Charlotte Bitmead, Stylist’s senior beauty writer

“I’m pretty diligent with SPF, but it’s the reapplication I need to work on, so the idea of this being tinted and buildable ticked all my boxes. I suffer from rosacea and am constantly told that swapping to a mineral sunscreen is the way to go, but they’re often chalky and left my pasty skin looking pale. A tinted option seemed like a great way around this.

I applied this first with my fingers – two pumps to give me a suitable amount of sun protection – and I would never have guessed it was mineral-based. It’s silky to blend and doesn’t leave my skin feeling claggy, like previous ones I’ve tried. It evens out my skin tone, provides a subtle glow and leaves a blurred effect behind. It doesn’t have enough oomph to conceal my current breakout (not that it claims to).

I love the glowy but not greasy finish and wear it on its own. I had two compliments on how good my skin is looking before 10am, which is no small feat. Truth be told, I haven’t been able to stop wearing this since it landed on my desk. During the unusual UK heatwave, I have no trouble reapplying this every few hours – it layers like a dream. I would say that it’s not as hydrating as other SPFs in my stash, but Merit mentioned to me that it’s not designed to replace your moisturiser; instead, it acts as a shield post-skincare. If you traditionally hate suncreams, this will win you over.”

Kitty McGee, Stylist’s executive fashion and beauty director

“I suffer from inflammatory skin conditions, so I have a complicated relationship with SPF: it’s essential to protect my skin and its barrier, but it can be aggravating, too. The brand’s founder, Katherine Power, has reactive skin, and I typically find that Merit’s products are suitable for my skin.

The Uniform is a mineral sunscreen (my preference), and it’s SPF50, which is crucial for the summer months. Application is seamless, and it looks super dewy on my skin. It dries much more matte, which is clever, and it offers more coverage than I was expecting. It impressed me on many counts!”

Merit The Uniform review: “This is the make-up base I’ll be wearing all summer”