Rihanna Forced To Retire Fenty Beauty “Geisha Chic” Name

Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty make up company has been championed for its inclusivity but recently came under fire from fans who believed the beauty company’s new highlighter, “Geisha Chic” is offensive.

Backlash from Fenty fans came last Friday (March 29) when the company announced the impending launch of their new Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter on Instagram. The post, which has since been taken down, featured a highlighter that Hypebae describes as “metallic brick-red.”

Fans of the beauty line expressed their distaste for the newly announced shade on social media calling it “inappropriate” and the company racist.

. @fentybeauty has a new highlighter named “geisha chic…” ummmm? Rihanna… explain why Asian targeted racism gets glossed over, it feels even worse when it’s from another marginalized group ?

— Jessica (@lyjessicat) March 30, 2019

Rihanna was really about to bring out a blush called geisha chic ? thank god people noticed how gross that was and fenty delayed the launch to rename it. Really weird how the entire fenty beauty team didn't catch how inappropriate that name is from the start

— Sunny (@sun1796) April 1, 2019

“I’m really excited for this launch, however this shade name ‘Geisha Chic’ is not great because it ignores the history, full weight, and overall experience of being a geisha,” one Instagram user wrote. “I’ve been waiting for colour like this, but I don’t want to question my judgement if I purchase this product with the current name. Please change the name so I can shine this summer with this heat!”

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Fenty responded to comments by thanking their followers for “educating” them, saying the product would not be released until it is renamed.

The company reiterated the product’s renaming in a statement sent to INSIDER.

View this post on Instagram

UPDATE ?? Hey Loves, Due to the feedback on this post @fentybeauty has decided to completely remove this shade from online and in stores until further notice. We will keep u updated! We appreciate Fenty Beauty’s responsiveness to this matter and applaud the continuous evolution of this amazing beauty community ??? . . . More….. ???❤️ #fentybeauty Keep it cute and sweet in #KILLAWATTFOIL in #GEISHACHIC! NEW metallic brick red ✨ . . It’s going to be a HOT? #Summer2019 ☀️✨ Also dropping: 1. #BRONZERS ✨? #SUNSTALKRBRONZER – gives instant warmth that brings out the right undertones for a sun-soaked glow! This creamy, powder bronzer. that are blendable and transfer resistant in 8 shades, Instant Warmth Bronzer $30 each: MOCHA MAMI – very del shade with warm red undertones COCO NAUGHTY – deep shade with neutral undertones CARAMEL CUTIE – tan to deep shade neutral undertones BAJAN GYAL – tan shade with warm undertones I$LAND TING – Medium shade with neutral undertones PRIVATE ISLAND – Light to medium shade with warm undertones SHADY BIZ – Light shade with warm undertones INDA SUN – fair shade with neutral undertones 2. SCULPTING BRONZER BRUSH 195 $34 – A tapered bronzer brush with a custom paw shape designed to contour the face with effortless precision. 3. CHEEK-HUGGING BRONZER BRUSH 190 $36 – An extra large, super plush bronzer brush that’s expertly chiseled to “hug” the curves of your face for an all-over bronze glow. 4. LIL BRONZE DUO Mini Bronzer Set $24 featuring a mini Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer and a mini Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick. In SHADY BIZ/SINAMON (for light – Medium skin tones) CARAMEL CUTIE/SINAMON (For tan to deep skin tones) 5. Mini!! PRO FILT'R – Instant Retouch Setting Powder $16 in Butter, Cashew, Honey, Nutmeg . . Will be available ➡️ APRIL 5TH online @fentybeauty @sephora . . There are more…. ? What’s on your list? ?❤️?✨? XO #Trendmood #fenty #fentybeauty THANK U for this beautiful update: @jordy2_shorty @audreypschl ? . . #motd #makeupoftheday #mua #ilovemakeup #makeup #makeupaddict #makeuplover #makeupblogger

A post shared by TRENDMOOD (@trendmood1) on Mar 29, 2019 at 10:30am PDT

Some fans are applauding Fenty’s timelines and reaction to the situation after a screenshot of the company’s message to Reddit user elizabeth-bug was uploaded on the r/BeautyGuruChatter subreddit.

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“This is a good apology. It doesn’t side step or make excuses. I’m super happy. It’s also a good sign that Fenty is willing to eat the cost of pulling an almost-launched product,” Reddit user SwimmingCoyote said. “Even if it’s just renamed, that will require a lot of money to relabel. I appreciate that Fenty didn’t just go forward with the launch while saying that they’d do better next time.”

Fenty Beauty has yet to announce when the renamed product will be released.

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