What MERIT Beauty does

MERIT Beauty, operated by Power Beauty Co. (dba MERIT), is a US-based clean beauty and minimalist makeup brand founded in 2021 by Catherine Magee and headquartered at 460 Park Avenue South, New York. The portfolio spans five product surfaces — color cosmetics (complexion, cheek, lip, eye, brow), a three-step skincare line (Great Skin Collection plus tinted SPF), the Retrospect L'Extrait de Parfum fragrance launched in October 2024, application tools, and curated routine bundles — all formulated to vegan, cruelty-free, EU-compliant, and fragrance-free standards with proprietary ingredients such as Sea Daffodil Extract in The Minimalist stick complexion product and clinically validated Great Skin Serum claims. Pricing is anchored at $24-$38 per SKU, with collections priced up to $440, and the catalog is sold direct-to-consumer through meritbeauty.com alongside retail distribution through Sephora globally and select marketplaces (Aeroplan eStore). The brand serves clean beauty enthusiasts, age-inclusive consumers seeking understated luxury, and time-pressed buyers preferring simplified routines, with celebrity endorsements (Sarah Jessica Parker, Christina Ricci, Helena Christensen, Martha Stewart) anchoring its earned-media strategy.

The company operates from offices in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London and Paris, distributing in 13+ countries including the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and most of Western Europe. Its go-to-motion combines a self-serve DTC storefront (with free shipping at $45+, free returns, shade-matching quiz, and the MERIT Loyalty Program) with a core Sephora retail partnership that now anchors international expansion, most recently the UK launch in September 2025. The brand has accumulated multiple Allure Best of Beauty awards (Clean Lash 2021, Flush Balm 2022, Signature Lipstick 2024, Bronze Balm 2025) and the Allure Readers' Choice 2026, with Flush Balm alone surpassing 1M units sold and 7,880+ reviews. In 2024 MERIT retained investment bankers alongside other indie beauty peers to explore strategic transactions, though no deal was completed; the business remains privately held under founder and chairman Katherine Power (with Philippe Pinatel as CEO).

Name

MERIT Beauty

Legal name

Power Beauty Co.

Website

https://www.meritbeauty.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MERIT Beauty is a US clean beauty brand founded in 2021 selling minimalist makeup, skincare, fragrance, and bundled routines direct-to-consumer and through Sephora in 13+ countries, targeting clean beauty enthusiasts, age-inclusive consumers, and time-pressed buyers seeking simplified routines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clean Beauty and Cosmetics

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (45612)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Clean/Organic/Natural Makeup (Positioning-based Color Cosmetics) (CRABACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Makeup Palettes & Sets (Curated Palettes, Gift Sets, Multi-use Kits) (CRABACAF), Natural & Clean Fragrance (CRABADAG), Beauty Accessories (Puffs, Shields, Mixing Tools, Sharpeners) (CRABAKAL)

Keywords

• Clean beauty products
• Minimalist makeup brand
• Vegan cosmetics
• Skincare collection
• Tinted fragrance

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (D2C): Direct-to-consumer sales through meritbeauty.com e-commerce platform. Products shipped directly to consumers with free returns and shipping on orders $45+. Subscription/loyalty program for repeat customers.
2. Retail Distribution: Products sold through Sephora retail locations globally and online marketplaces including Aeroplan eStore.
3. Loyalty Program: MERIT Loyalty Program rewards members with points for purchases ($1 = 1 point), redeemable for gifts and exclusive benefits. Participation is voluntary with email-based enrollment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MERIT Beauty designs, formulates, and sells a curated collection of clean, vegan, cruelty-free makeup, skincare, and fragrance products directly to consumers through meritbeauty.com and through Sephora retail locations worldwide. The portfolio centers on minimalist, multi-use essentials (e.g., The Minimalist complexion stick, Flush Balm cream blush, Clean Lash mascara, Great Skin Serum, and Retrospect fragrance) that simplify daily beauty routines across an inclusive shade range.

