Tarte Cosmetics, a popular makeup brand, has become renowned for its extravagant influencer trips, transporting beauty gurus and social media stars to luxurious destinations around the globe. These trips, often featuring idyllic locales like Turks and Caicos, Dubai, and the British Virgin Islands, are meticulously designed to generate buzz, build brand awareness, and ultimately drive sales. While ostensibly intended as marketing campaigns, the trips have become synonymous with drama, controversy, and occasional public backlash, creating a complex and often-scrutinized facet of Tarte’s brand identity.
The trips follow a consistent formula: a select group of influencers is invited to an exotic location, where they are treated to lavish accommodations, exciting activities, and ample opportunities to create content showcasing Tarte products. These experiences are then broadcast to millions of followers across various social media platforms, generating immense exposure for the brand. The trips frequently feature recurring influencers, further solidifying their association with Tarte and creating a sense of continuity for followers. However, the curated nature of these trips often clashes with the realities of the outside world, leading to criticism and accusations of tone-deafness, particularly when lavish displays of wealth coincide with global crises or natural disasters.
One such instance occurred during the 2025 Neckter Island trip, which coincided with the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. While influencers enjoyed beachside festivities, many social media users expressed outrage at the perceived insensitivity of the event, criticizing Tarte for prioritizing lavish displays of wealth amidst a national tragedy. In response, Tarte made substantial donations to wildfire relief efforts, including contributions to World Central Kitchen, the Los Angeles Department, and the California Wildfire Response Fund. While these donations were seen as a positive step by some, others questioned the timing and motivation, viewing them as a reactive measure to mitigate negative publicity rather than a genuine expression of concern.
Beyond the broader ethical considerations, the Tarte trips have also become breeding grounds for interpersonal drama among the influencers themselves. Rumors, feuds, and perceived slights are often amplified by the close proximity and competitive nature of the environment. One example is the documented conflict between influencers Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia and Kennedy Eurich, which unfolded publicly before, during, and after the Neckter Island trip. Their initial animosity, aired on Eurich’s podcast, eventually gave way to a public reconciliation during the trip itself, a development heavily documented and shared on TikTok. This incident highlights the performative nature of influencer culture and the blurring of lines between genuine relationships and carefully crafted narratives.
Further fueling controversy are allegations of unequal treatment among the invited influencers. The 2023 Turks and Caicos trip brought to light disparities in hotel room assignments, with some influencers receiving significantly more luxurious accommodations than others. This sparked accusations of favoritism and discrimination, particularly after influencer Sri Lankan pointed out the stark contrast between her small room and the opulent suite enjoyed by fellow influencer Meredith Duxbury. Tarte’s explanation, attributing the discrepancy to a mix of assigned and randomly allocated rooms, did little to quell the criticism, further highlighting the sensitivity surrounding perceived inequities within the influencer community.
The disparity extended beyond accommodations to PR gifts. While some influencers received extravagant gifts, such as $700 Hermès bracelets, others received significantly less valuable items, like $30 necklaces. This discrepancy, documented by influencers like Kennedy Eurich on TikTok, ignited further accusations of favoritism and a “picking favorites” mentality within Tarte’s influencer relations. The brand later attempted to rectify the situation by gifting Eurich an Hermès scarf and bracelet on a subsequent trip, a gesture that some viewed as a belated attempt at damage control.
Despite these controversies, the Tarte influencer trips remain a powerful marketing tool. The brand’s investment in these elaborate experiences is justified by the immense reach and engagement they generate. While the cost of these trips may seem exorbitant, the brand leverages partnerships with hotels, airlines, and event organizers to minimize expenses. This symbiotic relationship allows Tarte to provide influencers with unforgettable experiences while simultaneously securing valuable exposure from their vast social media followings.
Tarte’s founder and CEO, Maureen Kelly, has openly acknowledged the brand’s strategic reliance on influencer marketing, emphasizing its long-term value over traditional advertising channels. By cultivating relationships with key influencers and embedding their products within engaging content, Tarte has effectively harnessed the power of social media to build brand loyalty and drive sales. While the controversies surrounding the trips persist, they arguably contribute to the brand’s visibility and notoriety, keeping Tarte in the conversation and ultimately contributing to its continued success.
