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Technicolor eye shadow palettes and vibrant neon liners are always fun ways to dazzle your look, but just like your wardrobe, you can never go wrong with sticking to the basics. The next time you replenish your essential makeup products, though, you may want to check out the best products from Merit. In case you're unfamiliar with this viral beauty darling, its line of curated, minimalist options took over the makeup bags of TikTok beauty enthusiasts and nabbed three Allure Best of Beauty Awards before its second birthday — pretty impressive, right?
Founded by Katherine Power, a lifestyle mogul who's also known as the CEO of affordable skin-care brand Versed Skincare and co-creating the online fashion publication Who What Wear, Merit launched not too long ago in January 2021. The moment her third business venture launched, Merit hit the ground running and caught the attention of many an Allure staffer with its minimalist beauty must-haves that look expensive but won't cost a dime over $30.
Even if you're a fan of razzle-dazzle looks, we can guarantee you'll find something from Merit that fits into your beauty routine. Considering the indie beauty darling's affinity for curation, its offerings are slim (Merit only has 10 items under its roster at the time of writing), but we at Allure believe you can't go wrong with a single item from the brand.
Though we're fans of just about every product from Merit, below are the top five must-haves from the budding beauty brand. Take a look at our all-time favorites from Merit (including all three Best of Beauty winners), below.
Merit Flush Balm
If you somehow ever find yourself walking into the Allure office, you can easily spot a few of our staffers swiping the Merit Flush Balm on their cheeks — it is one of the brand's Best of Beauty-winning options, after all. This cream blush earned our highest accolade in the Clean category for its buildable tints that create a subtle flush in just a few swipes. This creamy, dewy-finish option comes in five cheek colors to play with, including the cool-pink hue named Cheeky, seen above.
Merit Brush No. 1
What's a painter without a paintbrush? While most makeup brushes are crafted for a specific use, Merit's Brush No.1 is a multiuse option that can blend out a full face of cosmetics with ease. This 2021 Allure Best of Beauty winner may have earned praise from our team for its foundation-buffing abilities, but its soft, densely-packed bristles blend any of your cream or liquid blushes, concealers, and contour products with total ease.
This brush works well with any light-, medium-, or full-coverage complexion product you desire, but feel free to pair it with the brand's The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick (a sheer, buildable foundation-concealer stick) for the full Merit treatment.
Merit Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara
No matter how minimal your makeup look of the day is, we guarantee a few swipes of Merit's Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara, another 2021 Allure Best of Beauty winner, will subtly take it to the next level. This lash-enhancing formula won in our Clean beauty category for its carbon-black pigment that only needs one coat for a defined, elongated natural look. Feel free to layer this buildable formula for a more dramatic finish without clumping or webbing in the process.
Merit Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade
If you're in need of a handy brow gel, look no further than Merit's Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade. Aptly named after a decade of bold, fluffy eyebrows, this featherweight formula tints brow hairs for a fuller effect while concealing sparse spots. Its mineral-based formula gently clings onto hairs for a smudge-free finish while moisturizing antioxidant vitamin B5 conditions your brows for a soft, crunch-free feel.
Yes, there are quite literally thousands of lipsticks on this Earth to choose from, but Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein says she's "ride-or-die" for Merit's Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick. "This lipstick is every makeup minimalist's dream, considering that it comes in eight essential, daily-wear colors that compliment a wide range of skin tones," she says. She also loves that its sheer, satin-finish formula is totally layerable, so you can play with the color intensity as you please.
It's also worth mentioning that each lipstick bullet is spiked with skin-conditioning ingredients like squalane and oils derived from raspberries and sunflower seeds.
Though we're fans of just about every product under Merit's collection, these picks are undoubtedly the ones nearest and dearest to our hearts. If you want to check out all of the minimalist makeup brand's products, you can shop Merit now at meritbeauty.com and sephora.com.
Want more? Read about our favorite beauty brands:
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- The 9 Best CeraVe Products That Dermatologists & Editors Have Trusted for Years
Now, watch pop legend Christina Aguilera break down her most iconic music video looks:
