MERIT Beauty

Recorded answer text · Google AI Overviews · 27 September 2026

Merit Beauty, ILIA, and Saie are among the best American clean beauty brands, known for combining non-toxic, EU-compliant ingredients with high-performance wear.

### Top Clean Beauty Brands in America

- Merit Beauty: Best for elevated, minimalist everyday makeup. Formulas feature streamlined ingredient lists (such as the minimalist Complexion Stick and Great Skin Serum) entirely free of added fragrance, parabens, and phthalates. - ILIA: Best for skincare-infused complexion products. Famous for its award-winning Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 and multi-use natural formulas that protect and condition skin. - Saie: Best for a dewy, glowing finish. Popular for lightweight multi-purpose illuminators like Glowy Super Gel and slip tints that double as skincare. - Kosas: Best for performance-driven makeup with active skincare benefits. Known for comfortable, clinically tested color cosmetics and concealers that prioritize sensitive skin. - RMS Beauty: Best for luxury, food-grade raw ingredients. Founded by a makeup artist, it focuses on high-pigment, organic luminizers and concealers. - Well People: Best budget-friendly everyday option. Readily available and EWG-verified, offering clean, plant-powered plant-based alternatives for mascara and base layers.

If you want to narrow down your search, let me know:

- Are you looking for skincare, makeup, or hair care? - Do you have a specific skin type (sensitive, acne-prone, dry)? - What is your preferred budget tier (drugstore vs. prestige/luxury)?

Recorded answer text · ChatGPT · 4 October 2026

Absolutely. If by American makeup brands you mean brands founded/created in the U.S., these are some of the strongest choices right now. A 2026 U.S. consumer survey also shows particularly strong awareness/usage for brands such as e.l.f., Fenty Beauty, Rare Beauty, MAC, ColourPop, and Glossier. www.statista.com

### 🇺🇸 Best American makeup brands

| Brand | Best for | Price | |---|---|---| | Fenty Beauty | Inclusive shades, foundation, complexion | $$-$$$ | | Rare Beauty | Blush, natural/glowy makeup | $$ | | e.l.f. Cosmetics | Affordable everyday makeup | $ | | MAC Cosmetics | Professional-quality, huge range | $$-$$$ | | NARS | Foundation, blush, complexion | $$$ | | Anastasia Beverly Hills | Brows, eyeshadow, glam | $$-$$$ | | ColourPop | Affordable eyeshadow & trendy colors | $-$$ | | Tower 28 | Sensitive skin, easy everyday makeup | $$ | | Saie | Dewy, natural “clean girl” makeup | $$ | | Kosas | Skin-like complexion products | $$ | | MERIT | Minimalist/no-makeup makeup | $$-$$$ | | Pat McGrath Labs | Luxury/glam eyes & lips | $$$ |

### ⭐ My top 5

1. Fenty Beauty - best overall Excellent if you want shade variety, long-wearing complexion products, and bold lip/cheek products. Its foundation range remains a major strength; Fenty's newly launched Fluid Flex foundation has 50 shades. www.byrdie.com

### Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Foundation $48.00

2. Rare Beauty - best for blush & effortless makeup Especially good for liquid blush, highlighter and easy everyday looks.

### Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush $25.00

3. e.l.f. - best budget brand Probably my first choice if you want good makeup without spending much. It also has the highest customer-loyalty score among the brands in the 2026 U.S. survey at 84%. www.statista.com

4. MAC - best professional/versatile brand A great choice when you want a huge range of shades, finishes and traditional makeup-artist staples.

### MAC Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation $46.00

5. Tower 28 - best for sensitive skin A particularly good option if you prefer simple, lightweight makeup. Its SunnyDays tint combines makeup with mineral SPF 30. shopfemalefounded.com

### Tower 28 SunnyDays Skin Tint $32.00

For a natural/dewy look: Saie, Tower 28, Rare Beauty, MERIT. For full glam: Fenty, MAC, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Pat McGrath. For affordable makeup: e.l.f., ColourPop. For foundation: Fenty, Estée Lauder, NARS, MAC. For blush: Rare Beauty is hard to beat. www.byrdie.com

If you tell me your budget and skin type (oily/dry/combination), I can narrow this to the 10 best American brands/products for you.

Recorded answer text · Perplexity · 4 October 2026

For most people in the US, Gisou Honey Infused Lip Oil is the best overall pick: it feels lightweight, gives high shine, and uses honey plus botanical oils for moisture.

Good alternatives:

- Best budget: e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil - affordable, glossy, and available in many US retailers; it was named a 2025 Allure Best of Beauty winner. - Best luxury: Dior Lip Glow Oil - sheer color, a polished finish, and a comfortable balm-oil feel. - Best tinted option: Merit Shade Slick Hydrating Tinted Lip Oil - subtle color with a lighter, less-sticky finish. - Best for intensive treatment: Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil - a richer splurge option for very dry lips.

Quick recommendation: Choose Gisou for overall performance, e.l.f. for value, or Dior for a luxury, sheer-tinted finish. Look for formulas containing squalane, vitamin E, jojoba, avocado, or sunflower oil if hydration is the priority.