If you’ve ever been on a shopping waitlist, you know how frustrating it can be — especially when the products you want are on sale. This will likely be the case with Merit Beauty’s products come Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In the past, products like the Carrie Bradshaw-approved Flush Balm blush and editor-loved Complexion Stick have gone out of stock for months. 

The moral of the story is you should act fast and with confidence when shopping at Merit, especially during a sale. The good news is that as an InStyle reader, you have early access to the brand’s Black Friday sale with code EARLYACCESS22. From now until November 29, you can shop all Merit products, excluding all sets but the Full Collection Set at 20 percent off. 

If you know what you need to restock, happy shopping — and if you’re about to try the brand for the first time, I’ve highlighted four hero products that I consider must-haves. I also strongly recommend simply going for The Full Collection Set which includes every Merit product. Bought individually, this would set you back $294, but with the double discount, it comes down to $200. 

Shop Merit’s Early Access Black Friday Sale:

The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick

Shop now: $30 with code EARLYACCESS22 (Originally $38); meritbeauty.com

The name ‘Complexion Stick’ seems pretty vague, but because of how multifaceted The Minimalist is, that’s really the best name for it. It’s a concealer, foundation, and contouring stick in one small, neat package. 

The stick is an editor-approved product that will declutter your routine. It feels buttery and soft when applied, and super easy to blend and layer for more coverage if desired. It’s also a very hydrating formula that won’t flake, making it possible to skip a primer or even a moisturizer. It comes in 20 shades and was recently repackaged to carry almost twice as much product, but at the same price. 

Flush Balm Cheek Color

Shop now: $22 with code EARLYACCESS22 (Originally $28); meritbeauty.com 

If it’s good enough for Carrie Bradshaw… But really, Flush Balm is one of the most beloved Merit beauty products. It was used on Sarah Jessica Parker during And Just Like That… and has amassed a very devoted fanbase that includes myself. So much so, actually, that there were points where I waited months for certain shades to be restocked. 

Right now, all five shades are available, but I’m betting this will be one of the items that sell out the fastest. The texture is somewhere in between a liquid and a cream blush, thicker than the former and harder than the latter. Like all Merit products, it’s deeply nourishing, so it’s easy to blend and goes on smoothly without any patchiness. 

Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil

Shop now: $19 with code EARLYACCESS22 (Originally $24), meritbeauty.com

Lots of products are dubbed lip oils, but the consistency of Merit’s Shade Slick is the closest to a true oil that I’ve come across. That being said, it’s slightly more viscous, so that it doesn’t bleed. The shades are beautiful and subtle; the pigment is a step or two above sheer, which makes them universally flattering and adapting. Shade Slick is also really hydrating and nourishing, making your lip balms moot. 

Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade

Shop now: $19 with code EARLYACCESS22 (Originally $24); meritbeauty.com

Brow 1980 is the unsung hero of Merit’s roster, and I just don’t feel like it gets the attention and acclaim it deserves. This is a two-swipe brow gel that will make you look like Brooke Shields in the ‘80s. The pigment is soft and natural yet long-lasting, it shapes brows and keeps them in place, and there might be a level of sorcery because I swear it makes me look like I have more brow hairs than I do. 

Merit’s Black Friday sale begins on November 23 and ends on November 29, but for InStyle readers, you can begin shopping today, a full two days early with code EARLYACCESS22. Seize the opportunity or be faced with those taunting “out of stock,” “join the waitlist” images. 

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