MERIT Solo Shadow – First Impressions & Thoughts
On August 22nd, MERIT launched their new matte eye colour product, Solo Shadow, and their new dual ended eyeshadow brush, Brush No. 2.
It’s no surprise that MERIT is one of my all time favourite clean make-up brands. Known for their noncomedogenic products and beautiful packaging, they pride themselves on being the antidote to the oversaturated world of beauty. This minimalist beauty brand has been incredibly successful in creating products that are safe for the body, skin and planet. This is why I and many other make-up enthusiasts alike have truly fallen head over heels for everything MERIT launches.
I was over the moon when MERIT reached out to me and let me in on the details for this launch. I was looking to get rid of many of the eyeshadow palettes I’ve owned because they were either expired or contained too many ingredients that I felt were harmful to my health. While I have had many of these palettes for at least a year or more, something I noticed is that I never truly hit pan on many of the colours.
As someone who likes to typically only use one to two colours at most when I use eyeshadow, palettes that contained four or more colours often felt unnecessary to me. With MERIT launching a line of “solo” eyeshadows, the overwhelm I had when it came to eyeshadow palettes was finally eliminated.
Let’s talk first impressions on the packaging:
Gorgeous as always, and timeless as ever – but that’s no surprise coming from MERIT. Along with the Solo Shadow and No. 2 brush, they also sent over their Clean Lash lengthening mascara, which I’ve always wanted to try. I especially love the gold touches on the Solo Shadow and Clean Lash which truly encapsulates the luxe feeling that the brand wants to portray and provide its customers with.
Now, onto the performance of the products themselves…
Solo Shadow: Described as a buildable, cream-to-powder shadow for a soft-matte wash of colour, I was curious to find out how this eyeshadow was going to apply. I feel that you don’t hear the word “cream” and “matte” in the same description very often but that’s exactly what this eyeshadow is. The shade I chose, “Midcentury” is a warm brown that I was excited to see on my olive, medium tan skin. When I first picked up the colour onto the brush, I did notice its cream-like texture that was incredibly easy to blend. You also can totally blend the product out with your finger.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that once the pigment was on my eyelid, it looked as if it was a matte textured shadow in the first place. I think this cream-to-powder texture perfectly combines the blendability of a standalone cream formula and the versatility of a matte finish. The solo shadow truly is the best of both worlds! In terms of the amount of pigment, I loved that you can apply a small amount if you’re looking for just a subtle amount of colour or you could add more and build the amount of pigment to your preference.
No. 2 brush: I loved that this is a dual ended brush that can help you achieve whatever eyeshadow look. you are going for. The fluffy end is perfect for diffusing colour across the lid and the tapered end is great for applying eyeshadow along the lash line. This brush is made from extra-soft vegan bristles that are gentle on sensitive skin. For a brush that’s pretty compact, the densely packed bristles deposit just the right amount of product for easy, buildable coverage.
I truly love everything about this eyeshadow and brush! The Solo Shadow currently comes in 4 neutral shades and 4 wearable colours. You’ve got a beautiful range of shades to pick from beautiful browns and beiges and mauve, green, and navy.
If you’d like to try out the Solo Shadow, No. 2 brush, and Clean Lash, be sure to use my link! Every first MERIT purchase comes with their signature bag and all orders over $40 get free shipping. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these new products, and I hope you genuinely love them as much as I do.
All the love,
Ainah
