MERIT Beauty, creator engine

A creator roster for MERIT's clean makeup

Ten creators filming short routines with Clean Volume, Flush Balm and The Minimalist, paid within caps and held to one claims sheet.

creators live by week six: 10
creator videos a month at the full roster: 303
weeks from the first creator to the full roster: 5

My everyday cheeks: Flush Balm in Le BonBon

Illustrative post: the creator swipes the balm on, blends with Brush No.1 or fingers, and reads one line from the claims sheet.

Illustrative post

Part 1 of 15

Summary

Creator engine summary
Roster	10 creators, two added each week	Live by week: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. Proposed ramp, so the brand can stop it at any step.
Who	Everyday makeup and skincare creators	Six personas map to Clean Volume, Flush Balm, The Minimalist, Great Skin Serum and the sets.
Production	7 videos per creator per week	303 creator videos a month at 10 creators, five formats, one variable per test.
Pay	Base pay $300 to $800, caps $600 to $1,500	Starter, Standard, Premium. All amounts are Proposed; the monthly ceiling is $15,000, bonuses excluded.
Bonus	$50 flat once a video passes 100,000 views	One bonus per creator per month, organic views only. Cap bonus: $300, $500, $700 by band.
Compliance	One claims sheet, copied from the site	Creators quote MERIT's own lines word for word. A draft that strays goes back before it posts.
Rule for the category	No skin or health outcome promises	Makeup claims only, from the sheet. Study figures stay with The Minimalist and its study.
Goal	$1 cost per 1,000 views (Proposed)	The simulator prints $5.74 on my inputs. Closing that gap is the whole job.
Report	Every Monday, no chasing	Views, cost per 1,000 views, what we learned, and which hooks move to paid.
Decision	Say yes to the first two creators	Approve the claims sheet and the first two slots; the rest of the ramp follows week by week.

Part 1 of 15, continued

The program in numbers

Creators live at full roster: 10; Proposed
Videos per creator per week: 7; Proposed
Creator videos a month: 303; Calculated
Base pay per creator: $1,000; Proposed
Bonus past 100,000 views: $50; Proposed
Bonus at the top cap of the highest band: $700; Calculated
Program cost a month, bonuses included: $10,050; Calculated
Views a month at the assumptions: 1.8M; Calculated
Cost per 1,000 views: $5.74; Calculated
Target cost per 1,000 views: $1; Proposed

Part 2 of 15

Track record

Former COO of Tabs. I built its creator program to 100M monthly social impressions, and the paid ad engine alongside it. The numbers below come from videos that program produced.

At MERIT it is the same playbook: recruit creators, give each a tight brief, and kill the formats that lose early. The category is different: clean, minimalist makeup, from Clean Volume to Flush Balm. I have not run this category, so the claims sheet and shade questions go to your team first.

monthly social impressions at Tabs: 100M+
views on one reel: 17.7M
views on one video: 8M
views on one video: 6.5M

Part 3 of 15

Why now

$75
Creator-style codes already exist
Sets like Madi's Summer Favorites carry a checkout code that adds a free Deluxe Mini Flush Balm in Le BonBon on orders over $75. A roster fits that mechanic.
Published
$45
Free returns and shipping lower the first-order risk
The site offers free returns and shipping on orders $45+. A creator can point a first-time buyer to that line without inventing an offer.
Published
2021
A young brand with a clear point of view
MERIT describes itself as founded in 2021 and as simplifying what it takes to get ready. That fits short, honest routine videos.
Published

Part 4 of 15

Principles

One number to protect
Cost per 1,000 views, with a target of $1 (Proposed). The simulator prints $5.74 on my inputs, so the gap is the work and every test aims at it.
One variable per test
Seven videos per creator per week gives 303 a month at ten creators. That is enough volume to change only the hook, or only the opening shot, and read the result.
Claims sheet before camera
Every creator gets MERIT's own lines, like "No clumps. No cleanup. Just volume." Anything off the sheet goes back for a rewrite before it posts.
Cap the pay, reward the breakout
Base pay stops at a cap per band, up to $1,500. The monthly ceiling is $15,000 with bonuses excluded (Proposed). A $50 flat bonus pays for organic views past 100,000.

