Merle Norman Cosmetics

Merle Norman Cosmetics was started in the late 1920's. Merle Norman, for which Merle Normal Cosmetics was named, founded it to help women enhance their natural beauty. She turned her neighbors and friends into her customers by giving them cosmetic samples for free. Even after she opened her first studio in 1931, she kept her "Try before you buy policy. Merle encouraged other women to open their own branches if Merle Norman Cosmetics and soon there were studios all over the United States of America.

Today, Merle Norman Cosmetics' headquarters is located in L.A. There are around two thousand independently owned studios in the USA and also in Canada. Merle passed away in 1972, but Merle Norman Cosmetics is still a family owned business. Today, the business is owned by J.B. Nethercutt, who is a relative of Merle Norman's.

The main product lines carried by Merle Norman Cosmetics are skin care and color. In the skin care product line, they carry many products. These products include not only cleansers, toners and moisturizers, but a variety of other interesting products as well. They have special products just for men, including a post-shave balm. They also carry bath and body products. Another aspect of the skin care line: fragrance. Currently, Merle Norman Cosmetic Studios carries two scents: one for "her" and one for "him."

Some other interesting skin care products made my Merle Norman Cosmetics can be found in their "special care" line. These include a Derma-Peel system, a micro-refiner and a clay mask. Merle Norman Cosmetics has a very large color cosmetics line. Included in this line are many types of foundations, including the increasingly popular mineral makeup.

Other types of foundation carried by Merle Norman Cosmetics include liquid makeup with SPF and a powder base foundation. They carry a wide array of bases, concealers and powders as well. They carry an impressive six kinds of eye shadow, available in many colors and five kinds of eyeliner and five mascara types, giving the user many options as to what to wear on her eyes.

Merle Norman carries many types of lip stick and liner and many cheek colors as well. They also carry some makeup brushes to apply all of this with. They carry several types of nail polishes as well as base coats and top coats. They also have some nail and hand care products, including a hand treatment product. Merle Norman currently is carrying signature bags to carry their many products and brushes. Samples are still available to "try before you buy" so it seems that Merle's dream still is carried on in their current business and product line.