I’d be quie surprised if you hadn’t heard of Merit Beauty. It launched in the UK back in early 2023 (it was big news in the States for a few years before that), and since then, it has become a brand that every veteran beauty sleuth keeps on rotation.
.jpg)
The USP? Merit has a minimal and very clean girl approach to makeup, skincare and fragrance. The brand prides itself on creating products that leave your complexion better after wearing them by utilising hardworking, kind-to-skin ingredients like plant-based squalane, vitamin B5 and a blend of antioxidants. They promise to make your skin look and feel good.
The brainchild of Katherine Power, the same founder behind Versed skincare, Merit is a brand I first became aware of during a trip to LA in 2021. I picked up a few bits in Sephora, including Flush Balm Cream Blush in the shade Beverly Hills, mostly because of its name, but it wasn’t long before it became a daily staple in my routine.
Since then, Merit has been prominent not only in my makeup bag, but also in that of my fellow beauty editor friends and a bunch of celebs – everybody from Hailey Bieber, SJP and Cameron Diaz are said to be fans of the brand. And if it’s good enough for them…
Of course, with around 20 products in the line-up, it can be tricky to know which to start with. I’ll be honest heere: I’ve never met a Merit product I didn’t like, but after much deliberation, I’ve managed to whittle my list down to my top nine favourites. Let’s get into it.
Featured in this article
How I tested Merit products:
Merit Beauty has been part of my makeup routine since before its UK launch. The products I use vary, but for the purpose of making this article fair, I used every product in the line-up at least five times before writing reviews. I considered the ingredients used, assessed the packaging, and used makeup products in a variety of settings – from days working from home to nights out and press events. All to see if they’d stand the test of time. Here are my honest thoughts.
Why you can trust me:
I have been a beauty journalist for well over a decade, writing and testing for a variety of publications including The Telegraph, Stylist, Elle UK, The Independent’s IndyBest, Fabulous and Boots Health & Beauty. As well as Glamour, of course. As such, I know more about beauty than your average TikTok beauty stan. I love a lightweight, glowy foundation, am always on a mission to find the best daily sunscreen and am constantly trying to find the best ingredients to target my acne- and rosacea-prone skin. I first used Merit Beauty in 2021 and have since been lucky enough to try almost every product the brand has launched.