Part 4 of 15, continued

One channel for everything

#briefs

Briefs, drafts, reviews and the weekly numbers

Illustrative

SamMon 8:30 AM
This week's brief: Clean Volume, one hook, one variable. Film the opening with and without the wand close-up. The claims sheet is pinned in #claims.
AnaMon 10:15 AM
Can I say Clean Volume survives a workout?
Not on the sheet. Use the line we have: lasts up to 16 hours. Keep the workout in the shot, not in the words.
Weekly botAppMon 9:00 AM
Weekly report posted: three formats live, one hook leads on cost per 1,000 views, two drafts held for the claims check. Full table in #weekly-report.
SamWed 11:40 AM
Draft back to you, Priya. Your closing line compares us with other mascaras. Swap in "No clumps. No cleanup. Just volume." and resend.
JoelThu 4:05 PM
My Flush Balm in Le BonBon routine passed 100,000 views, all organic. Does the $50 bonus apply?
Yes. One bonus per creator per month, on organic views. I'm flagging the video as a candidate for a paid test.
Check botAppFri 9:30 AM
Check: every video posted this week matches the claims sheet. One post is flagged for a second look at the on-screen caption.

The messages illustrate the working channel, with invented people: briefs go out on Monday, claims questions get an answer the same day, and nothing posts without the check.

Part 5 of 15

Formats

Brief 01
Clean Lash, one coat
“One mascara, one coat. Watch the wand.”
Bare lashes to finished, one take, close-up on the wand, natural window light, no filter on the eyes.
Brief 02
One-stick face in Bistre
“My whole face in one stick, in real time.”
Cap off in frame, swipe and blend on camera, show the shade next to bare skin in daylight.
Brief 03
Serum first, then makeup
“Serum first, then makeup. Here is my order.”
Bathroom counter, Great Skin Instant Glow Serum in hand, then one makeup step, no health talk.
Brief 04
Taking it all off
“Taking it all off, start to finish.”
Evening sink shot, Great Skin Double Cleanse full size next to the travel size, one continuous take.
Brief 05
The everyday kit
“Everything I reach for, in one pouch.”
Flat lay of Flush Balm, The Minimalist and Brush No.1, then a quick application in that order.

Every product line in a video comes off the claims sheet word for word, for example “A lightweight tubing mascara that lifts and separates lashes for precise, buildable volume that lasts up to 16 hours.”, “No clumps. No cleanup. Just volume.”, “MERIT is a clean, vegan, cruelty-free minimalist makeup brand.”. Product names are said as printed.

Part 6 of 15

Recruiting

Four sources in

People behind the named sets
Sets like Madi's Easy Essentials and Alexa's Essentials carry names and checkout codes. I would ask your team who those people are before searching anywhere else.
Affiliate or ambassador page
I did not find an affiliate or ambassador page on the site. Recruiting starts from a short form kept outside the site, and your team decides what goes live.
Creators already filming MERIT
I would search product names such as Flush Balm, Clean Volume and The Minimalist, then message the creators whose routines hold viewers longest.
Makeup and skincare together
Creators who pair skincare with makeup fit Great Skin Serum, Great Skin Moisturizer and Great Skin Double Cleanse next to the complexion range.

Five filters, fewer each step

1Real routine on camera
They film a full makeup routine start to finish, not only a styled still.
2Hook that holds
Their last videos keep viewers past the opening seconds, checked before any offer.
3Claims discipline
They accept the claims sheet and rewrite a line when we send a draft back.
4Fit with the product
Their usual kit overlaps with MERIT products, so the routine looks natural.
5Steady output
They can post seven videos a week without dropping the quality of the hook.

