When Authenticity Makes People Uncomfortable: What Fenty, LVMH, and the Beauty Industry Reveal About Power and Ownership

By Tamara P. Brown — Founder of JAK’s Essentials

The beauty industry is buzzing after reports that LVMH, the global luxury powerhouse behind Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Givenchy, is planning to sell its 50% stake in Fenty Beauty, the groundbreaking brand co-owned with Rihanna.

To many, this news is confusing — why would a company walk away from a brand generating nearly $450 million in annual sales?But for those of us who live and build within this industry, the answer is clear: authenticity doesn’t always fit inside corporate comfort zones.

This moment says a lot about how legacy beauty still views inclusion, ownership, and power — and why independent brands like JAK’s Essentials are needed more than ever.

The Disconnect Between Culture and Control

When Rihanna introduced Fenty in 2017, she didn’t just create makeup — she created movement. She exposed an industry blind spot by giving visibility to women of color who had long been ignored. Forty foundation shades wasn’t a gimmick; it was respect.

Fenty’s success showed what happens when real representation meets real need. But the truth is, many corporate players never understood the cultural heartbeat behind it.

They saw numbers, not nuance. They saw sales, not significance.

And that’s why they’re walking away.

The Reality for Founders of Color

For people of color in beauty, thriving isn’t just about creativity — it’s about surviving systems built to keep us small.

Large corporations now control more than half of the global beauty market. They dominate manufacturing, distribution, and retail shelf space. That kind of power makes it nearly impossible for independent brands to compete, especially those owned by Black founders.

Our products are rarely seen as luxury, even when the quality is unmatched. When a product is made with melanin in mind, it’s often labeled as “niche,” while similar formulas from mainstream brands are marketed as “high-end.”

This is the quiet bias that shapes what consumers see — and what smaller, authentic brands must constantly fight against.

What Happens After the Sale

There’s another layer to this conversation that often goes unspoken: ownership.

Many founders of color eventually sell their brands to these major corporations. And while the deal might seem life-changing, what happens next usually isn’t talked about enough.

Once ownership changes hands, so does the story.Formulas are altered for cost efficiency.Messaging shifts to appeal to “broader” audiences.Representation fades.

The heart that made the brand powerful — the community it served and the culture it represented — gets stripped away for profit. What was once authentic becomes generic. What was once inclusive becomes diluted.

The result? The very consumers who built the brand stop seeing themselves in it.

Why JAK’s Essentials Was Built Differently

This is exactly why I created JAK’s Essentials — to build something that couldn’t be whitewashed, watered down, or stripped of its integrity.

JAK’s Essentials is an all-natural, inclusive skincare brand born from real experience and real need. I didn’t build it to fit into the beauty industry’s mold — I built it to change it.

When my children struggled with skin issues, I realized that most products weren’t made with us in mind. I studied, researched, and formulated every product to be safe, effective, and genuinely inclusive — because clean beauty should belong to everyone.

Our brand defines luxury differently. It’s not about price tags or exclusivity — it’s about intention, transparency, and respect for every skin tone and texture.

Luxury, Redefined

At JAK’s Essentials, we believe that luxury and representation can coexist.Our formulas use premium, plant-based ingredients with a focus on skin health, hydration, and balance.Our mission is to prove that inclusion isn’t an afterthought — it’s the foundation.

While big corporations struggle to understand inclusion beyond marketing, we live it in every product we make.

A System Built to Profit, Not Empower

The truth is, corporate beauty still values control over culture. They profit from what’s trending without understanding where it comes from.

When they acquire brands founded by people of color, they often forget that those brands were built on trust and purpose, not just packaging and promotion. Once those elements disappear, so does the loyalty that made the brand special in the first place.

That’s why consumers today are more mindful than ever. They can see through empty diversity campaigns. They know the difference between representation and replication.

And that’s exactly why independent brands like JAK’s Essentials are growing — because people crave authenticity.

The Future of Beauty Belongs to the Authentic

Fenty showed the world what inclusivity looks like.JAK’s Essentials shows what sustainability in inclusivity feels like.

We’re proving that you don’t need a billion-dollar conglomerate to define luxury. You just need purpose, passion, and products that work.

Because at the end of the day, culture doesn’t come from corporations — it comes from creators. And that’s something no amount of money, marketing, or mergers can buy.

Closing Reflection

The beauty industry is changing, but not fast enough.Until legacy corporations begin to value authenticity as much as profit, they’ll continue to miss the mark — walking away from movements they’ll never truly understand.

As for us? We’ll keep formulating, creating, and representing.Because the future of beauty isn’t exclusive — it’s inclusive.And JAK’s Essentials will always be part of that evolution.