Is a Tarte Cosmetics concealer right for you? It is if Simone Biles uses it. In the cosmetics game, influencer marketing trumps all other forms of production promotion. Madison McHugh '25 learned that on day one of her New York City internship at Tarte corporate headquarters. As a brand marketing intern, she was asked to surf socials (most especially TikTok) in search of potential brand ambassadors.
"We were always trying to find new influencers to get involved with the company. We would send them PR boxes with products and swag and the hope is they use something and promote it on TikTok."
Tarte doesn't pay influencers to promote their products, and it's like striking gold when an influencer, especially one with 13 million followers on Instagram, uses a product organically.
"Gymnast Simone Biles did a 'getting ready' video during the Olympics this summer and she was using one of our concealers. Obviously we jumped all over that."
Madison wasn't just mining social media for influencers. She was also compiling a daily competitor analysis, tracking what companies like L'Oréal and Rare Beauty were posting online.
"I absolutely loved it. Tarte is definitely a place I would want to work. I learned so much and everyday was different."
Day-to-day, Madison was focused on the brand, but through the Tartelette U Mentorship Program (a regularly held training workshop for the interns), she learned a little bit about every other department in the company.
"A department, like product development, would give a presentation on what they do and how it fits into the mission of the company."
Madison wasn't always in the Manhattan office, either. One day, she tagged along with the video crew during several shoots in the City, and during 'intern takeover day' on TikTok, Tarte hosted a flash sale on Madison's favorite product.
The marketing major says her brand management knowledge grew exponentially over the 10-week internship, but marketing classes on campus prepared her to speak the language in the brand marketing department.
"I wasn't sure what I wanted to do before this internship, but now I know I want to continue in the beauty/fashion industry. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life."
