Tarte Cosmetics unveils its latest sea-themed vegan skin care range

The cruelty-free make up and skin care name shouts about its colourful and contemporary brand via its e-commerce website and via Sephora’s online and brick-and-mortar stores.

Taking beauty by storm​

Using ingredients such as plant extracts, Amazonian clay, maracuja, coloured clay, superfruits, vitamins, minerals and essential oils, the US cosmetics company utilises its eco-friendly, cruelty-free and hypoallergenic vegan positioning to resonate with the socially conscious consumer.

Its new Rainforest of the Sea range consists of a pigmented highlighting eyeshadow palette make up, along with skin care items such as deep dive cleansing gel, H2O hydrating boost moisturiser and eye patches.

Multifunctionality is also a key priority for tarte when designing its product lines. Its latest offering indicates this through its 4-in-1 setting mist, designed to hydrate and refresh the skin, and a 3-in-1 exfoliating cleanser that provides a solution for oiliness pores, and dullness and uneven texture.

Riding the wave​

Including sales in Asia and other markets, Japanese personal care firm KOSÉ's results show that it has increased its overseas sales by 5.8 points to 23.7%. Achieving higher sales in all regions, those in Asia and the US saw a marked increase as a result of the strong growth of tarte. Its parent company also performed particularly well in powerhouse beauty nations, China and South Korea.

Tarte experienced healthy e-commerce and physical store growth in its most recent fiscal year, including in existing and new brick-and-mortar stores owned by renowned distributors such as Sephora and Ulta. Tarte’s own e-commerce site was revitalised to reflect its colourful and modern brand image, and to also improve the user experience for today's beauty buyer.

Parent testing​

The vegan brand was acquired by KOSÉ Group in 2014, after the Japanese household name purchased a 93.5% stake in the conscious brand.

Announcing the acquisition in 2014, cruelty-free resource provider, Logical Harmony, quoted Tarte’s Facebook notification stating: “​Remember, tarte will NOT be testing on animals, or EVER test on animals. We are a cruelty-free company and will remain one.”​

Logical Harmony​, however, stated that while tarte was “currently certified as cruelty-free by PETA”​, due to an unfinished application for certification with Leaping Bunny, “they will stay”​ on the resource provider’s list of brands that are cruelty-free ​ “but it will now be noted that their parent company does test on animals”.​

Cosmetics Design reported at the time how the decision faced criticism from within the cosmetics industry​ for potentially jeopardising its reputation as an environmentally-conscious brand.