Tarte

Tarte is an American cosmetics company headquartered in New York City, founded by Maureen Kelly [6]. Its sources place the founding at 2000, the year Tarte first entered retail at Henri Bendel, while the same records date its first product — a cheek stain — to 1999 [2][6]. The company built its makeup range around Amazonian clay and other naturally derived ingredients, a positioning it calls "high-performance naturals." Since 2014 Tarte has been owned by Japan's Kosé Corporation, which holds a controlling stake; it continues to operate as a distinct brand within the group [6].

Maureen Kelly founded Tarte after a very different path. According to a TIME profile, she was pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and already held two master's degrees when she decided that career was not for her, having been drawn to makeup since childhood [7]. Her first product was a cheek stain, which appeared the following year on the cover of Self magazine [7]. Kelly has described discovering Amazonian clay during an eco-trip to Brazil, where local women drew clay from a riverbank and sent her home with a jar of it; the ingredient later ran through Tarte's foundations, powders and cheek stains. In its early years she built the company by approaching chemists, manufacturers, retailers and the fashion press directly, financing the effort partly on her own credit cards.

Tarte's founding year is recorded two ways. The company's own timeline marks 1999 as the launch of its first product, the cheek stain, and 2000 as its retail debut at Henri Bendel; Wikipedia's entry states the company was founded in 2000 while noting the 1999 first product [2][6]. From there the brand expanded through major beauty retailers: it entered Sephora in 2003, was added to QVC in 2005, and reached Ulta Beauty by 2010 [6]. In 2018 the group revived Awake, a skincare line associated with Tarte.

In March 2014, Kosé Corporation of Japan acquired a controlling stake in Tarte for $135 million. Sources record the 2014 acquisition stake as roughly 93.5%, with current ownership listed at about 93.7% [6]. Under Kosé, Tarte sits alongside sister brands including Decorté and Addiction Tokyo, and operates as an independent label within the group rather than being folded into its parent.

Tarte frames its identity around what it trademarks as "high-performance naturals." The company says its products are "formulated with a blend of naturally-derived & other ingredients," and states that there are "over 200 ingredients we refuse to use" in its formulas. Its stated mission centres on "breaking down beauty boundaries, shattering stereotypes & being kind." Tarte also describes being "cruelty-free & offer[ing] vegan-friendly options since day 1." The brand markets at the prestige tier and reaches customers through a multi-channel model spanning Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Macy's and other retailers internationally.

Tarte's product range emphasises naturally derived ingredients, which the company lists as including Amazonian clay, goji berry extract, passionfruit and vitamins A, C and E [6]. Its most cited product is Shape Tape Concealer, which Tarte says was inspired by the founder's experience with cystic acne and which the company describes as "the #1 concealer brand." Other recurring products include the Maracuja Juicy Lip, the Amazonian Clay 16-Hour Full Coverage Foundation, and the Tartelette Tubing Mascara. The original cheek stain remains the brand's founding product.

Tarte runs several giving and sourcing initiatives grouped under "Tarte Gives Back." The company says it helped fund an all-female cooperative in the Amazon to sustainably source maracuja oil and to provide local women with training and business resources. It reports more than $5.5 million in in-kind donations, including $4 million donated in 2024, and a "Shape Your Future" program that it says awarded $150,000 to female entrepreneurs in 2023 and $300,000 to Black female–owned businesses in 2024. A #stormoflove TikTok campaign is credited with raising $250,000, and Tarte states it directed net proceeds from a July 2025 sales window to World Central Kitchen for flood relief.

Tarte has faced several public criticisms. In 2017, a racist meme was posted on the brand's Instagram account; the company attributed it to an intern [6]. In 2018, the Shape Tape Foundation was criticised for a limited shade range that favoured fairer skin tones [6]. In 2023, Black influencers alleged discriminatory treatment during a Tarte influencer trip, citing differences in room assignments and itineraries [6].

Tarte remains an active makeup brand with global, multi-channel distribution, and has been majority-owned by Kosé Corporation since 2014. Company materials cite ongoing activity into 2024 and 2025, including its 2024 donations and the July 2025 World Central Kitchen campaign.