Elevate Your Makeup Game with MERZY's Innovative Products

MERZY is the Korean makeup line you keep spotting on TikTok — matte black tubes, magnetic caps, one-swipe pigment — and if you've ever wondered whether The First Velvet Tint really behaves as advertised, this guide is written for you. We're a small team based in Seoul; we walk past MERZY's Olive Young endcaps every week, we know what the brand does well, and we know exactly where it sits against 3CE, Peripera and ROM&ND in the same MZ-generation lane.

In this article we cover who MERZY actually is (a Korean color-cosmetics house founded in 2017 and pitched squarely at Gen-Z / early-millennial buyers), the four product families that carry the brand — velvet tints, mellow tints, mascaras and cushion foundations — how MERZY compares to the other "creamy tint" brands you already know, who it's not the right fit for, and a straight answer on availability at Kool Seoul today.

Where MERZY comes from

3ce Velvet Lip Tintthe reference matte tint in the same lane as MERZY$23Shop now →

MERZY (stylized MERZY.) launched in 2017 in Seoul as a color-first cosmetics brand aimed at Gen-Z and younger millennials — the demographic Korean marketing calls the "MZ generation." Where legacy K-beauty houses lead with skincare science, MERZY leads with lip color and packaging identity: matte black bullets, magnetic click closures, all-lowercase product names, moody promo shoots. If you've seen a Korean lip tint on TikTok with a black tube that snaps shut with a satisfying tock, there's a decent chance it was a MERZY.

The brand grew through Olive Young — Korea's dominant beauty retailer — and through the country's Kakao-driven influencer economy. Within a few years, The First Velvet Tint had become one of the country's most-searched lip references, alongside 3CE Velvet Lip Tint and Peripera's Ink The Velvet. MERZY isn't the oldest name in the room; that's exactly the point. It's built for buyers who care about how a product looks on a Reels cover as much as how it wears at hour six.

The First Velvet Tint — the anchor product

3ce Velvet Lip Tint Plusha soft-matte alternative if MERZY isn't in stock$21Shop now →

MERZY's flagship is The First Velvet Tint. It's a one-coat matte tint with a doe-foot applicator that lays down surprisingly opaque color in a single swipe — the kind of finish you usually only get after building up two or three layers of a lighter tint. The formula sets to a powdery, blurred matte within about a minute and then behaves like most Korean matte tints: it clings, it wears through coffee, it fades from the middle first, and it can feel a little drying on very dehydrated lips by hour four. Standard trade-off for the finish.

The shade range is where MERZY earns its reputation. Rather than doing a "safe rose" line, MERZY leans into muted browns, blackened reds, mauves, and mid-2020s "burnt" oranges — colors that look moody on camera and read as expensive on the lip. If your reference points are the muted, editorial tints from 3CE's plush range, ROM&ND's Zero Velvet Tint or the darker end of Peripera's V-line, that's the same conversation MERZY is in.

Bite The Beat Mellow Tint — the softer sibling

Rom&nd The Juicy Lasting Tintthe glossy MZ-gen reference — softer than MERZY velvet$21Shop now →

If The First Velvet Tint is MERZY's matte statement, the Bite The Beat Mellow Tint is the everyday counterpart. "Mellow" is the operative word: it's a creamier, more comfortable texture, closer to a satin than a full matte, designed for daily wear rather than shoot-day drama. The mellow line is where MERZY overlaps most obviously with the ROM&ND Juicy Lasting Tint universe — same MZ-gen buyer, same reach-for-it lip, slightly different finish philosophy (MERZY still leans matte-satin; ROM&ND leans glossy-plump).

What's useful to know: MERZY's mellow line doesn't try to be a plumping gloss. If juicy, wet-look lips are your target, ROM&ND's Juicy Lasting Tint Comeback Edition or the newer Juicy Lasting Tint × COHA Funky Melon will get you closer. MERZY is for the buyer who wants the pigment payoff of a matte, without the tight, powder-dry feeling by 5pm.

