Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick: Guru Score 81%

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Dark spots and post-acne marks2 experts

“It does not have full foundation [...] coverage, but it [...] evens out discoloration and redness while letting your natural skin shine through.”

Kelly Driscoll, watch at 12:10

Redness2 experts

“It does not have full foundation [...] coverage, but it [...] evens out discoloration and redness while letting your natural skin shine through.”

Kelly Driscoll, watch at 12:10

Breakouts and acne1 expert

“Maybe if I had like a blemish, I would use this a little bit.”

Beyond50Skin, watch at 3:46

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Mixed

"I first ran across the concept of a solid skin tint when I tried the Minimalist Stick by Merit. Honestly, I don't reach for it that often. I use it more as a concealer stick, just dot it on little pigments or little red spots that I have and go on about my day."

All 3 takes from Beyond50Skin

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"I've been trying their minimalist stick as a makeup coverage and it's great for just touching up blemishes and touching up imperfections, but I don't actually consider this a complexion product despite the fact that the name says it is a complexion product. [...] I use it more of a concealer as opposed to a complexion product. Maybe if I had like a blemish, I would use this a little bit. Or if I just wanted just like the barest of their no makeup days."

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"I first ran across the concept of a solid skin tint when I tried the Minimalist Stick by Merit. Honestly, I don't reach for it that often. I use it more as a concealer stick, just dot it on little pigments or little red spots that I have and go on about my day."

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"I've been eyeing their complexion stick for a while but I have the OG complexion stick which is a very similar concept where you just apply where you need it but I opened it up this morning and it's completely dried out so I'm definitely going to be trying out the Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick from Merit. They have some new shades which are a little bit closer to my skin tone."

Kelly Driscoll

91k subs

✓Yay

"The Merit Complexion Stick in Oak is like a cross [...] between a skin tint and a concealer. It does not have full foundation [...] coverage, but it [...] evens out discoloration and redness while letting your natural skin shine through. I have been testing it without a primer and I am not getting any creasing, caking or splitting, so skipping a layer is nice for summer."

HotandFlashy

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"The stick foundation of the year for this year is the Merit Foundation stick. This is fantastic. I love this. [...] It's just so easy to use. I use this a lot over the summer like if I was traveling and taking my travel brush set [...] I could just take this throw it in here with like a mascara and a couple other things zip it up and be good to go. [...] The finish on this is going to be more similar to a soft glam, it gives this soft satin finish and I love that about it."

All 4 takes from HotandFlashy

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"The stick foundation of the year for this year is the Merit Foundation stick. This is fantastic. I love this. [...] It's just so easy to use. I use this a lot over the summer like if I was traveling and taking my travel brush set [...] I could just take this throw it in here with like a mascara and a couple other things zip it up and be good to go. [...] The finish on this is going to be more similar to a soft glam, it gives this soft satin finish and I love that about it."

Retiring from YouTube

"I'm going to go ahead and take my Merit stick which I like much much better and I'm going to put that on all right and I'm even going to use this as my under eye concealer cuz this is so good that I can wear it as under eye concealer and it's a much better shade match for me."

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"It definitely blends out really nicely and went into my pores instead of skipping over them like it did initially. [...] The shade matches really good, it's blended really nicely, it's covering everything I want to cover. It doesn't feel heavy or greasy. It does definitely have a more of a luminous finish than I would like so I am definitely going to have to powder it."

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"This was great also as concealer. If you are really a makeup minimalist give this a try it's really really good. It's not greasy it's not heavy but it's not drying feeling either. I just loved it."

Robert Welsh

1.11M subs

✓Yay

"We have a minimalist, this is a complexion stick so it makes an absolutely incredible concealer but it also sits beautifully everywhere else on the face, on your whole face. I sometimes use it on my sun damage, which is actually looking pretty good, the occasional blemish, under the eyes I can use it on my neck if I get a little bit of a shaving cut, you know those kind of things. It's this really nice creamy ultra blendable texture that just kind of melts into the skin."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick?

A creamy solid complexion stick from Merit designed to conceal, even out skin tone and give light, buildable coverage on the face in a single portable step.

Is Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick worth it?

Mostly yes. 3 of the 4 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 81%.

What is Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick's Guru Score?

Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick holds a Guru Score of 81%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 4 expert reviewers we have collected.

What is Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick is good for dark spots and post-acne marks (2 experts), redness (2 experts) and breakouts and acne (1 expert).

Is Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick good for dark spots and post-acne marks?

2 experts who reviewed Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick say it is. Kelly Driscoll put it this way: “It does not have full foundation [...] coverage, but it [...] evens out discoloration and redness while letting your natural skin shine through.”