4 Marie Claire editors just put Merit’s new Signature Lip Liners to the test—here are our brutally honest verdicts

Merit has become a staple brand in the make-up bags of some of the chicest women I know. For my part, I have been consistently using their excellent Flush Balm and their Perfecting Complexion Stick for years now. They're near-perfect products, and like the rest of Merit's sleek, minimalist offering, they have elevated the whole notion of the "no-make-up-make-up" look—I mean, who ever said it had to be boring?!

Now, I am a lip girl. You will seldom see me out of the house without a swipe of lip liner and gloss. So, imagine my excitement when I heard that Merit was launching a range of lip liners and a reboot of their Shade Slick lip glosses.

Named the Signature Lip Liners, they come in eight shades ranging from soft pinks to deep browns. Like most of the brand’s other products, this delivers a sheer wash of colour rather than strong pigment and harsh lines. Created with a gel formula, it's designed to be buildable and blendable to give a soft “live-in” look that also stays put all day. Merit specifies that it can be worn alone for a blurred effect or as a primer to extend the wear of whatever you put on top.

On the other end of the spectrum, they have released a new range of Shade Slick Sheen glosses with a new, high-pigment Gelée formula. It is designed to pair perfectly with the Signature Lip Liners, with each shade complementing two different liner shades.

"We’re seeing a departure from harsh, dark over-lined lips and moving towards a healthy, countryside fresh finish that makes you look natural and rejuvenated," Merit's fan and make-up artist Zoe Taylor tells me. "I imagine these liners being worn with bronzed skin, freckles and a feathery lash. This product reflects our ethos; it's all about quick and easy application that anyone can use—you don't need to be an expert to make it look good."

Safe to say, we're all huge fans of Merit over here at Marie Claire UK HQ, so, what better way to put a product to the test than to have us all try them and give our verdict? In fact, we're such big fans that Merit has given us exclusive early access to shop the liners, here—otherwise, they're able to shop tomorrow. And now, read on for our thoughts...

Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor

"Every day I look in the mirror, I curse my mother for the thin, barely-there lips that I have inherited from her gene pool. In anger, I tend to purse my lips, at which point they disappear entirely—it makes hiding my emotions extremely tricky. This makes me a prime candidate for fillers. But alas, a deep-rooted fear of needles means that will never happen. Therefore, I rely quite heavily on lip contouring. The thing is, I've yet to find a lip liner that I actually like. Everything that I've experimented with in the past has left me feeling a little too 90s nude, which isn't my vibe at all.

Merit's Signature Lip Sheer Lip Liner in Beverly Hills is a thing of beauty. First of all, the sheerness of it suits me perfectly. It creates a subtle illusion of fuller lips rather than a defined outline. Tick. Secondly, it's so hydrating that even on my dry-lipped days, I can wear this without fear of it tugging or settling in lines. Another tick. I genuinely believe that I could wear this liner with any product of my choosing—plumper, matte lipstick, lip oil, an everyday balm or (prepare for a segue) the deeply nourishing Merit Shade Slick Sheen in Pointelle.

Now, when I look in the mirror, I don't curse my mother at all. Instead, I've called her and told her to buy this duo too."

Nessa Humayun, Junior Beauty Editor

"As mentioned, I seldom leave the house without lip liner, so I had high expectations for Merit’s new range. Now, this is not your average lip liner, if you’re a fan of solid, precise lines then this offering may not be for you. As it says in the name, this is a sheer lip liner, meaning it's like nothing I have tried before. Instead of creating a harsh line, this glides on beautifully and delivers a soft pigment to the lips; softly lining and defining them.

In fact, you could easily swipe it all over your lips and it would be more reminiscent of a moisturising lipstick balm. It’s comfortable to wear and provides a nice dose of colour and definition on days when I want my lips to take centre stage. I have mine in the colour Brownstone, which is a warm-toned dark brown, which gives the trending 90’s aesthetic look without being too 'in your face'.

In regards to the shade slick, I love the shade Biarritz—it has a slight shimmer, and paired with the lip liner, it’s truly a top-tier combo. With all Merit products, this too is a joy to wear, it’s not drying, it’s not sticky—it has that real second skin quality. They’re both true handbag staples for me now."

Amelia Yeomans, Junior Shopping Editor

"If you hate the feeling of dry, chalky lipliners that tug on your skin, you will absolutely love the new Merit launch. The texture is extremely smooth and balmy, meaning the liner provides instant colour payoff, is comfortable to wear across your whole lips, and blends effortlessly.

However, I will mention that this soft texture is also what causes the liner to blunt fairly quickly, rather than keeping its point, so it feels like you're getting through the product quite rapidly. But as someone with chronically dry lips who can't stand to wear matte lip products for a prolonged period of time, this satin liner is a dream.

The shade Coupé is the perfect dark nude for my skin tone, and it has a pretty universal hue so can be layered under all manner of lipsticks, lip glosses, or even under thick lip balms. And despite the texture, it still boasts a matte finish when worn on its own. I have found that it lasts longer on the outside of my lips (pretty standard with most lip products) so it does need topping up throughout the day, but it fades into a gorgeous wash of colour that could easily be left alone. It's also easy to blend out even hours after application, so if you notice the colour sticking to one area, it's a simple fix.

The lip oil boasts the same moisturising texture as the original Shade Slicks, with no stickiness or clumpy texture. Although it doesn't have an opaque finish, shade Tabby definitely darkens the lips and gives a cool tone, so it's great for deepening your lip liner colour or adding some extra shine.

The two products layer perfectly together and make for extremely comfortable wear, which is what has cemented this as one of my favourite lip combos."

Lollie King, Senior Beauty Writer

"As a black woman, finding the perfect nude or off-nude lip gloss and liner can be an arduous task. I’m always looking for a shade that is warm to compliment my skin tone but fairly natural to be worn every day and the colour Twin Set matches all of my criteria.

The lip oil formula is silky smooth with the perfect injection of hydration, so if you’re worried about those traditionally sticky gloss formulas, feel free to breathe a sigh of relief. I have naturally two-toned lips, which means that totally sheer lip glosses can look a little odd, so I need a bit of pigment, which is exactly what these contain. After a few applications of this throughout the day, it leaves you with just a touch of lasting colour. I’m a huge fan.

I was so pleasantly surprised by how wonderfully creamy the lip liner was, worlds away from the more stiff, traditional formulas. I used the shade Capricorn to sculpt and define my cupid bow and loved how the shade was dark enough for my lips but not too cool toned. For a liner, you’ll truly be stunned at how hydrating it is for your lips, so much so that I’m finding myself reaching for it every day."