Tarte Cosmetics is facing significant backlash over its recent marketing campaign for its new 'Snatch Stick' product. The campaign has been criticized by influencers and consumers alike for its provocative theme, which included sending PR packages to influencers with images of their faces marked with plastic surgery-style lines.
The 'Snatch Stick,' a bronzing and contour product, has been marketed by Tarte as a temporary, non-surgical alternative to plastic surgery, promising an "instant facelift." However, the accompanying promotional materials have sparked outrage online.
Influencers who received the product reported being sent photos of themselves with markings indicating where plastic surgery procedures might be performed. Some also received packages styled as 'prescriptions' and 'treatment plans' for procedures like upper blepharoplasty, Botox, and jaw lifts. Content creator Raven Small, known as @beautymavenraven, described the marketing as "deeply harmful to the beauty community" and "disrespectful." Another creator, Maria Helen Rue, called the package "disturbing," noting that the brand used a photo of her she felt "pretty" in and superimposed surgical markings.
Tarte also utilized an ambulance-like vehicle branded with its logo for product demonstrations in New York City and Los Angeles, and some advertisements featured models wearing bandages. These elements, combined with the personalized face markings, have led many to label the campaign as tone-deaf and potentially preying on insecurities.
In response to the criticism, Tarte VP of Marketing & Communications, Donna Kirkland, stated to the Daily Mail that the campaign's creative was "rooted in what contour has always been about - using makeup to sculpt and define in a way that’s temporary and fun." She explained that personalized mailers used each recipient's photo with standard contour placement guides, not as an assessment of features. Kirkland acknowledged that "the procedure-inspired language could have made that distinction unclear" and that the company has "taken the feedback seriously."
Despite the company's explanation, online reactions from consumers have largely mirrored the influencers' concerns. Many users on TikTok and Reddit have expressed disgust and called the marketing "weird," "dystopian," and "vile."
However, not all responses were negative. Some content creators, like Brandis Bradley (@makeupartistatlaw), defended the brand, arguing that contouring has historically been used for similar sculpting and lifting effects on the face. Bradley suggested the controversy was an overreaction, stating, "I really don't understand why this is so controversial."