Latest news with #TheUniform


Business of Fashion
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Business of Fashion
Can Design Be the Flex It Once Was in Beauty?
For makeup brand Merit, creative direction isn't a luxury but a must-have. Case in point: a recent campaign for the launch of its tinted sunscreen, Uniform, was inspired by dry cleaning, rather than the beach or vacation days: collateral included adverts featuring clothes hung up in dry cleaning bags and hand-written collection receipts. 'The design intention needs to come through in every touchpoint,' said Aila Morin, chief marketing officer at Merit, noting that the line uses references from the world of interiors, jewellery and art in its visual identity and packaging. 'Something as small as an earring or a collar in a beauty advert becomes incredibly important, because it lets the viewer know who the customer is, and how she spends her day.' Other design hallmarks for Merit include its $30 Bronze Balm, which is modelled after the men's deodorant, Speed Stick, and a limited edition compact mirror in partnership with a jewellery maker, Completedworks. It often uses materials like wood and glass in packaging and in-store displays. Merit's The Uniform campaign. (Courtesy) Stroll through any major beauty retailer, and a range of brightly coloured packaging, splashy visuals and a smattering of celebrity faces are sure to greet you. But those same hallmarks can offer a sense of sameness. Merit is a part of a class of prestige beauty lines, however, that are bucking that trend and investing more into its packaging and design to differentiate themselves from the crowd. Isamaya Beauty, the line created by the makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench uses industrial and surgical-inspired elements; the niche perfume line D'Annam has made use of food imagery to enhance its egg-shaped bottles. Upstart New York-based cosmetics brand Sarah Creal Beauty has invested in custom–tooled packaging for all its products, including a sun-shaped orange ergonomic squeezable bottle for its Brilliant Repair Shield sunscreen. A swing away from stock packaging and componentry that has allowed mass and masstige brands like E.l.f., Tower 28 and Odele to cut through on price, lines like Sarah Creal are willing to spend on custom-tooled packaging, bold-faced creative directors and specialist agencies, usually increasing a product's retail price. 'I was looking at the competition, and I felt it was blanding, not branding,' said Creal, the line's founder. 'You can take a logo off of one thing, put it on another… there's no differentiation.' Still, such efforts are costly, complex and need to be carefully calibrated. What's chic and innovative in one city or country could be confusing in another, and custom packaging can add intricacy to supply chains — Creal said she had been warned the expense attached would be nontrivial. 'I am paying more [than some of her competitors]... but you have one chance to launch a brand, and you better show people who you are,' she said. A New Luxury Part of the push to differentiate premium-priced products is changing perceptions of luxury. Like in fashion, many beauty brands undertook significant price increases in the years following the global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. But those increased prices were met with increased consumer expectations. Kapono Chung, a partner at branding and design agency Combo, said customers used to be interested in fashion house names like Chanel or Dior so they could own a piece of what they perceived as the most elevated brands. Designer beauty brands would often reinforce their high price point with add-ons like scents, layers of tissue paper in packaging, or make products a larger or heavier format to signal quality. A Sarah Creal Beauty lipstick (Courtesy) But beauty status symbols are changing — whereas before a compact or lipstick emblazoned with a fashion house logo served as a signifier of wealth and taste, viral products from indie or niche names like the lip-gloss-holding phone case from Rhode are increasingly signifiers of access and nous. But even with shorter trend cycles, brands chasing longevity are refocusing on a more unique sense of luxury in the hopes of creating a more indelible impact on shoppers. 'I wanted there to be a surprise every time we launched a product,' said Creal. 'I think people are overwhelmed, and so having the packaging be unusual but also telegraph what the product does helps it stand out,' she said. Unconventional Inspiration With so many new brands coming to market, and so many trying to replicate their peers' successes, some degree of saminess is to be expected. The success of a smash-hit product like Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm or Dior Lip Glow Oil can be also indicative of a trend and create a halo effect for other contemporaries. Some designers and marketers say it's because as brands rush to get products to market so as not to miss ephemeral trend windows, many speedrun the creative execution process. 