Merit is making moves in France
Also, say hello to The Skin.
Skin Reset got a makeover. Meet The Skin. The same stories, just a different name.
Merit is making some pretty big moves in a competitive industry.
Earlier this week, the brand announced that they’ve entered the French market, proving that they’re heading in the direction of beauty brands backed by fashion houses. Merit has already entered North America, the U.K., and Australia.
For a few years now, the brand has received so much praise from makeup lovers, becoming the preferred option for those who love the simple and efficient way of going about applying makeup. They target the generation that wants results but doesn’t want to have to head to TikTok to see which products are worth trying out. Their makeup is sold in the most sophisticated packaging and you don’t have to worry if the blush or lip color will fade in two hours.
In July 2024, BOF reported how Merit “won over the grown-up Glossier girl,” and that couldn’t be a truer statement.
The minimalist brand provides those who long for the beauty and elegance that we associate with France. While they didn’t have immediate momentum like competitors in the U.S., they’ve created a long-lasting fanbase that are over the moon with their supreme products.
Now that they’re entering the French market through its direct-to-consumer channel, they have the perfect opportunity to make an impressionable mark. Merit’s full range of makeup, skin care, and fragrance will be available.
“There is an influence of French beauty on the brand, it’s timeless chic. Sometimes people think we’re a French brand, which we’re not, but we’ve had quite a lot of demand from the French consumer to launch Merit in France,” Philippe Pinatel, chief executive officer at Merit told WWD. “I think we’re going to learn a lot about international deployment by launching in France.”
To ensure this move goes smoothly, winning over makeup users in France, Merit will introduce consumer facing activities. However, Pinatel isn’t worried about how the French market will respond to their arrival. During Paris Fashion Week, in hopes to soft launch their products to their new consumers, he found that “they all felt that there is a white space for an effortless and minimal beauty brand in the market.”
Because this is one of the more competitive markets, it’s important that Merit differentiates itself from the others. “We’re different from other brands because we’re not led by a personality that’s either a celebrity or makeup artist. We’re addressing a group of consumers who are less engaged with the market,” Pinatel said to WWD.
Anyone in France will have to let me know if they’ve converted to Merit fans—I’m sure many will.
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