty Beauty, a cosmetics brand by RnB/pop singer Rihanna, caused a pretty big stir when it was first established in September 2017. We've seen our fair few celebrity beauty collaborations by now, but this was different- Fenty Beauty is a brand in itself, with Rihanna having a key role in the selection and creation of products.

Notably, Fenty Beauty is known for its diverse approach to skin tones and gender, manufacturing an impressive 50 different shades of the brand's foundation, to address the high demand for darker skin tones to be effectively shade-matched. The brand has received general widespread positive feedback since its launch, and has gone on to release further products to public enthusiasm, including Stunna Lip Paint, and Dirty Thirty, a highlighter that was released to celebrate Rihanna's 30th birthday.

 

Fenty Beauty might be a relatively new brand, but it has developed considerably since its launch. Although it is considered fairly prestige, its pricing isn't so high-end, with most products ranging between the $20-$40 mark. Appearance-wise, the products are distinct and elegant, with an expensive feel. All products are 100% cruelty free, which ticks off a box that only continues to increase in importance over time.

 

What is a body luminizer?

As well as releasing further stand-alone products, Fenty Beauty also launched summer and winter collections combining a variety of intriguing products for all skin tones. One of these collections, titled Beach, Please! was released in April 2018, and contains the brand's first body product, Body Lava.

 

Body Lava is a body luminizer– a relatively new concept in the beauty world. Acting as an all-over highlighter, body luminizer is usually applied following a morning shower, and makes an effective alternative to moisturizer. Luminizers provide a light hydration to the skin, whilst brightening it and giving it a luminous glow. Some of the more extra body luminizers even contain glitter- ideal for festivals and vacations.

 

Body luminizers generally suit all skin tones, although they can be found in a number of different shades, depending on the look you're going for. They are gel-based, enabling them to easily glide onto skin, and can generally be applied to any exposed area of the body, the most popular being the arms, collar bones and shoulders.

 

Body Lava Review

Before I get started on the Body Lava review, here's a little bit of vital info about me. I love experimenting with makeup and beauty products, and I'm not loyal to one brand, so I'm always willing to try out new products and find new favourites. I've tried one product from Fenty Beauty before this: the infamous Pro Filt'R foundation. Mostly I was just curious to see if the products were any good, as I'm always a bit skeptical about celebrity beauty brands- I know, I know, I shouldn't be so quick to judge.

 

So, as mentioned, I'm a big beauty fan in general, and wouldn't say no to trying anything new, especially a product that is unique in its own right, like the Body Lava. The product comes in three different shades, Brown Sugar, a “glistening bronze”, Who Needs Clothes? a “radiant rose gold”, and Trophy Wife, a “lustrous hyper-metallic gold”.

 

With there being no apparent skin tones that were listed as best suited for each shade, I (rightly) assumed that all shades could be used for all skin tones. Having a slightly paler complexion, though, I decided to go for the Who Needs Clothes? rose gold colour, as I thought it would likely complement my skin the most.

I ordered the product directly from the Fenty Beauty website at the slightly pricey cost of $59. Note that international shipping doesn't come cheap, but shipping in the US is free 3-day standard delivery on orders of over $50. All shipping information, including which countries Fenty Beauty accepts orders from, is noted on the website.

 

Before making my purchase, I did take a look at some of the website reviews beforehand- they're very useful in that the reviewers can make a note of their own skin tone and type, and which product they ordered. In general, everyone seemed to love the product, with many people talking of a “day and night shimmer”. Understandably, this had me excited to try it out myself.

 

When my Who Needs Clothes? Body Lava arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the product. It's 90mg, about as big as a standard bottle of hairspray. The bottle itself is stunning, with a rose gold lid and accents, and it feels impressively weighty and worth the price. It comes in a separate outer cardboard package, which I felt was a little unnecessary, but was just as pretty to look at as the bottle.

 

The bottle has a standard pump system that makes it easy to apply to the body. I applied a small amount to my collarbones and chest and rubbed it in with my fingers, although you could use any body buffer or the official Fenty Beauty Face & Body Kabuki 160 Brush– more on that later.

 

My first impressions were overall fairly positive. As the product description promised, the Body Lava felt smooth to the touch and didn't take much effort to rub in. The shade was a great match for my skin tone, and my collarbones took on a definite glimmer immediately. The product truly feels like a moisturizer, not makeup, and has a nice vanilla scent, so I didn't feel the dirtiness you can sometimes associate to similar products, like fake tan.

 

It's important to note that a little goes a long way here. Too much can feel greasy and heavy, and doesn't blend into the skin properly. If you have long hair and you're applying the Body Lava to your shoulders, the last thing you want is for the stickiness to be getting everywhere.

 

I found that the Body Lava would generally last for at least four-to-six hours, longer if I wasn't out and about getting hot and sweaty. It's true that it also keeps your skin glowing even without the sun being out- great for evenings as well as day times. I would say that I wouldn't use the Body Lava as a day-to-day addition to my makeup routine, as it's a little too extra for my taste, but I'd certainly wear it for weekends, parties, and other special occasions.

 

Fenty Beauty Face & Body Kabuki 160 Review

As briefly mentioned above, you can apply the Body Lava with your fingers, but it's a bit of a sticky job that way. The Fenty Beauty Face & Body Kabuki Brush 160 has been specifically designed for blending liquids, and at $34, I decided to splurge on it for myself.

 

This is definitely the most expensive-feeling brush I have used so far. The handle is quite weighty, and the bristles are soft but firm and not fake-feeling. The brush head itself is angled for easier application, and it seemed to give good coverage when I used it to apply the Body Lava. I would have liked to see it transfer the product slightly better- I felt like some of it was getting lost in the bristles but in all, generally impressive.

 

Summary

 

Overall, I am very pleased with my two purchases, both of which were completely as advertised, and worked effectively on my body. While I wouldn't wear the Body Lava on a daily basis, I'll definitely be using the brush for general makeup application. It's a little large, but provides such a good coverage that it instantly ranks above my other brushes and blenders.

 

When I run out of my Body Lava, I'll definitely be buying it again- the amount you get is definitely worth the money, and I'm a little bit obsessed with the way the product makes my skin glow. Definitely a worthwhile purchase on the whole.