Tried and tested products 2025
Basically, we had to try everything, especially seeing as celebrities like Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber are obsessed with the brand too. So whether this is your intro to the brand or you’ve been eagerly waiting to load up your basket but haven’t been sure where to put your money, we’ve done all the leg work and put all of Merit Beauty’s products to the test.
Here’s our review of the Merit Beauty products you shouldn’t be missing out on…
My Merit Beauty review…
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1
Merit Beauty Signature Lip Satin Lightweight Lipstick
When Merit first came on my radar, my eyes immediately went to the chunky crayon-like blushes (more on those later), but boy, was I wrong. One swatch of these lipsticks on my lips and I gasped (like an out loud gasp).
These formulas coat lips in the most effortless muted hues and apply like butter on warm toast. They feel so comfortable it’s almost balm-like, without compromising on pigment. They dry down a tad after the first application but don’t leave lips feeling tight or dry, and feel so comfortable, I forgot I had lipstick on, but when I went to freshen up, no top-up was necessary.
If I had to pick a favourite shade, the browny nude, ‘1990’, literally does what it says on the tin and provides lips with a tawny pout that even Hailey Bieber would be envious of.
2
Merit Beauty Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer
If you’re looking for a full glam contour stick, this is not the one. However, it’s perfect if you want to look like you’ve been sunnin’ it up on the beaches of Ibiza for two weeks (a girl can dream).
It provides a natural expensive-looking glow to cheeks – as if you really have been kissed by the sun. As it’s not incredibly pigmented, I would worry it might be too subtle to bronze up deeper skin tones, but I do love the healthy finish it leaves on the skin and how quick and easy it is to blend out.
3
Merit Beauty Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil
Leaving your lips as juicy as the maraschino cherry garnish in your cocktail, these unique jelly-esque lip oils leave pouts looking plumper from the get-go.
As lip oils go, I was surprised by how non-greasy these were and loved the warm flush that the shade ‘Warm Brown’ provided. However, if I had to pick one lip product, the lipsticks are the winners of this collection for me.
4
Merit Beauty Brow 1990 Brow Pencil
I’ve developed quite the obsession with brow pencils, specifically this one. If you’re looking for a pencil that will create the look of effortlessly natural brows (we’re not talking block arches of 2016) the Merit Brow 1990 needs a spot in your kit.
It has a suuuper fine nib that can be used to create the look of brow hairs and a spoolie to brush the product out for a natural look. And no matter which shade you go for, the undertone is very cool (btw, I am the shade ‘Dark Brown’) which will have people thinking that these full, perfectly-shaped arches are your own.
5
Merit Beauty The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
This is the tinted sunscreen that had a 20,000 person waitlist – and after trying it, I now understand why. Being Merit, I expected this to be much lighter in coverage than what it is, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it blurs pores and does a decent job at smoothing my complexion, fading discolouration and even knocking back the redness of a pimple.
As for the finish, I love the natural-dewy finish that makes my skin look super healthy and radiant, although I do need a dusting of powder over my oily zones to keep shine at bay. And while it’s impressive that this formula contains SPF50, one layer won’t be enough to protect you from UV rays, so you’ll need to double up with a facial sunscreen.
I have combination-dry skin and I’d say this formula is perfect for me, however those with oily skin may find it too lightweight and dewy for day-to-day wear.
Read our full review here.
6
Merit Beauty Signature Lip Liner
I’m unashamed to say that I love over-lining my lips – what can I say, I just love the look of a plumped pout. So usually I opt for a highly-pigmented liner to do the job, which is quite the opposite to Merit’s Signature Lip Liner. This is created with a gel formula that almost glides on like a balm, leaving a sheer stroke of colour in its wake.
The finish is slightly glossy and, like most products in the Merit range, it leaves a sheer tint of colour rather than anything too harsh. To be honest, this isn’t something I’d reach for daily as I prefer something a little bolder on my lips, but for barely-there, no-makeup-makeup looks, this is perfect.
It took Merit two years to complete its first fragrance and you can really tell with every whiff. Much like the fan-favourite Glossier You, Retrospect is designed to smell entirely unique to each individual. Despite it being a wearable scent for both day and night, it’s incredibly complex at the core: it’s a rich, deep scent that evolves as the day goes on.
With notes of vanilla, pear and jasmine, it smells creamy, perfectly balanced and it’s not too heady. The packaging is simply stunning, too.
8
Merit Beauty Signature Lip Matte Lipstick
Like the Signature Lip – which I rave about below – the Signature Lip Matte Lipstick features the same balmy formula, but with a matte finish. That’s right, the return of the matte has begun.
These feature the same comfortable and lightweight qualities as the other lipstick offerings in the range, but the shine-less finish leaves you looking less “done”. Perfectly effortless.
Unlike other matte formulas, these didn’t leave my lips bone-dry after wearing and the gentle warmed-tone colour range is *chef’s kiss* – seriously, you won’t be able to pick just one. I loved how diffused and velvety my pout looked, leaving an almost blurred effect, which gave my skinny lips a welcomed boost.
9
Merit Beauty Flush Balm Cheek Color
These chubby blush balms are the perfect width to give your cheeks that just-caught-the-sun vibe, minus the UV damage. The satin finish is neither too matte nor too dewy, which leaves skin looking oh-so au naturel.
