[unpaid/sample] After last week’s Black Friday fest, I thought we could start this week going minimal and easy on the purse. Merit Beauty is arriving in the UK very soon but since you can’t yet buy it, this is just a quick look-see. Merit is founded by entrepreneur Katherine Power who is also behind Who What Wear, Versed and a wine start up, Avaline. You know the saying ‘if you want something doing, ask a busy person’? I think it applies here. The USP is minimal make up, so once again a brand targeted at millenials serving older women just as well. Think tint, flush and glow as a basic over-view. It’s hard to give a thorough review with only two products but what I see I like.

I have the Shade Slick here in shade Sangria which I really didn’t think would be for me but actually, I love it. I also have Day Glow in Bounce. Shade Slick reminds me a bit of Victoria Beckham’s Posh Gloss and the colour falls between Top Down and Aperitivo – it’s a deep neutral shade but the pigment is so nicely measured to allow some of your natural lip colour to come through that despite looking so dark, it’s really very wearable.

This is a no make up Monday morning selfie so please be kind – but you can see what I mean about the naturalness of it and it is a lip colour you could wear bare faced and with nothing else. Crucially, you don’t really need a mirror for this – just swipe and go and if you’re nervous to apply using the doe’s foot, just use a clean finger to dab the shade over the lips.  I’d love to see shades more from this line.

Day Glow is much like other highlighter sticks – I can’t at all knock it for efficacy because it’s beautiful giving a flash of gold to the skin wherever you want it. It’s less oily that others I’ve tried so I think you could swipe it over your lids and get a beautiful, lightful shimmer on the lids.

I like this for anyone who is losing their lids – that lovely gleam of gold when your eyes become expressive and lids move to show the shimmer. Pricing is mid to high. My guess is that Merit Beauty will come to Sephora so watch this space.