Behind the Brand with MERIT Beauty’s Aila Morin
Aila Morin has built a career at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and culture. As the Chief Marketing Officer of MERIT, the minimalist beauty brand redefining luxury, she’s not just shaping the way we approach makeup and skincare—she’s rethinking the very essence of beauty itself.
A founding team member of MERIT, Morin’s expertise in digital-first retail has been instrumental in crafting brands that resonate deeply with modern consumers. Before MERIT, Morin played a pivotal role in another Canadian success story: Mejuri, where she led groundbreaking marketing campaigns like Diamonds for Your Damn Self and expanded the brand’s global presence. Now, at MERIT, she oversees everything from product development to retail strategy, bringing a seamless blend of creative vision and data-driven performance.
In this conversation, Morin reflects on her earliest beauty memories, the products she swears by, and how her approach to beauty has evolved alongside her career in shaping some of today’s most influential brands.
1. What’s your earliest memory of “beauty”?
My early memories of beauty were watching both of them get ready – I loved getting to try products. Getting sprayed with Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps or getting to try an eyeshadow quad made me feel instantly grown up.
I always loved how beauty routines made me feel – and took those memories into working at a beauty counter starting at age 15. I started with packing orders (kneeling on the floor in my heels and nylons!) and eventually worked my way up to selling. The conversations I had for those years really informed my understanding of women’s relationship with beauty and were foundational to what MERIT has become.
2. Who is your beauty role model?
I’ve always pulled a lot of references from my childhood – I had two very distinct grandmothers. One who loved beauty – she inspired our fragrance, Retrospect, and always paired blue liner with her permed hair and fur coats. She was glamorous and loved to learn new techniques and had an incredibly crowded vanity.
My other granny is the opposite – she’s used the same moisturizer and beauty routine since 1980, and it’s two steps. The combination of both of their approaches to beauty is truly what inspired much of MERIT’s POV.
3. How have your personal values shaped your brand?
MERIT was really inspired by our lived experience as consumers. I spent years working at a beauty counter when I was younger, and people would constantly say, “I don’t know anything about makeup, but I need X.” There was an entire industry built to serve a customer that didn’t reflect the reality of what consumers were looking for – and that was what Katherine Power, our founder and I, initially bonded over. It’s a dream to build a brand that speaks to you, and actually addresses what you’ve been looking for as a consumer.
4. What was your greatest hope for your business when you started out?
Intentionality is at the heart of MERIT, and my hope is that we never lose sight of that. Ensuring everything we do is meaningful to our customers, and continuing to focus on the “why” behind each brand decision – making sure that as we grow, we keep making decisions that we’ll be proud of ten years from now.
5. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an entrepreneur?
Learning how to embrace failure. With startups, you need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and not let the failures make you question yourself.
We fail all the time at MERIT because we’re taking risks, and it can be challenging to accept that this is a part of growing and getting even better.
6. What makes your brand different?
We were founded on the idea of simplifying what it takes to get ready, offering consumers an alternative to an overwhelming beauty landscape.
When we launched in 2021, we knew a lot of people felt confused by beauty, and were simply looking for great products to keep in their routines for years. MERIT is makeup you can live in – it fits into your routine and is easy to use, without sacrificing on efficacy and quality.
7. How has beauty evolved since you started, and where do you see it heading?
When we launched, it was in response to a beauty landscape full of 50 shade eyeshadow palettes and 12 step skincare routines. Our sentiment – that beauty had gotten overwhelming – has proved to be more universal than we ever thought.
Since our launch, I think consumers have understood even more that it doesn’t have to take that much time or effort to have a routine that works for you, and that they don’t need to overhaul their routine based on every TikTok trend.
In the next few years, I hope that we can continue to deprioritize trends, and encourage consumers to focus on those classic products that can stay in their routines for years.
8. What advice would you give to aspiring beauty entrepreneurs looking to create their own brand?
Keep your blinders on. Beauty is a crowded space and it can be easier to follow trends, or go by the standard playbook – but focusing on your vision and staying a little ignorant to what the rest of the industry is doing is the key to longevity.
9. How do you navigate the complex relationship between beauty and self-esteem?
Like many people, I’ve gotten more comfortable with who I am and what I look like as I’ve gotten older. Facebook launched when I was in high school, which made those teenage years much harder than they previously were – you were a We’re in an era of constantly shifting trending “looks” and products, which can make it feel impossible to keep up – you’re always being told to change the shape of your lips or try this new ingredient. I try to cut out that noise, and stick with the tried-and-true essentials that work for me from a product perspective, but also that fit into my lifestyle.
The focus should be personal preference and what makes you feel your best, which is what we try to create with MERIT.
10. What’s a line you love besides your own?
I’ve always loved L’Occitane – they make classic products that feel are small luxuries to add to your routine, and I love their scented hand creams specifically.
11. What is your most essential self-care ritual?
My morning routine. I travel a lot and work long hours, so I treasure taking that time to start my day quietly and intentionally.
When I’m home in LA, I start the day with a cup of coffee and walk the dog with my partner, and that “quiet” time sets the energy for my whole day.
12. What’s something Canadians in particular need to consider when it comes to skincare?
When I go home to Canada, I immediately feel that dry air – our Great Skin Serum and Moisturizer are my must-haves for that environment.
Sometimes, I’ll tap more serum on top during the day to keep hydrated.
