Merit Blush: The Flush Balm Shades and What to Pair With Them

Merit Blush: The Flush Balm Shades and What to Pair With Them

Merit blush began as one of seven products in a five-minute makeup line, and the Flush Balm is still the one people talk about. Here are the shades I would pick, plus the sheer balms and radiant sticks that sit closest to it.

Merit arrived on January 12, 2021 with just seven products, a very deliberate answer to the fifty-shade palettes of the moment. Its founder, Katherine Power of Who What Wear and Versed, wanted a makeup bag you could finish in five minutes, and one of those seven was a cheek stain she called impossible to mess up. That was the Flush Balm, and it launched with five shades, Cheeky among them. Merit blush has stayed simple ever since, which is exactly why I keep reaching for it.

The MERIT Flush Balm Cream Blush is a radiant stick with light coverage and vitamin E, and the color goes on as a transparent veil so your skin still shows through. Cheeky is the cool pink, and Stockholm is a baby pink. Le BonBon is a bright pink for a bolder day. Persimmon is a soft orange red, Apres is a soft berry, and Fox is a warm taupe, the least expected shade of the group. Bespoke is a medium pink brown and Postmodern goes deeper, a pink brown for richer skin.

A quick test: swipe the stick once on your cheek and blend with your fingertips. If it looks too sheer, layer a second swipe rather than pressing harder. The balm is buildable, and it works on lips too.

Comparison chart of Merit Blush by formula, from sheer balm at the top to cream stick at the bottom, with every shade of one product on the same row and spread from cool pink to warm coral, featuring fel beauty, Olio E Osso, Makeup by Mario, RMS Beauty, Merit, Iris&Romeo, Pat McGrath Labs, Ogee and LYS Beauty
Merit Blush

Merit Flush Balm

Sheer balms that feel like Flush Balm

The Flush Balm set the template, and a few other sheer balms follow it. Makeup by Mario Jelly Jar in Rose Crush is a bouncy, jelly-like lip and cheek balm in a warm rosy pink with a wash of juicy color. Kaja Dewy Bar in Grapefruit Gelato is a dusty rose multi-stick that hydrates lips and cheeks at once. fel beauty Kissylips in Peck is a blush pink tinted balm with a high-shine finish, and you press it on with a custom applicator. Mango People Cream Blush and Lip Multistick in Sweet Berry is a soft berry with mango butter and ashwagandha in the formula.

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Petal is the creamy, velvety option, made for a hydrated flush. Olio E Osso Lip and Cheek Balm in French Melon, CHANEL N°1 Lip and Cheek Balm and RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Smile all follow the same idea of one balm for lips and cheeks.

Pairing tip: tap a balm on the apples of the cheeks, then dab what is left on your lips. One color across the face looks intentional.

What I would skip: layering a heavy powder over any of these balms right away. It can lift the color. Let the balm settle for a minute, then set only your T-zone.

Sheer balm blushes like Flush Balm

Radiant sticks and a few Flush Balm deep cuts

If you like Flush Balm but want a little more glow, the radiant sticks in this group take the same idea further. The MERIT Flush Balm Cream Blush in Lusitano is a soft peach, and Archival is a cool mauve that wears like a muted rose. Pat McGrath Labs Divine Cream Blush in Divine Rose is a soft rose with a glossy, gleaming veil of color and shea butter and squalane in it. Ogee Sculpted Cream Blush Stick in Carnelian is a luminous coral shimmer that you can also swipe on lips or eyelids.

Dolce&Gabbana Cherry Glaze Bar in 01 Demure Rose is a waterproof soft rose stick with a glossy pop. Iris&Romeo Ceramide Multi-balm in Rosé Cheeks is a peach stick with ceramides that leaves a dewy finish. LYS Beauty Higher Standard Cream Glow Blush Stick in Curvy is a peach with medium coverage, and the brand suggests underpainting it before foundation for a more natural finish. bareMinerals GEN NUDE Dew in One Cheek and Lip Stick rounds out the group.

Pairing tip: use a matte cream on the outer cheek and a glossy stick like Pat McGrath or Ogee on the high point only.

What I would skip: a shimmering coral like Carnelian on textured skin in strong daylight. Keep it for evening.

Radiant cream blush sticks

Choosing your shade

To choose a Merit shade, start with the undertone. Cool pink Cheeky and baby pink Stockholm suit fair and cool skin, while Persimmon and Lusitano warm up medium and olive tones. Apres and Archival are the quiet berry and mauve options, and Bespoke and Postmodern are for deeper skin that wants a pink with some brown in it. The balm is vegan, cruelty-free and comes in recyclable packaging, according to the brand. Apply it before powder, blend with fingers or a sponge, and keep the rest of the face light. That is what Katherine Power built the line around in the first place: fewer steps, a color you actually like, and a face that looks like yours.