The abundance of startup beauty brands can prompt eye rolls among even the most diehard makeup and skin care devotees. The market has been flooded with seemingly near-identical emerging brands, making it hard to know what’s worth the investment and which are just really good at social media marketing. I’ve long been skeptical of many of these newcomers, and admit to even feeling overwhelmed by the range of choices that are available.
I am, however, always looking for simple makeup solutions that help to keep my routine pared down without sacrificing on quality. So when I first heard about Merit Beauty, my interest was instantly piqued. I was further intrigued when I found out that the brand is helmed by Katherine Power, who previously founded the skin care line Versed, the wine startup Avaline and Who What Wear, a fashion and lifestyle website and clothing brand. She’s highly regarded as a person with trustworthy judgment in the style and beauty realm and has impeccable taste. She consistently works with people who are at the top of their field, like celeb esthetician Biba de Sousa, further bolstering the brand’s credibility.
Merit is branded as a minimalist’s beauty line, providing shoppers with everything they need and nothing they don’t. It has only 10 products in its lineup — eight makeup staples, one blending brush and one skin-centric serum — presumably everything you need for a gorgeous, glowing face in just five minutes.
After trying out pretty much all of Merit’s products, I can officially say that I’m hooked. I use them daily and love how quickly and easily they give my skin a natural, flawless glow. The line gives you an effortlessly put-together appearance without feeling caked on, overly formal or greasy. Best of all, the reasonable price point makes it easy to stock up on my favorites, like the lip tint or cheek balm.
All of the products are formulated to be skin-forward, and are full of plant-based ingredients like antioxidants, squalane and vitamin B5. I was especially excited to try them out because they’ve also been designed to be safe for acne-prone, sensitive and reactive skin like mine. So not only are you getting lovely coverage from the makeup itself, but you’re nourishing the overall health of your skin as well. All of their products are vegan, cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny-certified as well as EU compliant and designated Clean at Sephora. Merit says it is also committed to eliminating as much virgin plastic as possible from its lineup of products and uses shipment packaging that is recyclable, reusable or biodegradable.
As a sweet touch, every first order ships with a chic corduroy makeup bag. I love to use mine as a handbag, and my partner is constantly swiping it for herself. Below, I’ve rounded out my five must-have products from Merit’s lineup. Buy them individually or save by bundling Merit’s bestselling products and getting everything you need in one go. You’ll be surprised at how much easier and quicker they’ll make your morning routine.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
