The 11 Best Merit Beauty Products to Perfect Your Minimalist Beauty Routine

This award-winning formula is made to be lightweight, buildable, and natural-looking. Formulated with aloe vera to condition skin, it has a satin finish that never appears cakey or heavy. Instead, it gives wearers a subtle, dewy look that makes skin appear youthful and hydrated.

Number of Shades: 13

What I Love: Long-lasting; Hydrating; Natural, glowy finish; Blendable; Lightweight; Travel-friendly; Easy to apply

What I Don't: May have to apply multiple layers to get the intensity you want

Review For MC: "Applying blush has never been so easy as with this creamy, glowy formula—I'm simply obsessed. I can scribble it on and blend it out using just my fingers, and the result is natural, glowy, and so pretty every single time. The color first appears to have light coverage, but I can easily build up the pigment to achieve the intensity I want. I also love how I can pop it into my bag for on-the-go touch-ups. The shade Stockholm is the perfect baby pink for a cool pop of color." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor

I absolutely love my highlighter and feel like it's often the star of the show in my favorite makeup looks. This one is packed with nourishing ingredients like olive fruit oil, monounsaturated fatty acids, and vitamin E, too, so you can rest assured that your makeup is aiding your skin, too.

Number of Shades: Four

What I Love: Blendable; Easy to apply; Shimmery-not-glittery; Moisturzing; Buildable; Natural-looking finish

What I Don't: Needs to be set with powder to stay on skin

Review For MC: "There's nothing that ruins my makeup look more than a glittery, disco ball of a highlighter. Merit's formula, however, is the complete opposite. There's no glitter involved in this stick, but rather micro-fine pearls that reflect light and illuminate. The shade Cava gives the prettiest, natural-looking sheen for everyday, so much so that I've adopted it into my daily makeup routine." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor

I never go a day without wearing lip color, but I hate how dry my favorite lipsticks make my lips. Enter this tinted lip oil, and all my concerns are assuaged. The product comes in 12 different shades, from neutrals to bright colors, and it contains jojoba oil and shea butter in order to keep lips as moisturized as possible all day long. The subtle color is also highly buildable, so you can pair it with your favorite cream and matte lipsticks.

Number of Shades: 12

What I Love: Hydrating; Comfortable to wear; Not sticky; Buildable

What I Don't: Lasting power could be better

Review For MC: "Lip oils tend to be a hit or a miss for me, but this one definitely falls in the 'hit' category. It has just the right amount of slip so that it doesn't feel oily or sticky. Instead, it leaves my lips feeling cushioned and plump. The shade Pointelle has been my go-to for a natural pink pout, but Biarritz is a close second favorite." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor

If you're looking for a new everyday mascara, you've met your match with Merit's Clean Lash. This tubing mascara adds a nice amount of pigment without going overboard. It creates fluttery, lengthened lashes that last all day long, and, most importantly, you won't end up with smudges under your eyes at the end of the day. It gets bonus points for conditioning fatty acids and olive oil esters.

Number of Shades: One

What I Love: Lengthening; Great for everyday wear; Smudge-proof; Buildable; Easy to remove; Conditioning; Natural finish; Long-lasting

What I Don't: Doesn't hold a curl very well

Review For MC: "Truth be told, I've never been much of a fan of tubing mascaras—they tend to be too wet, causing my lashes to cling together. However, I don't have that issue with Merit's formula. This one actually defines every one of my lashes thanks to its big precision brush. It also adds a decent amount of length and volume, just enough to amp up my eyes without looking too intense. I'm most impressed by its smudge-proof and long-wearing formula. It doesn't budge in the slightest until I go to take it off, which is also a breeze with warm water." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor

Merit has designed the ultimate tinted SPF for everyday wear, and I couldn't be happier. As the name suggests, it's meant to be your complexion "uniform" as it's designed with ease, comfort, and wearability in mind. This formula is light as can be with just the right amount of coverage to even out your skintone. However, you can also build up the tint if you prefer more coverage. Think of it as the ultimate "your skin but better" tint, with the added bonus of sun protection.

Number of Shades: 15

What I Love: Hydrating; Natural, skin-like finish; Leaves no white cast; Buildable; Lightweight; Has a subtle blurring effect

What I Don't: May need to build up to achieve your desired coverage

Review For MC: "It was long overdue for Merit to release a tinted SPF, in my opinion, so I couldn't have been happier to get my hands on the new launch early. For all the foundation haters out there (myself included), this sunscreen may be your summer complexion holy grail—I know it will be for me. It delivers light, yet buildable coverage in a creamy, near-weightless formula, plus sun protection without a dreaded white cast. It's the 'your skin, but better' look in a bottle, so I'll be using it every day this summer, guaranteed." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor

There's been a lot of lip liner launches in the last year or so, but none are as forgiving and beginner-friendly as Merit's. This creamy, hydrating formula glides on smoothly to softly diffused definition. It's not the kind of liner to reach for if bold looks are your M.O., but it is the best pick for a natural flush of color. While I love its rounded tip, it includes a built-in sharpener for a more precise application.

