Tamra Judge is calling out Lisa Barlow, accusing the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star of deliberately creating moments on camera in hopes of landing brand partnerships.
During multiple episodes of Two Ts in a Pod, Tamra and Teddi Mellencamp discussed Lisa’s increasingly noticeable habit of applying lip liner during RHOSLC scenes, questioning whether it was a genuine beauty routine or a calculated attempt to attract the attention of cosmetics companies.
And Tamra didn’t stop with Lisa’s lip liner. She also criticized the musical performance Lisa and Meredith Marks staged during the season, arguing that RHOSLC has become too focused on manufacturing viral moments.
The conversation began when Teddi brought up a recent RHOSLC episode in which Lisa was repeatedly seen applying lip liner.
“Lisa still was putting that stuff on her lips,” Teddi observed.
Tamra immediately suggested that the repeated application was intentional.
“I think it was her thing. Like I think she was trying to make a point out of it,” Tamra responded.
When Teddi questioned what point Lisa was supposedly trying to make, Tamra compared the lip liner to another reality television prop.
“Another one of those props,” Tamra explained.
She then predicted that Lisa’s constant use of the product could lead to a business opportunity.
“She’ll probably get a lip liner contract next,” Tamra remarked.
Teddi continued the conversation by pointing out that Lisa had bragged about being able to apply lip liner without using a mirror.
When Teddi asked whether Tamra could do the same, Tamra simply responded, “Nope.”
But Teddi wasn’t finished questioning whether Lisa had a bigger plan behind the beauty routine.
“Do you think this is Lisa’s big go-to? To get like some sort of cosmetic thing going on next?” Teddi asked.
“Uh huh. It’s like Wendy’s all over again,” Tamra replied, referencing Lisa’s previous partnership with the fast-food chain.
Teddi laughed and joked that Lisa might eventually land a collaboration with e.l.f. Cosmetics.
“Soon it’ll be e.l.f. Cosmetics,” Teddi said.
“Yeah,” Tamra responded.
The comments come after Lisa’s love of Wendy’s became one of her most recognizable personality traits on RHOSLC.
Throughout her time on the show, Lisa has frequently spoken about her love of fast food, especially Wendy’s, even while maintaining her glamorous lifestyle.
Her enthusiasm eventually translated into a promotional partnership with the restaurant chain.
For Tamra, that success appeared to raise questions about whether Lisa was now deliberately trying to create another memorable product moment that could lead to a similar opportunity.
And during another episode of Two Ts in a Pod, Tamra expanded on her criticism while discussing Lisa and Meredith’s musical performance.
During RHOSLC Season 7, the two women teamed up as the Glam Kittens and performed a song titled “Hypocrisy and Bullshit” during Bronwyn Newport’s disco-themed party.
The performance included repeated references to hypocrisy, betrayal and manipulation, with Bronwyn interpreting the lyrics as a personal attack.
The situation quickly escalated, leaving Bronwyn upset and prompting another confrontation among the women.
But Tamra wasn’t particularly impressed by the musical moment.
When Teddi asked what she thought about the performance, Tamra described it as “performative” and suggested that the show was becoming increasingly calculated.
“This show has become a little bit performative with the song, the lip liner constantly being put on,” Tamra said.
She noted that Lisa had once again been shown applying the product during the episode.
“She did it again this episode. And she made sure you could see it was MAC,” Tamra continued.
Tamra then connected Lisa’s on-camera behavior to her previous Wendy’s partnership.
“So she thinks, well, if I got a Wendy’s commercial, maybe MAC will give me a commercial.”
For Tamra, the problem wasn’t necessarily that a Housewife might receive a brand deal.
Instead, she argued that some reality stars have become too aware of what moments could attract attention from companies and social media.
“It’s just, it’s a little bit too performative for me,” Tamra explained.
“They’re too self-aware of what is going on and what potentially can go on.”
Tamra compared the situation to her own experience landing a promotional deal after using a cleaning product on RHOC.
“Like back in the day, I was cleaning my floors with a Swiffer or something and I was just doing it because I was doing it, then I got a deal with Swiffer,” she recalled.
Her point was that the sponsorship came after an ordinary moment was captured on camera, rather than from an attempt to create a recognizable product placement.
Tamra suggested that reality television has changed considerably since the early days of Housewives, when cast members were less aware of the potential financial opportunities that could come from memorable scenes.
But while Tamra questioned Lisa’s intentions, there is an interesting development in the story.
Lisa has since partnered with MAC Cosmetics.
The RHOSLC star recently appeared in a MAC beauty campaign and collaborated with the company on curated lip combinations inspired by her signature look.
In October, MAC featured Lisa in its digital MACzine publication and introduced lip products based on the combinations she has become known for wearing.
The partnership came shortly after Lisa’s constant lip liner application became a major talking point on RHOSLC.
However, Lisa has maintained that her relationship with MAC goes back decades.
She has explained that she has been using the brand since the 1990s, long before joining Bravo or becoming known for her signature lip liner routine.
According to Lisa, her love of MAC isn’t something she recently developed for television, but a longstanding part of her beauty regimen.