'If [a brand] is supposed to be highly accessible, that's fine, but if it's more premium and meant to be more distinctive, there has to be a certain amount of investment of foresight in the design. That's the bit that some brands skip,' said Helen Steed, creative director of Los Angeles-based design studio Steed + Friends, whose clients include Rhode, Live Tinted and Supergoop. Previously she was creative director at Glossier. At Merit, Morin said the brand tries to source as many of its references from offline sources as possible, to avoid unintended overlap with competitors. 'Algorithms serve artistic teams the exact same things, so we're all consuming the same content,' said Morin, adding that she encourages her team to visit museums, galleries and look at archival books and magazines. 'Otherwise, we all end up looking the same,' she said. However, while discovering exactly what motifs and styles resonate with a customer group is difficult, Chung said he advised brands to decide early on what their visual identity would be, rather than trying to take a test-and-learn approach. 'It's better to build a base of fans first and get your positioning right,' he said. Steed said there are scrappy ways to achieve a more differentiated look. She said suppliers can be open to mixing and matching to find more cost-efficient ways to personalise packaging. 'You can be inventive…you can be scrappy and still do it very well and do it very thoughtfully,' she said. Ultimately, brands must design what they want their packaging and visual identity to signal. For Merit, Morin said there's a desire to create a feeling of longevity, hence its use of 1990s imagery and collaborations with jewellery brands. 'We want to make each product unique, but classic enough that someone will use it for the next ten years,' she said. Sign up to The Business of Beauty newsletter, your complimentary, must-read source for the day's most important beauty and wellness news and analysis.

Refinery29
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
We Wore e.l.f.'s New SPF Skin Tint & It Seriously Impressed Us
All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. There has never been a better time to shop for a skin tint. A slew of new options have hit the shelves recently, each promising to impart a natural, 'your skin, but better' finish without any streakiness. Some feature buzzy ingredients with skincare benefits (MILK Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint, which contains brightening niacinamide, comes to mind). Others, like Merit's The Uniform, pull double duty by offering SPF protection, guarding the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. The latest to join this ever-expanding product category? e.l.f. Cosmetics' Halo Glow Skin Tint SPF 50, $38. If you're familiar with e.l.f. Cosmetics, you've probably already heard of the brand's Halo Glow Liquid Filter Foundation, $29. This bestseller has cultivated a dedicated following as a more affordable alternative to Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter Foundation, $74. Now, the brand promises to bring the same glow-boosting benefits in a featherlight format which also includes SPF 50 protection. After wearing this new skin tint over several hot and sweaty days, our editors share their honest thoughts on whether it lives up to its glowy promises. Jacqueline Kilikita, beauty director 'Sound the klaxon! I think I've found the best skin tint for girlies with light olive skin. Most shades lean too yellow or too pink for me, but 6 Light Cool is just right. It makes me look fresh and alive. Texture-wise, it applies more like a light-coverage foundation than a typical tint, which in my experience tends to be a bit more watery. This one's got more substance; it easily covers breakouts and acne scars, yet still feels like minimal makeup. I blend it in with a fluffy brush in seconds, and my skin just drinks it up. So much so, I actually look forward to using it every morning. I love the finish too: matte and glowy in all the right places. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I check my makeup in the lift mirror at the end of the day — it's still perfectly intact, with hardly any movement or creasing. I already know I'm going to use this down to the last drop. In fact, I've shelved or given away every other tint in my makeup bag. This is the one.' L'Oréal Blackett, Unbothered UK Editor 'I now have a lovely collection of skin tints, after years of not quite trusting the shade match of many tints on the market. They've now replaced my foundations as the makeup I wear daily, so e.l.f. Cosmetics' new skin tint had a lot to live up to. This is a very light formula but with buildable coverage. It's sheer enough to feel lightweight on the skin but helps to even out the skin tone. My skin tone is gradually shifting to its summer shade, so if you're my 'shade twin', I would pick a few shades darker. The result isn't my perfect match — but close — and I feel good that there were plenty of other options for me in the shade range, from 'tan' to 'deep' with options of cool, neutral and warm undertones (this amount of choice is always a win for an affordable brand). The formula is sheer enough to blend into my skin and look undetectable. It feels just like skin. All in all, this is