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Merit Beauty fans, we have big news: the brand just released four new shades of Flush Balm: a cream blush with buildable, semi-sheer pigment and satiny, skin-like finish. The blush is a best-seller at Sephora, per the brand, as well as a staple for celebrities, including Cameron Diaz, who’s partial to the plum hue, Raspberry Beret. Bella Hadid and Sarah Jessica Parker have also used Merit Beauty, as have countless InStyle editors who love the brand’s pared-down, glow-centric products.
Shop now: $28; merit.com
The newest shades in the Flush Balm family — Après, Fox, Persimmon, and Stockholm — maintain the breezy, undone aesthetic of the original color range, and impart a dewy, ethereal glow on all skin tones.
Fox is a cozy, terracotta-tinged taupe that’s perfect for daily wear. Persimmon, a subdued take on orangey-red, gives cheeks a cold-weather flush. Stockholm, a true baby pink, imparts an angelic softness. Après, a cousin of Diaz’s favorite hue, is a flattering berry shade.
Shop now: $28; merit.com
Each housed in short, sensible sticks, these balms prove simple to swipe, dab, or otherwise apply as needed, melding seamlessly into the skin — even with the most laissez-faire application. (The brand dubs its products “impossible to mess up” from an application standpoint.) The formula is decidedly non-cakey, too. Even when layered, it maintains a lit-from-within glow reminiscent of the clean girl aesthetic, imparting a dewy, semi-sheer wash of tint rather that’s far from “makeup-y”. The sheeny formula feels as lightweight as it appears; plus, it’s non-comedogenic and infused with skin-loving vitamin E for good measure.
Snag the new Merit Flush Balm shades while they’re still in stock; the brand has a history of selling out — repeatedly — after all.