Product overview

MERIT Beauty is a clean beauty and minimalist makeup brand founded in 2021 that offers a considered collection of beauty essentials. The product portfolio spans five main categories: Makeup (including complexion products like The Minimalist stick foundation/concealer and Flush Balm cream blush; cheek products like Bronze Balm and Day Glow highlighter; lip products including Shade Slick tinted lip oil, Signature Lipstick, and Signature Lip Liner; eye products including Clean Lash mascara, Solo Shadow eyeshadow, and Brow 1980/1990 brow products; and tools like Brush No. 1 and 2), Skincare (the three-step Great Skin Collection featuring Great Skin Serum, Great Skin Moisturizer, and Great Skin Double Cleanse, plus The Uniform tinted SPF 45 sunscreen), Fragrance (Retrospect L'Extrait de Parfum, their first fragrance launched October 2024), and curated Bundles (Five Minute Morning, The Great Skin Duo, The Eye Set, The Complexion Set, The Brow Duo, and The Full Collection). The brand emphasizes clean, vegan, cruelty-free formulations with products priced from $16 to $440, and has expanded globally to include distribution across US, Australia, Canada, and multiple European markets. The company operates direct-to-consumer through meritbeauty.com and major retail partners like Sephora.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Great Skin Collection Three-step skincare regimen including Great Skin Instant Glow Serum, Great Skin Moisturizer, and Great Skin Double Cleanse; clinically proven to brighten skin, deliver 24-hour hydration, even tone, and reduce the look of redness in four weeks. Designed for individual consumers seeking clean, multi-step skincare.
• The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick Stick complexion product that functions as both foundation and concealer across 30 shades spanning Rich, Deep, Medium, Light, and Fair skin tone categories; formulated with Sea Daffodil Extract and conditioning fatty acids; non-comedogenic and free of fragrance, animal-derived ingredients, and oil.
• Flush Balm Cream Blush Cream blush balm that melts into skin for lit-from-within color across 13 shades including Stockholm, Le Bonbon, Lusitano, Rouge, Fox, Bespoke, Terracotta, Persimmon, Postmodern, Beverly Hills, Cheeky, Archival, and Après; delivers all-day wear with Vitamin E antioxidant benefits.
• Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara Lengthening mascara that tints, lengthens, and lifts lashes with no smudging in a clean, vegan black formula.
• Great Skin Instant Glow Serum Bi-phase serum clinically proven to brighten skin, hydrate for 24 hours, even tone, and reduce the look of redness in four weeks.
• Great Skin Moisturizer Face moisturizer designed to prime skin and lock in moisture as part of MERIT's three-step skincare routine.
• Great Skin Double Cleanse Cleanser designed as the first step in MERIT's three-step skincare routine, formulated to effectively cleanse skin.
• Retrospect L'Extrait de Parfum First fragrance from MERIT Beauty, a vintage-inspired L'Extrait de Parfum in multiple sizes priced $34-$138.
• Clean Volume Mascara Lightweight volumizing mascara that lifts lashes with a small brush design, providing buildable volume without clumping.
• Solo Shadow Sheen Cream-to-Powder Eyeshadow Cream-to-powder eyeshadow with buildable coverage, including the Solo Shadow Sheen finish.
• The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 45 Tinted mineral sunscreen providing broad spectrum SPF 45 UVA/UVB protection with a sheer tint finish.
• Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil Tinted lip oil providing a wash of moisturizing color across 11 shades including Biarritz, Jeté, Les Deux, Maraschino, Mapleton, Marrakech, Pink Beet, Sangria, Tabby, Twin Set, and Pointelle; now available in a pearlescent finish.
• Signature Lip Blush Lightweight lip blush available in multiple shades including September and Archival.
• Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer Stick Sheer, buildable bronzer stick that gives a wash of natural warmth and depth, available in shades Clay, Quince, Seine, Leo, and Monarch.
• Signature Lipstick Lightweight lipstick in multiple shades including Maison and Ginger.
• Day Glow Highlighting Balm Highlighting balm that delivers a dewy sheen with zero sparkle, available in shades Solstice, Citrine, Cava, and Bounce.
• Signature Lip Liner Hydrating, buildable lip pencil providing soft definition and sheer all-over color, available in shades including Bespoke, Coupé, Beverly Hills, Sportif, Mayfair, Tabac, Capricorn, Brownstone, Rose, June, Cassis, Subconscious, Cowboy, and Bauhaus.
• Brow 1990 Sheer Gel Brow Pencil Sheer gel brow pencil with a fine point tip and spoolie on the opposite end for precise brow definition.
• Brow 1980 Volumizing Brow Pomade Volumizing pomade for brows that delivers soft, fluffy brows with light hold and no crunchiness, available in Light Brown, Dark Brown, and Brown Black shades.
• Brush No. 1 Complexion Blending Brush Blending brush designed as the No. 1 tool in the MERIT kit for seamlessly blending complexion products.
• Brush No. 2 Dual-Ended Eyeshadow Brush Flat, dual-ended eyeshadow brush designed for applying and blending eye color.
• Five Minute Morning Curated Set Curated collection of seven essentials (Brush No. 1, Brow 1980, The Minimalist, Clean Lash, Shade Slick, Flush Balm, and Day Glow) for a complete five-minute morning routine, priced at $179 (versus $210 individual retail).