a great skin tint at an accessible price point — and a handy one to pack in your hand luggage for your next holiday.' Venus Wong, senior writer 'Let's start with the positives: I'm very impressed by the formula, which melts right into the skin and casts a healthy, glowy filter. I wore shade 8 Medium Neutral to a party and got non-stop compliments about how lovely my skin looked. I attribute this to niacinamide, an ingredient that helps brighten the skin and reduce oil production. The coverage is sufficient enough to blur some of the spots around my temples and even out patches of discolouration without feeling like an oil slick, which is always a bonus when I barely feel like wearing makeup in the summer. It has a slightly thick texture, so the application looked far more natural when I stippled the product with a foundation brush, compared to just using my fingers (this is worth keeping in mind if you prefer using your hands). The one letdown for me has to do with the shade: For some reason, Light Cool was far too fair on my skin, while Medium Neutral appeared almost orange. I've seen creators like Golloria and The Lipstick Lesbians discuss their struggles with the shade range, saying that the product can oxidise and appear more orange on the skin. Medium Neutral looked great after I mixed it with my go-to highlighter drops (Glow Recipe's Watermelon Hue Drops in Rosy Glow), but I definitely think the brand can benefit from a shade expansion.' 'Many skin tints and foundations claim to have a skin-like finish, but e.l.f's Halo Glow Skin Tint has exceeded my expectations with flying colours. It's truly undetectable on skin, even when I build up coverage. While anything with 'glow' in the product name tends to read as greasy on my oily skin, this stuff miraculously looks incredible. It has a filter-like finish that blurs imperfections but looks like I don't have any makeup on. I mix shades 5 and 7 to get a perfect match, but I could definitely use either one alone based on the time of year and how tanned I am. The fact that it has SPF 50 protection (it's mineral, but doesn't appear ashy on my skin) easily makes this my new go-to complexion product for summer. If it came in a Costco-sized jug, I'd be the first in line to buy.'

Refinery29
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
We Wore e.l.f.'s New SPF Skin Tint In A Heatwave — & It Seriously Impressed Us
All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. There has never been a better time to shop for a skin tint. A slew of new options have hit the shelves recently, each promising to impart a natural, 'your skin, but better' finish without any streakiness. Some feature buzzy ingredients with skincare benefits (MILK Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint, which contains brightening niacinamide, comes to mind). Others, like Merit's The Uniform, pull double duty by offering SPF protection, guarding the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. The latest to join this ever-expanding product category? e.l.f. Cosmetics' Halo Glow Skin Tint SPF 50, £18. If you're familiar with e.l.f. Cosmetics, you've probably already heard of the brand's Halo Glow Liquid Filter Foundation, £15. This bestseller has cultivated a dedicated following as a more affordable alternative to Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter Foundation, £39. Now, the brand promises to bring the same glow-boosting benefits in a featherlight format which also includes SPF 50 protection. After wearing this new skin tint over several hot summer days, our editors share their honest thoughts on whether it lives up to its glowy promises. Jacqueline Kilikita, beauty director 'Sound the klaxon! I think I've found the best skin tint for girlies with light olive skin. Most shades lean too yellow or too pink for me, but 6 Light Cool is just right. It makes me look fresh and alive. Texture-wise, it applies more like a light-coverage foundation than a typical tint, which in my experience tends to be a bit more watery. This one's got more substance; it easily covers breakouts and acne scars, yet still feels like minimal makeup. I blend it in with a fluffy brush in seconds, and my skin just drinks it up. So much so, I actually look forward to using it every morning. I love the finish too: matte and glowy in all the right places. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I check my makeup in the lift mirror at the end of the day — it's still perfectly intact, with hardly any movement or creasing. I already know I'm going to use this down to the last drop. In fact, I've shelved or given away every other tint in my makeup bag. This is the one.' L'Oréal Blackett, Unbothered UK Editor 'I now have a lovely collection of skin tints, after years of not quite trusting the shade match of many tints on the market. They've now replaced my foundations as the makeup I wear daily, so e.l.f. Cosmetics' new skin tint had a lot to live up to. This is a very light formula but with buildable coverage. It's sheer enough to feel lightweight on the skin but helps to even out the skin tone. My skin tone is gradually shifting to its summer shade, so if you're my 'shade twin', I would pick