The shade file
MERIT, beyond the shade name.
Compare the brand’s descriptions with readings from published swatch images.
What do the numbers mean?
L* describes lightness; a* and b* describe color axes. ITA° is calculated from lightness and the yellow–blue axis to group the swatch into a depth band. None of these readings measures coverage, wear or how a formula will look on your skin.
MERIT names an undertone for 50 of these shades. Read off the brand’s own swatch under D65, 28 of them — 56% — land in a different undertone than the name claims. That is not an accusation of bad faith: undertone is a word, and a word is not a measurement. It is why the house publishes the number beside it.
The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick30 shades
| Shade | Brand says | L* | a* | b* | ITA° | Depth band | Swatch reads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramic | cool · fair | 85.94 | 5.33 | 8.57 | 76.59 | very_light | neutral |
| Chiffon | neutral · fair | 84.72 | 5.88 | 12.12 | 70.76 | very_light | neutral |
| Sandstone | cool · light | 83.95 | 8.37 | 16.4 | 64.22 | very_light | neutral |
| Palomino | cool · light | 82.71 | 10.69 | 17.33 | 62.09 | very_light | neutral |
| Oak | olive · light | 79.7 | 8.63 | 17.76 | 59.12 | very_light | neutral |
| Jute | cool · medium | 78.32 | 12.7 | 10.97 | 68.83 | very_light | cool |
| Silk | neutral · fair | 77.82 | 11.16 | 21.61 | 52.16 | light | neutral |
| Ecru | neutral · fair | 76.94 | 11.32 | 30.56 | 41.4 | light | warm |
| Calico | neutral · medium | 76.86 | 13.41 | 19.75 | 53.67 | light | cool |
| Ochre | warm · light | 76.42 | 13.81 | 29.39 | 41.95 | light | neutral |
| Cream | warm · fair | 74.56 | 11.8 | 35.81 | 34.44 | intermediate | warm |
| Dune | cool · fair | 73.57 | 13.48 | 20.48 | 49.01 | light | cool |
| Linen | neutral · fair | 72.4 | 11.19 | 26.93 | 39.75 | intermediate | warm |
| Burlwood | olive · medium | 71.42 | 7.93 | 17.25 | 51.15 | light | neutral |
| Bone | cool · fair | 69.46 | 12.12 | 18.41 | 46.59 | light | cool |
| Camel | neutral · medium | 69.31 | 14.67 | 35.71 | 28.4 | intermediate | warm |
| Sand | neutral · light | 69.11 | 14.21 | 31.13 | 31.54 | intermediate | neutral |
| Suede | olive · medium | 67.3 | 16.14 | 29.26 | 30.59 | intermediate | neutral |
| Bisque | neutral · light | 66.93 | 14.61 | 30.33 | 29.17 | intermediate | neutral |
| Khaki | warm · medium | 66.19 | 16.93 | 41.16 | 21.47 | tan | warm |
| Buff | cool · medium | 65.22 | 16.11 | 41.43 | 20.17 | tan | warm |
| Amber | warm · deep | 58.96 | 19 | 35 | 14.36 | tan | neutral |
| Taurillon | olive · rich | 56.02 | 15.29 | 15.6 | 21.1 | tan | cool |
| Sienna | warm · medium | 53.68 | 18.41 | 35.16 | 5.98 | brown | neutral |
| Bistre | neutral · rich | 49.56 | 9.18 | 9.02 | -2.79 | brown | cool |
| Chestnut | cool · deep | 46.64 | 24.69 | 30.12 | -6.37 | brown | cool |
| Tigereye | cool · rich | 43.96 | 15.85 | 27.37 | -12.44 | brown | neutral |
| Sepia | warm · rich | 41.79 | 18.24 | 30.36 | -15.13 | brown | neutral |
| Cacao | cool · rich | 40.53 | 18.61 | 22.87 | -22.49 | brown | cool |
| Umber | warm · rich | 33.31 | 17.4 | 19.08 | -41.18 | dark | cool |
The Uniform™ Tinted Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 4520 shades
| Shade | Brand says | L* | a* | b* | ITA° | Depth band | Swatch reads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | neutral · fair | 89.69 | 6.03 | 9.86 | 76.05 | very_light | neutral |
| 30 | cool · fair | 87.34 | 6.74 | 9.07 | 76.35 | very_light | cool |
| 25 | olive · light | 86.69 | 7.77 | 16.63 | 65.62 | very_light | neutral |
| 24 | warm · light | 85.83 | 8.51 | 18.59 | 62.58 | very_light | neutral |
| 28 | warm · fair | 85.03 | 8.16 | 18.48 | 62.19 | very_light | warm |
| 26 | cool · fair | 84.81 | 8.66 | 19.78 | 60.39 | very_light | warm |
| 22 | neutral · light | 83.51 | 9.52 | 16.85 | 63.31 | very_light | neutral |
| 20 | warm · light | 81.19 | 9.95 | 22.09 | 54.69 | light | neutral |
| 21 | cool · light | 80.2 | 12.2 | 18.57 | 58.41 | very_light | cool |
| 18 | warm · medium | 79.19 | 13.57 | 23.61 | 51.03 | light | neutral |
| 14 | warm · medium | 76.1 | 11.12 | 27.79 | 43.2 | light | warm |
| 15 | olive · medium | 74.42 | 13.95 | 20.07 | 50.58 | light | cool |
| 16 | cool · medium | 73.98 | 15.04 | 21.1 | 48.66 | light | cool |
| 12 | neutral · medium | 71.25 | 14.17 | 25.95 | 39.31 | intermediate | neutral |
| 10 | cool · medium | 65.09 | 15.35 | 23.39 | 32.83 | intermediate | cool |
| 8 | warm · deep | 61.99 | 15.69 | 17.3 | 34.72 | intermediate | cool |
| 6 | neutral · rich | 59.06 | 10.03 | 19.22 | 25.24 | tan | neutral |
| 4 | warm · rich | 56.65 | 11.65 | 15.25 | 23.56 | tan | cool |
| 3 | cool · rich | 56.14 | 13.07 | 11.65 | 27.79 | tan | cool |
| 2 | neutral · rich | 43.62 | 9.33 | 13.63 | -25.08 | brown | cool |
Match a shade you already wear
Colours are read from each shade’s own swatch image published by the retailer, not from a drawdown measured by the house — a screen swatch and a colorimeter are not the same instrument, and the house does not pretend otherwise. ITA° is the open dermatological standard, computed from the reading; no licensed colour library is used. A shade listed without a reading is one the house holds but has not yet seen.
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