They’re extremely blendable and melt into skin to give you a lot of play time to work with, so you can build up the flush as you go. They’ve got the undertones so right on these versatile shades, that there will be a perfect match for every skin tone.
10
Merit Beauty The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick
Less chunky than a traditional foundation stick, these fit perfectly in those narrower crevasses, like around the nose and under the eyes. The formula didn’t sit on top of skin like some I’ve tried and blended out seamlessly to cover my redness like a pro.
The finish is very natural looking – not too matte or dewy – and worked perfectly on my combination skin. However, it did sink into some dry patches – but then again, I do have a lot of them.
11
Merit Beauty Solo Shadow
The era of the eyeshadow palette is well and truly over (Seriously, can you remember the last time you hit pan on one?) and tbh, until these hit my desk I couldn’t remember the last time I had ditched my winged liner for a single eyeshadow, but I’m glad I did.
The range of shades is unusual – think 90s grunge – but all were surprisingly wearable. The texture is like a creamy putty that mattifies once applied to the lid. It’s safe to say, one swipe is all you need but you can easily blend and build up the colour.
Longevity-wise, these do not budge. I experienced zero-creasing on the lighter shades, but some occurred with the darker shades (not really all that surprising in my experience). However, I’m so besotted with the grungy look of the darker options that I can forgive it. Be ready to fall in love with eyeshadow again.
12
Merit Beauty Day Glow Highlighting Balm
Yet another stick formula just sums up how user-friendly these formulas are to use. This highlighter definitely gives a more metallic sheen to cheeks vs. a glitter attack, which leaves an almost wet finish to skin.
It didn’t cling to any dry patches and the rose gold shade, ‘Bounce’, really brought my complexion to life. 100 points to Merit for this one.
13
Merit Beauty Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade
The formula of this one is on the drier side, which allows you to grab hairs and create fluffiness but doesn’t have enough colour payoff for me personally to use it on its own.
Its applicator is also larger than your average brow gel, which makes it easy to create that bolder look. It works great as a brow topper for me and I appreciate the cooler-toned shades that avoid any orangey-ness.
14
Merit Beauty Great Skin Priming Moisturiser
We’ve spoken to countless makeup artists and the one tip they all swear by for achieving that off-duty model look on and off the runway is ensuring your skin is well-prepped before makeup application. Thanks to trusty products like Merit Beauty’s Great Skin Moisturizer, it’s now easier than ever to achieve.
This ultra-lightweight moisturiser is perfect for priming the skin before makeup. It’s non-oily, making it suitable for all skin types. Trust us, your makeup will glide on effortlessly after just one pump of this magical formula.
Formulated with Merit Beauty’s Great Skin™ Complex, it features peptides, spermidine and barrier polysaccharides to support skin elasticity, firmness and tone.
15
Merit Beauty Five Minute Morning
How long does your morning routine take you? Cut it in half and then some with this killer kit.
Featuring everything you need to achieve a glowy look on even the most packed of trains, this set includes a Perfecting Complexion Stick, Cheek Colour, Tinted Lip Oil, Highlighting Balm, Blending Brush, Lengthening Mascara and Volumising Pomade – phew.
How we test:
Quite literally, I have tested every single product from Merit – I guess it helps that they have a relatively small capsule collection of products, and that it’s my job to test makeup products. Truthfully, I could feature every Merit product in this edit as everything is brilliant, but the point of this article is to bring you the *very* best Merit products that your hard-earned money can buy.
The job was a tricky one, to say the least, but I found the best by analysing how well they apply, the overall finish and the lasting power. And, as with all my reviews, I gave my honest, truthful opinion so you’re best advised on the Merit products that will be suited to you.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
- Clare Stephenson is the senior beauty ecommerce writer at Cosmopolitan, with three years of experience testing beauty products. She has reviewed a wide range of brands, from REFY to Rare Beauty, giving her honest thoughts an opinions about the products. With years of experience testing Merit Beauty since its launch in 2021, she’s got all the knowledge and expertise to present the best Merit beauty products of all time.
Charlotte Bitmead (she/her) is the Senior Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. She has over six years experience writing about beauty and has previously written for ELLE and The Sunday Times Style, covering everything from politics to sustainability to inclusivity within the beauty industry. When she’s not writing in-depth features, testing out the newest skincare fad or trying to decide what nail art to get, you can find her overspending in bookshops or shouting at Arsenal matches. Find her on LinkedIn
Clare Stephenson is the Senior Beauty Ecommerce Writer for Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, covering all things makeup, skincare and hair care, as well as deals events including Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.
Clare has been an e-commerce writer since 2022, writing matter-of-fact reviews such as deep dives into skin concerns and shopping pages filled with her favourite products for every budget and need. When she’s not typing away, Clare is in front of the camera creating shopping content for Cosmo’s TikTok Shop, testing the most viral beauty products to know.
Before working at Hearst UK, she received a BA degree in Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University, focusing her studies on the world of magazines and editorial. From there, she worked as an editorial assistant at Voir Fashion Magazine, covering events like Fashion Week and interviewing reputable brand founders. Outside of work? You can find Clare strolling along London’s Columbia Road Market, pouring her fourth coffee of the day or horseback riding in the countryside.
Follow Clare on Instagram @clarefrancesstephenson
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