ELLE Loves: MERIT’s New Lipstick Is Bringing Matte Back

In 2023, celebrities and models were always wearing glossy lips on the red carpet and runways. Perhaps it was a continuation of the glass hair and glass skin trends—because, of course, what’s next if not glass lips? But as we’ve started to re-embrace Y2K fashion, the matte lip of the 2010s is slowly but surely making a comeback. Just look at MERIT’s latest launch: a matte lip with a lightweight formula. “Glossy lips have been trending for the last few years, but a soft matte lip is a generational classic,” says Alia Morin, MERIT’s chief marketing officer. Available in eight wearable shades, ranging from a cool pink to a warm brown, with mauve and red colors in between, the hydrating formula gives a plush, velvety finish.

The new Signature Lip Matte secretly debuted on Greta Lee at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards. “She’s effortlessly chic and has great style, which made her a perfect fit. The look Naoko Scintu, her makeup artist, put together really encompasses a modern way to wear a matte lip—the simplicity of the clean skin, very little other makeup, and a swipe of lipstick is really sophisticated without looking too ‘done,’” Morin says.

Out of the eight colors, shades of red take up a third of the tones. Younger consumers have been leaning more toward the warm brick tones you might remember your mother wearing, while more mature lipstick-lovers are likely to opt for the glossy, bold reds, both of which MERIT offers. The lipstick shades include Classic (a cool pink), Antibes (a soft peach), Maison (mauve), Sunday (pink), Court (warm brick), Power (cool red), Vermillion (a warm red), and Equestrian (warm brown). “As we name shades, we approach the process with a high degree of intentionality—to capture an essence or experience that truly reminds us of that color, which can be incredibly difficult to do,” Morin explains. The name Power speaks to the confidence you get from the perfect red and was inspired by MERIT’s founder, Katherine Powers; Antibes, a gentle peach hue, takes its cues from a resort town in the south of France, and immediately conjures up the feeling of a summer evening; while Equestrian feels refined yet warm, evoking the perfect chestnut-y tone of that shade. “It takes us many months and iterations to land on each one, to capture just the right mood,” Morin says. The lipstick retails for $26 and is available to shop on MERITbeauty.com and Sephora online, as well as in retail stores, on February 22.

The main thing that has always deterred me from matte is how drying the formulas can be. But MERIT’s lipstick combines hyaluronic acid and sesame seed extract for long-lasting moisture. The velvet texture has a beautiful blurring effect, giving your lips a more youthful look.

Digital beauty director Danielle James wearing MERIT Signature Matte Lip in Sunday.

I’ve been wearing the lipstick for the past few days and am pleasantly surprised. The formula truly doesn’t dry down fully on your lips, but it also doesn’t easily transfer. At 2 P.M., I applied Sunday—a muted pink. Six hours later, I was at an NYFW dinner, and my lipstick was still on, just slightly diffused, as if I had purposely applied it that way. Some days I just don’t have the time to reapply, and this lipstick works throughout the day with great staying power. I also love the packaging. The smoky, see-through black square cap pairs beautifully with the gold tube. It looks great on your vanity or being pulled out of your handbag.

Associate beauty e-commerce writer Carol Lee wearing MERIT’s Signature Matte Lip in Sunday.

ELLE.com’s associate beauty e-commerce writer Carol Lee has a love-hate relationship with matte lipstick. “I adore the look of them, appreciate their longevity, and prefer matte to any other finish. On the other hand, they often suck the life out of my lips, leaving them dry and in desperate need of a lip scrub and mask by noon,” she says. But this new MERIT formula has shifted her perspective: “The moment I swiped, I knew it was a winner. It almost felt like a lip balm while I was putting it on, and it continued to feel weightless even when I applied several more layers. It certainly looks matte, but it didn’t mattify my lips,” Lee explains before adding, “Without a doubt, I’m going to slip a tube of Maison, a rosy shade, inside my everyday handbag.”

Digital beauty director Danielle James in MERIT Signature Matte Lip in Antibes. 

Associate beauty e-commerce writer Carol Lee in MERIT Signature Matte Lip in Antibes. 

Plus Greta Lee looked so great in Antibes, we both had to try it. The MERIT shades are flexible and work well across skin tones—a win in our books. If you’re ready to enter your matte revolution era, MERIT’s new Signature Lip is a perfect place to start.