On the Up & Up
The new wave of Black fragrance ambassadors, my thoughts on Tarte Cosmetics, and who inspires makeup artist Nicky Posley, and how he inspires others
Fragrant Reflections
Whitney Peak’s Coco Mademoiselle spot has appeared heavily on my timeline over the past two weeks. I remember the announcement a couple of months ago, but it seems especially relevant now since Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin has been announced as a new ambassador for Dior’s La Collection Privée. Signing these young Black stars is indicative of two things: the beauty industry’s heavy emphasis on courting Zennials and an attempt to recognize how engaged Black and Hispanic consumers are with the fragrance category.
The NPD Group reported last year that over 85% of Black and Hispanic consumers wear perfume and fragrance-related products, 60% don’t leave the house without it, and interest is greater among these customers in stronger scents which are prevalent in the growing prestige market.
But I do believe that focusing on courting a particular age group is short-sighted, especially when it comes to prestige price points. Also, I have two words for you: Lenny Kravitz.
The Troubling Thing About Tarte
Ever since the Shape Tape debacle of 2018, I have been watching Tarte Cosmetics with a critical eye. On the one hand, hoping they do better. On the other, well not exactly surprised when they make another misstep.
When you look at the brand’s website and social it seems to be inclusive. But beyond the photos, it is hard to tell. Earlier this year, I read a post on LinkedIn. A young Black woman wrote about applying to several positions at the brand and getting crickets in response. She wanted to see allyship on the inside. Now, in and of itself, that is not unusual in today’s job market. If you have applied for a job in the last five years, chances are, you have probably been ghosted or sent several resumes into an unknown abyss.
But then there was the recent creator trip you probably heard about where Bria Jones felt “othered.” That is my word, not hers. She said, “Second-tier person.” Since then, the brand has seemingly made amends. However, it is its response to the online criticism that many found troubling.
If you don’t already know, the CEO, Maureen Kelly, decided that addressing this issue with a lighthearted video in which she did her makeup and curled her hair was a good idea. Her move only made matters worse. This prompted another video with a more straightforward apology. NBC News reported on the whole thing.
"As the founder and CEO of Tarte, I acknowledge that we have fallen short in matters of diversity, inclusion and equity in the past," Kelly said in the video.
"We're also going to be more transparent about how we work with our creators, including how we choose them," she said in the video. "I think that's not only going to just help the creators but trust amongst, like, the industry as a whole."
She went on to say that the company would be hiring a DEI consultant to review its creator program. She didn’t realize that consumers have long memories, with several mentioning that we heard these promises before.
Here is what is troubling, Tarte doesn’t need a DEI consultant to look at their Creator program; they need to look at the brand from top to bottom. And either that DEI person needs to know beauty, or they also need someone like me (yes, I said me) who is going to access what they are doing and share the unvarnished truth. Otherwise, these issues will just keep happening. No amount of diversity on their website or social is going to fool anyone.
And to quote Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, “That’s the double truth, Ruth!”
Full Circle Inspiration with Makeup Artist Nicky Posley
If you haven’t had the chance to watch or listen to my episode with makeup artist Nicky Posley (ep 75), trust me, you should. ˜I talked to Nicky about being inspired by others and passing inspiration on. Nicky has taken amazing leaps of faith in his journey from a fine artist to a MAC makeup artist in Marshall Fields to a freelance beauty educator for Shu Uemura in San Francisco to his move to NYC with a backpack and his dreams/.
One of the things that struck me in our conversation is how important it was to speak the names of those who inspired him. Check out the clip below to learn who they are. And listen or watch the whole episode to find out how Nicky likens himself to a vaudevillian who adapts his talents to the current landscape.