On August 22, the Santa Monica Pier turned into a beauty stage. The Ferris wheel glowed, cameras lit up, and the viral K-beauty brand TIRTIR threw a launch party that marked its arrival at Ulta Beauty. The guest list read like a social-media beauty hall of fame: Mikayla Nogueira Hawkin, Manny MUA, and Laura Lee joined editors, influencers, and fans for an oceanfront evening where compact mirrors flashed like disco balls.
The vibe was equal parts glamour and fun. Guests shade-matched foundations under string lights, sipped cocktails on the patio, and personalized compacts of TIRTIR’s cult Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation. Selfie stations and an interactive truck—adorned with the brand’s four animated character girls, Lizzy, Kai, Nyla, and Calista—set the Y2K-bright tone. “It felt like a music tour stop more than a product launch,” one attendee whispered between snapshots.
Santa Monica: The Big Debut
The evening opened with Mikayla Nogueira addressing the crowd.
“Hi everyone, thank you so much for coming out on a Friday night to celebrate this with us,” she began. “I wanted to share how I discovered TIRTIR. I remember receiving the biggest, most obnoxious red box in the mail. Inside was the Cushion Foundation, and I filmed a TikTok video. It went viral. Since then, so many of us have fallen in love with it. The coverage is beautiful, the finish is flawless, and it lasts. And the name ‘Mask Fit’ comes from the fact that during Covid, this cushion was made to stay put even under a mask.”
The crowd cheered, phones raised to capture the moment. Manny MUA and Laura Lee mixed with fans and editors, shade-matching foundations under string lights. Guests personalized compacts, grabbed stickers and keychains, and lined up for selfies by TIRTIR’s custom truck—its sides plastered with the brand’s four animated characters, Lizzy, Kai, Nyla, and Calista, each designed to reflect different skin tones and personalities. The Santa Monica launch wasn’t just an introduction; it felt like a pop concert turned product drop. By the end of the night, TIRTIR had cemented itself not just as a viral brand, but as an event.
The Grove: A Weekend of Access
If Santa Monica provided the spectacle, The Grove delivered the access. The following weekend, TIRTIR parked its truck at LA’s open-air shopping hub, creating a hands-on experience for Angelenos.
“This is proof of activation,” said Leila, TIRTIR’s head of marketing, during our interview on site. “From LA to Miami and Chicago, we’re building direct connections—shade matching, giveaways, and character stories—so people can see themselves in the brand.”
Inclusivity, she emphasized, isn’t marketing fluff. “Each of our four characters represents different skin tones and personalities. We want everyone to feel reflected. And we focus on refillable, affordable formats because beauty should be accessible.”
Crowds at The Grove leaned in, swapping TikToks and merch. For Leila, it signaled the brand’s positioning: “We don’t copy. We pioneer. We listen to customers, then create products that feel different.”
What’s Next
The TIRTIR truck tour now heads to Miami (Aug. 31–Sept. 1), Chicago (Sept. 6), and New York (Sept. 12–13) before jumping to Europe with stops in London, Milan, Paris, and Berlin. In Ulta, the expansion continues: beyond the Red Cushion Foundation and concealers, expect seasonal sets and U.S. exclusives shaped by feedback from these activations.
Santa Monica gave the glamour. The Grove gave the access. Together, they set the stage for TIRTIR’s next act: a global K-beauty brand rooted in inclusivity, fun, and the kind of beauty moments that feel like concerts, not campaigns.
Need-to-Know: tirtir.global
📍 Celebration: Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica
Pop-Up Truck: 189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles
🔗 https://www.instagram.com/ultabeauty/?hl=en
📲 Follow: @TIRTIR_global @Ultabeauty
Photo credits: Photos courtesy of Innovative PR and TirTir
