Merit's New Matte Lipstick Belongs in Your Everyday Rotation

It's matte—but it's moisturizing.

Merit Signature Matte Lipstick.
(Image credit: Merit)

The best way to boost your mood this winter? Swiping a bright color across your lips. Merit knows the power of a bright lip, and in that vein, officially launched its Signature Lip Matte Lipsticks this week.

The range, which feature a new formula to coincide with its already beloved satin lipstick range (one of the best everyday lipsticks, according to Marie Claire editors), has a velvet-like texture, with hyaluronic acid and sesame seed extract offering impressive hydrating and smoothing capabilities.

"Gone are the days of the dry, panic-inducing matte lips of the 2010s," writes Merit in a press release. "[The new matte lipsticks] promise a plush, velvet texture that gives a soft, blurred look in wearable colors for the everyday."

Merit Signature Matte Lipstick.

The lipstick's velvety texture is on full display in this product close up.

(Image credit: Merit)

Like its satin predecessors, the new formula is available in eight shades: the mauve "Maison," warm brown "Equestrian," soft peach "Antibes," neutral "Classic," pink "Sunday," warm brick "Court," warm red "Vermillion," and cool red "Power."

Taking the product from day to red carpet, the ever stylish Greta Lee recently wore "Antibes" for the Critics' Choice Awards. Her makeup artist, Naoko Scintu, chose the shade to curate a "masculine chic" look with "naturally toned, subtly buffed finish" for the Past Lives star.

Greta Lee at the Critics Choice Awards 2024.

Greta Lee wore the shade "Antibes" to the Critics' Choice Awards in January 2024.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Marie Claire's beauty director Deena Campbell is also a huge fan of the new launch.

"Let me be clear: I'm a matte lipstick girl. The only thing a gloss can do for me is show me where the matte lipsticks are," Campbell says. "However, not all matte lipsticks work for me. Most are super drying; they always settle in the cracks and crevices of my lips, and I must exfoliate before application to get a super smooth finish."

She reports that's not the case with Merit. "Not only does the brand nail the moisture component, but its 'Equestrian' lippie, a coffee-colored shade, looks great on all skin tones."

Sold yet? Bid farewell to dry, wintery lips and shop the new launch above.

Freelance Writer

Sophia Vilensky is a freelance beauty writer at Marie Claire, where she writes about the latest and greatest skincare launches, hair colors, and Cardi B manicures. Her work can also be found at Byrdie, Bravo, and Us Weekly. You can find her on Instagram @sophiavilensky.