Rihanna on Her Latest Fenty Skin Drop, New Year’s Beauty Resolution, and Top Beauty Advice

To bask in the golden glow of Rihanna is to know that her skin is preternaturally flawless. You can hardly believe your eyes, at least in my experience. But the Grammy-winner, designer, and Fenty Beauty founder will be the first to tell you that achieving “snatched pores”—her forever skin-care goal—is hard work. Yes, even for her. “I’m obsessed with my pores; ask anyone!” she tells me. “If your pores are tight, you’ll get a smooth canvas for makeup; if you’re going makeup-free, you’ll look fresh and photo-ready.”

RiRi tells no lies, and you can trust that her lifelong preoccupation with pores is the driving force behind her latest Fenty Skin launch: the Cherry Dub Pore Purify’r gel cleanser, dropping on January 2nd. Developed for oily skin, the bright red foaming gel gently whisks away oil and instantly brightens skin with Vitamin C-rich Barbados Cherry, pore-refining niacinamide, and soothing aloe. It also boasts Fenty’s unmistakable (and irresistible!) Barbados Cherry-inspired scent. “It just makes the whole skin-care experience super sensorial—you get this juicy red color and uplifting tropical scent,” she says. “It smells like home to me!” And making it a feast for the senses is more than just a treat; it’s a strategy. “It’s fun to look at and smells amazing, which I think is the key for consistency in skin care. You gotta love the whole experience to be able to do it all the time and get those results.” Preach!

Ahead of the holidays, Rihanna chatted with InStyle exclusively about her latest drop, finding “me” time as a mom of two young kids, and her top piece of beauty advice.

Why was it important to you to create a cleanser that caters to oily skin?

One of the things I love most about the beauty world and the beauty community is that it’s a space where everyone can—and should—be able to get involved. From the start when we launched Fenty Beauty back in 2017, we said our brand is about “Beauty For All,”—and we meant it! So when it comes to makeup, skin, fragrance, or hair, I really wanted everyone to be able to get in on it and see themselves in our brand. I wanted to make sure that we not only offered universal products, like our Hydra Vizor Invisible SPF Moisturizer, but also offered more targeted solutions that were more skin type specific. Because everyone’s skin is a little different and can often change depending on the time of year or where you are or what you’re doing. With the launch of Cherry Dub Pore Purify’r Gel Cleanser, we now have a cleansing solution for oily days, dryer days, and those makeup-heavy days. And, to be honest...this cleanser is just something that I personally wanted and needed in my routine.

Why is Barbados cherry a star ingredient for Fenty Skin?

Everything about Fenty Skin is a reflection of my personal skin care journey and all the lessons and experiences I’ve had with my skin over the years. It was important to use gold-standard ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, but I also wanted to bring some new ingredients into Fenty Skin, especially ones that I had a personal connection to. Barbados Cherry is not only an homage to my hometown, but it actually has 10 times more vitamin C in it than orange! So, it’s great for brightening and delivering antioxidants.

What is your relationship to oilness and/or acne, and how was that factored into the creation of the new Fenty Skin cleanser?

My skin has been through it all over the years! I definitely have my more oily days, particularly around my T-Zone, but my skin is always evolving. I travel a lot, so my skin is exposed to so many different environments, climates, and elements all the time. So having a kit that really caters to everything is key for me. Growing up in Barbados, dealing with humidity and sun exposure were the two biggest factors I considered when it came to skin care. I’m always gonna give you solutions that will protect, nourish, and cleanse your skin with those factors in mind. Even our makeup is tested to be humidity-proof, too!

What are your different secrets for achieving and maintaining “snatched pores”?

Cleanser, toner, moisturizer. Never miss a step! On days when I need a little more, I give myself 1-minute mini facials with Fenty Skin Pre-Show Glow. Gently exfoliate, and never be too harsh with your skin.

The holidays and wintertime supply extra downtime for self-care. How are you taking care of your hair during this time?

It’s all about repair and strengthening my hair. I’m always switching up my hair—the color, the length, the style—so making sure my hair is nourished is really the key for making any look work. So whether it’s downtime or it’s just in between switching up my hairstyle, I always make sure to really go in with Fenty Hair The Comeback Kid, our bond-building product, and swap out my normal conditioner for The Richer One.

As a mom to two young children, why is it important for you to still get that “me” time, especially on the beauty front?

Finding that “me” time never seems to get easier, but it’s also never been more important. I try to do it whenever I can—it’s never the same time or the same day. Becoming a mom has definitely made me become more flexible and patient when it comes to myself. But being the best version of myself helps me be the best mom, so self-care has still gotta be a priority, even if it looks a little different these days. If you feel good, you’ll look even better.

What are your New Year’s beauty resolutions, and why?

Sleep! I feel like I say that every year.

What’s your top piece of advice for feeling confident?

Find Those lil’ tricks that are just yours—like a red lip, a short haircut, or even a bare face. Beauty is there for you to have fun with, to express yourself with. Find your place and rock it.

Read the original article on InStyle