Gird your loins! With the end of May fast approaching, the great British ‘summer’ is almost here. If spring’s unexpected sunshine is any indicator of what’s to come, let’s all pray for sunshine. You’ll be forgiven for not being prepared for it, given the usual cool climate, so if you’ve not yet settled on a summer SPF (tip: you should be wearing it daily anyway) don’t worry there’s still time.
Making your decision a lot easier, Merit just launched The Uniform – a tinted mineral SPF 50. Two years in the making, The Uniform is Merit’s answer to the age-old problem of mineral sunscreens that leave you with a ghostly white cast. Switching silicones for a skin-friendly plant-based formulation that is silky smooth, it blends with ease and can be built up from light to medium coverage.
Available in 15 shades – which helpfully align with Merit’s The Minimalist shades, if it’s already in your makeup bag – The Uniform is designed to slot into your routine, a multitasking product that combines SPF 50 with a seamless, blurring effect that lies somewhere between dewy and matte.
With 20,000 on the waiting list in the lead up to its launch on the 22nd May, the GLAMOUR team managed to try The Uniform early to see what it’s all about. Here's what our editors had to say…
The Product
Lian, Senior Audience Development Manager
Shade: 18 – Medium Warm
As someone who religiously wears SPF, but also leans on foundation to even out my complexion day-to-day, I'm always here for a product that can do it both, and Merit's The Uniform promises just that. A tinted mineral sunscreen SPF 50, first and foremost it provides UVA/UVB protection while also offering lightweight coverage for a natural, effortless finish. I appreciated the silky texture of the product and how pigmented it was, with a little blending in easily and going a long way, giving a subtle blurring effect while still allowing my skin to shine through. I was impressed with the soft glow it gave and how it stayed put through the day and could definitely see myself using this for days when I'm out and about in the heat and can't face a heavier foundation.
Rating: 8/10
Fiona, Associate Beauty Director
Shade: 22 – Light Neutral-Cool
When it comes to sunscreen, for me it's all about having a pleasing texture (and of course an SPF50). So, whisper it, I'm not usually a fan of mineral sunscreens, let alone tinted versions, as I find they're often too heavy on the skin and difficult to blend.
There's been a lot of hype around Merit's The Uniform and, having tried it, I can see why. It delivered a subtle tint but also still felt lightweight on the skin. It was easy to blend, left no white cast and played nicely with the makeup I applied on top. It also hit the perfect sweet spot between feeling hydrating but not looking greasy. If a brand can get people this excited about a sunscreen then I'm all for it.
Rating: 8/10
Dominic, Acting Beauty Editor
Shade: 20 – Light-Medium Neutral-Cool
I feel like I need to caveat that I am Team Skin Tint until I die, so changing my mind on this was a very tall order. While The Uniform is a bit more coverage than I’d usually go for, I still love that it blends seamlessly with my skin and shade 20 was a perfect match. Once applied, it didn’t feel like I was wearing anything at all – big tick. Being a mineral sunscreen, I was pleasantly surprised that it doesn’t leave a white cast – especially on melanated skin. I would definitely use it in a pinch, if I need a quick fix of skin blurring and SPF, but I have other firm favourites in the complexion category that are tough to top.
Rating: 6/10
Robyn, Social Media Manager
Shade: 14 – Medium-Deep Neutral
You don’t often see mineral sunscreens because everyone knows they leave a white cast on your face, so I was interested to see if Merit’s The Uniform could change that. Shade 14 is a really lovely colour match for me, it looks quite pink undertoned in the bottle, but it comes out with more golden undertones which is great because I have yellow undertones in my skin. When I first applied it it looked quite full coverage, but it blends out more sheerly and has a really nice texture and a dewy finish. It feels more like skincare rather than makeup or sunscreen.
Rating: 8/10
Eilidh, European Design Director
Shade: 24 – Light Warm
I wear sunscreen every day (like a good girl), but was very interested to see that Merit’s The Uniform combines SPF 50 with a tinted moisturiser – it’s definitely a shortcut to cut down time doing my skincare routine in the morning. It has a very creamy texture that applies smoothly and shade 24 is a great match for me. I get a bit of redness on my face, so I never really like to go fully without makeup when I’m out and about, but a sunscreen and a tinted moisturiser like The Uniform is perfect for me!
Rating: 8/10
