Merit The Complexion Stick vs e.l.f. Camo Hydrating CC Stick
foundation
Original
Merit The Complexion Stick
$38
Sheer, buildable foundation stick with a skin-like finish for the clean beauty crowd.
Dupe
e.l.f. Camo Hydrating CC Stick
$8
Save $30 (Save 79%)
"The closest drugstore match for Merit's effortless foundation stick concept. Format, coverage range, and convenience are nearly identical. At $8 vs $38, this is the smart buy."
My verdict
e.l.f. Camo Hydrating CC Stick is a remarkably close match to Merit's Complexion Stick in format and coverage philosophy. Both are twist-up foundation sticks designed for quick, on-the-go application with sheer, buildable coverage. The key difference is finish: Merit settles into an almost imperceptible, second-skin finish that genuinely looks like bare skin. e.l.f. has a slightly more 'made-up' quality — a touch more coverage on the first pass and a finish that reads more like makeup than bare skin, though the difference is subtle. Both blend with fingers in seconds. e.l.f. includes SPF, which Merit doesn't — a genuine advantage for daily wear. The shade range at e.l.f. is competitive, and the $30 price difference ($38 vs $8) makes this one of the most dramatic savings in the foundation category. For the 'I don't want to look like I'm wearing foundation' use case, Merit has a slight edge. For everything else — convenience, coverage, SPF, value — e.l.f. wins decisively.