Merit Beauty

Minimalist and beauty are two words that I never thought I’d embrace in conjunction until we moved to Paris. Self-employed after years of putting on a full face of make-up to go to the office every day, in a country where make-up is synonymous with lipstick, mascara and little else, my full face suddenly felt pointless. Who was I dressing up for, exactly?

Myself, that’s who. And I don’t judge myself based on my appearance. I gave up on daily make-up quickly.

I got back into the routine of daily make-up when we came back to Canada, but my enthusiasm for it never truly returned. When I started working from home, it was a relief to go without make-up during the week again. I still love a full face, but I like to wear it sparingly, saving it for special occasions. In the pre-Zoom meeting world, that worked. But a year into a global pandemic, video meetings are now de rigueur and I often find myself needing to put on make-up in a hurry for expected face-to-face discussions. In essence, I’ve never needed minimal beauty products more than I do now. A five-minute face is a saving grace on a busy day.

Lately, I’ve been relying on Merit to get me there.

A little about Merit

Just launched in January 2021 by Who What Wear co-founder and fashion It Girl Katherine Power, Merit takes a less-is-more approach to beauty. They offer a small, curated range of products that are safe for our bodies, our skin and the planet. Merit believes you can have luxury beauty products while remaining a responsible global citizen – and ethos I agree with but that can, at times, be exclusionary. With that said, the bottom line is this: their products work. I know because I’ve tested them thoroughly over the past two months.

Late last year, Merit kindly offered me the opportunity to test products from their upcoming range prior to the launch. I agreed, and I’ve been embracing minimalist beauty with them ever since.

What I tried…

Merit offers only seven products in their current range. I tried two, which means I’ve effectively tried a third of their full offering. If these two are any indication of what the full range can do, I have to say, I’m impressed.

The Minimalist
Described as a complexion perfecting stick, this product is intended to replace both your foundation and concealer, although it is neither. I was initially skeptical, I admit. A good foundation is hard to find. A good concealer is even harder to find. How could one beauty product truly replace both, while resembling neither? The fact is, I still don’t really know. But I know that The Minimalist has been a lifesaver for me. The stick formula is so easy to apply, the coverage is light but full and I can put it on in seconds. It’s been my go-to for rushed workdays when I need to look good in a very limited amount of time. My only gripe is that the stick is fragile – mine unexpectedly broke on me, but luckily I was able to pop it back into the tube and continue using it.

Brow 1980
I’m not sure it’s entirely fair for me to review brow products. The truth is, I don’t need them. For better or worse, I was blessed with a set of brows that could put Frida Kahlo’s to the test. Despite all of my teenaged plucking, they still grow in full and dark, so I really only use brow products to tidy them up a bit and set them. If you have light or fine brows, then Brow 1980 might not do what you need it to. But for me, it goes on easily, adds the set and tint I like, and stays all day. Simple and effective!

Overall Impressions

Merit may be new to the beauty market, but they’ve started off strong. The Minimalist is officially a beauty staple for me, and will replace my long time favourite Neo Nude Fusion Power from Giorgio Armani in my travel beauty bag when we can finally hit the road again. I’m excited to see what’s to come from the brand – and to add a few more products from their range into my current routine.