Tarte Cosmetics was founded in 1999 by Maureen Kelly. Their first product was a cheek stain that immediately gained the attention of fashion magazines. Soon after, this New York-based brand expanded into various other makeup products. In the beginning, their products were advertised mostly by being delivered as samples to the mailrooms of various magazine publishers. This worked, and their brand quickly rose to global fame.
Today, Tarte’s products are being sold all around the world, both online and in stores such as Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and QVC. In the US, you can find them in Beauty Brand and Macy’s.
Is Tarte Cruelty-Free?
| Not sold in China? | Yes |
| PETA Certified | Yes |
| Leaping Bunny Certified | No(*) |
| Has vegan products | Yes |
| Not owned by a Parent Company that does Animal Testing? | No |
Yes, Tarte is cruelty-free.
Not a single one of Tarte’s finished products, formulations or ingredients have been tested on animals, in any place of the world. Not only that they don’t test on animals, but they also don’t pay anyone to test on their behalf and none of their suppliers also test on animals.
Tarte has been approved by PETA’s ‘Beauty Without Bunnies’ program ever since 2000. They have never conducted animal tests and have always been strictly against such practices.
Keep in mind that Tarte does not have a Leaping Bunny label. This is not a reason to be concerned, as becoming a member of a Leaping Bunny program is fully on a volunteer basis and this is in no way a reason to be suspicious(*).
Best Selling Tarte Products
Amazon.com
Are Tarte products sold in China?
No, Tarte products are not sold in mainland China, or any other country that requires animal testing.
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What is the Deal with China?
Even though animal testing is proven to be an unnecessary and unethical practice, some countries still require it by law. This is the case with the second-biggest market in the world, China.
China requires any beauty product to be tested on animals before allowing importation and being sold in Chinese stores. Any company or brand that makes the decision to sell in China has also decided to test on animals – either by themselves or, usually, by paying a third-party company to test on their behalf. This is the main reason why a lot of brands can’t achieve a true cruelty-free status. After growing public outrage, China did lift some regulations in 2014, which allowed certain beauty products, such as shampoos and other skincare items, to be imported without testing, but this is still a small percentage.
A lot of brands that claim to be cruelty-free are being misleading thanks to these laws. Even if a brand doesn’t conduct animal testing on its own, by deciding to take the opportunity and sell in countries such as China, it is allowing a third-party to test the final product on animals. This is why PETA and the Leaping Bunny Program have forbidden brands that they certify to expand their market in this direction – and rightfully so.
A lot of companies are working with the Chinese government on lifting these regulations, and legislation was proposed in 2019 that should stop mandatory animal testing. However until today, no substantial progress has been made in this regard, we continue to wait patiently.
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Is Tarte Vegan?
Tarte as a brand is not fully vegan, as a lot of its products contain beeswax, lanolin, carmine, or various other animal-derived ingredients and animal by-products.
They do, however, have a vegan line and most of their products are 100% vegan. All of their vegan products have a label on them, so they are easily distinguishable.
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Who owns Tarte and does the parent company test on animals?
As of March 2014, Tarte is owned by a Japanese beauty company called Kose Corporation. Kose Corporation is not cruelty-free as it sells in China and this caused initial concern. However, Tarte has never changed their cruelty-free policies and they remained cruelty-free even to this day.
What products does Tarte sell?
Tarte is a mid-range brand that sells various makeup products. They became famous for their lip stains, but today they are more widely known for their high-quality bronzers, highlighters, and lipsticks. Their cosmetics lines are being used by both professional and makeup lovers worldwide.
As of 2018, they also sell skincare products. Today, you can find a big number of face masks, moisturizers, and other beauty products sold on Tarte’s shelves.
Best Selling Tarte Products
Amazon.com
