This Woman With Albinism's Review Of Fenty Beauty Got Her Noticed By Rihanna Herself

"It's a new world. Great job @badgalriri #AlbinoMatch."

By
Stephanie McNeal
by Stephanie McNeal

BuzzFeed News Reporter

This is Krystal Robertson, a 25-year-old licensed practical nurse from Mississippi. She described herself to BuzzFeed News as a "complete makeup junkie."

Krystal Robertson

However, Robertson has always had trouble finding makeup that matched perfectly because of her unique skin tone. She has albinism, meaning she has no skin pigmentation.

Krystal Robertson

Aside from cosmetics considerations, Robertson says her condition means she'll burn if she's exposed to the sun for too long, and also affects her eyesight.

But when it comes to makeup, most foundations Robertson has tried would leave her with a "weird yellow–orange ring around my face," she said.

"Even if I bought the lightest shade for that brand, it would still be darker than my complexion," she said.

Unfortunately, Robertson said these makeup mishaps led her to be bullied in high school.

"One day it was so bad," she said. "I did my makeup in bad lighting and I didn't know until I got outside and on the bus. The kids laughed at me all day it was horrible. As soon as I got off the bus, I headed to bathroom and washed and scrubbed my face to get the makeup off."

Robertson's high school drama teacher took her under her wing and worked with her to find the best foundation for her unique coloring. The closest they could find was CoverGirl's creamy beige, which Robertson has used ever since.

Krystal Robertson

"There was still a small noticeable light ring around my face so I would use it on my neck try to blend it in ... but then the rest of my body would still be off-color," she said.

Still, Robertson said she made do, because "makeup junkies never quit."

So, when Rihanna announced she was developing Fenty Beauty, a makeup line dedicated to all skin tones, Robertson was hopeful she could find her perfect shade, too.

The result? It was a PERFECT match.

Her Instagram post, and a post she wrote on Facebook, soon spread throughout the internet. So much so that Rihanna herself posted Robertson's review on her Instagram story.

Robertson has been very touched by all of the reaction and feedback she has received from the beauty community.

Krystal Robertson

"It's been amazing," she said. "I love reading the positive comments from everyone my story touched."

CORRECTION

Krystal Robertson's name was misstated in an earlier version of this story.

Topics in this article

Skip to footer