Fenty vs. Rare Beauty: Which brand should you buy? [2026]

Fenty Beauty is known for its bold, high-performance makeup and an industry-changing inclusive shade range, creating edgy, statement-making looks. Rare Beauty, in contrast, focuses on lightweight, natural-finish formulas designed to enhance your features and promote a message of self-acceptance and mental well-being.

Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right beauty brand for your makeup bag.

Fenty Beauty: The Leader in Inclusive & Bold Makeup

Launched by Rihanna in 2017, Fenty Beauty disrupted the industry with its "Beauty for All" philosophy. The brand is celebrated for high-pigment formulas, long-lasting wear, and a modern, edgy aesthetic that encourages experimentation. Fenty appeals to makeup lovers who want bold, versatile products and a full-glam finish that performs flawlessly.

• Product mix: Famous for its comprehensive Pro Filt'r foundation line, high-impact Killawatt highlighters, and universally flattering Gloss Bomb lip glosses. The collection is designed for creating both everyday and dramatic looks.
• Price point: Sits in the mid-range to luxury category. The Pro Filt'r Foundation is around $36, Killawatt Freedom Highlighters are about $36, and the Gloss Bomb is approximately $21.
• Quality: Known for high pigmentation, buildable coverage, and long-lasting wear. Formulas are innovative and designed to work on a wide variety of skin tones and types.
• Style & Aesthetic: Bold, edgy, and fashion-forward. The packaging and product finishes often feature metallics, rich colors, and high-shine textures for standout looks.
• Shade Range: A pioneer in inclusivity, offering up to 50 foundation shades and a wide range of colors across all product categories to match nearly every skin tone.
• Cruelty-free: Yes, Fenty Beauty is a cruelty-free brand.

Fenty is for fashion-forward consumers looking for high-impact, statement-making makeup with one of the most inclusive shade ranges available.

Shop Fenty Beauty: fentybeauty.com

Rare Beauty: The Champion of Natural Beauty & Self-Acceptance

Founded by Selena Gomez in 2020, Rare Beauty is built on redefining beauty standards with a focus on self-acceptance and mental health awareness. The brand's products are designed to feel lightweight and breathable, enhancing natural beauty with easy-to-use formulas. It speaks to consumers who prefer a "less is more" approach and appreciate a brand with a strong social mission.

• Product mix: Best-sellers include the weightless Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer, the intensely pigmented Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, and buttery liquid lipsticks. Products are created for an effortless, natural glow.
• Price point: Positioned as affordable luxury, with prices generally lower than Fenty. The Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation is about $29, and the extremely popular Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is $23.
• Quality: Emphasizes creamy, blendable textures with a skin-like finish. The formulas are often airy and forgiving, making them ideal for makeup beginners and lovers of natural looks.
• Style & Aesthetic: Minimalist, fresh, and approachable. The packaging is sleek and simple with unique accessibility-focused designs, reflecting the brand's authentic and welcoming vibe.
• Shade Range: Very inclusive with around 48 foundation shades that cater to different undertones. The brand has a strong range for its blush and lip products.
• Ethics & Mission: Cruelty-free and vegan, with a focus on eco-conscious packaging. The brand donates 1% of all sales to the Rare Impact Fund to support youth mental health services.

Rare Beauty is ideal for those who prefer fresh, "no-makeup makeup" looks, value skin-friendly formulas, and want to support a brand with a powerful mission.

Shop Rare Beauty: rarebeauty.com

Fenty vs. Rare Beauty Comparison

Price Comparison

While both brands sit in the prestige makeup category, Rare Beauty is consistently more affordable. Most products in the Rare Beauty line fall between $15 and $30. For instance, its staple foundation costs $29, while Fenty's is around $36.

Fenty's product prices typically range from $20 to over $50. If you are building a full face of makeup, the cost savings with Rare Beauty can add up quickly. That said, both are primarily sold at Sephora and subject to the retailer's seasonal sales events, offering opportunities to save on either brand.

Quality & Formulas

Quality here is a matter of preference, as both brands excel in different areas. Fenty's formulas are all about performance, pigment, and longevity. They are designed to be buildable, allowing you to go from a softer look to full-glam with ease. The texture of many Fenty products, especially the Pro Filt'r foundation, is known for its soft-matte, photo-ready finish.

Rare Beauty focuses on user-friendliness and skin-like textures. Its formulas are often liquid or cream-based, melting into the skin for a dewy, natural finish. They are renowned for being lightweight, non-cakey, and easy to blend, making them practically mistake-proof. Products like the Soft Pinch blush deliver immense pigment in a liquid form that feels weightless.

