“ I have more integrity than to get all the way to Miami and realize that I ’m being treated like a second - tier somebody or like I ’m being ranked , ”
If you’re not chronically online, then allow me to explain: Tarte is a cosmetics company that has become synonymous with their luxurious brand trips. Every so often, a group of influencers are whisked away on an all-expenses-paid collaboration with the company to envious locations like Dubai and Turks and Caicos.
And the extravagant trips — which are filled to the brim with first - family flights , free plus - ace , mode , and excursion after pleasure trip — are never without controversy . During the last outing this retiring January , both Tarte and the influencers involved confront heavy criticismfor what some perceived as an excessive flaunting of wealth during the US ' economic downturn , rising costs , and speculation about an impending recessional .
Most recently, the brand has come under fire for their treatment of influencers of color. One of the first flags raised was by Sri Lankan creatorShawtysin, whose videos about her experience with the most recent Tarte trip collectively brought in over 700,000 viewers. And the main issue? Her room size.
Excited to be invited on the trip, Shawtysin showed off her accommodations in aroom tour videothat raised a few eyebrows. Though all the rooms provided appear more than gracious, many noticed that Shawtysin’s space was significantly smaller than many other creators on the trip, and that hers did not come with seemingly common perks like a balcony or direct ocean view.
For example, Meredith Duxbury, who also attended the Tarte trip, shared atour of her spacethat included a massive bedroom and living room, a bathroom with a walk-in shower, vanity, and clawfoot tub, as well as two separate balconies — one off the living room and the other off the bathroom — both of which were decked out with seating and stunning views.
“I thought the bathroom was the kitchen from how big it was,” one person commented on Meredith’s video while others called Shawtysin’s room cramped.
Videos by other creators on the trip are what Shawtysinsaysalerted her to the fact that she had one of the smallest, if not the smallest, room out of the group. When addressing the confusion, shesaid, “I want to express how thankful I am to be invited on such a big brand trip and be acknowledged as a creator. Coming from a South Asian community, a lot of the times we’re just looked over.”
Shawtysin went on to recognize that expressing disappointment over way size of it may seem like a " first universe problem , " but that her matter is abstruse .
“It was never about the size of the room,” she concludes. “It’s about getting treated equally to my counterparts and coworkers.”
Shawtysin was a part of what Tarte called “the season one cast.” Season two would include a second round of influencers who would be introduced to the lavish #TrippinWithTarte world, and among those invited was creatorBria Jones.
In a now-deleted video, Briasaidshe chose not to attend the trip because she felt like the brand was treating her like “a second-tier person.” This was spurred on by Tarte’s schedule, which Bria said included her going to one of F1’s famous practice race days but leaving before the main race. However, Bria expressed sadness over learning other non-Black creators were invited to stay longer and attend the main race day, and she felt as though she was receiving unequal treatment.
“ I have more integrity than to get all the way to Miami and pull in that I ’m being treated like a 2d - tier person or like I ’m being ranked , ” Briasaid . “ It just feels like a sorority situation . ”
Tarte founder and CEO Maureen Kellyrespondedto these allegations and the brewing controversy by saying this was all a “miscommunication.”
Thanks for take heed 🤍
While applying foundation and curling her hair, Kelly said in a video, “This weekend we’re going to F1, and I wasn’t thinking about what’s going on at the track. I was just thinking, how do we get the most people to have this fabulous experience? So, we made a plan for everyone to have one day at the race track, one really nice dinner, and one really fun night at the club. So, everyone was coming for the same amount of time.”
Notably , everyone did not stay the same amount of time . In fact , some Jehovah from the season one shape were invited to last out for season two and continue longer on the trip .
Kelly also shared thoughts on the room size disparities, saying that she grew up in a large family, and from her experience, “When you’re going on a trip in a house, not every room can be the same. And for me, I value having more people there as opposed to a handful of people being in big rooms and having the smaller rooms be empty.”
It is also notable that Divine did not continue in a home . They were at a stamping ground .
Kelly concluded by sharing: “I realized the things that were important to me were maybe not important to everyone else, so the team and I quickly adjusted and got a ton of extra tickets. So everybody can go to whichever [race] day they want.”
Previously, some people online speculated that the women involved were receiving different treatment because their following was smaller, but in the video above, Kelly says that following count was not considered at all when planning the trip. Like this, much of her response left people more confused than before. Commenters didn’t buy that the Tarte team invited everyone out to the races but “didn’t think” about the actual race day.
“How do you plan a trip around and for an event…and then say you didn’t plan the trip considering the event?” one person asked.
Others felt as if Kelly’s statement glossed over the point of Black and Brown creators feeling as though they were being treated unequally to their white peers.
And many thought that Kelly’s video being in the “Get Ready With Me” (GRWM) style was tone deaf when considering the importance of the topic.
And finally, many reminded others that this is not the first time Tarte has had issues with fairly representing Black and Brown communities. In 2018, the brandunveiledtheir new shade ranges, which included 12 shades of beige and three generic shades of brown that severely lacked an understanding of how many tones Black and Brown people can be. “After the shade range debacle a few years ago your team should really understand…why the criticisms are valid,” one commenter told Kelly.
Ending out the controversy, Bria Jones made one finalvideowhere she said, “I’ve been in contact with Maureen and the Tarte team… There was miscommunication on both ends and I recognize my mistake with responding so quickly and publicly but Tarte has done a great job of working through the situation with me.”
I ’m reactivating my story for 24 hours in hopes that this substance gets across . Please leave @ANELLE @Fannita @Niké and any other Jehovah alone ! I do not condone any strain of bullying . The office with Tarte has been resolve and all parties are glad to be moving forrad positevely 🤍
The comment section on Bria’s video is turned off and she is currently on a break from social media, but commentary has spread like wild fire across different corners of the internet. While some say the whole situation is silly because everyone should just be grateful they got a free trip, others are quick to point out the flaw in this kind of thinking. “Telling Black creators they shouldn’t be upset about how they were treated by a brand because they should just be grateful for whatever they get is…” one Twitter user said.
telling black creators they should n’t be upset about how they were treated by a steel because they should just be thankful for whatever they get is …
“I just can’t get behind that sentiment,” they concluded. “Especially by a brand that has consistently done stuff like this for almost a decade.”
peculiarly by a firebrand that has consistently done poppycock like this for almost a decade
Now that you’re all caught up, what do you think?
