What happens when Rihanna throws beauty’s biggest party?

A secret venue in Brooklyn, New York, set the scene for the launch of Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, a make-up range about to be released simultaneously in 17 countries around the world with the star herself kicking off the party on the night.

When the one and only Rihanna hosts a party, you know it’s going to be off-the-hook huge.

Little wonder then, that the launch extravaganza for the iconic singer’s new make-up line, Fenty Beauty, proved to be just that. Held in New York on Thursday night at Duggal Greenhouse – an appropriately cool industrial-vibe venue on the waterfront in Brooklyn – guests joined in the countdown to Fenty’s official global launch.

Amid tight security and secrecy (the location was only released to attendees at the last minute) and the inevitable media hoopla, 400 party-goers gathered in the sprawling space in an atmosphere of escalating excitement.

At 7.30 the music cut and the crowd surged towards the front of the room with phones aloft, before a huge cheer greeted the star of the night.

Rihanna took to the stage with a huge smile and glowing visage wearing a dazzling golden yellow top and billowing skirt. She welcomed everyone along, explained her desire to create a make-up brand that would suit women of every colour, and urged all on the night to play with the products.

The surrounding screens then erupted into Fenty Beauty’s campaign video clips before being pulled back to reveal a host of rooms dedicated to make-up artists set up to showcase the entire range.

DJs kicked the party off again, bar staff kept the cocktails coming (each named after shades of Fenty Beauty products) and waiters delivered platters of mini-sized bites including burgers, fries and arancini balls.

“I wanted a color that looked good on all skin tones … it’s really important for me in every product,” the singer told reporters at the event. “There are so many different shades and undertones. You just never know so you want people to appreciate the product and not feel like ‘It only looks cute on her.’ ”

Rihanna spent an hour circulating the room, posing happily for photographs, relaxed and happy – despite being mobbed!

While befittingly the stand-out of the night in her extravagant ensemble, it was the artist’s free and adventurous spirit that dominated the dress code for everyone else: meaning there was dress code! The result was a dazzling array of styles from street to glam and everything in between.

Models from the campaign, diverse in ethnicity and captivatingly beautiful, posed for photos too, while New Yorkers mingled with guests who’d flown in from all corners of the globe.

Everyone took their turn in the make-up stations to be colour-matched by the experts and the night ended on a high just as it had began, with every guest gifted with a personalised Fenty Beauty selection.

The Fenty Beauty launch was live streamed on the new brand’s Facebook, watch the full stream below!