Beauty brand Tarte Cosmetics recently made headlines with a sponsored influencer tour. The company reportedly brought 50 women to Dubai, which caught the attention of TikTokers. Many speculated that the country’s tourism board helped the organization financially, however, the brand’s founder later debunked this.
Tarte has built a reputation online for taking influencers on luxury sponsored trips such as Fiji. However, their latest “Trippin’ With Tarte” holiday to Dubai left netizens feeling weary.
On Jan. 18, TikTok founder and Barstool Sports reporter Jack Mac took to the video-sharing platform to recount the brand’s recent travels. He started off by saying that something was wrong with the trip. He went on to add: “The trip doesn’t make much economic sense.”
It was revealed that each influencer could invite another person on the trip. It was also reported that the passengers flew to Dubai in business class on Emirates. According to Vogue, the round-trip airfare from Dubai to New York is $13,254.
Jack Mac continues to share each influencer When they arrived at their hotel, they stayed in a separate villa, the Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah Al Hamra Beach. He added:
“It’s one of those hotels where you don’t even know how much it costs to stay there, and you have to love calling people.”
According to his rough estimate, the entire trip cost $65,000 per person, the equivalent of a “Harvard education.” This will include jeep safari in the desert, other private tours, Tarte cosmetics, jewelry, gifts and merchandise from other brands.
Who took part in Tarte’s trip to Dubai?
The full roster has yet to be revealed, however, including Meredith Duxbury, Christine Abraham, the Miam Twins, alex earleXandra Pohl and Monet McMichael are just a few of the many who post about their trip to Dubai.
TikTok creator @tinfoilcouch speculates that Tarte may be working with the UAE Tourism Authority in hopes of covering up the current problems in Dubai and Qatar. Others saw the trip as “falling on deaf ears” to the current state of the U.S. economy and doubts about an impending recession. TikTok user @lblikes wrote online –
“Like, in this economy and everything, it’s so irrelevant.”
Some have pointed out on social media that they can barely afford daily groceries, let alone cosmetic The product the brand is trying to promote.
While several debated the cost of the trip, some pointed out that the hefty cost of funding an influencer’s trip was not a surprise. Tik Tok User @jill_justine revealed that she’s worked with a magazine that runs similar sponsored trips, sharing that the trip might not be as expensive as one might think, as accommodation, excursions and meals are free “most of the time.” She explained:
“Because we’re working with hotels, because we’re working with events, because we’re working with experiences. Because they’re all in exposure.”
Tarte Cosmetics founder defends recent trip to Dubai
Tarte Cosmetics founder Maureen Kelly sat down for an exclusive interview with Glossy and tackled the finances of their latest trip. She revealed that their organization has never spent money on traditional marketing methods. Instead, they choose to build relationships with influential people.
Defending Emirates’ lavish travel costs, Kelly said:
“You also have to consider that we’re inviting people to take time off from work and life and take a long-haul flight for a quick three-day event. That’s going to hurt anyone, no matter how excited you are about travel.”
Talking about Tarte cooperation rumors dubai Tourist Office, Kelly said:
“I have to laugh at some of the conspiracy theories. I would say, people are creative! But no, I can confirm that we are getting absolutely no help from any tourist board.”
However, the brand does partner with Sephora Middle East. It is unclear whether the latter bears any financial responsibility for the trip.
