When we heard about Rihanna's new makeup venture, we were left completely puzzled. Why on earth her Fenty Beauty makeup brand would take a risk on its fans wasting $25 on a lip gloss set that could be makeup or ketchup was mind-blowing. But then we realised the whole thing is a collaboration with MSCHF, and it all became clear(er).
Yup, MSCHF have been at it again. For those not in the know, MSCHF is a group that specialises in absurd (and, of course, mischievous) product launches. And Fenty Beauty has collaborated with it to produce a set of lip glosses, packaged in six identical ketchup sachets, which may actually contain ketchup instead of lip gloss. Got it? Good. The campaign comes with a set of striking ad images, which may not rival our favourite print ads but are still fabulously vibrant.
Unfortunately for Rihanna, many fans haven't received the message about the collaboration, and the general reaction on Instagram has been one of total outrage and incredulity. "I get that creativity is lacking in the makeup world but you don't have to resort to this...." said one disappointed Instagram user. "This is completely stupid," said another. "If you're commenting fire emojis then the rest of us must really question your gullibility and blind loyalty to Rihanna."
As usual, the MSCHF 'drop' (the group launches its groups through numbered 'drops', FYI, and this is number 83) is pretty exclusive. The collection will only be available at one New York hot dog stand, and online at ketchupormakeup.com. So if you get a set full of ketchup, you might not want to have it for lunch, but keep it as an art piece instead.
It's a piece that seems fluffier than others by the art collective, but we're sure there are hidden depths. With previous pieces egging on the lawyers of big companies through logo copyright infringement (catch up on that here), and a series of paintings enlarging the medical bills of citizens of the USA, one would assume that this stunt is also making a wider point about society – but it isn't one that's been made explicit by MSCHF. We'll leave you to work out what it could be.
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