Beauty

MERIT Flush Balm Cheek Color is the brand’s number two bestseller, and for good reason. This is a cream blush with a lightweight, easy-to-blend texture and satin finish.

The dome shape is a big part of its appeal, because you don’t have to use a brush—you can swipe it directly onto your skin and then blend it out with your fingers. (Fun fact: Guerlain used to have a dome-shaped blush exactly like this back in the day, but it got discontinued. Big mistake. Huge! 😂)

Another reason you’ll love this blush is because of the formula: a sheer balm. It melts into your skin to give you a transparent veil of colour that looks like a realistic flush. It’s buildable, but never cakey. 

Just be aware that it is not acne-safe. Otherwise, they nailed this formula!

The range of 13 shades includes neutrals, brights and classic pinks. My top pick and one of the most versatile shades is Beverly Hills, a soft peachy pink.

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Traditional lipstick can look and feel heavy, but not MERIT Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick. This product is designed to give you a slick of lightweight colour that doesn’t even feel like anything is on your lips.

I’ve tried literally hundreds of lipsticks over the years as a beauty editor, and I have to say—this one lives up to its claims. It’s super comfy, non-drying and not too sheer or opaque. It feels like a lip balm but wears almost like a soft, creamy stain. The formula reminds me a bit of Glossier Generation G, but not quite as sheer or blurred.

There are 17 shades to choose from, divided into nine satins and eight mattes. Most of the colours are very “your lips, only better” (think subtle pinks and browns). So far, my favourite is Millennial, the classic pink. It’s so pretty!

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If you hate mascara that smudges (and don’t we all?), MERIT Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara is for you. This is a tubing mascara that adds length, lift and definition, but won’t ever give you raccoon eyes.

If you’re not familiar with tubing formulas, they wrap each lash in a thin “tube” of polymers instead of just pigment—which means they don’t smudge and remove easily with just water. No makeup remover required!

I consider myself a tubing mascara connoisseur, and this formula is truly one of my all-time favourites. It gives surprisingly good volume and definition, doesn’t clump, and stays put all day long. 

It comes in just the one shade, Perfect Black… which is a fitting name for the perfect mascara. I said what I said!

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For adding colour, shape and volume to your brows, MERIT Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade is one of the best products I’ve found. Yes, I like this tinted brow gel better than Boy Brow and all the rest.

To be clear, it’s not for the person who needs strong hold from their brow gel. (That’s me and I usually just use Benefit 24-HR Brow Setter, which is clear, to shape my brows.) But if you’re someone with sparse brows that lack definition, this product is magic. 

All you do is swipe it back and forth using a “windshield wiper” technique, and it gives you the most gorgeous, fluffy, defined-looking brows. The results are so good, most people probably won’t even need to use a brow pencil with it. It never deposits clumps, and it leaves your brows soft instead of crunchy.

There are four natural-looking shades (I wear Taupe). Since my brows are already full, this is something I’d reach for on a night out to make them even bolder.

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Lip oil has basically replaced lip gloss, and MERIT Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil is one of the best versions to try. Think of it as a hybrid between a gloss and a balm, with sheer colour, high shine, and a moisturizing feel.

I have no notes on the formula—it’s very soft and buttery, without any greasy or sticky feeling. It doesn’t migrate off my lips, and stays put for a decent amount of time (a few hours, unless you have something to eat or drink). 

I’m also pleasantly surprised by how much pigment you get from most of the shades. There are 12 in all, including classic glossy finishes, pearly shimmers, and sheers with pH-adjusting pigments. My favourites are Marrakech, a universally flattering soft peach, and Twin Set, a mauve.

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MERIT Signature Lip Liner Sheer Liner is one of the newest products in the line, and it’s a winner. This is an extremely hydrating, buildable lip pencil that you can use to define your lips or fill them in all-over.

So it’s just another lip liner? Well, no. It glides on far more easily and smoothly, with a creamy, lightweight gel texture that looks softer and more natural on the edges of your lips. The trade-off is that it’s not as long-lasting as waxier lip liners, but personally I’m okay with that. 

There are eight shades, and just like the lip colours, they’re all quite neutral and designed to match natural lip tones. For me, Coupe (cool pink) is perfection. It’s so pretty that I don’t want to wear any other lip liners now!

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When it comes to brow pencils, you want something with a tiny tip that can draw hair-like strokes. MERIT Brow 1990 Sheer Gel Pencil does just that. 

This is a soft gel formula—softer than most—so it’s quick and easy to fill in any gaps in your brows without tugging or pulling. But it sets quickly, so you also don’t need to worry about it smearing on you. It’s very similar to the Dior Brow Styler, a longtime favourite of mine… but this is cheaper!

This one comes in four shades, which match the Brow 1990 brow gel shades. (I wear Taupe in both.)

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MERIT The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick is the brand’s bestseller—a two-in-one foundation and concealer stick that gives you light-to-medium coverage.

