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Merit Beauty is for the girls (and guys) that don’t like to do too much. The brand, which launched in January 2021, has garnered a reputation for offering products that champion simplicity. Its ethos is “to create clean, minimalist, and easy-to-use makeup products that are designed to simplify the beauty routine.” Everything—from cosmetics to skincare—is gentle, lightly pigmented, and free of artificial fragrances. So, it comes as no surprise that Merit’s first-ever fragrance would maintain those standards.
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Called Retrospect, the fragrance is packaged in a statuesque bottle inspired by “the vintage fragrance bottles we grew up loving—all solid glass, intricately carved, and made small for concentrated oils,” Merit revealed via Instagram in October. The brand explained in that same post that production on the bottle began in 2022 with Merit wanting the bottle “to reflect that same old-school craftsmanship, but with a modern perspective.” The finished product is a fluid shape and a 14-karat gold-toned cap. “It’s intended to feel like an objet d’art,” Merit shared.
Merit Beauty Retrospect L’Extrait de Parfum
Work on the actual fragrance took much longer. Merit Beauty founder Katherine Power tapped French perfumer Fanny Bal to create the scent that features notes of pear, jasmine, vanilla, and musk. Bal—who is based in Paris—broke down the process in a video shared via Instagram ahead of the release, explaining that Power “wanted something that when you spray in the morning, you still smell it at the end of the day.” After “200” rounds, Power and Bal’s perfume dreams came true. “When you follow someone on the street who wears Retrospect, you can smell it. The more you wear it, the more you love it.”
How to Use Retrospect
Merit boasts that a “single spray” is enough to last all day. The brand also praises its sillage, meaning that the scent can linger on clothing like scarves, sweaters, and collared shirts. When it comes to fragrance, I’m heavy handed. I like to spritz at least three to four times, starting with my neck, wrists, legs, and behind my knees. On my legs, I apply Vaseline first, to really lock in the fragrance. You don’t have to do this, however. Retrospect is supposed to “melt in for a long-lasting scent.”
Our Retrospect Review
I’m a big fan of Merit—especially since I’m a “less is more” type of person when it comes to makeup. However, when I tried the brand’s Flush Balm and Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer, I had to apply a few coats because—while beautiful, the products aren’t very pigmented. The same is true for the scent. I had to spritz more than once to really smell and recognize the top notes of aldehydes, bergamot, pear, and ambrette; the heart notes of rosemary, orris, jasmine, and rose; as well as the base notes of vanilla, musk, and moss. That said, it is a very beautiful scent that feels feminine, mature, and very demure. I can also attest that it does last well into the day. I recall sitting at my desk around 4 p.m. (after first applying around 8 a.m.), and thinking, “Wow, I still smell it!”
If you’re someone who likes their scents to be a bit strong, this may not be for you—but it is a nice perfume to keep in your rotation because it smells timeless, light, and airy with a tiny bit of woodiness. For the people out there who prefer an effortless aroma, buy this before it sells out.