MERIT reviews and discussion

I have very sensitive skin so I am very basic when it comes to moisturizer and use, and have always used La Roche-Posay's, Double Repair Face Moisturizer. This moisturizer was a very nice travel size, but did have a weird smell to it that I didn't love.

This has become my favorite concealer and is my favorite product from MERIT! I'm already on my third stick. I'm using the shade Silk. Perfect amount of coverage while still feeling really light and blending easily.

The Brush No. 1 is tapered and densely packed, specifically designed so you cannot tell where your skin ends and the makeup begins. I've always been intimidated by cream blushes, but this duo has changed the game. The Terracotta Flush Balm is the perfect warm caramel-cream shade for an everyday, healthy glow. Using Brush No. 1, the product blends perfectly. The brush itself is a work of art—super plush and makes it impossible to over-apply or mess up your base.

I am officially in love with this combination! The Terracotta Flush Balm provides the most gorgeous, natural, sun-kissed warmth. It is completely sheer but effortlessly buildable, making it foolproof. Paired with the Brush No. 1, it melts right into the skin rather than sitting on top. The brush is incredibly soft, leaves no harsh lines, and makes my makeup look like a seamless second skin. Highly recommend!

This is my third bottle. Goes on smooth, provides light coverage and evens skin tone. And SPF on top of it! I use it every day. Gives me a natural look but polished and more affordable than other similar options. Will buy again.

Great quality product and compact enough to bring everywhere - travel, purse, makeup bag. Sometimes kind of drying and goes on better over a moisturizer but overall I like it. Does crease under eyes sometimes.

The formulation is sheer but leaves of enough pigment for it to be visible. It’s glowy so it leaves a dewy highlighter look. It doesn’t really play well with all base products so you have to be careful with it.

Bought this for my wedding and it is so nice on and a great color (pointelle). It doesn’t last that long on me, but as a lip oil I wasn’t expecting long wear. Would recommend especially for dry lips!!

I really wanted to love Merit Beauty. The packaging is nice and the whole “no-makeup makeup” is right up my alley. I already had their blush and ordered the Brush No. 1, The Uniform (shade 26), and the Minimalist Perfecting Stick during the Thingdrop. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work for me. I have slightly dry, textured skin, and I find these products really emphasize that texture, making my skin look worse than simply foregoing makeup. I also struggle with the blush, which seems to always end up patchy. It’s a shame because the shades are genuinely beautiful. At first I thought it might be user error, but find myself reaching for these products less and less over time.

Merit is a clean, minimalist beauty brand that focuses on effortless, everyday makeup. Their products are lightweight, skin-friendly, and designed to enhance natural beauty rather than cover it up. I love how simple and easy their formulas are—everything blends beautifully and feels comfortable on the skin. From their creamy blushes to tinted balms and eye products, everything gives a fresh, radiant finish that looks natural and wearable all day. The brand is also cruelty-free and uses thoughtful, clean ingredients, making it perfect for anyone who wants makeup that’s both effective and kind to the skin.

I love the Merit Flush Balm! It’s a lightweight, creamy blush that gives my cheeks a fresh, natural glow. The color blends so easily, and the dewy finish makes my skin look healthy without feeling sticky or heavy. Perfect for a quick, everyday look.

Love this blush. I toss it in my bag and take it with me everywhere. It goes on so smoothly and blends easily. Hands down my favorite cheek color product and can double as a little lip color in a pinch.

I like how sheer this blush is and how easy it is to apply. It doesn’t stay on long, but it is really natural and buildable. Even the darker shades aren’t too intense on my fairer skin tone. Make sure to set it with powder.

As evident from the picture. Great cleanser! leaves your skin feeling clean, makeup free without residue and dewy without stripping it. It also pumps out in a foam which to me makes this cleanser last a bit longer than normal. Will definitely be purchasing again

Once you find your shade, it's smooth sailing. It is really smooth with great coverage, but still looks like your natural skin by not being full coverage and letting your real skin peek through. It calms redness and covers up pores without looking cakey or feeling heavy, and it sets with a natural finish. When I wear this, I constantly get compliments on "having great skin". With a large shade range, it's incredibly inclusive, so I'm glad everyone gets a chance to experience this formula. The solid stick also makes this incredible for travel. Beyond the product itself, I also remember when Merit listened to the consumer complaints about the stick having too little product inside. They ended up re-releasing the stick with more product, but kept the price the same. Incredible reaction! The whole brand's ethos reminds me of an elevated (early days) Glossier, which focused on "capsule" makeup - easy, effortless, natural. I do wish the packaging were more eco-friendly, which is why I'm docking a star. This is a newer brand, and I feel that at this point, companies should really be considering sustainability when creating their products either by shifting away from single-use packaging or towards truly recyclable/compostable options. Overall, would highly recommend this to friends and family. I've gifted and tried a few of their other products, all of which perform well. Excited to try more!

