An Honest Merit Beauty Review After a Week of Testing

Merit The Minimalist

The Minimalist complexion stick is arguably Merit’s most popular product (actress Kristen Bell is a fan) — and the one I was most skeptical of, since it claims to replace both a foundation and concealer in your makeup bag. Our experts actually named it the best foundation stick for sensitive skin, and it’s a favorite of GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Sabina Wizemann for evening out her skin tone. It comes in 30 shades, and I tested Sandstone, a fair-light shade with neutral undertones.

I’d never used a stick-style complexion product before, but to my surprise, the Minimalist stick’s creamy formula effortlessly glided onto my skin and took seconds to blend out with my foundation brush. It creates a buildable, medium-coverage base with a satiny, natural-looking finish. I found it quicker and easier to apply than my go-to foundation and concealer combination, since you don’t need to switch between products.

Before applying The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick in Sandstone

After applying The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick in Sandstone

I love how this product evened out my complexion while still looking skin-like — no cakey or dry spots to be found. After 10 hours of wear (and a 40-minute workout), I noticed some separation around my cheeks and jaw, which is a common problem for me. Thankfully, the Minimalist complexion stick’s compact packaging makes it convenient to throw in your bag and touch up throughout the day.

Merit Bronze Balm

The Bronze Balm actually won a GH Beauty Award in recent years. Its oval-shaped tip isn’t just for aesthetics — you can use the wide side to add warmth to larger areas of the face like your forehead, or use the narrow side to sculpt more precise areas like the cheekbones and nose. This product comes in five colors, and I tested the second-lightest shade, Clay.

As someone with softer features, I tend to steer clear of contouring since it usually looks unnatural on me. The Bronze Balm is the exception: it melted like butter on my skin and didn’t leave behind any harsh lines after blending it with a brush. The formula is slightly translucent, which made it easy for me to build up. Its undertone is slightly warm, so people with very cool-toned complexions might prefer a more grey-based contour product.

Merit Flush Balm

This cheek tint comes in 13 shades, and I opted for Persimmon — a warm reddish-orange hue. While it appeared a little smaller in person than it did online, the dome-shaped packaging and the larger surface area made it easier to coat my makeup brush for a quick and seamless application.

If you’re intimidated by pigmented cream blushes, Merit’s Flush Balm is an excellent place to start: it blends quite effortlessly, making it very forgiving. The formula manages to be sheer yet buildable so you can achieve the perfect level of pigment. I used a blush brush to apply it to my cheeks, forehead and nose, and it gave my skin a sun-kissed glow. What’s more, it stayed put on my skin during 12+ hour days and sweaty gym sessions.

Flush Balm in Persimmon

Flush Balm in Persimmon

Merit Clean Lash

After hearing rave reviews from my colleague, Senior Commerce Manager Mackenzie Dunn, I was ready to fall in love with Merit’s Clean Lash mascara. Its tubing mascara forms a tube-like coating around lashes to give the look of dramatic lengthening and tinting, according to the brand. Underrated feature: the tube has square edges, so it didn’t roll around on my countertop — in my opinion, more brands should take note!

But I’ll be honest, I was a little disappointed by this mascara. Even as someone with thick eyelashes, it was difficult to achieve the volume and length I desired without clumping. It also didn’t separate my lashes well, which is a problem I often have with bristle-style brushes. And although it didn’t smudge during my testing period, it started to flake on my upper and lower lids after a few hours of wear.

Clean Lash Strengthening Mascara in Black

That said, Dunn had a completely different experience: “I’m obsessed with this mascara for two reasons: first, the jet black pigment can’t be beat, and second, the tubing formula creates the most natural, bambi-like lashes with zero clumps,” she said. Dunn noted that it’s easy to wash off, which I also appreciated during my testing. But at $26, it wasn’t worth the high-end price point for me.

Merit Signature Lip Liner

Merit Shade Slick Lip Oil

The Signature Lip Liner is Merit’s latest makeup launch, which can be used to define the lip line or all over for a buildable wash of color. It has a rounded tip, but you can use the built-in sharpener to create a more precise point. This liner comes in eight neutral hues, and I tested Beverly Hills, which is a light pink color. I also opted to pair it with Shade Slick, Merit’s best-selling lip oil in Pink Beet.

There’s so much to like about both these products: they’re silky-smooth, a breeze to apply and deeply hydrating. This is likely thanks to ingredients like jojoba and moringa oils (Signature Lip Liner) and shea butter, rosehip oil and fatty acids (Shade Slick). Like most hydrating lip products, they fade after an hour or two of wear and will need to be reapplied after meals. However, the comfortable, weightless feel and fool-proof design will make them both a staple in my makeup bag.

Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil in Pink Beet and Signature Lip Liner in Beverly Hills

If you’re looking for natural-looking, no-fuss makeup that’s easy to apply and looks pretty on your vanity, I think Merit is worth it. For me, the brand achieved its goal of simplifying my makeup routine: while the products aren’t ultra-pigmented or wildly experimental, they genuinely made getting ready in the morning quicker and easier.

I was most impressed by Merit’s complexion products. The Minimalist complexion stick, Bronze Balm and Flush Balm all shared a buttery-smooth texture that was dreamy to blend. But I would skip the Clean Lash mascara, which was flakey and didn’t provide the volume or length I was looking for.

Merit’s luxe-looking packaging is one of its biggest selling points, and it definitely looked attractive on my countertop. But shoppers should note that it’s made from plastic, not metal, so it felt cheaper in person. Still, each product was ergonomically designed with thoughtful details like built-in sharpeners and roll-proof edges, justifying the premium price point.

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Lauren Gruber is an associate commerce editor at Hearst Magazines, where she writes for publications like Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Prevention, Country Living, House Beautiful, and more. She has over four years of professional experience covering a variety of lifestyle topics from home to fashion, with an advanced background in beauty and fragrance. When she’s not researching the most worthy Prime Day deals or hands-on testing all the latest perfume launches, Lauren is probably hanging out with her cat Serafina or flexing her AMC A-List membership at the movie theater. 

You can find her previous work at Entertainment Tonight, Shop TODAY, USA Today, Self Magazine, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, and Modern Luxury Media.