Is Merit Makeup Worth It? I Tried Everything — & Found Some Real Gems

Of all the makeup brands — and there are far too many to count — only one consistently dominates beauty editor conversations. Enter: Merit.

If one of us has impossibly dewy skin, plumper lips, or longer lashes than usual, the question is always the same: Is it Merit? I even know one editor who insisted her makeup artist use entirely Merit products on her wedding day, and for good reason. It’s one of the few brands that makes makeup look like it’s simply part of you — like you’re wearing it, not the other way around. 

Think of the brand as a step above no-makeup makeup. It keeps things natural with sheer textures and effortless sticks, yet everything can be layered for a bolder, more striking look. But with both editors and TikTok beauty enthusiasts singing its praises, which Merit products are actually worth your money? 

I put $380 of Merit makeup and skincare to the test, and here’s my honest verdict.

In May, I called this the best tinted sunscreen I’d ever tried, and months later, I still stand by that. In fact, I’ve been using it ever since I discovered it. Unlike others, which can feel thick or chalky, this goes on and absorbs like a lightweight moisturizer, with medium coverage that’s enough to conceal my breakouts and dark circles. The finish sits somewhere between matte and dewy. Most tinted sunscreens fade after a few hours, but not this one. Its staying power is impressive for something so featherlight, and it always feels comfortable. That said, I don’t rely on it for sunscreen alone — I always layer it over a dedicated SPF.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t think I’d enjoy using this, but it’s quickly become my go-to concealer. As someone with acne-prone skin, I’ve always been told to avoid creamy stick products because they often contain pore-clogging waxes. While this does have some waxes on the ingredient list, it remarkably doesn’t break me out. I usually use it to spot-conceal, tapping it in with my fingers, and I’m always impressed by the coverage and how well it tucks away redness. When I’m feeling too lazy for “proper” makeup, I scribble it all over my face and blend with a dense, fluffy brush. The result feels like a light tint with the pigment of a foundation, but it always looks like my skin, and never like a mask.

I’ll admit I wasn’t a big fan of Flush Balm the first time I tried it — but that was because I had the completely wrong shade. My advice: go slightly darker than you think. Since the product is pretty sheer, it needs to be built up if you want a bolder blush look. Here, I’m wearing Le Bon Bon, a stunning fuchsia pink, and I’m starting to think I’ll never go back to the other blushes in my makeup bag. It gives my cheeks the most natural, just-come-in-from-the-cold flush. My partner even noticed and complimented my makeup. Thanks to the creamy texture, it doesn’t last quite as long as I’d like, but a quick layer of translucent powder fixes that. If you don’t want to swipe it directly onto your foundation (I hate transfer!), tap a dense brush over the dome of the product and apply it that way.

I was pleasantly surprised by how effortlessly this glided onto my skin and how quickly it blended — the texture is that silky. Sometimes foundation can flatten my features, but this product brings depth back in. I use it in the hollows of my cheeks to define my bone structure, down the center of my nose, and across my temples for a sun-kissed glow, and even on my eyelids as a natural-looking eyeshadow. It layers beautifully under Flush Balm, though if you want it to last all day, a setting powder is a must.

I usually skip highlighter, but the marbled look of this domed stick was so mesmerizing, I had to try it — and I’m glad I did. It literally looks and feels like dewy skincare, thanks to moisturizing squalane and skin-healing vitamins and amino acids. It contains ultra-fine pearl pigments but never looks dusty or glittery. Instead, it gives a gorgeous, natural gloss that only improves as your skin’s oils blend with it throughout the day. Here, I applied some in the inner corners of my eyes, and I’m convinced it makes me appear more awake. 

Ok, this is my new favorite eyeshadow. I can never be bothered with two or three shades, and smoky eyes are absolutely not my skill set, but a single wash of color can take my makeup from meh to next level, tying together blush, bronzer, and lips in perfect harmony. Here, I’m wearing Studio, which the brand calls a “cool taupe.” It leans slightly bronze without any orange, so it looks like it belongs on my eyes. The best part, though, is how effortlessly it applies. You could use your finger, but I go with a fluffy brush — the blend is seamless, and it takes just 10 seconds to create this look. Even better? It lasts much longer than other cream eyeshadows I’ve tried, and because it dries down to a soft powder, it barely creases.

I wasn’t sure how I’d get this pencil through my thick brows — it’s that fine — but it’s exactly what I needed. Using it actually made me realize how bad the pencil I was using before really was. Because it’s so precise, you can fill in the gaps, mimicking the finest, softest brow hairs without anything looking blocky. The spoolie on the end lets you feather it out if you go a little heavy. Just don’t press too hard, or you’ll snap the nib in half and lose it down the sink.

Brow pomades are usually too wet and messy, but this one is just right. My brows are naturally quite dark, but this adds the perfect finishing touch after the pencil, locking my thick hairs in place without making them feel stiff or greasy like others. On lazy days, I’ll just run the brush through, and it instantly gives my brows more volume. I also love that the tapered brush lets you define the inner and outer corners without any smudging.

Because this lip liner is so sheer, it doesn’t stick around for very long. That said, it’s so moisturizing that reapplying is easy. Sometimes I don’t even bother looking in the mirror; I just scribble it on and smudge it out with my fingers. My lips are chronically dry, and most liners only make that worse, but this one glides on beautifully, thanks to the jojoba oil. Most days, I use this as my lipstick, enlisting a fluffy brush to blend it out and blur the edges. 

To me, this feels more like a tinted lip balm than a true lipstick — the name says it all, I guess! It glides on easily, giving a satin-like veil of color that feels moisturizing, thanks to squalane and sunflower seed oil. It only lasts a couple of hours on me, but because it’s so soft and lightweight, I just swipe it on like a balm. Here I’m wearing Slip, though I tend to prefer the pinker shades on my olive skin. I also wish the packaging felt a bit more luxe. 

This mascara takes a bit of work — three to four coats in my experience — but the result is the most naturally fluttery lashes. It has an old-school bristle brush that requires slow, deliberate combing to build up layers, rather than a silicone brush that deposits product instantly. That actually worked in my favor, because it didn’t leave any clumps. Instead, my lashes looked long and fluffy, almost like falsies. The best part is that it’s a tubing mascara that comes off with just warm water. Tubing formulas are also less likely to smudge or flake, and this one never does. I’m already on my third tube.

Most lip oils I’ve tried feel like a lip gloss in disguise, but this one is different. It isn’t sticky at all, so you don’t have to worry about it trapping hair when you step outside. Quinoa seed oil is the star ingredient, acting like skincare for your lips by deeply moisturizing and supporting the skin barrier — the outer layer that keeps moisture in and bacteria out. The tint is subtle but lovely, and I like layering it over lipstick for a soft, glossy boost. Because it’s an oil rather than a gloss, it sinks in fairly quickly, so to pop in your purse for touch-ups.

This is such a quenching moisturizer, and even though it’s designed to prime skin for makeup, I often wear it on its own for a glow boost. Moisturizing glycerin and hydrating hyaluronic acid are the stars, while skin-strengthening peptides support healing, and collagen and elastin help keep skin supple. It doesn’t contain any reflective pigments, but you wouldn’t guess that, considering the natural dew it gives dry skin. Even better, it’s non-comedogenic, so it’s much less likely to clog pores or cause breakouts. When I use this, my makeup lasts noticeably longer than it does over other moisturizers.