My top 4 products from Merit Beauty

Merit Beauty was first introduced to me while I was scrolling my Instagram feed. It popped up on my explore page after browsing a ton of aesthetic vibe-themed pages. Peppered into an array of product flatlays of gold jewellery, obscurely shaped candles, and high-fashion bookends were Merit Beauty. Other than having no knowledge about the brand, what really piqued my interest was how minimalist everything looked. Especially their packaging – simple but clean elements with their branding engraved in a pleasing gold, it was hard to ignore their branding.

After creeping on their handle and seeing the product used in action, I knew I needed to try them out myself. I was extremely fortunate as their community team reached out to me shortly after to see if I was interested in trying them out. Of course, I said YES! In the last few months, I slowly grew my Merit collection and found myself frequently reaching out to these products to use on the regular.

While I go into detail on my top 4 recommendations to try out if you’re new to Merit Beauty, I’ll also be going into detail as to what products didn’t work for me and why. What may work for me might not work for you and vice versa, but if you’re new to the brand I would give these products a try!

The star of the show for me is Merit’s The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick, it’s been my go-to foundation for the last 4 months. I’m in the shade Cream and I kid you not, this is THE perfect match for me. When I first received this complexion stick, I was pretty skeptical about it. I rarely shop stick foundations considering how I never found one I truly enjoyed before, but I already see myself replenishing on this one.

The formula is absurdly creamy and glides onto the skin like a balm. From the warmth of my skin, the foundation melts seamlessly in with a brush or sponge and looks virtually undetectable on the skin. It’s positioned to be a foundation or concealer and is said to be the only thing you need in your routine. While I won’t argue that it can conceal my dark circles, I do personally prefer a liquid concealer for my under-eye area. You can see close up just how easy the Minimalist from Merit Beauty blends into the skin in my most recent YouTube video below.

I travel so often that it just makes sense to me. The packaging is compact and while it doesn’t look like a lot of product, you need the tiniest amount for a full face complexion. I’ve barely made a dent in my tube after using it almost daily for the last 4 months. It’s also jam-packed with nourishing ingredients that are good for your skin while enhancing the performance of the complexion stick.

• Sea Daffodil Extract: helps diminish the appearance of pigmentation and dark spots
• Fatty Acids: condition skin and lock in moisture

IF there was anything I would recommend you get your hands on from Merit Beauty, it would 100% be The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick. 

Moving on to the newest addition to join my roster and the bridge to completing my perfect complexion routine – Merit Beauty’s Flush Balm Cheek Color in the shade Raspberry Beret. Albeit the shade range is on the smaller side, I found their hues fairly universal and suits most skin tones. I’m on the fair side and opted in to try a colour I don’t already own in my collection.

Raspberry Beret is a deep berry hue that looks much too dark to compliment me, but this sheer formula infused with skincare ingredients looks fabulous on fair skin and deeper complexions! Do you know that cute flush of pink you get when you enjoy a delicious glass of wine? Yeah, I get that same effect from this blush, except I can control where it appears. Those who get Asian glow can understand where I’m coming from.

When applied to the skin, the first thing you’ll notice is how smooth it glides on. One of Merit Beauty’s core brand DNA is adding skincare-loving ingredients to their formulas while removing a list of 73 potential acne-triggering ingredients. Flush Balm has Vitamin E infused into the formula to condition the skin and act as an anti-inflammatory ingredient while silica helps the product blur and glide smoothly onto the skin.

I personally like to apply this onto a brush or the soft fleshy part of my palm to avoid smearing the formula over the foundation as it can make the balm itself look muddy. If I apply it with a brush, I’ll stipple it upwards onto my cheeks and blend in a small circular motion to ensure the blush blends seamlessly into the skin.

If you don’t own a lot of tools, I would highly recommend the second method, applying the product directly onto the fleshy parts of your palm. You’ll notice it has a round shape to begin with and you can warm the product by rubbing both hands together and dabbing it directly onto the cheeks. The warmth coming from your hands will effortlessly melt the balm into your cheeks and leave you with a sheer dewy finish!

Confused? I know, I was too – but check out this video hack here from Glamzilla who tried out Cynth_Pop‘s no tool’s blush application hack!

 

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A post shared by Stephanie Valentine (@glamzilla)

If you’re new to makeup, this has been one of my favourite tricks I’ve tried and added to my routine. It works SO WELL with Merit Beauty’s Flush Balm. Pro-tip: On the go or travelling? Flush Balm also works as a lip enhancer if you want to save time and space and create an easy monochromatic look!

Third on the list is Merit Beauty’s Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade in the shade Soft Black. While I will say the shade range for this pomade is limited, I can also understand it from a product development side. Statistically speaking they created the most used shades that can complement different tones where applicable. I’m eager to see whether or not they’ll be expanding the range for this product as I’m obsessed with the formula!

Now, this here is one of those products that work wonders for me but may not work for you. I’ve been blessed with naturally good brows so I tend to stray away from a brow product that isn’t in the form of a gel, pen, or pomade that can be applied with a spoolie. Using traditional brow products with a more traditional application such as a pencil or powder makes my brows look heavy. While Brow 1980 can be built-up to the right density and pigmentation that you’re looking for, it’s perfect for me to apply this in one thin coat, giving my brows a nice tint while lifting the hairs up to create that fluffy brow look.

On the flip side, if you don’t have many natural brow hairs to begin with this may not work for you. While it is a volumizing pomade, it does need some hair in place to grip on to so it can build itself up. You won’t get the same effect of applying product onto the skin as you would with a traditional pencil or pomade that needs to be applied with a brush.

