Tarte's Shape Tape Foundation launched in 15 shades — after Fenty reset the bar to 40

On 15 January 2018, Tarte released its Shape Tape Foundation in two formulas — hydrating and matte — each in only 15 shades. The Shape Tape concealer it extended had been a viral hit; the foundation was one of the most anticipated launches of the year. But of the 15 shades, roughly the first nine were near-identical light tones, and reviewers could find only about three for deep skin. Beauty creator MakeupShayla put it plainly: 'when you get to deeper skin tones there's really only like three.'

The launch landed five months after Rihanna's Fenty Beauty had opened with 40 shades and made inclusivity the new entry price for a foundation. Against that benchmark, Tarte's range read as a step backwards. Jackie Aina, unable to find a match, called Tarte 'the most whitewashed brand out there' and said 'this brand just embodies the exact opposite of what I stand for.' Alissa Ashley told the brand directly: 'Enough is enough and you guys need to be more inclusive.'

Tarte's response, posted to Instagram, was the moment the case turned. The brand admitted 'the final shade range that we launched was definitely not a full representation of all of you,' and explained it had 'wanted to get the product out as fast as possible, and made the decision to move forward before all the shades were ready to go.' Founder and CEO Maureen Kelly added: 'I made a mistake and let all my Tartlettes down.' Critics read the admission not as a fix but as a confession that the launch date had been ranked above finishing the shade range.