Number of Shades: Eight

What I Love: Hydrating; Easy to apply; Forgiving enough for beginners; Buildable; Blendable; Includes a built-in sharpener

What I Don't: Lasting power could be better

Review For MC: "I typically forgo a lip color altogether, but ever since I tried Merit's lip liner and it practically doubled the size of my lips, I'm a changed person. This liner is incredibly soft and creamy, so much so that I can easily wipe it off if I make a mistake, which happens often with my shaky hands. I can also easily blend it in with my finger for all-over color. Beverly Hills gives my lips a nice boost of color without looking too bold, meaning it's the perfect nude pink." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor

I absolutely love any product that results in a youthful, dewy finish, so when it comes to serums, this one takes the cake. It's infused with four types of hyaluronic acid in order to provide deep, thorough hydration, along with niacinamide to improve skin texture and caffeine to perk up sagging, tired skin. And while it leaves skin dewy, it dries quickly so that skin is perfectly primed for makeup application.

Number of Shades: One

What I Love: Fast-absorbing; Gives instant results; Hydrating; Brightening; Multi-use; Lightweight

What I Don't: Has a slightly oily feel

Review For MC: "I've always been a matte over glowy girl, but this product single-handedly changed my mind. It instantly gave my skin a healthy glow—the kind you only see after a luxurious facial. Despite its slightly oily feel, it didn't leave my combo skin feeling any greasier. It's thin, watery texture absorbs quickly, too, but what impressed me the most was how well it primed my skin for makeup. With this serum in my routine, my go-to tinted moisturizer applied so smoothly and with zero pilling, plus the effect lasted all day. Great Skin, indeed." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor

Because I love a bright lip, I tend to be more subdued in my choices of eyeshadow, which is why I love the natural shades of Merit Beauty's shadow collection. These pigments are buildable, long-lasting, and so easy to apply. They also match perfectly with a variety of looks, from natural days to showstopping ones.

Number of Shades: 14

What I Love: Buildable; Blendable; Easy to apply; Long-lasting; Travel-friendly; A little goes a long way

What I Don't: Some neutral shades are very similar

Review For MC: "I was apprehensive at the thought of a cream pot shadow at first, but boy, was I blown away with this formula. I'm by no means a pro at eyeshadow, which is why I tend to stick to eyeshadow sticks, but this pot couldn't have been easier to apply. I simply warmed it up a bit with my finger, swiped it across my lid, then blended it up and out with an eyeshadow brush. A little goes a long way, too, so this pot will last you quite a while." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor

I don't always like filling in my brows, but I do enjoy a brow pomade to keep the hairs in place. This pomade never flakes or dries white on my dark brows, nor does it run down my skin when it's humid out. It's also conditioning and volumizing, ideal for anyone's long-term brow regimen.

Number of Shades: Four

What I Love: A little goes a long way; Conditioning; Long-lasting; Easy to apply

What I Don't: Only provides a light amount of hold

Review For MC: "I'm incredibly low-key when it comes to my brows—I don't want to spend more than a minute shaping and defining them, and this volumizing pomade does the trick. Within a couple of swipes, it filled in the sparse areas of my brows, and there's a lot of them. While it doesn't have as much hold as I would typically like in a brow gel, I do appreciate the rich shade." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor

While The Minimalist sits between a foundation and concealer, you can use it for both, thanks to its light to medium coverage. This formula is especially creamy, so you can swipe it on areas that need coverage and blend it out using just your fingers if you prefer, or a foundation brush. Its compact packaging makes it especially handy to toss in your work tote or carry-on suitcase for on-the-go touch-ups.

Number of Shades: 30

What I Love: Blendable; Buildable; Multi-use; Hydrating; Lightweight; Travel-friendly; Applies smoothly

What I Don't: Some reviewers note the stick breaks easily

Review For MC: "Despite my years in beauty, I'm not the best at applying foundation. Plus, if I do choose to even out my complexion, I want something breathable and foolproof. This creamy stick formula makes it so easy to swipe onto areas that need a little more coverage, and I can tap it into my skin with just my fingers. I wield it kind of like a concealer, sticking to my undereyes and any blemishes, and it never creates a harsh line of pigment. My skin just looks more radiant, and the formula stays smooth and undetectable throughout the day." — Hannah Baxter, Beauty Director

Say hello to the bronzer you can't mess up. This lightweight, sheer formula was made with beginners in mind, so expect an especially creamy, easy-to-blend texture. Every shade adds a natural, post-vacation glow without any streakiness, patchiness, or oranginess. Simply swipe it on, blend it out with a brush, and layer up the pigment, if you choose. It's that easy to look like an island goddess.

Number of Shades: Five

What I Love: Natural, glowy finish; Blendable; Buildable; Easy to apply

What I Don't: Color needs to be built up

Review For MC: "This bronzer is up there on my ranking of favorite Merit products because it's so easy to use. Bronzer can sometimes appear patchy or orange-y, but this creamy formula is neither of those things. It gives me a sunny glow without having to step outside of New York. I do find that I have to apply at least two layers to get the coverage I want, but I don't mind because it only takes a minute or so to blend out." — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor