Cameron Diaz’s Glowy Concealer and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Balmy Highlighter Are on Rare Sale

I’d be lying if I said I’ve known about Merit Beauty since its inception in 2021. The breezy, minimalist brand, used by cool girls like Sarah Jessica Parker and Bella Hadid, is still relatively under the radar despite its stellar formulas. Literally any friend who has tried Merit on my recommendation, however, has become a zealot for the brand’s blendable, skincare-infused makeup, which is virtually impossible not to love. 

I discovered Merit for myself about a year ago, when Cameron Diaz shared her favorites, including the concealer stick and lengthening mascara. I’ve since tried an array of its products, and rely on them when I want to nail the clean girl aesthetic, or simply look like I’ve been blessed with effortlessly fantastic skin. 

In line with its air of exclusivity, Merit’s celebrity-used goodies virtually never go on sale. The sole exception: right now, during the brand's only sale of the entire year. Score 20 percent off this luxury beauty brand sitewide for Black Friday.

Shop Merit Beauty on Black Friday Sale:

• The Minimalist Complexion Perfecting Stick, $30 (Originally $38) 
• Great Skin Instant Glow Serum, $30 (Originally $38) 
• Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade, $19 (Originally $24)
• Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara, $21 (Originally $26)
• Merit Solo Shadow Matte Eye Color, $19 (Originally $24) 
• Flush Balm Cheek Color, $21 (Originally $30)
• Day Glow Highlighting Balm, $26 (Originally $32)

The Minimalist Complexion Perfecting Stick

Cameron Diaz is a fan of this lightweight, your-skin-but-better formula, which is as convenient as it is practical: The foundation-concealer combo comes in solid stick format, so it’s a breeze to apply, even on the go. In addition to lightweight, skin-like coverage, the formula features skincare ingredients to actually enhance your bare complexion, including fatty acids to enhance suppleness. Shoppers across an array of skin types adore the stick, including one 42-year-old with rosacea-prone skin, who says the “flawless” finish “helped [them] realize[they] need less foundation.”

Great Skin Instant Glow Serum

The name of this glow-inducing elixir could hardly be more apt. Simply put, “great” skin is what you’ll get — both instantly and over time — thanks to its nutritive formula. A few drops applied to a bare face deliver an instant dewiness that’s reminiscent of glass skin.  Niacinamide refines pores, soothes, and brightens; caffeine pummels early morning puffiness. 

Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade

Speaking from experience, this brush-on brow pomade is among the absolute best of the bunch —  if a firm, flake-free hold and defined, fluffy arches are in your goal. The brush head is notably miniscule, and features a tapered tip that makes smoothing stray hairs a breeze. InStyle senior beauty writer Tamim Alnuweiri is also a fan, noting how the formula “fluffs [her brows] up while filling sparse spots.” Plus, it’s available in three shades.

Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara

Another must-have for Diaz is this mascara stretches lashes beyond what many people perceive as possible for a “clean” mascara, and deposits inky pigment. Truly smudge-free thanks to its tubing formula, it removes cleanly with a quick bit of water at the end of the night, no harsh rubbing required.

Flush Balm Cheek Color 

For a believable blush, look no further than this creamy, buildable formula. Available in nine natural-looking shades, it’s tricky to choose a favorite. FWIW: Diaz and I are partial to the plummy hue, Raspberry Beret.

Merit Solo Shadow Matte Eye Color 

Not an eyeshadow person? You may just become one after trying this paired-down take on the traditionally powder-based product. In true Merit fashion, the formula is slick, chic, and blendable; plus, four of the so-called “neutrals,” including Vachetta, are perfect for no-makeup-makeup looks, according to shoppers.

Day Glow Highlighting Balm 

Highlighter has a reputation for looking glittery, yet this blendable, balmy stick is sans sparkle; instead, it delivers a natural-looking luminosity via ultra-fine pearlized pigments and skin-loving squalane. The swipeable, bendable stick is a fan favorite, and worthy of Sarah Jessica Parker, who donned it earlier this year.

Snag the most covetable Merit Beauty finds on Black Friday sale — and stock up — before they return to full price. This sale happens but once a year, after all.