Beauty Bible Loves... MERIT Clean Lash Mascara
‘Clean beauty’ is a woolly and sometimes misleading term. There are no legal criteria, and so it takes some digging down (and some background knowledge) to be able to figure out whether a product could be deemed ‘clean’. (If ‘clean’ is something that bothers you.)
MERIT, however, take this seriously. And while they’re certainly not all-natural, formulas are developed to EU cosmetics standards, cutting out over 1,300 banned or restricted substances, plus an extra 121 they deem ‘problematic’. On top of that, they worked with aesthetician Biba de Sousa on a “no‑list” of 73 more ingredients that are technically ‘clean’ but potentially pore‑clogging or inflammatory (for example, coconut oil), while avoiding avoid parabens, sulfates and artificial fragrances, among others.
If it matters to you, then, these guys have done their research, rather than merely using ‘clean’ as a misleading (and sometimes deliberately scary) adjective.
But beyond that, what really matters is performance. You can have the cleanest product in the world, and if it doesn’t perform, it’s never going to make it to these pages. But this? Love this!
First up, the MERIT Clean Lash Mascara wand is great – seriously grippy (even on Jo’s lashes, off which many wands simply skate). Then the formula: it’s really buildable – one coat sufficient to define for a weekend day, two coats properly impressive and impactful, and three… well, actually a bit OTT for us, but you might love! (See below for visual.)
And then there’s the tubing factor. MERIT Clean Lash Mascara has been standing up impressively to the meltingly hot weather, because of the way that tubing mascaras work by ‘coat’ lashes with little tubes of product; they can only be removed with a flannel/cloth soaked in warm-to-hot water, rather than make-up remover. No panda eyes half-way down the cheeks, here.
Bottom line? Whether you care about ‘clean beauty’ or couldn’t give a fig about it, this is a brilliant find.
PS There’s also a mini – Black only, but with the same wand; brilliant for trialling or travelling.