Mascaras, cushions and the wider MERZY catalogue

Peripera Over Blur Tintthe blurred-matte reference in the same MZ-gen lane$18Shop now →

Beyond lips, MERZY has quietly built out a full base and eye offering. The mascara line — sold under names like "Bite The Beat" and "The Heroine" — plays in the same territory as CLIO Kill Lash and Peripera's Ink Black Cara: fine plastic brushes, black tubes, one clean coat rather than fibrous drama. If you're a "small lashes, defined finish" person and you already like the Korean way of doing mascara, MERZY fits without any surprises.

The cushion foundation arm is smaller and less internationally famous, but it exists — a lightweight, semi-matte cushion aimed at MZ-gen buyers who want a "clean look" base with SPF, in the same conversation as Moonshot Conscious Fit and ROM&ND Nu Zero Cushion. Cushions are a shade-availability game though; whichever brand you go with, buy the shade you actually match rather than the one that's trending.

MERZY vs 3CE, Peripera and ROM&ND — where it sits

Peripera Ink Mood Glowy Tintglow-forward MZ-gen tint, closer to ROM&ND than MERZY$18Shop now →

Here is the honest map. 3CE is the aesthetic-driven older sister — Style Nanda energy, slightly more expensive, more "aspirational Seoul girl" than "Gen-Z chaos." The 3CE velvet tints, especially the newer Plush line, are the closest direct rivals to MERZY's First Velvet, and if you already own a 3CE tint you'll find MERZY very familiar in finish. Peripera is the more playful, younger-teen coded brand — think fruit tones, cheerful packaging, blurred-matte Over Blur Tint that reads sweeter than MERZY.

ROM&ND is the MZ-gen darling that MERZY is most often compared to online, but their DNA is different. ROM&ND is glossy and juicy first, matte second (Juicy Lasting Tint is their anchor). MERZY is matte and moody first, mellow second. If you like the wet, dewy, glass-lip look, go ROM&ND. If you like the powdery blur that photographs like film, go MERZY (or 3CE Plush, or Peripera Over Blur, which sit in the same finish family).

Who MERZY is really for — and who it isn't

Rom&nd x Coha Juicy Lasting Tint #funky Melonfor the glossy-lip crowd MERZY isn't chasing$21Shop now →

MERZY is for you if you already own three lip tints and want a fourth that finally does muted brown or blackened rose properly; if you photograph or film your face regularly and want a lip that reads matte on camera without gathering in fine lines; if your reference shades are the moody end of 3CE, ROM&ND Zero Velvet or Peripera V-line; and if you like the visual language of black-tube, minimal-label Korean makeup.

MERZY is not the right pick if you have chronically dry or peeling lips and can't wear matte tints without pre-balm-and-prayer; if you want a plumping, wet-look, gloss finish (you want ROM&ND Juicy Lasting or a dedicated lip gloss instead); if you're building a bright, "clean girl" spring palette in coral and peach — MERZY leans darker and moodier; or if you specifically need long-tail shade support (fair-neutral, deep-tan) in cushion foundation — a bigger house like HERA currently offers a broader range.

How MERZY fits into a Korean makeup routine

Rom&nd Zero Velvet Tint #originalthe closest matte cousin to MERZY's First Velvet$21Shop now →

Even if you don't own MERZY yet, the routine logic is worth knowing because it applies to any Korean matte tint. Start with barrier: a well-hydrated lip is non-negotiable for velvet formulas. A quick pass of a lip sleeping mask the night before, plus a thin balm blotted just before makeup, buys you an extra two or three hours of comfort. Skip the balm entirely and matte tints will sit on top of dry flakes; you'll see it, the camera will see it.

For the face, MERZY (and its cousins) look best with a lightweight, semi-matte base — cushions like Moonshot Conscious Fit Matte Cushion or a natural-finish alternative like 3CE Fitting Mesh Cushion. Add a soft, blurred blush — the ROM&ND Juicy R Cheek family or Peripera's Pure Blushed sit well next to a muted MERZY-style lip — and finish eyes with a defining single-coat mascara. The whole point of MZ-gen Korean makeup is not to build; it's to place a few strong finishes on top of clean skin.