Part 7 of 15

Who we want

Five-minute makeup
Fast, forgiving routines for people who want to get ready in five minutes.
Likely product: Caro's Everyday Essentials
Minimalist kit
Small-kit creators who prove how much one multi-use product can do.
Likely product: The Minimalist
Lash and mascara
Close-up lash storytellers who film the wand and the finished look.
Likely product: Clean Volume
Skincare-first
Skincare routines that end with a light makeup step.
Likely product: Great Skin Serum
Blush and glow
Cheek and glow creators who film swipe, blend, repeat.
Likely product: Flush Balm
Complexion builder
Base and shade-match creators who show the sets as a starter kit.
Likely product: The Complexion Set

Left off, every time

Always left out: creators who promise skin or health outcomes, who compare MERIT with other brands, who hide that a post is paid, or who rewrite claims off the sheet. Category rule: makeup claims only, in MERIT's own words.

Part 8 of 15

First twenty

Daily makeup routine creator who films in natural light
Skincare creator who ends with a light makeup step
Mascara reviewer known for close-up lash tests
Blush and glow creator with a loyal repeat audience
Minimalist makeup creator working from a small kit
Get-ready-with-me creator who films mornings
Travel creator who shows a makeup pouch
Clean beauty creator who reads labels and stays on claims
Shade-matching specialist for deeper skin tones
Shade-matching specialist for fair and light skin
Straight-talking makeup creator over forty
College student building a budget kit
Working parent with a quick morning routine
Bridal and event creator who shows touch-ups
Gift guide creator who builds sets for others
Brush and blending technique teacher
Lip swatcher who films every finish in daylight
Body care and fragrance creator open to makeup
Vegan and cruelty-free lifestyle creator
Productivity creator who films the morning before work

Part 9 of 15

Claims sheet

Approved, word for word

Quoted exactly as the brand publishes it.

“MERIT is a clean, vegan, cruelty-free minimalist makeup brand.”
Opening line of any brand-intro video.
“A lightweight tubing mascara that lifts and separates lashes for precise, buildable volume that lasts up to 16 hours.”
Clean Volume videos only.
“No clumps. No cleanup. Just volume.”
Clean Volume hooks and closing lines.
“Free returns and shipping on orders $45+”
Closing line for any video that sends viewers to the shop.
“The Signature Bag, reimagined. Ships free with your first order.”
Videos aimed at first-time buyers.
“Founded in 2021, MERIT is a modern beauty brand that simplifies what it takes to get ready.”
Brand story and get-ready-with-me videos.
“Thoughtfully designed essentials to help you do more with less.”
Minimalist kit and set videos.

Never said

Each one with the reason it stays out.

Never say it grows lashes
A biological outcome promise the site does not make.
Never say it is dermatologist approved
A medical endorsement that is nowhere on the site.
Never say it beats another brand
A comparison claim; creators describe MERIT, not rivals.
Never say it fixes breakouts
A skin-condition outcome, outside what a makeup brand can promise.
Never say the lash look lasts all day and night
Stretches the stated wear time past the brand's own line.
Never say the set prices are permanent
A price promise; struck-through prices carry no end date.
Never say it is free of every chemical
An absolute ingredient claim the site does not make.

To confirm with the brand

Held until someone on the brand side signs off.

Safe for Body + Skin + Planet
A safety line from the site; ask your team if creators may repeat it.
98% said it creates healthy looking skin
A study figure covering The Minimalist only; confirm context wording.

Part 10 of 15

Pay

Starter
$300–600
a month, by band
For newer creators with a steady small audience: lowest base pay, lowest cap, easiest to start.
Bonus at the cap: $300
Standard
$500–1,000
a month, by band
For creators whose hooks already hold viewers: mid base pay, mid cap, most of the roster.
Bonus at the cap: $500
Premium
$800–1,500
a month, by band
For proven creators who hit the breakout line often: highest base pay and the highest cap.
Bonus at the cap: $700

Under 100,000 views
$0
The base pay covers the work.
100,000 views
+$50 flat
Whatever the band.
1,000,000 views
Top-up to your cap
Bonus = band cap − base pay.

One bonus per creator per month, so a lucky video never decides the budget.
The bonus is paid per video, once a video passes 100,000 views.
Only organic views count; paid views from boosting never earn the bonus.
No bonus on a video that broke the claims sheet or the category rule.

Starter: $600 cap − $300 fee = $300 bonus; Standard: $1,000 cap − $500 fee = $500 bonus; Premium: $1,500 cap − $800 fee = $700 bonus.

