A group of influencers are on a private jet to Bora Bora. They sip Veuve Clicquot, sample caviar and dance in their seats to Fergie’s “Glamorous.”
Welcome to Trippin’ with Tarte, a promotional extravaganza sponsored by the beauty brand Tarte Cosmetics, a company known for regularly inviting social media influencers on lavish trips.
For those not on the guest list, TikTok and Instagram have provided a front-row seat to the spectacle of influencers having a glorious time, and the Tarte excursions have become social media’s version of a hit reality TV series.
The Fergie-underscored video, posted on TikTok by the online creator Abby Baffoe, has been viewed 1.3 million times since Friday. The reaction has been decidedly mixed, with some commenters expressing annoyance with the conspicuous consumption on display and suggesting that they may be suffering from influencer fatigue, a weariness with content that has become the stuff of social media cliché.
“I’ve been influenced! To buy any brand but Tarte,” one TikTok user commented.
The 30 influencers on the four-night trip, as well as their plus ones, stayed at the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora in bungalows atop crystal blue waters. Their rooms were filled with gifts, including luggage, clothing, swimsuits, beauty products and record players. On social media, the influencers chronicled their activities — getting makeovers, snorkeling, jet skiing, partying by the pool, playing with dogs from a nearby animal shelter (to which Tarte made a hefty donation) and imbibing plenty of cocktails.
