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Sarah Jessica Parker Wore the Multi-Purpose Highlighter Balm From Merit

An aesthetician once told me my skin wasn’t bad, it was just dull. So I sat my lackluster ass in front of the computer and fell down the rabbit hole that is skincare, filling my cart to the brim with products that promised nothing short of a glass complexion. Layers of serums, moisturizers, and oils helped me achieve that dewy glow when I left the house, but after just an hour, I was back to looking matte. I decided that this wasn’t a problem skincare was going to fix, so I turned to highlighter and realized that even with my dry skin, a glass-finish was feasible.

But in my highlighter trial, there was an error: I found that powders just sat on my skin instead of blending in and making me look naturally radiant. For my dry skin, a creamy texture appeared to be key. While I found a few products I swear by, I recently learned that one of my favorite beauty brands has a buttery, glowy balm that shoppers say provides just the right amount of subtle radiance to “enhance” their “natural beauty.”

Merit

Merit — my queen of no makeup-makeup products — is a staple in my beauty routine, from its Cameron Diaz-used concealer and editor-favorite blush to the bronzer that’s prompted my friends to tell me I look “so tan.” But despite being a Merit obsessive, it seems I had overlooked one of its staples, the Day Glow Highlighter Balm, which is a shopper- and, seemingly, Sarah Jessica Parker-favorite, who wore it to the season two premiere of And Just Like That… 

Merit

Day Glow is a creamy stick highlighter that’s available in three buildable shades. Each is infused with micro-fine pearls that reflect light, giving skin a boost of luminosity, as well as nourishing ingredients including vitamin E, squalane, amino acids , and olive oil. It’s the instant radiance you’d expect from a highlighter paired with glow-enhancing skincare. And according to shoppers, there’s none better.

Merit

“Words elude me when trying to describe how fantastic Day Glow highlighter [is],” wrote one shopper, who loved how “there are no distinct glitters, just glow.” Another person described the highlighter as being “smooth with incredible staying power,” saying that it “will give you that glass-like skin” and “a healthy glow.” And per a 45-year-old shopper at Sephora, this is *the* product to get that “natural but enhanced” look. “This stick does it all for me, and quickly. It's not glittery or unnatural, it's easy to apply, and it looks good,” they wrote.

Shoppers were also happy to report that the highlighting stick is surprisingly versatile. “I’ve been using it for a glow on my cheeks and as an all-over eyeshadow for a subtle wet-look,” one shopper wrote. And another customer revealed they’ve “replaced [their] blush” with it, saying that it gives their “skin a gorgeous, natural glow” without looking like makeup. 

If the goal is skin that leaves people wondering what your skincare routine is — aka, a glow so natural people would never assume it’s makeup — it seems like Merit’s Day Glow Highlighting Balm will do the trick.

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Noelle Montes

Update: 2024-05-04