The bonus pays for reach after the work is done, never instead of it. One bonus per creator per calendar month keeps it an incentive and keeps the program cost predictable.

Part 11 of 15

Simulator

At ten creators and seven videos each a week, the plan gives 303 videos and $5.74 per 1,000 views against $1.00. Hitting target takes 4.2% viral videos or a median of 21,711 views.

Program facts

MERIT Beauty creator engine, per month

Monthly cost: $10,050
Base pay: $10,000
Est. bonuses: $50
Videos / month: 303
Est. views / month: 1.8M
Cost per 1,000 views: $5.74

Above the $1 target at these inputs.

To hit $1, the roster needs about 10.1M views a month. That means about 4.2% of videos going viral, or a median near 22K views per video. That is why the day-90 gate exists: keep the accounts that clear it, replace the rest.

Proposed, not measured. Views = videos × median, breakouts at 10× the median, viral at 750K. Bonus: +$50 for a viral video, one per creator per month.

Part 11 of 15, continued

What moves the result

Cost per 1,000 views by median views per video
If the median is	Views / month	Monthly cost	Cost / 1K	Hits target
750	1.4M	$10,050	$6.96	No
1,500	1.8M	$10,050	$5.74	No
3,000	2.4M	$10,050	$4.24	No

Cost per 1,000 views by share of viral videos
If the viral share is	Views / month	Monthly cost	Cost / 1K	Hits target
0.3%	1.2M	$10,000	$8.44	No
0.5%	1.8M	$10,050	$5.74	No
1%	2.9M	$10,150	$3.52	No

The math. Videos a month = 10 creators × 7 a week × 52 ÷ 12 = 303. Views per video = (1 − 4% − 0.5%) × 1,500 + 4% × 10 × 1,500 + 0.5% × 750,000 = 5,782.5; 303 videos × 5,782.5 = 1.8M views a month. Cost = 10 × $1,000 = $10,000 base + 1 bonus × $50 = $10,050. Cost per 1,000 views = $10,050 ÷ 1.8M × 1,000 = $5.74 against a $1.00 target. To hit the target, either 4.2% of videos go viral or the median video reaches 21,711 views, other inputs held.

Move the sliders and the label recalculates. The result is only as good as the guesses behind it, so the median views, the share of breakouts and the share of viral videos are marked as Assumptions until the first month of posts replaces them.

Part 12 of 15

Phases

Creators live by week (proposed): 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

0Wk 1
2Wk 2
4Wk 3
6Wk 4
8Wk 5
10Wk 6

Creator ramp by week
Item	Wk 1	Wk 2	Wk 3	Wk 4	Wk 5	Wk 6
Creators live	0	2	4	6	8	10
Videos a week	0	14	28	42	56	70
Base pay a month	$0	$2,000	$4,000	$6,000	$8,000	$10,000

Warm-up
Sheet, formats, tracking
Claims sheet signed off, five formats briefed, tracking checked with your team. Creators live by week: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
Month 1
Ramp to ten
Two creators a week join until ten are live. Each posts seven videos a week; one variable per test, losers killed early.
Month 2
Cut and keep
Roster at ten, 303 videos a month. Cut the weakest formats, keep the winning hooks in the hook library, test the pay bands.
Month 3
Winners go to paid
Videos that earn it move through the organic-to-paid steps. A video past 100,000 views earns $50 flat, once per creator per month.
Day ninety
Read it against the target
Compare real cost per 1,000 views with the $1 target (Proposed) and the $5.74 simulator result. Keep, change or stop.
Monthly ceiling
$15,000 at most
All ten creators at the top cap, bonuses excluded, comes to $15,000 (Proposed). I do not pass it without your written yes.

$15,000 Monthly ceiling, all 10 creators at the top cap, bonuses excluded Proposed

The roster grows by two creators a week, so hook performance can be read week over week instead of by anecdote.

Part 13 of 15

Weekly report

Every Monday: videos posted, views, cost per 1,000 views against the $1 target, what we learned, and which hooks go to paid. No chasing needed.

