Merle Norman • Luxiva Purely Mineral Makeup • Powder

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zvalentia on 4/15/2013 1:54:00 PM more reviews by zvalentia

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This is literally the ONLY makeup that doesn't break me out. It doesn't containt bismuth, talc, or mica. It's truly organic, and should be touted across the globe as the BEST foundation ever made.

I've literally tried every kind of makeup: BareMinerals, Lancome Teint Miracle, Erno Laszlo's excuse for foundation, Philosophy's Tinted Moisturizer, Laura Mercier Foundation. Bobbi Brown liquid foundation, etc.

If you have sensitive/acne-prone skin you will LOVE this foundation!

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Chalupa1 on 2/12/2013 1:14:00 PM more reviews by Chalupa1

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

I love this product. I have also used the Merle Norman loose version and love that, too. This product does not accentuate pore and fine lines, dry out your skins, etc. It's like magic what is does for you face, although you look like you are not wearing makeup. I am relatively new to Merle Norman, but I have to say that pretty much everything I have tried, I simply love. Their products are high quality, long lasting and not unreasonably priced. I am lucky to have a store within 10 miles of my home.

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KatelynRae on 1/24/2013 4:38:00 PM more reviews by KatelynRae

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I bought this today and I can already tell I am going to have to return it. Luckily the lady at the counter said they normally don't do returns, but she was feeling "nice" and said I could return it if it isn't my color. I wouldn't call this nice orange hue on my face my exact color. I believe I was given L20 which surprised me because I am usually the lightest shade. If there was a color called White With a Touch of Pink, that would be my color. I also find that it doesn't provide enough coverage for my acne scarring. I am not expecting them to vanish, just a little more coverage would be nice. While it feels nice on my face, it doesn't look nice on me! On to the next one.

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1funnyface on 1/5/2013 11:35:00 AM more reviews by 1funnyface

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Olive, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I LOVE this makeup!!!! I am now 55 years old and I have tried ALOT of foundations. But this is the one I will buy again and again. Once in awhile I'll try something different that I have at home or that my sister gave me and I always go back to this. It makes my skin look warm and radiant-really, it does. And I'm talking 5:30 am!! And it lasts and lasts-no more touching up during the day. I use M56 and now it's called Purely Mineral Makeup. And at this age, I have to be very careful that I don't look like "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane"-know what I mean? This is great stuff. And BTW, my mother has ALWAYS used MN Cleansing Cream-like FOREVER?? She's 92 and looks like a young 70 year old-think about it..........

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

nursedye on 11/10/2012 12:20:00 PM more reviews by nursedye

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

This foundation provides pretty good coverage and doesn't tend to settle into lines. it also withstands a lot of humidity. What I don't like is that it is so shimmery. I prefer a little bit more of a matte finish. And I hate that when I try using this powder, it just goes everywhere and makes the biggest mess. This container has a lot of product and will last a long time. I only use this occasionally over my liquid foundation for nights out when i want a little bit of shimmer.

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melanieg1028 on 10/9/2012 3:24:00 PM more reviews by melanieg1028

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

When I turned 30, six years ago I started getting adult acne. It has been a roller coaster ever since. I would classify it has mild most of the time then moderate when my time of the month approaches. I have spent a FORTUNE trying to get rid of the acne once and for all but nothing is stopping it for good. So I decided to go another path. I searched high and low for the best mineral makeup to try and cover it. I have tried everything including Bare Minerals, Silk Minerals, Everyday Minerals and I have tried every foundation brush out there. I happen to stumble across an article that listed the best mineral foundations and Merle Norman was #1. I was skeptical but I found a Merle Norman store and I purchased the foundation. I found the price to be very reasonable considering the amount of foundation you receive. I have been using it for 3 weeks now and it does not seem to be causing additional breakouts. If I build the coverage it covers my active acne and acne scars. Overall my face glows after I put this on and I am very happy with this product. It doesn't feel heavy and it stays overall throughout the long day. I think this foundation is great and I am very happy I purchased it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rsrs on 9/8/2012 10:56:00 PM more reviews by rsrs

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This is the best mineral foundation I have tried. It is on the expensive side but it will last a long time. I have been using it for a few years now.

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becky129 on 9/3/2012 10:51:00 PM more reviews by becky129

Age: 44-55   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I have clog-prone, sensitive skin that is on the dry side. Because I am over 40 and have dry skin, most powders look cakey or accentuate my wrinkles and pores. I had been using Alima for several years when I determined it was too cakey for me. I loved the short ingredients list, so I did a search for the same ingredients, and that was when I discovered Merle Norman. This has the same four ings that Alima has, but in a different order so that the finish is more luminious. Perfect! Coverage is just right - it evens my skin tone and can cover blemishes.

