Thoroughly Modern Merle

The 1920´s are remembered for a lot of things – jazz, flappers, speakeasies, bathtub gin. While stylish women were bobbing their hair, rolling their stockings and reading Emily Post, their younger siblings and offspring were quickly embracing Rin Tin Tin, Mickey Mouse, and Winnie the Pooh as their new best friends. It was a decade that marked events as simple as the invention of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and as mysterious as the discovery of King Tut´s tomb by Lord Carnavon.

Into this fabulous mix emerged what would become another enduring icon of creative expression – a plucky young Midwesterner named Merle who decided to make America more beautiful one face at a time. Her idea of letting prospective clients sample her original line of skin care and makeup products for free proved to be a smart investment. By 1931, the popularity of her cosmetics allowed her to open her first studio in Santa Monica. Though the country was still a decade away from women aggressively joining the workforce (and discovering that they liked being wage earners), she recognized the importance of females being able to achieve their own financial independence. Today, there are about 2,000 franchises across the U.S. and Canada that bear the Merle Norman name and uphold its founder´s same "try before you buy" philosophy that has literally won generations of loyal customers.

For Olga West, owner of an elegant new studio on South Lake in Pasadena, the longevity of the Merle Norman product line is matched only by its emphasis on delivering outstanding customer service. Although West has only been at this location since September, she has already earned the company´s highest award as a Gold Medallion Studio and recently received a certificate of excellence in all areas of performance evaluation.

Says West, "I was familiar with the product long before I decided to start selling it almost 12 years ago. Having this business was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet people and help them with their skin care and makeup needs. Merle Norman is also a product that I believe really sells itself because of its exceptional quality."

Prior to the purchase of her previous franchise in Monrovia, West worked as a paralegal coordinator for several law firms. "One day I asked myself, ´Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?´ Making this choice is one of the best things I´ve done for myself as a woman."

Most people, of course, associate the name Merle Norman with their grandmothers. "And that just goes to show how good the product is for being around so long!" West points out with a laugh. "I don´t think there´s any other line that can beat the state-of-the-art excellence of our skin care products that can address virtually any type or age of skin. Our cosmetic line is wonderful, too, and can allow us to create very classic looks as well as trendy looks with the latest colors. The latter´s very popular with young girls who are often brought here by their grandmothers and mothers to learn how to do makeup or to get a new look for a special occasion."

The first-time visitor to a Merle Norman studio is neither subjected to a hard-sell approach nor the scrutiny of passing strangers at a department store makeup counter. "We want people to feel comfortable from the first moment they step in and to be able to talk about what kind of skin care or makeup changes they´re looking to make. If they have the time, we´ll then sit them down and demonstrate the various products that can best address their issues." Fridays and Saturdays, she shares, are generally her busiest days; appointments for full makeovers on these days are recommended. "Sometimes they just want to try out the newest eye shadows or ask questions about what a particular skin care product can do for them." For customers who want to try skin care products at home, small samples are provided.

January being a traditional benchmark for reinventing one´s appearance, West shares her three top tips. "Well, the first thing, of course, would be to drop in for a visit and schedule a personal consultation. The next thing would be to get on a good skin care regimen and to realize that as we go through the seasons, our skin needs different types of care in terms of moisturizing and protection. Thirdly, just about anything goes these days when it comes to colors but I think women can always benefit from updating their look with new products that can even out their skin tones, brighten their eyes, and give them beautiful lips."

"We pride ourselves on customer service and this extends to keeping good records of purchases our customers have made. In that way, if a new product comes out that would be complementary to something they already have, we can let them know about it. Our database is also helpful in terms of helping them transition from one season into the next or slightly updating their current look. You don´t get that kind of personal connection, for instance, when you go to the cosmetics section of a department store. In the first place, they do lots of cookie-cutter looks and, secondly, if you go back in a month or two to ask more questions, the person who originally helped you may not even be there. What Merle Norman allows me to do is to establish wonderful friendships with my customers and to be here for the long-term in whatever they need to be their beautiful best."

West´s studio is open Monday-Friday from 10 to 6 and on Saturdays from 10 to 5 and is located at 380 South Lake Avenue. Phone number: (626) 449-4070.

Originally published in The Pasadena Outlook