My favourite thing about Brow 1980 is a mix of the formula, how tapered and tiny their applicator is, and the packaging. The packaging feels so luxe yet simple, while adorned in a flattering gold tone that sits perfectly on the vanity. When you hold it, there’s some weight to it that feels right holding it in your hands. Opening the tube, the applicator comes from the longer end giving you more room to hold and rotate around the get the perfect angles to coat your brows.

Then you have the formula – this may be the first mineral-based brow formula I’ve used and a little goes a long way. I personally need to remove excess from the brush using the stopper so I can apply a thin layer, but if you needed to build your brows, this does it. The pigmentation enhances your natural brow colour and leaves your brows looking thicker with each coat with the use of Kaolin Clay. Following the brand DNA, it also has the nourishing Vitamin B5 infused into the formula to encourage fuller healthier brows while adding flexibility to your brows. Once the product has dried down after application, it still feels natural and doesn’t have that crunch texture you get from traditional brow gels.

The last recommendation on my list is for those who have crazy dry lips as I do, the Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil. I’m not one who’s known for applying products to the lip other than the occasional lip balm or oil, and I’ll go into more detail about that in a bit but I have nothing but praises for their tinted lip oils!

If you have dry lips where dead skin clings onto or looks wrinkly from lack of moisture, this tinted lip oil deeply penetrates and nourishes the lips to bring back natural fullness. If I’m at home and need a bit of TLC to my lips, I would apply a thin layer of Bel Air, a clear shade with gold shimmer mixed into the formula. But if I was going out I love the shade Marrakech – a soft peach nude that pairs well with a deeper lip liner or wear it on its own! The texture of these lip oils is thin and hydrating and leaves a light hue on the lips that lasts long once the oil has dissipated. Tints have been my go-to for lip products for the last few years as I’ve grown tired of heavy matte formulas or even a satin creme finish.

When it comes to my lips I would like to believe I’m more low maintenance, but the reality is I just don’t have the feeling of product on my lips. Merit Beauty’s tinted lip oils feel virtually weightless to me and penetrate deeply into my lips infused with a cocktail blend of good-for-you ingredients:

• Rosehip Oil: Provide antioxidant benefits
• Omega 3, 6 & 9: Essential fatty acids encourage healthy barrier function
• Shea Butter: Deeply nourishes and hydrates
• Grapeseed Oil: Condition and soften lips
• Jojoba Oil: Creates a protective barrier to help to lock in moisture

The doe-foot applicator evenly delivers a seamless coat in a single swipe and is small enough to leave a precise clean line with their tint. I intend to try their deeper shades of the tint to see how it stains the lip over time. And can we take a moment to speak about the luxe packaging? Every single product Merit Beauty has released so far conceptually is simple and clean yet feels luxe enough to display on your vanity.

Before I end this post (I know, it’s a long one, but if you made it this far then I thank you so much for reading!), I would love to go over a few products that are worth mentioning and checking out but just wasn’t it for me. I’ll keep this short as a SparkNotes version!

• Day Glow Highlighting Balm in Cava – It may be due to the fact that I rarely apply highlighter nowadays, my skin is also on the oily combination side. This highlighter looks beautiful in the tube but on my skin, it enhanced the look of oils on my face more than anything. While dewy and sheer in the reflects, it wasn’t suited for my specific skin type but I would recommend this to those who are more on the dry side and love a natural highlighter!
• Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick – The newest addition to Merit Beauty’s collection, I love the aesthetic and packaging of this lipstick! Even though the word lightweight is in the name and I don’t doubt it, I would rarely opt for a traditional lipstick to a balm, tint, or gloss. It carries a wide range of nude shades and has impactful skin-infused ingredients to nourish your lips, I would recommend this to those who love a good lipstick and wear them on a daily.
• Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara – I have heard so many raving reviews about this and went out to get this after seeing it receive an Allure Best of Beauty award. I don’t have a lot of favourite mascaras, really, I can only name two and they’re both from Asia. But because of that I also rate my mascaras harshly as my lashes can never hold a curl. While this does tint and lengthen my lashes beautifully without clumping, it’s also meant to lift with the help of Rice Bran Wax. Some formulas I’ve tried using rice bran DOES hold my curl, but with Clean Lash it lost its hold within half an hour of application. It was promising at first and I wear this on days I don’t necessarily need the lift, but when I go out I prefer a strong hold that lasts throughout the night.
• Brush No.1 Blending Brush – What more can I say? It’s a brush. Yes, it blends magically and pairs the best with their selection of products, I also own way too many brushes for my own good. If you’re just starting out in building a beauty routine for yourself and don’t have any tools, I would recommend this brush as it’s multi-functional and is small to bring on the go with you.

And there you have it! My top 4 recommendations from Merit Beauty from their entire range. While the price tag for Merit Beauty’s range is on the higher end of my budget, I find their collection is 100% worth the price point. Their high-performing formula promises quality while infusing the best of beauty with skincare and are multifunctional. The packaging feels and looks luxurious and even with daily use, their foundation stick has barely made a dent and lasted me so long. If you’re interested in adding Merit Beauty to your routine, please check out my affiliate link here – while I can’t offer you a discount, it does help me out as I earn a small percentage of commission from each purchase!

*This blog post contains gifted products and affiliate links on which I may earn commission on. However, all reviews and opinions are unbiased and remain my own. Please reach out to me on the contact page if you would like to use my images or collaborate on a post.