Creator engine, last 4 weeks

Target $1 per 1,000 organic views Illustrative

Creators reporting: 5
Posts last week: 32
Avg cost per 1,000 views: $8.94
Bonuses owed: $0
Keep / Watch / Replace: 1 / 1 / 3

Per-creator results, last four weeks, sorted by cost per 1,000 views
Creator	Band	Format	Posts	Median	Best	Cost / 1K	Bonus	Flags	Call
Creator A	Starter	Clean Lash, one coat	7	2.1K	25K	$3.37	$0	None	Keep
Creator B	Standard	One-stick face in Bistre	7	1.4K	8.4K	$9.83	$0	Claim check	Replace
Creator C	Premium	Serum first, then makeup	6	1.8K	54K	$7.94	$0	None	Watch
Creator D	Starter	Taking it all off	5	900	3.6K	$12.99	$0	Over cap?	Replace
Creator E	Standard	The everyday kit	7	1.2K	11K	$10.59	$0	Release missing	Replace
All creators	not applicable	not applicable	32	1.5K	54K	$8.94	$0	not applicable	not applicable

Illustrative rows with invented creators, coherent with the pay bands above. Keep means the cost per 1,000 views is at or under the program average, Watch is up to half again over it, and Replace is anything higher.

Part 14 of 15

Organic to paid

From organic to paid

Organic first
Every video runs unboosted so views reflect the hook, not spend.
Pick the winners
Videos past 100,000 views, or clear leaders on cost per 1,000 views, make the shortlist.
Ask the creator
Usage and partnership permission is confirmed with the creator before any boost.
Test in paid
Each shortlisted video gets one paid test, one variable at a time, and the loser is killed early.

From the video to the checkout

Clean Volume videos link to the Clean Volume page at $28.00.
Skin routine videos link to Great Skin Serum, Great Skin Moisturizer or Great Skin Double Cleanse.
Shade questions point viewers to Find My Shade.
First-time buyers hear that The Signature Bag ships free with a first order, and that returns and shipping are free on orders $45+.
Videos for named sets link to the set page, where listed checkout codes add a free Deluxe Mini Flush Balm in Le BonBon on orders over $75.

Part 15 of 15

Category rules

Rules for clean makeup content

These six rules sit on top of the claims sheet. They keep a Clean Volume or Flush Balm video inside what MERIT itself says about its products.

Quote the sheet, not memory
Product claims are copied from the claims sheet. If a line isn't there, the creator asks in #claims before filming, and the answer is saved for the next creator.
No skin or health outcomes
Makeup is shown, not prescribed. No promises about breakouts, skin conditions or medical results, whether in the voiceover, the caption or on-screen text.
Study figures stay with their study
The 51-volunteer study covers The Minimalist only, measured after eight hours. Creators never attach those percentages to another product.
Wear time belongs to Clean Volume
Up to 16 hours is the brand's line for Clean Volume. It is never used for other products, and never stretched to all day and night.
No comparisons, no price promises
Creators describe MERIT, never rivals. Set prices shown with a strike-through are described as shown, never as permanent or as the lowest price.
Paid status on screen
Every paid post carries a clear partnership label in the first line of the caption, and the same label goes on any boosted version.

The brand’s legal team sets the final rules. This is the operating floor I’d start from, not legal advice.

Want to see the first briefs?

Grab a time here

Creator-style codes already exist

Free returns and shipping lower the first-order risk

A young brand with a clear point of view

One number to protect

One variable per test

Claims sheet before camera

Cap the pay, reward the breakout

Clean Lash, one coat

One-stick face in Bistre

Serum first, then makeup

Taking it all off

The everyday kit

Four sources in

Five filters, fewer each step

Five-minute makeup

Minimalist kit

Lash and mascara

Skincare-first

Blush and glow

Complexion builder

Left off, every time

Approved, word for word

Never said

To confirm with the brand

Starter

Standard

Premium

Sheet, formats, tracking

Ramp to ten

Cut and keep

Winners go to paid

Read it against the target

$15,000 at most

From organic to paid

From the video to the checkout

Rules for clean makeup content

Quote the sheet, not memory

No skin or health outcomes

Study figures stay with their study

Wear time belongs to Clean Volume

No comparisons, no price promises

Paid status on screen

Want to see the first briefs?