The reason I say this won’t work for everyone is because it’s not designed to be used all over the face, like a liquid foundation. It’s a product you swipe on only where you need it—like around your nose and eye area—and then blend out with your fingers or a brush. Blending well is key, because I’ve found that even with a light application, it has the tendency to look a bit cakey up-close (more so than Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick, the closest “dupe”).

The other caution is if you have acne-prone skin. It contains some ingredients that could clog pores (synthetic wax and sorbitan isostearate), especially if you’re applying it to areas like the nose, forehead and chin. 

But if those aren’t dealbreakers for you, it’s a great product—and ideal to keep in your handbag for on-the-go touchups. I love having a “one and done” complexion stick, and the coverage level is excellent. 

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MERIT Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer is a sheer, creamy bronzer in stick form, designed for a natural, sun-kissed effect. You can also use it as a subtle contour.

I gave this a pass for two reasons. One, it contains some potential pore-cloggers, just like the foundation stick. 

The other problem is that the lighter shades, Quince and Clay, are way too orange. If you have cool undertones, it’s just not going to work. Now, obviously I get that bronzer by nature is warm-toned. But here’s the secret: It also needs to have some red pigment to look realistic. (The only brand I know that understands this is RMS Beauty—try the Buriti Bronzer and you’ll see what I mean.)

The three darker shades do appear more balanced, so if you have a medium to deep skin tone, this could work for you. 

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MERIT Day Glow Highlighting Balm is an oil-based highlighter that gives your skin a glow without looking sparkly or glittery. 

This may not be the best choice for acne-prone skin, since it’s high in olive oil, which can clog pores.

Personally, I prefer a more dewy, glassy finish than you can get with this highlighter. Compared to RMS Beauty Living Luminizer and Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlighter Stick, it has a denser concentration of shimmer particles, so the effect isn’t as natural-looking. The four shades all lean warm, too—even the lightest one, Champagne, is more golden than pearly.

Still, it’s very subtle, so most skin tones should be able to make it work. I also appreciate the stick format, which makes it quick and easy to apply. You don’t need a brush; you just swipe it on and blend it out with your fingers.

One more reason you might want to try this product: It has a better price point than RMS Beauty and Westman Atelier.

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MERIT Solo Shadow Matte Eye Color is a cream-to-powder eyeshadow with a matte finish. Since it’s sheer but buildable, you can either apply it with your fingers or an eyeshadow brush for more precision.

I didn’t end up trying this product because the shades and texture are not my jam. How crazy is it that I couldn’t see a single shade that I thought could work for me? There are eight in all—four neutrals and four “statement” colours—but everything is either too warm, too dark or too pink for me.

I’m also not crazy about the matte finish. I think a bit of shimmer and dewiness is generally more flattering (not to mention more forgiving when you’re applying with your fingers). I’d probably be more on board if these came in packaging like ILIA’s Liquid Powder Eye Tints, which makes the application easier to control.

But that’s just my personal preference. If you’re a matte girlie, and the colours are in your wheelhouse, this could be worth a shot.

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MERIT Great Skin Instant Glow Serum is a “bi-phase” serum, which means that it has both an oil layer and a water layer. You need to shake it to mix them, and together, they’ll give your skin a dewy glow under makeup.

Unfortunately, the formula contains a potential irritant (isononyl isononanoate) as well as low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which is inflammatory. It’s also not very hydrating, as it’s lacking essential ingredients to properly support the skin barrier. 

What it does do well is the “glow” part—and I will admit, the effect is gorgeous. If you have oily skin, you may find it too greasy, but drier skin types will drink this right up. If you give it a try, make sure to layer a more supportive serum underneath it.

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MERIT Great Skin Priming Moisturizer is a lightweight, silicone-free moisturizer that doubles as a makeup primer.

This is another product to avoid if you’re acne-prone. It contains several potential triggers, including jojoba butter, stearic acid, algae and sorbitan isostearate. It’s also missing skin-supportive ceramides and cholesterol, so it’s not the most balanced moisturizer.

The other problem I detected in my testing is that it tends to pill if you apply it on its own—even with nothing underneath. You really need to layer it on top of the Instant Glow Serum in order to make it work. 

If you’re willing to do that, it does make a nice primer under The Minimalist, and it doesn’t feel greasy on the skin. 

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MERIT The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 45 is the brand’s latest launch, a mineral sunscreen with a sheer, buildable tint that comes in 15 shades.

Unfortunately, with only 15% zinc oxide, it’s slightly low on protection. (Sunscreens need at least 20% zinc to be truly broad-spectrum.) It also contains an SPF booster, butyloctyl salicylate, which is a modified form of octisalate that brands use to artificially increase their SPF ratings. 

The third potential problem is that it’s formulated with multiple comedogenic ingredients, including lauroyl lysine—one of the worst triggers for breakouts.

If you’re not acne-prone, and you don’t mind that it’s not 100% mineral, I’d suggest treating this like makeup and layering it over a more protective sunscreen.

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