a few shades darker. The result isn't my perfect match — but close — and I feel good that there were plenty of other options for me in the shade range, from 'tan' to 'deep' with options of cool, neutral and warm undertones (this amount of choice is always a win for an affordable brand). The formula is sheer enough to blend into my skin and look undetectable. It feels just like skin. All in all, this is a great skin tint at an accessible price point — and a handy one to pack in your hand luggage for your next holiday.' Venus Wong, senior writer 'Let's start with the positives: I'm very impressed by the formula, which melts right into the skin and casts a healthy, glowy filter. I wore shade 8 Medium Neutral to a party and got non-stop compliments about how lovely my skin looked. I attribute this to niacinamide, an ingredient that helps brighten the skin and reduce oil production. The coverage is sufficient enough to blur some of the spots around my temples and even out patches of discolouration without feeling like an oil slick, which is always a bonus when I barely feel like wearing makeup in the summer. It has a slightly thick texture, so the application looked far more natural when I stippled the product with a foundation brush, compared to just using my fingers (this is worth keeping in mind if you prefer using your hands). The one letdown for me has to do with the shade: For some reason, Light Cool was far too fair on my skin, while Medium Neutral appeared almost orange. I've seen creators like Golloria and The Lipstick Lesbians discuss their struggles with the shade range, saying that the product can oxidise and appear more orange on the skin. Medium Neutral looked great after I mixed it with my go-to highlighter drops (Glow Recipe's Watermelon Hue Drops in Rosy Glow), but I definitely think the brand can benefit from a shade expansion.' 'Many skin tints and foundations claim to have a skin-like finish, but e.l.f.'s Halo Glow Skin Tint has exceeded my expectations with flying colours. It's truly undetectable on skin, even when I build up coverage. While anything with 'glow' in the product name tends to read as greasy on my oily skin, this stuff miraculously looks incredible. It has a filter-like finish that blurs imperfections but looks like I don't have any makeup on. I mix shades 5 and 7 to get a perfect match, but I could definitely use either one alone based on the time of year and how tanned I am. The fact that it has SPF 50 protection (it's mineral, but doesn't appear ashy on my skin) easily makes this my new go-to complexion product for summer. If it came in a Costco-sized jug, I'd be the first in line to buy.'


Daily Mirror
15-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mirror
4 beauty writers try new £34 SPF that had a 20,000 person waitlist
The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 by Merit launched at the end of May and our beauty writers were eager to test outs coverage and protection Summer is the best month, in our humble opinion: the sunshine beating down, the natural sun-kissed glow, the ice cold Aperols, the light mornings and evenings, visits to the beach, floaty dresses, sandals - the list could go on and on. But one thing many of us do not appreciate during the height of June, July and August, when the temperatures creep up to a stifling number, is the disappointing rate at which our make-up melts off due to the heat - not to mention the slight rouge glow of sunburn due to said (rather heavy) make-up not having ample protection. It's why when summer comes around, most of us tend to switch out our normal, potentially heavier foundations (for me, it's Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter Foundation) for a tinted moisturiser that ticks both the coverage and protection boxes. And one new launch from skincare brand Merit has had our beauty writers in awe over its silky smooth, blurring and protective formula that gives skin that air-brushed finish, whilst nourishing it and protecting from the sun with factor 50 SPF. Four of our beauty writers tested out this new and highly anticipated product (whose waitlist had over 20,000 people) to see if it was worth the hype. Eve's thoughts While my go to during the warmer days (since its launch last year) is Charlotte's Unreal Skin Tint foundation stick as a pretty lush, lightweight formula that gives that lovely hydration, my new discovery of Merit's new SPF 50 tinted moisturiser has me momentarily questioning my loyalty to the cult British MUA. The launch of this tinted moisturiser is a significant milestone for the brand as its second-ever complexion product and one that had a pretty monumental waitlist before it even launched - showcasing its quality before even landing on shelves. I have since discovered that Merit's The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 is a bit of a summer makeup icon thanks to its broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Unlike many chemical-heavy sunscreens, 'which absorb UV rays and convert them into heat', The Uniform is a mineral sunscreen that 'reflects UV rays, forming a protective barrier against potential skin damage'. This formula omits the need for sunscreen