The MERIT Effect

Or, is minimalism in beauty even possible?

It’s been just over one year since minimal beauty behemoth MERIT landed on Aussie shores. While no physical stockist of this ultra-chic, no-mirror-needed take on beauty exists in Australia yet, the brand seems to be taking the Australian market seriously. Whether MERIT conquers this market that international brands have tried (and failed) to succeed in is yet to be seen. I hope they don’t fall into the common trap, transplanting foreign perspectives onto the Australian market, and missing the unique, antipodean nuance. Newcomers have a habit of misjudging what works. While MERIT is both a new, yet familiar-feeling brand, I genuinely think its launch in Australia represents a shift in the zeitgeist to a post-modern approach to makeup that fits within the way Australia’s beauty ideals continue to evolve. After all, who doesn’t want to look effortlessly done?

In 2014 Glossier launched with 3 product offering that fit perfectly in a millenial pink, bubble-wrapped makeup bag (that came free with every order). This online-first brand started a trend: a ‘cool girl’ revolution, characterised by a less-is-more approach to makeup, easy to achieve by the hot models who seemingly slapped it on in their Glossier GRWMs (that very cleverly didn’t just feature Glossier, so obviously it was totes authentic). These aesthetically pleasing routines, captured in a shelfie, made makeup, with a skin-first approach, feel fresh and cool. Overtaking the makeup ideal, Glossier ushered in a new approach. MERIT feels like the organic next step of this shift to minimalism in our approach to beauty. MERIT is Glossier, all grown up; encapsulated, even, by the chic corduroy bag you receive for free with your first order, literally, and figuratively, replacing bubblegum bubble wrap.

Touting themselves as the “antidote to the overwhelming world of beauty”, MERIT offers a tightly curated edit of the products one ‘actually’ needs. While one’s need is a personal assessment, at the time of writing, MERIT’s lineup sits at 17 products, covering makeup, skincare, fragrance, and tools. I’d wager for the average makeup wearer, they will find everything they need for a their version of a full face across this offering. I note the amount of SKUs on the lineup because while Glossier incarnated with three products, its lineup has grown to (at least at MECCA) 41, a fourteen-fold increase. This leads to the obvious question: is it possible to authentically succeed as a minimal beauty brand?

So far I think MERIT is taking the most sustainable launch schedule it can. Slowly building upon what it offers to nonchalantly fill the gaps a trained eye can spot in their regimen. Nothing, to me has felt contrived. I think this is achieved by the fact that MERIT seems to know who she is and, by extension, who she wants to be. Beginning in the e-commerce space before committing to bricks and mortar is also wise, granting international expansion without local logistics. In Australia, I feel MERIT fits MECCA’s aesthetic over Sephora’s. Ultimately, if they’re intelligent in their positioning, that’s the route they’ll pursue. My fear lies in beauty’s tendency to seek dominance over authenticity. Can a minimalist beauty brand continue to thrive in an era where rushed release schedules to maintain relevance are the norm? There must be an upper limit for how many offerings you can make and still call yourself tightly curated. On their website, Glossier still calls themselves “uncomplicated”, but surely 41 is complex, no?

This undertaking ultimately exhausts consumers, yet refusing to partake in constant reinvention renders a beauty brand culturally obsolete. MERIT is an easy Australian companion. Our low-key approach to beauty means MERIT would thrive in the mid-range niche for those who love the Westman Atlier approach to makeup but don’t love Westman Atelier pricing. There will always be a market for high-quality, aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-use makeup. Because it’s true: beauty does feel overwhelming for someone who doesn’t know what they’re looking at, or for, and they’re being told they need it all.

MERIT concludes they take “years perfecting every last detail to ensure it’s not just another product — but one that you can live with for years to come.” I hope this guiding vision never leaves their sight, as what they have created lends credence to a return to the authentic. To what makeup wearers actually crave. Let’s pray we don’t have another Icarus on our hands, dear friends. In the wise words of RuPaul Charles, “good luck, and don’t fuck it up.”

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