Quantifiable outcome

• Great Skin Serum clinically proven to brighten skin, hydrate for 24 hours, even tone, and reduce redness in four weeks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SephoracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2025Primary retail distribution partner for MERIT Beauty products. Sephora carries MERIT across its global store network. UK launch through Sephora in September 2025 marked significant expansion. The Minimalist won Allure Readers' Choice while sold exclusively at Sephora, demonstrating strong channel partnership value.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Saie Beauty: Saie is a clean beauty brand sold at Sephora with a focus on complexion, eye, and brow products. Its positioning, pricing, and channel mix closely mirror MERIT's, making it a head-to-head peer on Sephora shelves.
• Kosas Cosmetics: Kosas is a clean beauty brand selling complexion, eye, and lip products through Sephora and DTC. It overlaps directly with MERIT on Sephora shelf, clean ingredient positioning, and target clean-beauty consumer, and was also part of the 2024 indie M&A cohort.
• ILIA Beauty: ILIA is a clean beauty brand known for complexion, skin tint, and serum-based makeup sold through Sephora and DTC. It is directly comparable to MERIT on clean positioning, multi-use functionality, and inclusive shade range.
• Glossier: Glossier is a direct clean beauty peer selling makeup, skincare, and fragrance through DTC and Sephora. Like MERIT, it targets minimalist, design-led consumers with a similar price architecture and was also among the indie brands reported to have explored M&A in 2024.
• Rare Beauty: Rare Beauty is Selena Gomez's Sephora-anchored clean-leaning beauty brand. It is a direct peer in positioning, channel, and celebrity-led marketing model, competing for the same Sephora shopper and celebrity-driven consumer mindshare as MERIT.
• RMS Beauty: RMS Beauty is a clean, organic-positioning makeup brand with cream-based complexion and cheek products. It competes directly with MERIT on clean credentials and cream-format color cosmetics, with overlapping Sephora and DTC distribution.
• Tower 28 Beauty: Tower 28 is a clean, sensitive-skin-friendly beauty brand carried at Sephora with comparable price points and target consumer. It directly competes for the same Sephora clean-beauty shopper with overlapping complexion and cheek product categories.
• Jones Road Beauty: Jones Road is Bobbi Brown's clean, founder-led beauty brand distributed DTC and through retail. It is comparable to MERIT in founder-driven clean positioning, multi-use complexion philosophy, and recent category extension beyond core makeup.
• Haus Labs: Haus Labs is Lady Gaga's Sephora-carried clean beauty brand. It competes with MERIT on Sephora shelves, clean ingredient positioning, and celebrity-driven marketing model.

Broad incumbents

• Charlotte Tilbury: Charlotte Tilbury is a globally established prestige beauty brand carried at Sephora with broad makeup, skincare, and now fragrance portfolios. It is a broader incumbent competing for the same Sephora prestige shopper with greater scale and higher ASP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meritbeauty

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MERIT Beauty