What to expect at Kool Seoul, honestly

Straight answer: at the time of writing, MERZY isn't in the Kool Seoul catalogue yet. We source everything directly in Seoul and batch-check it before it ships, and we're working through onboarding for the MERZY assortment — starting with The First Velvet Tint and the Bite The Beat Mellow Tint, then the mascara and cushion lines. When the collection goes live, it will be at koolseoul.com/collections/merzy. Bookmark that link.

In the meantime, if what pulled you toward MERZY was the finish — the one-coat matte, the muted shade language, the MZ-gen aesthetic — the closest things we already ship from Seoul are the 3CE Velvet Lip Tint, the softer 3CE Velvet Lip Tint Plush, the ROM&ND Zero Velvet Tint, and Peripera's Over Blur Tint. Everything else on the grid below lives in the same MZ-gen conversation.

MERZY — frequently asked questions

Is MERZY a Korean brand?

MERZY is a South Korean color-cosmetics brand launched in 2017, headquartered in Seoul and distributed widely through Olive Young stores across Korea.

What is MERZY best known for?

MERZY is best known for The First Velvet Tint, a one-coat matte lip tint with strong pigment, and for the Bite The Beat Mellow Tint, its softer creamy-satin counterpart. Both sit in the same MZ-generation lane as 3CE, Peripera and ROM&ND lip tints.

Is MERZY The First Velvet Tint really one coat?

The First Velvet Tint is formulated to deliver full pigment in one swipe with a doe-foot applicator, and most published reviews describe it as opaque after a single application. Real-world coverage will still vary with the shade chosen and the natural pigmentation of your lips.

How is MERZY different from 3CE?

MERZY and 3CE both sit in the Korean matte-tint category, but 3CE typically prices slightly higher and leans into a more "aspirational Seoul" aesthetic, while MERZY leans into a Gen-Z / MZ-generation identity with all-lowercase naming and black-tube minimal packaging. In finish, MERZY's First Velvet is often compared directly to the 3CE Velvet Lip Tint Plush line.

Does MERZY do cushion foundation?

MERZY offers a cushion foundation line aimed at MZ-generation buyers, with a lightweight, semi-matte finish and SPF. Shade range is more limited than legacy Korean brands, so buyers with very fair or very deep skin tones may want to confirm shade availability before ordering.

Is MERZY good for dry lips?

Like most Korean velvet tints, MERZY's matte formulas can feel drying on chronically dry or peeling lips. A hydrated base — a lip sleeping mask overnight and a thin balm blotted before application — is generally recommended to improve comfort and wear time.

Is MERZY available at Kool Seoul?

At the time of writing, MERZY is not yet listed at Kool Seoul. The collection page is being prepared and will go live at koolseoul.com/collections/merzy. In the meantime, same-lane Korean matte tints from 3CE, ROM&ND and Peripera are already in stock and shipped from Seoul.

Where can I buy authentic MERZY outside Korea?

MERZY is distributed internationally through selected K-beauty retailers. Kool Seoul sources directly in Seoul, batch-checks every product before dispatch, and ships worldwide via DHL Express with free shipping over $150; the MERZY assortment is planned for the koolseoul.com/collections/merzy page.

Same-lane Korean makeup, in stock and shipped from Seoul

MERZY isn't live at Kool Seoul yet. Each reference below is in stock, sourced directly in Seoul and shipped worldwide via DHL. Tap any product to shop.

Shop the MERZY collection →

Why shop Korean makeup at Kool Seoul

We're a small team based in Seoul. Every product on koolseoul.com is sourced locally, batch-checked before dispatch and shipped worldwide via DHL Express — free over $150. When MERZY joins the lineup, it will land on the same collection page linked above, under the same sourcing and shipping standards as every other brand we carry. Until then, the same-lane Korean matte tints on this page will get you very close to the MERZY finish, from stock we can ship today.

— Jimin, team Kool Seoul · sourced from Seoul, shipped worldwide