Style & Aesthetic

The brands' aesthetics are polar opposites. Fenty Beauty is bold and edgy. It's for the person who sees makeup as a powerful form of self-expression and isn't afraid to rock a glittery highlighter or a dramatic lip. The packaging is modern and chic, reflecting its trend-setting place in the market.

Rare Beauty is soft, minimalist, and approachable. The brand's message is that you are beautiful as you are, and its products are tools to enhance that - not cover it up. The clean packaging and soft color palette reflect this gentle approach to beauty. The branding is all about authenticity and feeling good in your own skin.

Product Selection & Shade Range

Fenty broke the internet with its initial launch of 40 foundation shades in 2017 and has since expanded to 50, setting a new standard for inclusivity. Their range of highlighters, bronzers, and concealers is equally impressive. Rare Beauty followed suit with an impressive launch of 48 foundation shades, proving its commitment to serving a diverse audience.

In terms of product type, Fenty offers a wider variety of finishes, including high-shine metallics, mattes, and glitters, particularly in its limited-edition collections. Rare Beauty keeps its core line tightly focused on essentials for a fresh-faced, glowy look, excelling in products like liquid blush and tinted moisturizers.

Sustainability & Ethics

Both brands are 100% cruelty-free. Rare Beauty places a slightly stronger public emphasis on sustainability and ethos. Many of its products are vegan, and the packaging is designed to be recyclable. The brand’s most significant ethical commitment is the Rare Impact Fund, which is core to its identity.

Fenty is also cruelty-free and making strides in sustainability, but its mission is primarily focused on inclusivity through shade diversity rather than environmental or social initiatives. While this isn't a negative, consumers whose top priority is a brand's social impact may gravitate more toward Rare Beauty's integrated mission.

Which One Should You Choose?

Both celebrity-founded brands lead the market because they deliver excellent products, but each caters to a very different makeup philosophy and style.

Choose Fenty Beauty if:

• Your makeup style is full-glam, and you demand long-lasting performance.
• Finding your exact shade match has historically been a challenge.
• You love a good high-impact highlighter and a bold lip color.
• You desire a flawless, soft-matte finish that looks amazing in photos.

Choose Rare Beauty if:

• You prefer a "no-makeup makeup" look with a natural, dewy finish.
• You value lightweight, breathable formulas that feel comfortable on the skin.
• You want products that are easy to blend and hard to mess up.
• Supporting a brand with a strong mental health mission is important to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fenty or Rare Beauty cheaper?

Rare Beauty is generally more affordable. Most of its products are priced between $15 and $30, while Fenty's typically range from $20 to $50. For example, Rare Beauty's foundation is about $7 cheaper than Fenty's.

Which brand is better for sensitive skin?

Rare Beauty's focus on lightweight, dermatologist-tested, and airy formulations makes it an excellent choice for sensitive skin types. Many users find its products less likely to clog pores or cause irritation.

Which brand has a better foundation shade range?

Both brands have stellar, industry-leading shade ranges. Fenty Beauty currently offers 50 shades in its Pro Filt'r line, celebrated for its wide variety of undertones. Rare Beauty is very close behind with 48 shades in its Liquid Touch line, also praised for its accuracy in matching.

Is Fenty Beauty or Rare Beauty better for a natural look?

Rare Beauty is specifically designed to achieve a natural, effortless look. Its entire aesthetic is built around enhancing your natural features with a fresh, dewy glow.

Are both Fenty Beauty and Rare Beauty cruelty-free?

Yes, both Fenty Beauty and Rare Beauty have confirmed they are 100% cruelty-free brands and do not test their products or ingredients on animals.

Where can I buy Fenty and Rare Beauty?

Both brands are sold directly on their respective websites. Their primary retail partner is Sephora, where you can find them in-store and online.

Which brand's blush is more popular?

Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is an iconic, viral product that has become a sensation for its incredible pigmentation and blendability. While Fenty also has excellent blushes, Rare Beauty's liquid blush dominates social media trends.

Does Fenty or Rare Beauty have more sustainable packaging?

Rare Beauty has a stronger public commitment to sustainability, consistently using recyclable packaging and emphasizing eco-conscious practices.

Which brand is better for beginners?

Rare Beauty's blendable, forgiving, and easy-to-use formulas are often considered more beginner-friendly. Products like their liquid blush and tinted moisturizer are especially hard to mess up, making them great for people new to makeup.