Not just for women - we tried Rihanna’s Fenty skincare range

Most men’s skincare products come in either white or black bottles, or maybe grey if the manufacturer is feeling bold. But pale purple? That’s a new shade for our bathroom shelf.

This gentle pastel colour wraps around Rihanna’s new Fenty Skin range that has finally arrived in Dubai after its summer launch in the United States. The singer insists the vegan, cruelty-free products are suitable for men and said, “The true sin would be leaving my guys out!” She enlisted the help of Lil Nas X and A$AP Rocky to launch the range, which was ample proof that EDGAR should take them for a road test.

Made from recyclable materials, the packaging is sleek and minimalist with a simple matte finish. You need to ‘build’ the products yourself by taking tubes of cream and inserting them into their refillable bottles and pots with either a click or a twist. Once this piece of grooming Lego was complete, we were ready to squeeze.

First, the clunkily-named Total Cleans’r Remove-It-All Cleanser (AED 95) that produced a luxurious lather as we applied it to our face. There was a not overpowering fruity scent that we later discovered is acerola, a type of cherry from Rihanna’s home island of Barbados. After swiftly eliminating the day’s dirt, the cleansing foam didn’t leave our skin feeling tight or dry. So far, so good.

Next came the Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen (AED 150), a 2-in-1 lightweight cream that’s oil-free and coral reef-friendly – hooray for the fishes. Many SPF facial moisturisers leave an unpleasant, sticky shine on the face but this one was easily absorbed and left a vague scent of melon.

After a day during which our face felt young and fresh, we were ready for bed and reached for the Instant Reset Overnight Recovery Gel-Cream (AED 160). This hydrating, wrinkle-reducing product felt like it was going to do wondrous things to our pores while we slept. We woke up the next morning and, glancing in the mirror, dare we say we looked like a fresh-faced fox, rather than a sleepy panda.

Easy to use and extremely eco-friendly, Rihanna’s Fenty Skin products in their cool light purple bottles are addictively simple and effective. The tropical scents from Barbados lean towards the feminine side but – being fruity rather than floral – we’d suggest are not off-putting for men. The pricing, meanwhile, is attractive for such high-quality products from someone who you know has done their research and wouldn’t settle for anything second rate.