How Salesforce and LYONSCG Powered Tarte Cosmetics’ Digital Makeover

When Tarte Cosmetics founder Maureen Kelly dropped out of her PhD program at Columbia University in 1999 to make beauty products in her New York City apartment, creating an innate digital experience for her budding brand wasn’t top of mind, but concocting makeup with natural ingredients was. Despite not having any physical stores of its own, Tarte quickly earned shelf space at renowned retailers such as Sephora and Ulta, elevating the brand to cult status.

Today, customers continue to gravitate toward Tarte’s eco-chic, cruelty free cosmetics, and the brand’s popularity has proliferated due to its massive social media following. However, buying cosmetics is a deeply personal, interactive experience and Tarte’s previous ecommerce website didn’t reflect that. With inconsistent branding, a complex customer shopping journey, and a platform that couldn’t support international business or traffic spikes, Tarte needed a digital makeover to meet customer demands. The company enlisted Lyons Consulting Group (LYONSCG), part of Capgemini Group and a Salesforce Partner, to handle the job.

Built on Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Tarte’s new website captures the natural spirit of the brand while driving operational excellence. The site earned Tarte the number two spot on prominent business intelligence firm L2’s “Digital IQ Index: Beauty” – making it the first independently owned brand to be ranked in the Genius class by L2. In addition, Tarte products can now be purchased in and shipped to 190 countries around the world.

"LYONSCG built a truly stunning site with sophisticated functionality that engages customers throughout the shopping journey," said Stephanie Urban, Senior Director of Digital Marketing at Tarte Cosmetics.

Key integrations helped Tarte streamline order management and content deployment, and even enabled the company to create a specific website for customers located in the EU and UK, complete with a solution for managing differences in taxes.

"LYONSCG’s extensive knowledge of Salesforce Commerce Cloud, combined with the talent of its creative team, made it the ideal agency for our project,” said Urban.

Beyond operational efficiencies, the new site goes above and beyond with features that make online shopping feel personal, no matter where you are or what device you’re using. From the Custom Videos Page full of makeup tutorials to the Foundation Finder that helps shoppers determine the best foundation for their unique skin tone, LYONSCG succeeded in leveraging Salesforce to create a unique digital experience.

For more details on Tarte’s digital makeover, see LYONSCG’s announcement here.