Behind the Baddie: Maureen Kelly

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Before Shape Tape, there was a Ziploc bag.

And inside that Ziploc was a homemade cheek stain.

Created by a PhD dropout named Maureen Kelly, in her one-bedroom New York apartment because she was tired of putting junk on her skin and she knew other women were, too.

In the late 90s, Maureen took that cheek stain to the beauty buyers at Henri Bendel (Carrie Bradshaw’s favorite department store) and pitched it herself.

No PR firm. No agency. Just a prototype and conviction.

They said yes. It sold out in a week.

That was the beginning of Tarte.

A product that worked, a woman who believed in it, and a world that hadn’t seen anything quite like it yet.

While the business was rising, Maureen’s personal life was shaken. In 2001, her husband was killed in the 9/11 attacks. She was left to grieve while running a growing company and raising their baby boy.

She kept going.

Not in a cliché way, but in a what else is there to do but build something meaningful? kind of way.

Over the next two decades, Maureen didn’t just keep up with the beauty industry - she created the milestones that moved it forward. Now, Tarte Cosmetics is one of the best-selling brands in all of your favorite stores.

You’ve heard of influencer brand trips? She practically invented them.

Tarte was flying creators to the Maldives before Instagram had Stories. Before TikTok existed. Before most of us even knew what a YouTuber was.

When we were still posting blurry food pics to our grids with the Paris filter, Maureen had already turned social media into a global marketing engine.

That Necker Island trip everyone was talking about last year? It’s not a trend. It’s a tradition.

Tarte is the standard that brands are chasing.

The brand grew, sold, evolved. And through it all, Maureen remained in charge. She’s still CEO. Still creating. Still trusting her gut over groupthink.

If you’ve ever questioned your timeline, wondered if your origin story is too scrappy, or worried that your grief might get in the way?

Let Maureen be your reminder: You can build beauty out of heartbreak.

You can define an entire category from your kitchen.

And you can change the game… before the world even knows what game you’re playing.

Xo, The Salesgirls