After working from home, I've cut down my make up routine a lot, but want to still be put together when doing kid drop off and pick up. Merit is the perfect solution as I can still look polished but not overdone. The intro set allowed me to try multiple of Merit's products - the foundation/concealer stick, lip gloss, liner, bronzer and blush. It was also easy to apply with or without a make up brush as it's pretty forgiving. Great make up for on the go and comes with a cute bag for first orders off their website. Personally as an oily girl, I would say this wouldn't hold up to a night out or a whole in-office work day, but that's just my skin. Out of all the products, I really loved the blush. It's easy to use and blend and with such pretty colors - it was really hard to choose but I ended up with Cheeky. A great just-worked-out flush and not looking too artificial. My second favorite is the shade slick in pointelle, which worked well with the lip liner in coupe. I also appreciate the foundation/concealer stick, I think it would be great for touch up. Personally I didn't care for the brush, but it came with the set. They also have skincare, and I got the great skin double cleanse. Love how it made my skin feel - clean but not too drying. Overall, very happy with my purchase and would consider for gifting!

I had a mixed experience with these products. I love the concealer/foundation stick & brush, both excellent. The pot eyeshadow on the other hand was a major let down. I loved the colour but It started to dry out and became this thick paste that is almost impossible to use and would drag on my eyes if i attempted to apply it.

I'm a fan of Merit beauty products. I've been using them for the past few years and have found it to be simple, easy to use/blend, and at an "ok" price point. I've tried the majority of the products, and my go to's are: - Flush Balm: yes, I know it doesn't last throughout the day, but I love how easy to blend with your fingers. And the colors are stellar. - Merit Shade Slick: this gives me the perfect pigmented lip, without stickiness or weird aftertaste. It keeps the color for eyes. - Merit Brow Gel: yes, there are lots of brow gels that can do the trick, but something about this one is higher-tier. - Merit Great Skin Double-Cleanse: I just started using this product, but think it's great because it cleans off makeup/SPF very well and doesn't strip the skin because it is part oil-cleanser. One thing I love is that they label whether their makeup is cool or warm toned. Surprisingly, that can be hard to find! I feel less enthusiastic about items like the mascara (too subtle), the Uniform SPF tinted moisturizer (too drying). They definitely have products that don't resonate with me as much, especially in comparison of price.

I hadn’t tried anything from merit since they launched in 2021 and they have really expanded their options since then. Firstly I love the little makeup bag that comes free with first purchase when you order directly from the merit website. It’s very well made compared to many free makeup bags you receive with purchase. Secondly all the products I tried worked well for me which rarely happens. The formula on ALL of them is buttery, and smooth with no stickiness. The colors I picked were also true to the online descriptions and images. Im very pale with neutral undertones and I usually find products that look perfectly pink in the online photos lean unflattering and orangey on me. The lipliner in coup is cool pink perfection. The gloss is subtle and hydrating. It’s definitely not a y2k type gloss that you can see poppin from a mile away but it also isn’t sticky or gloopy which makes it perfect for every day wear. My only complaint is about the perfume. Retrospect is a beautiful subtle clean skin scent that seems like it would truly be appropriate to wear in any setting. I really wish I had just bought a full size bottle of it. Unfortunately I bought the smaller size which I realized after opening its only a 9.5ml (industry standard is *usually* 10ml) I have hundreds from many different brands and all are 10ml. The bottle is both shorter and thinner than any of my other travel sizes. It’s a small thing and doesn’t make my rating go down at all but I do think it was an odd choice.

I ordered the clean lash mascara and signature lip liner during a Thingdrop. That packaging itself is really lovely - I really like how sleek the mascara tube especially is. I try and keep my makeup bag on the small side so I hate when structures are bulky or odd shaped - this one is sleek and lightweight. I wanted to try the mascara because I prefer tubing mascara (no smearing and easier to remove) and was thrilled that Merit's is. I do wish the applicator brush was a little smaller so I could be more precise but like the mascara otherwise - it stayed put all day. This is the first time i've ventured into trying lipliner and this one seems great. It goes on super smooth and because it's sheer it's nice and subtle - exactly what I was hoping for. Also want to note that the customer service is incredible! I had an issue with the color of the first liner and they were so awesome helping me get an exchange for a different shade.