You can only imagine the squeal I made when I found out one of my most beloved beauty brands of the last two years is now shipping to Australia. That’s right, it’s official, as of today, you can shop MERIT Beauty if you’re living down under.
So I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my most loved products, and share mini reviews of an (almost) full face of MERIT Beauty. If you’re wanting more in-depth reviews, you can read this one on the Solo Shadows (with swatches), this post here on MERIT’s matte lipsticks (again, with swatches), or these posts – one, two and three – which highlight three of my all time loves from the brand.
MERIT Great Skin Instant Glow Serum
Great Skin is a bi-phase serum which was designed to complement The Minimalist; and, it makes sense as it can be a rather finicky base. Of course, you can pair it with other foundation products. I will say that I prefer the way a traditional primer (like this one from Laura Mercier) feels on my skin, as this leaves an oil-slick like quality to my complexion. Fine when paired with a base that is slightly matte or has a thicker, dry consistency, but with other hydrating illuminating products it can feel a step too far in pursuit of glass skin.
I actually think that this is quite nice as an evening time serum for the girls who don’t typically incorporate an oil into their routine (like me) as it’s non-comedogenic and I’ve not found it to break me out. It’s loaded with four types of hyaluronic acid (music to my ears!), and has other healthy happy skin ingredients like niacinamide and cacao seed extract.
MERIT The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick (shade Bisque)
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with The Minimalist from MERIT. Love this in the summer, when my skin is producing a bit more oil, and has that natural glow. But in the wintertime, the formulation feels a little too thick and seems to highlight each and every pore, with a noticeable “makeup” look. For context, I like my base to be virtually indistinguishable from my actual skin. A tall order, I know, and often one that comes with lower coverage to compensate. So, it could be that my makeup preferences will always mean this is never my ultimate complexion product. That said, I’m still looking forward to adding it back into my regular rotation in the months to come. If you take a look at the full face photos below, you can see that it does a pretty decent job of covering up scarring, minimising redness though still allowing those imperfections of my natural skin to peek through. As someone with olive skin, I do have a hard time finding a perfect match. So while Bisque isn’t an exact like-for-like, it’s a pretty decent match, at least in terms of overall depth of colour.
MERIT Solo Shadow (shade Studio)
I was so excited to get my hands on the Solo Shadows, after hearing all about their budge proof formula. And they delivered. 10 out of 10, no notes needed. It’s a cream-to-powder finish, and you can readily build up the pigmentation on the eye. Personally I’d recommend going one at a time, using a brush to quickly blend out the edges for a soft blurred finish, as the drydown is pretty quick. All of MERIT’s products are formulated with nourishing ingredients that support the skin; the eyeshadows include extracts of chamomile and calendula, magnolia bark, sunflower seed oil and peptides.
MERIT Clean Lash Mascara
When I really love something. And I mean really love something. I won’t mess around. I’m quick to spring the additional cost of mail forwarding to get my hands on it. And blissfully unaware that MERIT was launching in Australia imminently, I placed an order for a top of the my favourite Clean Lash Mascara at the end of July. One of those products in my beauty routine that I don’t really want to be without. I will admit that I’m not big on tubing mascara, but this one has me in a chokehold. Incredibly easy to remove just with warm water and a gentle cream cleanser. What I like most about this, is the way it makes my lashes look. Enhanced, fluttery, slightly fuller, and slightly longer. Nothing extreme or dramatic, but very wearable for every day. Also doesn’t smudge (a non-negotiable for me and my oily eyelids!).
MERIT Flush Balm Cheek Color (shade Terracotta)
This is my second Flush Balm (the original came in the muted grey packaging similar to The Minimalist), so if it’s not immediately obvious, this one is a big thumbs up from me. It gives the most beautiful glow to the cheeks; a naturally flushed appearance that you can build up if you’d like something higher impact, or keep it more subtle for a healthy dose of colour to the face. I’ve tried a few colours and Terracotta is just my favourite. A brown-peach hue which makes me look sun kissed.
MERIT Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick (shade Tiger)
Final favourite is the Signature Lip, and specifically in the shade Tiger. What MERIT have really nailed for me with this product is the shade range, which feels broader and more interesting than a lot of other beauty brands. Tiger is an orange/brown brick red; it feels quite autumnal in some ways, but also as I have darker features, is a good complement for me. And coincidentally, it reminds me a bit of the lip colour my mum used to wear – which perhaps might be why I’m so drawn to it. If you’re looking for a lipstick that you can apply once and be done with it, this isn’t for you. Even the website alludes to the fact that this doesn’t have the heaviness of a traditional lipstick. If anything, I’d call it a hybrid between a lip balm and a lipstick. As the pigmentation, buildable component and overall delivery reminds me of every lippie I own, but the formulation, the way it glides on the lips, and wears off after a few hours reminds me of a balm. It feels foolproof though, and again the beauty of this product (like all MERIT products), is that you can build the colour up as desired.
shop the look below
