Fenty Beauty's refillable lipstick could be the future of makeup

• Fenty Beauty released refillable lipsticks with two container options and 10 shades to choose from.
• I tried the innovative product and, while it's not my absolute favorite, I still really enjoyed it.
• The lipstick is smooth, opaque, and sustainable, albeit a bit pricey.

Since launching in 2017, Fenty Beauty has continuously made waves in the cosmetics industry.

Most recently, the Rihanna-founded brand caused a buzz when it released its Fenty Icon lipsticks, a line of makeup that's refillable and customizable.

Other beauty brands have been selling similar items for years, but Rihanna's version has quickly become one of the most popular options on the market (a TikTok search for the lipstick brings more than 85 million results at the time of writing).

As a beauty reporter and self-proclaimed lipstick fanatic, I had to try the refillable makeup. While I found the lipstick to be a pretty standard, cream formula, I think the product overall is promising and could be a sign of the future of makeup.

Fenty Beauty is selling lipstick cases for $12, and refillable cartons for $20

The Fenty Icon lipstick is sold in 10 neutral and red shades that were curated by Rihanna at the time of writing, according to the brand's website. There are also two cases available: one that's metallic and another that's matte black.

I ordered mine from Ulta Beauty, though they're also sold at Sephora and on Fenty Beauty's website. 

I appreciated the inclusion of both vibrant and neutral shades, and especially loved that I could choose the color of my case. The gold one was a bit flashy for me, but the black option perfectly matched my style.

Constructing the product was a bit confusing until I watched Fenty's video tutorial

Because this is a refillable product — meaning you can buy the case without the lipstick and vice versa— the two products are packaged separately. When I opened them both, there were three pieces in total: a case made from metal — according to a Fenty representative on the brand's live website chat — and a connecting piece made of the same material, plus the actual lipstick, which has a plastic base. 

Both packages came with instructions on how to connect the products, but I found the brand's video tutorial more helpful.

The plastic portion of the lipstick snaps into the connector, and the conjoined pieces then snap into the case.

When you want to use the lipstick, you simply twist the bottom of the case and pull the makeup out.

The lipstick looks great and feels nice on the lips

I purchased the shade Major Magnate, which is described by Fenty Beauty as a "cool taupe nude."

The lipstick was easy to apply thanks to its pointed bullet that's shaped to mirror Rihanna's upper lip. The product also felt smooth and creamy, similar to many other cream lipsticks on the market.

Fenty's Icon lipstick also held up well throughout the day. It still looked fresh two hours after applying, even after eating lunch and talking to colleagues in that time.

It had started to fade after five hours, and was mostly gone after eight hours of wear. Still, I thought the fading looked natural, and I didn't feel like I needed to touch it up.

As for the refillable case, I loved having it in my bag. It looks sleek and luxurious, and almost made me feel as though I'd purchased the beauty equivalent of the latest iPhone.

Fenty Beauty isn't the first brand to make refillable lipstick, but the product is still a game changer

Other brands including Dior, Hourglass, and Givenchy offer refillable lipsticks and have been doing so for years. 

Still, Fenty Beauty stands out to me, and it's arguably more accessible than high-end brands that cater to luxury shoppers. Fenty has made inclusivity a pillar of its brand since launching, and its refillable lipsticks and cases are much cheaper than those sold by the brands mentioned above, which can cost between $43 and $72 each.

I can see Fenty's newest lipstick making a real impact by steering beauty fans towards more sustainable choices. 

As for me, I think this lipstick is solid, even if it's not the best I'd ever tried. I can't say I'll be throwing away my other lipsticks and sticking with this option forever, but I do think I'll refill it with a new shade when I run out of this one.