underneath foundation (avoiding the dreaded potential pill) which is great for my holiday travel bag - although for those who want to be extra careful, additional suncream will never harm. The formula contains ultra-fine zinc oxide, which is a 100% naturally sourced active ingredient that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It also includes a plant-derived emollient - instead of the usual silicones - which provides the product's silky, velvety texture that is far from sticky (a dream, especially during summer) and an airbrush finish. This is most likely down to The Uniform moisturiser 's plant-based mineral SPF booster, which works to enhance the skin's softness, as well as its pigment dispersion technology, which we can confirm delivers a lovely 'blurred, seamless look'. A great option for trips abroad, as it's unbelievably lightweight, it stays put and offers solid, buildable coverage. A recent trip to France in 25+ degree heat, where I wore it every day, showed me that and left me pretty impressed. I will say that when spots are present (and staring us down in the mirror), the product isn't the best product on its own to cover them up. Concealer is definitely needed. Costing £34, it's a little more expensive than your usual tinted moisturiser - such as e.l.f's Halo Glow Skin Tint SPF 50 at £18 and Nivea's £4.99 NIVEA 24H Moisture Tinted Day Cream with Vitamin E Light Skin Tone SPF15 - and comes in 15 different shades. It feels silky smooth on application and is easy to rub in with your fingertips if a brush is not to hand. The pump applicator offers a generous amount of product and requires only one or two squeezes to dispense the right amount, hiding smaller blemishes, pores and smoothing out texture and pigmentation. After a few hours in the sun, I found that my complexion needed no touch-up (except a little on my nose), and my skin still had a nice glow without being too shiny, too matte, or too cakey. The brand also has a good shade-matching process, as it showcases the 15 shades on real women to help shoppers find their perfect hue for their skin tone. I personally went for number 22' light neutral-cool' - in anticipation of gaining a little bit of a sunkissed glow - and it was my perfect colour. My only gripe with the product is that the pump applicator has a risk of making the lid messy, especially if too much is pumped out, so I'll need to be cautious not to spill or pump out too much. However as a product, it's a pretty dreamy addition to the industry. It's not just me who has found this tinted moisturiser to be pretty hot for summer. Lauren's Whenever I hear about a product with a waitlist before it's even launched, you can bet I'm already signed up. This time, the buzz was around Merit's The Uniform Tinted Mineral SPF, with 20,000 people in line ahead of its launch in mid-May. When it finally landed on my doorstep, I was seriously impressed. I opted for shade 28, a fair-neutral warm tone, which blended seamlessly into my skin. Plus, it felt lightweight and didn't have a cakey finish. It's buildable, too, so can be dialled up if you prefer extra coverage. I tend to suffer from inflammation around my nose, so it's helpful to have the option to ensure my skin looks even. But it's the built-in SPF that's the real winner here. It means I don't need to think about smearing sunscreen on before I head out for the day, knowing I already have strong protection to see me through. The Uniform has now become part of my makeup routine, meaning I've finally swapped out my beloved MAC foundation after years of use. In fact, I love The Uniform so much that I've already purchased a second. Saying that, another SPF I rate highly is Trinny London's BFF. I raved about it non-stop last year for its hydrating feel and glow-boosting finish. Bethan's I was introduced to Merit's The Minimalist complexion stick earlier this year and have absolutely loved using it as a quick, easy, lightweight daily base over my usual SPF. But when Merit announced that they were releasing a tinted SPF formula, I have to say I was intrigued. I've tried a handful of tinted SPFs over the past few years and never really found one I enjoyed using - but I have never met a Merit product I didn't immediately love and add to my routine. There's a reason for that 25,000 people waitlist - Merit's fuss-free, beginner-friendly formulas deliver, and The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 is no exception. The formula has been in development for over two years, undergoing more than 50 rounds of formulation. It's a mineral sunscreen, with UVA and UVB protection, working by reflecting UV rays and helping to prevent skin damage, something I'm into as I approach my 30s. I knew what shade I would be because Merit had handily matched their SPF to their The Minimalist shades. For those that wear Silk in the complexion stick are likely to be shade 28 in The Uniform, and the colour match was spot on. Designed for effortless, everyday wear, it offers light to medium, sheer, buildable coverage with a natural, skin-like finish - no need for foundation, making my morning routine so much faster. Available in 15 shades, it's a really silky consistency