Merit Solo Shadow Cream to Powder Soft Matte Eyeshadow in Viper and Midcentury ($24 each)
My opinion of Merit Beauty is no secret. I love it. While there are some products I don’t jive with (ex: eye brow gel) the majority of their products I LOVE (ex: the minimalist). Their newest product, Solo Shadow, is already a hit after only a few weeks since launch and I’m not surprised.
My first reaction to the launch was excitement. I love and prefer cream eyeshadow, so I was so happy that’s the formula they decided to go in with their first eyeshadow offerings. I also loved all the shades they brought out. It was so hard to just buy two. I chose Viper, a dark forest green, and Midcentury, a warm terra cotta brown. Both these colors play well with the golden undertones of my brown eyes and are shades I’ve been wearing since high school.
The cream to powder matte finish can be applied in three ways: finger for a soft, blurred all over finish, brush for more pigment, or concentrated at the lash line acting as a blurred eyeliner. I have tried all three ways and have found varying results. The shadows are BUDGEPROOF when applied. The last photo you’ll see on the slide is what the shadows looked like after I rubbed a wet paper towel over them. No budge and not even any transfer on the paper towel!!! I was shocked. So while they are budgeproof they do have a kryptonite: oil. I have very oily eyelids and have never been able to use any shadow without Nars Pro Prime. When I applied with a brush without primer they creased and faded pretty quickly, but the second day I used primer and they stayed put 👍🏻 With a finger I used without primer and was shocked to find that even after 3-4 hours of wear I had one very thin crease, but the color was still there. Concentrated on the lash line I found I didn’t need a primer as the lash line is not oily for me. I’m pretty suprised to say that the finger application was actually my favorite of the methods and it was soooo fast. The product dries down quickly but not too fast where you can’t blend things out enough.
I am so very impressed and want more. Trust me and buy at least two from the get-go, you won’t regret it.
Original Review: September 6, 2023