I tried eight Merit Beauty bestsellers and am sharing my brutally honest thoughts on their minimalist, clean makeup. Keep reading to find out what I liked and didn’t like.

Is Merit Beauty clean beauty?

Merit is a clean, vegan and cruelty free makeup line that’s free of Sulfates, Phthalates, Parabens, Formaldehydes, Hydroquinone, Talc, Coal tar, and Mineral oil. But purists would not count them as clean. They’re not 100% natural and do include synthetics in their products. If that’s not your cup of tea, check out my guide to truly non-toxic makeup.

I do think Merit offers excellent value for money. They have the look and feel of luxury makeup products (think Westman Atelier) but without the luxury price tag. For the relatively affordable prices, the packaging and performance were a pleasant surprise to me.

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I tried The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 45

I’ve been using Merit’s new tinted sunscreen and love how lightweight and breathable it feels. It really does go on sheer so my skin still looks like my skin. The finish is a luminous skin finish that looks very natural. It feels super hydrating but also has a decent amount of grip so it doesn’t fade quickly. I find it to be very buildable because of how sheer it is, so it’s great to take on the go too. I’m also surprised by the coverage power. It provides just a tad more coverage than a true skin tint but you can also build it to almost a medium coverage level!

The packaging itself looks quite luxe for the under $40 price tag and the formula is non-comedogenic, oil-free, and silicone-free. I also appreciate that it’s a pretty high SPF of 45 using non nano zinc oxide.

Price: $38
Shades: 14 available

I tried The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick

I find Merit’s foundation stick to be creamy, silky and smooth and the coverage to be light. It blends very easily and is sooo convenient to take on the go for touch ups. I *have* noticed that my skin needs to be well hydrated before applying, otherwise it can make my skin look dry. I don’t look like to use this on my entire face as it’s not very long lasting. The Complexion Stick is more useful as a spot concealer when I’m out and about. Since it’s not super heavy duty, it IS buildable but I find that it starts to look cakey on my dry mid-30s skin.

Price: $38
Shades: 30 available

I tried Flush Balm

My latest go-to blush is Merit’s Flush Balm in the shade Stockholm. It’s a creamy blush that applies and blends in soo easily. The pigmentation is natural-looking but impactful and it feels lightweight and breathable on my skin. I can see why so many people are obsessed with this product. I love the shade Stockholm because it’s this soft baby pink that’s perfect for everyday wear and super flattering on all skin tones. It doesn’t really have any skin nourishing ingredients, but I do like that they offer affordable luxury. The packaging is so chic and they offer the best value for money compared to other cleanish blushes.

Price: $30 for 9g

I tried Merit Beauty Clean Volume Mascara

Merit Beauty’s Clean Volume Mascara is one of my new favorites for my super short lashes. It has a Japanese-made tubing formula that lifts, separates, and adds volume. The formula is low-tox (although not completely natural), is safe for sensitive eyes and has rice bran wax and shea butter. What I noticed immediately is the brush is smaller than most mascara wands. I find that the formula feels a little drier and grippier than most mascaras I’ve used, which helps it actually stay put all day. It does mean using too much product can cause it to clump. I like to use just the tip of the wand to coat each little lash instead of swiping it through all at once, and I find that transfers plenty of product exactly where I need it. For my barely there lashes using the body of the brush doesn’t do much for me. Once it dries, I don’t think it’s very buildable unless I want my lashes to look spidery. I also find it comes off easily with an oil cleanser.

I’m wearing it on the left side below so you can compare my lashes with and without mascara.

I tried Signature Lip Liner

Merit’s lip liner is sooo pillowy! This is an excellent lip liner that glides on effortlessly and looks soo natural. It’s got a hydrating gel formula with a jojoba complex and pomegranate extract and feels so soft and cushiony. I can lightly accentuate my lips with one swipe or create a bolder lip. I’ve got the shade Coupe which is described as a cool pink, but I actually found it to be more of a deep nude that’s mauve-y. I like that I can also use it to fill in my lips without leaving them looking dry.

Price: $24
Shades: 8 available

I tried Bronze Balm

Love Merit’s cream bronzer! It’s super smooth and silky, glides on effortlessly and looks super natural. They got the tone just right and it blends so well, it doesn’t even look like I’m wearing extra makeup. The formula feels hydrating and moisturizing and the shade Quince gives my face just a subtle hint of warmth. I think oily skin might find this too slick though.

I tried Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara

I was pleasantly surprised by Merit’s mascara because most clean mascaras don’t work for my sparse lashes. This is a tubing mascara that does add a decent amount of volume while lengthening. The formula isn’t clumpy and doesn’t smudge unless I’ve applied a bunch of times. It’s got some nourishing ingredients like Fatty acids, olive oil esters and vitamin B5. At $26 it’s relatively affordable too. It’s not the most impressive mascara I’ve tried in clean beauty, but it’s pretty good for the price.

I tried Tinted Lip Oil

Merit’s lip oil is light and juicy with a slick consistency that feels very similar to a true lip oil but slightly more moisturizing and hydrating. I’ve tried almost every lip oil in clean beauty, and this one looks and feels more luxurious than most others. There’s 12 shades available and I have one of the Gelees ones that goes on sheer and looks a little different depending on your lip tone. It’s got plant-derived squalane and quinoa seed oil, and gives a subtle wash of color that gives lips a stained look that I really like.

Price: $24
Shades: 12

I tried Highlighting Balm

Merit’s highlighter balm was probably my least favorite product, but that might be because I’m not the biggest highlighter person. This one feels too slick and tends to look too shiny on my skin. If you like a dewy look though, this might be up your alley. The packaging is not my favorite in the line. It feels flimsy and cheap unfortunately. I do appreciate the skincare ingredients it has like micro-fine pearls, plant-based squalane and a phytosterol and amino acid blend.

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