that blends effortlessly without any sticky residue. I have found that on particularly dry areas, the formula can cling, but with the right prep and hydration, it's easily resolved. If you're looking for a reliable, multitasking product to see you through the summer, this is it. Zoe's I may be a little late to the 'I love SPF party', but I have picked a good year to become a devotee. I've seen more and more launches from SPF brands promising tinted coverage to rival foundations, water-light textures to rival your usual day serum, and pore-diffusing formulas that mimic a good primer. I love Merit's The Uniform, and I never thought I'd say that about an SPF. I went a shade darker in the tint than I normally would in a foundation, and it gave me both the look of instant bronzing drops and a lightweight foundation. I felt like my skin looked healthier and smoother, and even my patches of pigmentation were covered. It's definitely lighter than a foundation, but it also meant I could skip a base layer. In fact, I tested layering it under my regular foundation, and I have to say it looks much better on its own. It's very quickly become my holiday, weekend and working from home go-to– and it's definitely worth the price.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This easy-to-blend tinted sunscreen makes my face look like there's a filter on it
I have fair skin, so I don't tan — I burn. And since a sunburn is painful and, more importantly, can seriously damage my skin, I'm on a perpetual mission to find sunscreens that I actually want to use. So when I heard that one of my favorite beauty brands had a new SPF up its sleeve, I had high hopes. Well, guess what: It's even better than I was expecting. Merit's The Uniform is the brand's first tinted SPF and second complexion product (you may have heard of its cult-favorite foundation stick, The Minimalist). This mineral sunscreen has SPF 45 protection and guards against broad-spectrum UVA and UVB rays. As the name suggests, The Uniform was designed to be an SPF that you can wear every day and seamlessly incorporate into your beauty routine. The clean formula is weightless and non-greasy thanks to the ultra-fine zinc oxide. It's also dermatologist-tested, silicone- and oil-free, and it won't clog pores. In terms of coverage, The Uniform is available in 15 shades that correspond to Merit's foundation sticks, and each tint can be built up from light to medium coverage. Plus, each shade has a natural finish that's free of any white cast, so don't let the fact that this is a mineral formula scare you off. I put The Uniform to the test on a long afternoon walk that turned into lunch and running errands with a friend. After my usual skin care, I applied The Uniform to my face and neck with my hands. While the formula looked like a regular foundation when I first pumped it onto my fingers, it blended effortlessly into my skin and didn't leave behind any streaks. It was so seamless and natural-looking that I applied a second layer because I wasn't sure if I had missed any spots. I always have some redness around my nose and my cheekbones, so I was pleasantly surprised at how my skin was instantly perfected. My complexion was immediately evened out without looking (or feeling) like I was wearing a full-coverage foundation — it was almost like Instagram's perfecting Paris filter in real life — and it pretty much stayed that way until I washed it off hours later. Full disclosure: I didn't reapply this tinted sunscreen, but if I were using it during a beach or pool day when I'd be in the direct sun for hours, I definitely would have. It's also not waterproof, so I'd reapply after any swimming or sweating! Related: These are the best sunscreens for sensitive skin in 2025, according to experts I know that I'll be reaching for The Uniform all season to protect my skin. I also plan on replacing my usual tinted moisturizer with this formula since it did a great job at covering imperfections and has a much stronger SPF. While The Uniform only launched in May, it's already garnering glowing reviews. "As someone who is naturally tan, with an olive skin tone with acne, I was afraid the product would not do anything for me. I was wrong … it applied flawlessly. Over the last few days, I've felt confident going out of the house with The Uniform and only The Uniform on. Merit is on to something here," wrote one five-star fan. Another happy user raved: "I'm a huge fan of tinted foundations, especially in the warmer months. After testing out Merit Beauty's The Uniform for a week, I couldn't put it down. ... It felt lightweight and not sticky. There's no scent. I absolutely am obsessed!" A final customer shared: "The Uniform is a dream of an SPF! I use shade 8 and I love how easily it blends, how the formula feels like nothing on my skin and how gorgeous the natural finish is!" Some fans did point out that at $38, this is a pricey SPF. I agree, but seeing as a little goes a long way (and I won't be using it on my arms and legs!), I can justify the price — especially since I can hold off on buying more foundation, since this is a two-in-one product. The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.