Sarah Jessica Parker’s Glass Skin Is Thanks to the Priming Serum Shoppers Say Makes Them “Look Younger”

Carrie Bradshaw is a sartorial icon, but fashion-wise, she is not an easy woman to emulate. I remember the way my jaw dropped when I saw that Manolo Blahnik heels cost hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars. Her beauty routine is a different thing, however. Bradshaw has repeatedly worn the affordable and editor-loved beauty brand, Merit. At the season two premiere of And Just Like That… Sarah Jessica Parker wore a full face of Merit, and we have the exact product breakdown. 

SJP was glowing in a maximalist gold tulle gown with a beaming complexion to match. There were eight Merit products involved, according to her makeup artist Elaine Offers. But as someone who loves the brand and has tried every single product, the two I consider to be the crux of this look are Great Skin Serum and (two shades of) Flush Balm. (If you’re curious if the other products are Clean Lash Mascara, Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade, Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer, Shade Slick Lip Oil, and Day Glow Highlighting Balm.)

Great Skin Serum

Offers prepped SJP’s skin with moisture courtesy of Great Skin Serum. It’s a niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, caffeine, and goldthread root formula that hydrates, banishes dullness, soothes inflammation, and minimizes pores. 

It has hundreds of five-star reviews, many of which come from shoppers who, like SJP, swear this is a great base for makeup. “My makeup goes on much smoother and wears better throughout the day,” one reviewer wrote. Plus, it made their “skin look brighter and more refreshed.” 

A 72-year-old shopper wrote “it makes my skin feel so soft and smooth… [Great Skin Serum] leaves such a nice dewy glow.” The shopper concluded that it ultimately makes their skin “look a bit younger.”

Flush Balm 

Shop now: $30; meritbeauty.com

If you recall, Carrie Bradshaw has actually worn Merit before, specifically the Flush Balm, in season one of And Just Like That… For yesterday’s premiere, Offers once again used Flush Balm. According to her Instagram, she used the berry taupe shade Fox “as a warming halo” on SJP’s “forehead, chin, neck and décolletage.” A second Flush Balm in the mauve rose pink shade Cheeky was then used on the apple of her cheeks. 

A shopper said that Flush Balm quickly became her go-to blush for everyday makeup. “It’s not overly pigmented,” “it can be built up for a more saturated look,” and she added, “the formula has a dewiness to it so it adds color while still blending seamlessly.” The reviewer said that it makes skin look like glass, and if you look at SJP, you have to agree. 

Shop all of the SJP-used products at Merit to channel your inner Carrie.