Before her name was on a best-selling beauty bundle, Tianna Robillard was winning over one woman at a time with her vision, a camera, and a whole lot of hustle.
Tianna’s content has been a must-watch for hundreds of thousands on social media, known for being unapologetically real—which caught the attention of some pretty notable followers, including Tarte founder and CEO Maureen Kelly. In 2024, Tianna began a true relationship with the brand, securing her an invitation to join Tarte for a trip to Bora Bora. And she didn’t just celebrate—she cried.
“Tarte was the first brand to really take a chance on me,” she told The Newsette. “I remember sitting on the couch thinking, there’s no way this is happening—I made it.”
That trip marked the start of something bigger than either side could have planned. What began as a genuine connection between a creator and a brand evolved into a highly buzzed-about collaboration: the Tianna x Tarte Bundle, a curated collection of Tianna’s everyday essentials—complete with a hand-sketched red boot charm inspired by her signature style. The bundle began selling instantly upon release, which Maureen chalks up to the collab being so real.
For Maureen, that authenticity was the entire point. “She’s the definition of [that]. You can feel it through the screen. Tianna is that girl who hypes you up, checks in on you, [and] makes you feel like you belong. She’s kind, confident, and completely real—and that’s exactly what Tarte stands for. Collaborating with her just felt effortless, like working with your best friend.”
From Red Boots to Bestsellers
Before there was a bundle, there was a bit of a recurring inside joke: Tianna was always forgetting her makeup bag.
“I’d go on trips, realize I left all my makeup at home, and end up buying mini versions of my favorite Tarte products at Sephora,” she said while laughing. “It became a thing. So eventually we were like—why don’t we just build a bundle of my real-life go-tos?”
That everyday practicality became the foundation of the collection: five multitasking products designed to create a quick, fresh, confident look—one that Tianna says she can do in just seven minutes. “I’m the girl on the go,” she explained. “One week I’m front row at Fashion Week, the next I’m at an NBA game or traveling for work. I need products that help me look and feel my best in any setting—and fast.”
Her creative fingerprints are all over the project, down to the boot-shaped charm that hangs from each bundle. “It’s a red boot moment,” she said. “That’s my thing. You can clip it onto your keys, your bag—whatever makes you feel a little extra.”
Freedom, Trust, and Full Creative Control
For Tianna, the collaboration was about more than beauty—it was about being seen. “Tarte let me have full creative freedom. Not just on the bundle itself, but how it was shot, marketed, and presented. That level of trust means everything to me.”
Maureen added that the decision to build the bundle was a no-brainer. “We didn’t have to create new products,” she said. “We just pulled her real-life favorites—and that’s why it’s resonating. It’s authentic. It’s her exact routine. When something comes from that kind of honesty, it connects.”
And connect it did. Maureen said that on day one she was already being flagged with excitement for the extreme popularity. Within hours of launch, the Tianna Bundle was nearly impossible to find. “My CFO was like, are you kidding me? It’s been amazing to see how people are responding to something so real.”