Women I Admire: Maureen Kelly of Tarte Cosmetics

You guys, I am THRILLED to kick off 2013 with a Women I Admire interview with the founder of one of my very favorite brands out there! I remember buying my first Tarte item - it was their lip exfoliator (back then it was in a lipstick-like tube with a little mirror on the top, love!!!) Anyways, I was working at Nordstrom for Stila at the time. My boss kept getting mad at me, because I'd always recommend the Tarte lip exfoliator, but we didn't carry it. I didn't care, I kept recommending it and do to this day! My love of TARTE has been mentioned a time or two (or five or six) but it's just because I love it that much! I truly cannot recommend these products enough.

Tarte is a wonderful company, started by an an equally wonderful women, Maureen Kelly. I'm so thankful that Maureen took time out of her busy schedule to answer some of my questions....

1.) I know you started Tarte just a little over ten years ago, in your one room apartment. From humble beginnings you've created quite the beauty empire! What would you say is your biggest accomplishment so far?

That's tough because there have been so many major milestones, like the recent launch of our tarte forum on QVC to our trip to the Amazon where I discovered what Amazonian clay and maracuja oil could do for my skin and then there's the growth of our team. When I started the line it was just me and my family members packing boxes in my apartment and spending countless hours and late nights researching ingredients and now I have a whole team in the office who share the same mission I do and it's been incredible to watch them grow at tarte as their families grow (engagements, weddings, babies). We launched our new  website last year and that was a major milestone and most recently I'm beyond proud of our launch ofBB tinted treatment primer. We believed in creating a BB that could outperform all the others but we refused to compromise on formula. Then there is our  instagram account which is new and allows us to connect with amazing bloggers, like yourself. It's been a way for us to get to know our tartelettes more and more which probably one of my favorite parts about my job.


2.) Out of all your amazing Tarte creations, what is your favorite? Something you absolutely cannot live without!

Right now, BB tinted treatment primer and our new mascara, which launched in Fall 2012.

3.) There are so many fun beauty trends right now - from boldly colored smoky eyes, to totally insane nail art...but are there any that just make you cringe? (For me it's crazy, huge, over-exaggerated brows. Why, why, why??)

I have to say that while I know all the funky colored sorbet hair colors are having their moment right now, they are not for me and it very well may solicit a cringe from me. I can't help it, I just love naturally colored hair and preach to my team to keep as true to their roots as possible (pun intended) or splurge and see a really amazing colorist.


4.) In a down economy, why do you think women continue to splurge on Tarte Cosmetics?

We've always been a very vocal brand. From the very beginning tarte had a voice and our tartelettes knew what we believed in. I think there are a lot of options in the marketplace and women are buying tarte because the makeup performs for them like they need it to but they also buy what we believe- and that is to be the leader in makeup and skincare that is formulated with the highest quality ingredients so they are good for their skin and the environment.

5.) Any sneak peeks of what's to come in 2013?

Follow us on instagram @tartecosmetics to be the first to know when this set becomes available.

The amazing Tarte team: