You can find Tarte’s cruelty-free products at tartecosmetics.com, Sephora, Ulta, and on Amazon.

Tarte is *Cruelty-Free

Tarte has confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf. Their suppliers also do not test on animals, nor do they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law. And finally, their products are not sold in stores in mainland China or any other country that may require animal testing.

By our standards, we would consider Tarte to be *Cruelty-Free.

*Tarte is owned by Kose, a corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because they allow some of their other brands to test on animals.

It’s your choice whether you want to support or boycott cruelty-free brands owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer to this. I encourage you to do what you’re comfortable with, but I think it’s important to disclose that Kose owns Tarte Cosmetics.

Below is what’s currently stated on Tarte’s website:

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

Tarte has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.

As of May 1, 2021, some imported ordinary cosmetics can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, for the most part, animal testing is still legally required for most imported cosmetics in 2022.

Cruelty-Free Policies

Note that there is no legal definition for the label ‘Cruelty-Free.’ It can mean different things to different people. But Cruelty-Free is generally used to imply no animal testing. More specifically, the ingredients, formulation, or finished product are not tested on animals at any stage of product development.

At ethical elephant, we always assess a company’s cruelty-free policy using our Cruelty-Free Checklist. This ensures no animal testing was performed by the brand itself, its suppliers, or any third parties.

Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.

Tarte is Not 100% Vegan

‘Vegan’ in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand that is 100% Vegan or a specific product is vegan.

In the case of Tarte, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.

The following is what’s currently stated on Tarte’s website about its vegan product offering:

How to know which of Tarte’s products are vegan?

All of Tarte’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website. See below for an example.

Tarte Vegan Product List

As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of Tarte’s vegan products as all of their vegan products are now clearly marked. Check their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information on which products are vegan or not.

Below is a list of Tarte products that are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

Face

Foundation Tarte Vegan

• amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation
• amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation
• amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer
• babassu foundcealer™ skincare foundation
• BB Tinted Treatment 12-hour Primer
• clay Stick Foundation
• face tape™ foundation
• maracuja tinted moisturizer
• rainforest of the Sea Water Foundation
• shape Tape Matte Foundation
• sugar rush™ skin treat blurring skin tint
• water foundation

Concealer Tarte Vegan

• aquacealer Concealer
• colored clay CC primer
• creaseless concealer
• hydrocealer concealer
• shape Tape Concealer

Prime & Set Tarte Vegan

• base tape hydrating primer
• colored Clay CC Primer
• filtered Light Setting Powder
• first step prep moisture reset cream
• lid Lock Clay Eye Base
• poreless Mattifying Primer
• rainforest of the Sea 4-in-1 Setting Mist
• rainforest of the Sea™ quench hydrating primer
• ready, Set, Radiant Skin Mist
• set & go mineral powder
• shape Tape 12-hour Eye Primer Stick
• shape tape™ pore & prime balm
• shape tape™ pressed powder
• shape tape setting powder
• shape tape™ stay spray vegan setting spray
• smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder
• smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Pressed Finishing Powder

Blush, Bronze, Highlighter Tarte Vegan

• amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer
• amazonian clay waterproof bronzer
• breezy cream bronzer
• brighter days highlighting moisturizer
• don’t Be Afraid to Dazzle Contour Highlight Palette
• goddess Glow Highlighter
• life of the party clay blush palette & clutch
• shape tape glow wand
• skin gloss glass highlighter
• skin Twinkle Lighting Palette
• sugar rush™ beach cheeks cream blush
• sugar rush™ fresh & frosted highlighter palette
• sugar rush™ sun & fun baked bronzer
• sugar rush™ sweet slice eye & cheek palette
• the Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer
• treaure pot glitter gel

Eyes

Mascara & Lashes Tarte Vegan

• big ego™ vegan mascara
• gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara
• lash paint™ mascara
• lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara
• lifted Sweatproof Mascara
• sugar rush™ lights, camera, lashes 4-in-1 mascara™
• surfer curl™ volumizing mascara
• Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara
• Tarteist PRO Cruelty-free Lashes
• Tarteist PRO Lash Adhesive

Brows Tarte Vegan

• Amazonian Clay Volumizing Brow & Hair Powder
• Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse
• Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Pencil
• Busy Gal BROWS Tinted Brow Gel
• double take eyeliner
• fill service™ brow brush & spoolie
• frameworker™ brow pomade
• sketch & set™ brow pencil & tinted gel
• Tarteist Clear Brow Gel

Eyeliners Tarte Vegan

• double duty beauty™ easy on the eyes clay liner
• Fake Awake Eye Highlight
• Lighters, Camera, Lashes Precision Longwear Liquid Eyeliner
• Maneater Liquid Eyeliner
• Sex Kitten Eyeliner
• Sex Kitten Liquid Liner
• So Fine Micro Liner
• sugar rush™ easy on the eyes clay liner
• sugar rush™ preppy precision liner
• Tarteist Clay Paint Liner – Black, Gold, Silver
• Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner
• tarteist™ REMIX double take eyeliner

Eyeshadow Palette Tarte Vegan

• lid lock clay eye base
• liquid chrome paint metallic pigment
• Rainforest of the Sea limited-edition eyeshadow palette
• Rainforest of the Sea Foil Finger Paints Shadow Palette
• Rainforest of the Sea Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette Vol. III
• Rainforest of the Sea™ seaglass eyeshadow
• sugar rush™ cosmic glitter
• sugar rush™ goals goals goals eyeshadow palette
• sugar rush™ lid poppers glitter & adhesive
• sugar rush™ limited-edition surf babe eye & cheek palette
• sugar rush™ summer playlist eye & cheek palette
• sugar rush™ sunbeams & daydreams eyeshadow palette set

Lips

• busy gal gloss
• Color Splash Hydrating Lipstick
• crystal crème lip cream
• Drench Lip Splash Lipstick
• jelly glaze anytime lip mask
• Lippie Lingerie Matte Tint
• LipSurgence Lip Gloss
• LipSurgence Skintuitive Lip Gloss
• maneater™ plump & prowl lip plumper
• Maracuja Juicy Lip
• Quench Lip Rescue
• sting zing lip plumping serum
• sugar rush™ best bud lip butter balm
• sugar rush™ couple goals double-ended lip gloss
• sugar rush™ lip sip vegan lip oil
• sugar rush™ sugar coat velvet liquid lipstick
• Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint
• Tarteist Glossy Lip Paint
• tarteist™ holographic lip gloss
• Tarteist Lip Bling
• The Lip Sculptor Lipstick & Lip gloss

Brushes

• All Tarte Makeup Brushes are Vegan

Skincare

• baba bomb
• base tape hydrating primer
• blot party on-the-go mattifiers
• Brazilliance™ 2HR express deep foaming self-tanner
• Brighter Days Highlighting Moisturizer
• busy gal base-ics complexion essentials set
• clean queen vegan deodorant
• cosmic maracuja concentrated face balm
• Deep Dive Cleansing Gel
• Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturizer
• frxxxtion stick 3-in-1 exfoliating cleanser
• gleam beam shimmer spray
• knockout brightening gel moisturizer
• knockout daily exfoliating cleanser
• knockout tingling treatment
• Pack Your Bags Undereye Patches
• Rainforest of the Sea 4-in-1 Setting Mist
• Rainforest of the Sea™ deep sea collagen super serum
• Rainforest of the Sea™ quench hydrating primer
• Ready, Set, Radiant Skin Mist
• maracuja C-brighter™ eye treatment
• Maracuja Neck Treatment
• Maracuja Oil
• mermaid skin™ hyaluronic H2O serum
• micellar magic makeup remover & cleanser
• set & go mineral powder
• shape tape™ moisturizer
• shape tape™ pore & prime balm
• shape tape™ waterproof body makeup
• sugar rush™ cake butter whipped body butter
• sugar rush™ coco-nuts about you makeup removing biodegradable wipes
• sugar rush™ don’t hate, hydrate oil-free moisturizer
• sugar rush™ shimmertime body oil
• sugar rush™ squeezy clean face wash
• sugar rush™ star factor cleansing face brush
• sugar rush™ treat yo selfie drying solution
• Tight & Bright Clay Multi-Mask
• youth or dare™ multi-acid & C serum

Vegan Policies

Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it’s usually used in the context to describe something that doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.

Some common animal products used in cosmetics include carmine, lanolin, snail mucus, beeswax, honey, pearl or silk-derived ingredients, animal-based glycerin, keratin, and squalene.

There are plant-based and synthetic alternatives to animal-derived ingredients. But it’s sometimes difficult to know with certainty whether a product is vegan just by reading the ingredient list.

So it’s best to ask the company and manufacturers to ensure the ingredients they’ve chosen to use were from non-animal sources.

Where are Tarte’s products made?

When I asked Tarte Cosmetics where their products are manufactured, they told me:

“Our formulas and products are very important to us, so we work with respected suppliers and manufacturers in the US, Europe and other countries abroad who have strong expertise in beauty and packaging materials.”

I also noticed that some of their products state where they’re made in the product description on their website.

*Note: Cosmetics made in China are not required to be tested on animals. Only cosmetics that are imported and sold in physical stores in mainland China are required to be tested on animals according to China’s animal testing laws.

Ethical Mica Mining Policy

Mica is a mineral that’s used in cosmetics to add a shimmery effect. But the mining of natural mica has been linked to child labor and human rights violations.

Unless the company discloses its mica mining policy, we have no way of knowing whether its mica is ethically sourced without child or forced labor.

So I asked Tarte if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,

“Thanks for contacting tarte Customer Service. Our formulas and products are very important to us, so we work with respected suppliers and manufacturers in the US, Europe and other countries abroad who have strong expertise in beauty and packaging materials. These suppliers and manufacturers are audited to prevent slavery and human trafficking in our supply chain.

All ingredients and finished formulas tarte uses are tested and based on US FDA requirements before being imported or sold in the US. We only work with highly reputable laboratories and factories that meet the strictest GMP standards, which is an international grading scale for cleanliness and the environment for workers that abide by a strict code of standards.”

Tarte claims their suppliers and manufacturers are audited to prevent slavery and human trafficking in their supply chain. However, they didn’t specifically address the ethical sourcing of their mica and it’s not clear where Tarte sources their mica from.

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I hope this article helped you to understand Tarte’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!