Merit Makeup Review (2026): Is It Worth It? My Take After 2+ Years of Wear

Is Merit makeup worth it? Short answer: yes, for the right skin and the right expectations. I’ve been wearing Merit on and off for over two years now, so this review is well past my 100 hour guarantee. Here’s my honest Merit makeup review, including what I’d buy again and what I’d skip. This post may contain affiliate links.

A few years ago I started noticing that traditional foundation just didn’t look good on me anymore. Everything looked cakey by noon, and I kept going back to bb creams and cc creams. Was I doing something wrong? How did I get more coverage without it looking cakey? Was it my skin?

Then a friend recommended Merit for large pores specifically, and I was intrigued enough to place an order. Two years later, their

Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick is still the thing I reach for on full makeup days.

My Skin (So You Know If This Review Applies to You)

Makeup reviews are useless without context, so here’s mine. I have combination skin, visible pores (not small ones, not even close), some rosacea/redness, and a growing collection of sunspots. I’m in my mid-30s and I’ve had four babies, so I also know exactly what this makeup does over dark circles after a rough night.

Most days I wear a cc cream with SPF (Complexion Rescue from Bare Minerals has been my daily for years and I’ve recently tried this Sheer Skin Tint and I’m obsessed). Regular liquid foundation tends to sit in my pores and look cakey on me.

What I Ordered from Merit

For my first order I got the starter set with their complexion stick, the blending brush, and their serum:

• The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick: Merit’s hero product. It’s a foundation and concealer in one stick. (I ordered in shade BONE, for reference.)
• Brush No. 1: their tapered blending brush. If you’re ordering the stick, get the brush. It’s not optional in my opinion, and I’ll explain why below.
• Great Skin Instant Glow Serum: I use this as a primer under the stick rather than as an everyday serum (my daily serums are still The Ordinary).

Everything arrived tied up in their corduroy Signature makeup bag, which comes free with your first order from Merit’s site.

The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick Review

This is the product Merit is known for, and it’s the reason I keep coming back to the brand.

The formula is creamy and blends out fast. You draw it directly on your skin, buff it out with the brush, and it settles into something that looks like skin instead of a layer sitting on top of skin. With liquid foundation, I can see product collecting in my pores by lunchtime. The stick doesn’t do that if you use the primer.

What it covers well on me:

• Redness and rosacea. This is where it earns its price. My red undertones disappear without that flat, mask-like finish.
• Dark circles. It works as a concealer straight from the stick, and it’s covered some truly impressive under-eye situations during the newborn months.
• Sunspots, mostly.

Coverage level: it’s buildable. One light pass gives you a “your skin but better” look. Two or three passes in the areas that need it gets you to what I’d call full coverage, and it still doesn’t look heavy. I use it at the fuller end for events and photos and just a little bit for day to day.

One thing to know about shades: Merit has expanded the shade range since launch, so if you tried to match a few years ago and struck out, it’s worth looking again. If you’re near a Sephora, go get matched in person before ordering. It’s a stick formula with a satin finish, and it is easier to get the right match in person.

The Great Skin Instant Glow Serum

DO NOT SKIP THIS ONE. The stick behaves completely differently over prepped skin. Without a hydrating layer underneath, it can cling to dry patches; with the serum (or a good moisturizer) under it, it glides on and wears longer before needing a touch-up.

I don’t use it as part of my actual skincare routine. For me it’s strictly a makeup primer, and its phenomenal at that job.

Brush No. 1

I know a $30 brush feels like an upsell when you’re already spending on the stick. Buy it anyway. I tried blending the stick with fingers and with a regular buffing brush I already owned, and neither gave me the same finish. The tapered shape gets into the corners of my nose and under my eyes without dragging product around, and it’s the difference between “blended” and “airbrushed.”

The Merit Signature Makeup Bag

Can we talk about the free gift for a second? The corduroy Signature bag that comes with your first order is genuinely one of my most-used makeup bags. It’s washable, it’s structured enough to stand up in my bathroom drawer, and it fits a full everyday face of products. I’ve seen people ask where to buy the Merit makeup bag on its own, and the answer is that the classic corduroy one comes free with a first order from meritbeauty.com.

Merit Makeup Before and After

Here’s what the process looks like on my skin, from bare face to blended. No filter, no blush or bronzer in the final photo, so what you’re seeing is just the stick over the serum.

• Step 1: Prep with the Great Skin serum
• Step 2: Draw the complexion stick on cheeks, chin, forehead, and under eyes
• Step 3: Buff it out with Brush No. 1
• Step 4 (not pictured): bronzer and blush

How to Apply Merit Makeup (What I’ve Learned in 2 Years)

A few things that took me embarrassingly long to figure out:

1. Moisturize first, always. This formula punishes dry skin. Serum or moisturizer underneath is non-negotiable for me.
2. Draw less than you think you need. It’s easier to build a second pass than to buff away too much.
3. Blend in one direction with the brush, then do a final light buff in circles. Swiping back and forth just moves product off your face.
4. Set it if you need it to last past dinner. A light setting spray takes mine from about five good hours to a full day.
5. Warm the stick on the back of your hand in winter. Cold stick, tuggy application.

What I Don’t Love About Merit Makeup

No review is useful without the downsides, so here are mine.

It needs hydration to perform. If I skip moisturizer and setting spray, it looks cakey after a few hours. To be fair, I have this problem with almost every foundation, but Merit is not the exception to it. If your skin runs very dry, I’d think carefully before ordering, or at least commit to prepping well.

The price adds up. The stick is $38, which is fair on its own, but once you add the brush and the serum you’re over $100 for the starting lineup. I think it’s worth it because I’ve been using the same products for two years and the stick lasts forever when you’re not wearing it daily. It’s still a real upfront cost.

It’s not a one-swipe daily product for me. Some people wear the stick every day as a five-minute face. I still prefer my cc cream for school drop-off mornings because it has SPF and requires zero blending skill before 8am. Merit is my full-makeup-day product, not my everyday one.

Is Merit Makeup Worth It? My Verdict

Yes, with one condition: you have to be the right customer for it.

Merit is worth it if you have larger pores, redness, or uneven skin tone and you’re tired of foundations that look cakey. It’s also a great fit if you want buildable coverage that can go from minimal to full with the same product.

Skip it if you have very dry skin and don’t want to fuss with prep, or if you want dramatic, full-glam coverage in one swipe. This is a “your skin, improved” brand, not a transformation brand.

Because I only wear it a few days a week, my original stick lasted well over a year, which changes the value math considerably.

Still on my Merit wishlist:

• Flush Balm cream blush (I’ve heard great things, but I refuse to buy a new blush until I finish my Glossier one)
• Brow 1980 brow pomade
• Signature Lip lipstick
• Shade Slick tinted lip oil

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Merit Makeup FAQ

P.S. If you’re finishing off your look, my favorite Dime Beauty perfumes are still what I reach for.

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