BEAUTY BOSS
Rihanna’s makeup pro dishes on what it’s like to work for the singer’s Fenty brand,
There are dream jobs, and then there is Hector Espinal’s job. The global makeup artist for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty brand, Espinal helps brainstorm boundary-pushing products and does the makeup for the brand’s groundbreaking campaigns. Espinal recently stopped by the Kit office and shared his best Rihanna-approved beauty hacks.
What kind of boss is Rihanna?
A bomb-a-- boss! She opens up your horizons and makes you think way outside of the box. We think about every single client, every single race, gender, lip size, lip texture. In a meeting, Rihanna might say, “OK, what about the teenager? Or the woman who has three kids and is doing her makeup in the car?”
Fenty has made such an impact with its extensive range of foundation shades. Why was that important? It was mind-blowing for me because I come from the makeup world, but I never realized that so many women didn’t have a foundation match. It’s still mind-blowing to me that some people didn’t have a foundation until Fenty came along. I think the most important thing with our selection is not the number of shades. Other brands are like, “Well, we have 40 foundations, too,” but it’s not the number, it’s the undertones that ensure anyone can find a match. And the same goes for all the products, even the lip glosses and lipsticks. If it doesn’t work on one skin tone, it needs to be removed. To me, that’s like, “S--t, we’re here to kill the business.” Highlighters are a hot trend for summer. What are your application tips for people who may be intimidated by them?
Try a wash of colour on the high points of the face like the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, the Cupid’s bow and maybe the tear duct. This will make an impact and make metallics look fresh. I’m also all about an ear highlight. We always highlight Ri’s ears. Often, a woman will do her face and hair beautifully, and then she’ll flip her hair and her ears look red, and you’re like, “Is she mad? Is she hot? Is she going through something right now? What’s happening?” Your ears are connected to your face, so why don’t they get any love? Usually, I’ll just swipe my highlighting brush, and it gives a beautiful detail to your look.
What are your tips for selecting the most flattering highlighter shades?
We feel like anyone can wear whatever they want. You can mix them together — Ri, for example, usually layers two or three. We love creating dimension. If you don’t like it as a highlighter, you can use it as a blush or eyeshadow; there’s no limit. That’s why we named them Killawatt Freestyle, because you can do whatever you want: mix, match, play.