I was totally influenced by some ads that I’ve seen recently on social media to try out some products from Merit Beauty. They have dubbed themselves the minimalist beauty brand, selling only the essential makeup products that are good for your skin and the earth. In this post, I’m doing a Merit Beauty review including what products I tried and my honest thoughts. I bought five products from their line to try out. I’m sharing what I thought of each one below.
Just a note that this post is unsponsored; however, links to products in this post are affiliate links, and I earn a small commission if you purchase items using those links. Also a quick disclaimer that I’m just a consumer reviewing these products based on my personal experience. My skin type leans toward the dry side so I can’t comment on how well these products work for oily skin.
Merit Beauty Review
About The Brand
Like I said above, Merit Beauty has designated themselves the minimalist beauty brand. They only sell beauty essentials for those who want a quick makeup routine that looks natural and effortless. Compared to other beauty brands, Merit has significantly smaller product line with only 9 products available as of right now. I really love this concept as I’m easily overwhelmed with options when it comes to beauty products. Their product line includes a bronzer, lipstick, cheek color, complexion stick, blending brush, highlighter, mascara, brow gel, and tinted lip oil. The line is in the mid-range price point with prices ranging from $24 to $38.
They also claim to be a clean beauty brand. As someone who has had health issues in the past and tries to lower my exposure to possible harmful ingredients, I appreciate that they are certified to the EU’s standards (U.S. standards are not as strict.) I understand that this is a personal choice and the debate on ‘clean beauty’ is very divided. I’m no expert so I recommend doing your own research on this.
Merit Beauty also adds ingredients to their products that are nourishing to the skin like squalane and antioxidants, and their site mentions that they are vegan and cruelty free and try to limit virgin plastic in their packaging.
The Products I Tried
I tried five products from Merit Beauty including the complexion stick, blending brush, cheek color, sheer bronzer, and tinted lip oil. I’ll review each in more detail below.
The Complexion Stick and Blending Brush
The complexion stick is marketed as a foundation and concealer in one. It provides a light to medium coverage that is buildable. This product felt super light weight and not cakey. I hate when foundations are too heavy, and this one felt like wearing nothing on my skin.
When I first ordered some products from Merit, I didn’t order the blending brush. I normally use a beauty blender from Target to apply my foundation and concealer. However, I found that this product was a little more stiff and didn’t blend very well with my beauty blender. I’m used to the Ilia Serum Foundation which is a liquid and blends more easily. This product definitely needs a foundation brush to apply. Once I ordered the blending brush, the complexion stick blended much better and felt really good on my skin.
I also found that the color that I bought did not work as well for a concealer. Essentially, I didn’t feel like the color covered my dark under eye area very well. I prefer my concealer to be a shade lighter than my foundation to make my eyes pop. That is a personal preference. I’ve seen many women on Instagram using it as a concealer with success.
The Sheer Bronzer
The Bronze Balm was one of my favorite products. It’s probably the most naturally looking bronzer I’ve ever used. It’s not orangey or fake looking and gives you a pretty natural glow. You can either swipe with the wide side to apply as a bronzer or swipe the thin side to contour. I don’t contour ever so I can’t speak to that, but as a bronzer it goes on smooth and blends nicely.
Flush Balm Cheek Color
I purchased the Flush Balm in the shade Beverly Hills which is a soft peach. I love this shade and think it pairs well with my yellow/olive complexion. The product looks beautiful on, but I do find that it fades pretty quickly (I’ve found this common with cream blushes.) I try to apply the balm heavily in the morning so it lasts longer.
Tinted Lip Oil
The tinted lip oil lands somewhere between a lip oil and a lip stain. As someone who doesn’t usually go for the glossy look, I like that it gives your lips a nice dewey finish that isn’t too shiny. This product has several ingredients in it that make it extra hydrating and provide a protective barrier including rosehip oil, shea butter, and jojoba oil. Dry lips are a constant struggle for me so I was happy to find this product. Note that the color doesn’t last all day and fades after about 2 hours. I usually bring it along in my purse to reapply if I’m going to be out for the day.
Overall Impressions
This brand is definitely a new favorite, and I’m sure I’ll be repurchasing all these products when they run out. If you’re into a more natural, makeup-less makeup look, I’d definitely recommend Merit Beauty. I’m eager to try their brow pomade and mascara next although I’m nervous to stray from my favorites.
If you’re going to try any products, I’d recommend the complexion stick and sheer bronzer. If you’re looking for more of my beauty favorites, check out this post with my clean beauty make-up routine.