My birthday is coming up, and, in the continuing search for great cosmetics I treated myself to a Merle Norman makeover. I hadn't used their products for about some time and I thought it was time I had a "look-see" for something new. The studio was pretty, lots of glass and chrome and the two clerks were extremely helpful, and furnishing me with answers to any questions I had, without any "hard" selling. It was a sweltering 98 degrees outside, so, after a quick cleansing, (Luxiva Collagen Cleanser) toning (Luxiva AHA Toner) and moisturizing regimen (Luxiva Preventage), here's a list of the products I tried and how they worked for me.

Merle Norman "Cover Up" Concealer in Medium Deep ($11.00)
This concealer comes in a little tube, very minimalist in its packaging, which is fine, I prefer to pay money for the products, not the package anyway. It worked quite well. It covered my dark circles, the legacy of being a new mother, almost completely. The effect was very soft and natural, not in the least bit cakey, sticky and no raccoon eyes! I almost looked like I wasn't wearing anything. I'd buy this concealer in a heartbeat!

Luxiva Cream to Powder Foundation in Tan Beige ($26.00)
The Luxiva line is one of Merle Norman's premier lines of cosmetics. Like many foundations of its type, it goes on a liquid and dries to a very nice matte finish, providing good, medium coverage. It has contains a sunscreen, giving the product a rather high SPF 25 rating. I wore the product all day and it held up very well, even giving the heat and my oily skin. What I didn't like about it was the color, too ashy white, kind of "greige." This was not a "great" match for me. In fact, of all the foundations I saw at the studio, I highly doubt that they had a better one there for my skin tone, this one was about as close as it could get.

Luxiva Ultra Foundation Powder in Ultra Golden ($22.00)
This product is actually another foundation, this time in powder form, which the make-up artist used as a finishing powder for me. It brightened up the foundation and brought it a little closer to my actual skin tone. The powder was very soft and gave me a more natural glow, but could not provide the coverage I wanted if I used this product as a foundation alone. It did make a nice finishing powder, though.

Merle Norman Automatic Shadow Base ($10.00)
This product is a white/ecru colored eye shadow base designed to stop the eyeshadow from creasing and caking on the lid. Well, I have to admit that the shadow did not crease, but I don't know if it was because of this product or the quality of the shadow. Also, I have a really hard time accepting that this white, cakey formulation (even the make-up artist had a little trouble with it) really did my golden toned skin any good. However, it did blend well with the light-colored eyeshadow I was wearing.

Luxiva Eyeshadow in Linen and Bark ($13.00)
Both of these shadows were excellent! I usually go with natural colors during the day and I really liked these. The tones of these shadows were rather cool, and I normally prefer warmer tones, but the artist managed to make my eyes "pop" using this shadow. They lasted all day and through the most of the evening with no retouches. On the negative side, they did tend to accentuate the "web of fine lines" around my eyes, but on the whole, I was happy with the quality and the range of colors these shadows were available in.

Merle Norman Automatic Eye Pencil in Black Onyx ($10.00)
This eye pencil is rather unremarkable. It is one of those types that require no sharpening. It was applied with minimal "drag." It lasted about four hours in the heat, before it began to melt off my face. I didn't find anything special enough about it to warrant a $10.00 price tag.

Luxiva Mascara in Black ($13.00)
I haven't bought "department store" mascara in a very long time. I have to say that I liked this one and I would buy it. It's thickening and lengthening formula really made my lashes look about an inch long. Normally, for glamour evenings, I'll wear false eyelashes because my lashes are thick, but short. My husband even commented on my lashes after application of this product. (If you only knew how rare that was!)

Merle Norman Blush in Woodland Rose ($12.00)
This was the second of the Merle Norman products to fade on my skin; it only lasted about an hour. I also found the color to be a bit to "rosy" for my preference, but given the intensity of the eye make-up, it was a good match from an artistic point of view. Still, I don't think I'd buy this product, not enough staying power on my skin.

Merle Norman Lipliner in Deep Red ($10.00)
I didn't find this lipliner special in any way. In fact, this was the third thing to melt off my face. It did provided a nice line not too harsh and definitive, with very little drag but unremarkable all the same.

Luxiva Lipstick in Cabaret Red ($13.00)
Although this product provided a good stain to the lips, it was more mess than it was worth. Almost immediately, it came off everywhere. By the end of the first hour, I just removed it. It was just too "goopy."

Merle Norman Brow Sealer ($11.00)
An unremarkable product, very much like the clear gel brow "tamers" you can find in the drugstore for about one-third of the price.

Overall, it was a pleasant experience. I'm going back to the studio tomorrow. It appears that Merle Norman will be debuting their new fall colors August 1, 1999, so, some of the older eyeshadow stock is going on sale, half price. Also, the fall colors are a little more burnished, so I'm going to see if there are any new colors there that I like. Merle Norman Studios are located nationwide and you can find one close to you by checking out their web site at www.merlenorman.com.