October 23, 2024 | A Conversation with Maureen Kelly: Founder and CEO of Tarte Cosmetics

On October 23rd, GRLA welcomed Maureen Kelly, the Founder and CEO of Tarte Cosmetics, to discuss her career journey, the clean beauty movements, and her vision for Tarte's future in the digital space. Miranda Yarowski, our student moderator who expertly led the conversation, gave us a deeper understanding of Maureen’s entrepreneurial journey and the core values that define her brand.

Maureen showed that her path to establishing Tarte was far from ordinary. With two master's degrees in psychology, she experimented with various professional paths, including becoming a fashion buyer, before deciding to follow her heart into beauty. Maureen nurtured Tarte from her one-bedroom abode, driven by her quest for "clean beauty" remedies, despite having no business background or prior experience in makeup artistry. Maureen was inspired by her acne struggles and the need for skincare products that would not aggravate skin issues to create a market solution at a time when clean beauty options were limited. She encouraged others to follow their dreams and trust their instincts by explaining that Tarte was founded on her passion for health-conscious beauty rather than a calculated marketing strategy.

When discussing the future of beauty trends in the industry, she expressed enthusiasm for using AI features such as trial sessions to improve the online shopping experience and recreate a welcoming in-store environment. She also talked about the role of TikTok and how it has helped Tarte engage with customers and build authentic relationships.

She finished off by saying: "Have faith in yourself because you don't want to be stuck in a job that doesn't bring you joy,” a reminder to do what you truly love, something that definitely should be repeated more often.