Merit starts with a five-minute makeup video. Katherine Power, who also co-founded Who What Wear and founded Versed skincare, posted it on Instagram about four and a half years before the brand existed, and the response pushed her to build a small collection of clean, comfortable products. Merit launched in January 2021 with seven of them: The Minimalist complexion stick, Day Glow, Flush Balm, Clean Lash, Brow 1980, Shade Slick and Brush No 1. That origin explains the whole point of view, a short list that does a lot, vegan and cruelty-free, built around plant-based squalane, vitamin B5 and antioxidants. The face pieces are where I would begin. The Minimalist foundation and concealer stick is the launch product that set the tone, and the Flush Balm cream blush and Bronze Balm sculpting bronzer follow the same balm logic. If you are weighing formulas, cream or powder blush, explained is a useful read. Signature Lip came next, debuting backstage at Proenza Schouler's Fall 2022 show, and it now spans the lightweight lipstick, the lip blush and the sheer liner. Clean Lash and Clean Volume tubing mascaras and the Solo Shadow cream eyeshadow keep the eyes just as pared back, and for a full routine there is an everyday makeup look built on skin tint, concealer and cream blush.

Day Glow is the product I would explain first here. It is a highlighting balm that gives a sheen without sparkle, thanks to micro-fine pearls, so it reads as light on skin rather than glitter. The Great Skin range sits underneath it: the instant glow serum with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, the priming and firming moisturizer with peptides, and the double cleanse makeup removing cleanser. The Uniform tinted mineral sunscreen with SPF 45 is the daytime step that ties them together, and moisturizer with SPF for daily wear and under makeup is a handy comparison if you are deciding how much to layer. Brows get two options, the Brow 1980 volumizing tinted gel-pomade and the Brow 1990 ultra fine gel pencil, which suit different habits. What I would skip is Day Glow over a base you have not smoothed first, because a balm sheen shows up best on prepped skin. The two fragrances, Retrospect and New Wave, are both extraits de parfum, and the Erdem sets and the mini Great Skin essentials set pack the same ideas into smaller form.

If I were building a short Merit routine, it would be The Minimalist stick, Flush Balm, Signature Lip and Clean Lash, with Day Glow added on days that call for a little light. That is very close to the idea Katherine Power started with, a few things that work hard and feel comfortable. When the weather turns, a cream bronzer for cold-weather skin pairs naturally with the Bronze Balm, and foundation by finish shows where the stick fits among the rest.

To round out the look, see Tower 28 Makeup and Skincare and Rare Beauty Makeup and Fragrance.