Alima Pure: Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Mica, Iron Oxides

MN Luxiva Purely Mineral: Mica, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides

I think this is a great value. I paid $29 for a HUGE jar - it is double the size of Alima. I have no doubt it will last me close to a year, even with daily use.

Shades are a bit limited, but I find that L28 is a good match for my NC20. I use ML44 if I get color in the summer or as a bronzer.

I'm so glad I discovered this. I've always considered Merle Norman very old school, it's been around forever. And yes, the sales lady that helped me was 70+ and had way to much mu and helmet hair. But I am very impressed with this mu - they just need an image revamp. :)






Overall, I'm very pleased and will definitely repurchase.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

princesssaras on 8/4/2012 1:34:00 AM more reviews by princesssaras

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I wish they had. Better color option, but overall, this is a great mineral foundation! Although, I loved how bare essentuals powder looked on me, I started noticing breakouts, I did research and found that his didn't contain mica or bismuth and I haven't had an issue with breakouts since!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

zskin on 7/5/2012 6:56:00 PM more reviews by zskin

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I really love this product. It does not settle into lines and does not itch--will buy again, but it will really last a long time!

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betel on 3/10/2012 11:54:00 AM more reviews by betel

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This MMU has great staying power and can be built up to full coverage but if they dont have your exact color it will look wierd I have ML44 and its a tad too orange I need more yellow but if they had my color I would of given it 5 lippies it goes on with a bit of shimmer and it doesnt make you look oily just healthy and disguises those pesky fine lines you may have it does not pool on us oily girls and doesnt go into the fine lines either i might have to buy two color to mix so I can get my exact match. I still love Merle Norman though I usually finish this off with the ultra powder in ultra golden and it stays matte all day.

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snjlowe on 3/3/2012 9:36:00 AM more reviews by snjlowe

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I had been wearing Bare Escentuals for a few years, but there isn't anywhere in my hometown to buy it, and one day in desperation I stopped at the Merle Norman store. SOOO glad I did! I had tried other mineral make-up but never liked any as well as B.E. Well, this is even better. Just slightly more coverage and the glimmer seems to hide lines a tad better. Most liquid foundations give me bumpy skin but this make-up doesn't at all.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

stuffystephy on 1/18/2012 1:51:00 AM more reviews by stuffystephy

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight   Eyes: Hazel    

I love this foundation. I love it for reasons unique to me that I'll share. If your skin is similar to mine, or if you're looking for these things - then give it a try :)
1. It suits my skin (cheeks are normal to dry and my t-zone is normal to oily).
2. It photographs amazing!! Whenever I see photos of myself with it, my skin always has that right amount of radiance and smoothness. This surprised me because when you look at it in the jar, it looks glittery. It makes my skin look radiant and smooth in real life too.
3. I can't resist sharing this - I have this friend, and we used to be all-nighter buddies, because we'd be in the library in the wee hours of the morning frantically starting and finishing whatever paper was due the next day. One time I finished my paper at home. In the morning, when I went to hand my paper in, I had this foundation on. My friend asked me how many hours I'd slept. When I said "none", he had this shocked look on his face! Then said, "Wow... you don't look like it at all"
4. my sister and I were in the Middle East one summer. It was so hot, sweaty, and sticky. One day I noticed she was quite perky. It turned out she was wearing this. That's when I first started wearing it. For whatever reason, it seemed to absorb the sweat or the stickiness or something. It's strange to say, but it made a huge difference to our energy levels just because we didn't feel as sticky anymore. Plus also, we felt pretty :)
5. Titanium dioxide is the 3rd ingredient, which is a chemical sunscreen. I am quite pale (NC15-NC20). I find this does a pretty good job of protecting my skin (I've worn it in the Middle East and in Thailand. I do wear Mac studio finish concealer which has an spf 30 over any hyperpigmented spots)
6. It comes in a huge jar. I apply this stuff quite liberally, without thinking about conserving it, and one jar lasts me about 6-8 months. (14 g or 50 oz for $40 CAD)
7. It doesn't break me out. I was using this, then switched to the Laura Mercier mineral powder because the colour suited me better - but it broke me out horribly (I still have hyperpigmentation marks). I think it's because it contained bismuth oxychloride.

Con: there isn't a wide range of colours, however, I've found that by mixing L10 and L20 in a 2:5 or 1:2 ratio, matches me pretty well.

Bottom line: This is my favourite foundation. It's my old faithful. I try other ones out of curiosity or for a different finish, but I always come back to this one :)

9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

snodog16 on 12/18/2011 4:56:00 PM more reviews by snodog16

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Although a little more on the pricier side, this really is a nice powder foundation-very light and non-irritating. With that said, it doesn't cover blemishes very well, and it's not very build-able either. I sometimes dust a little over one of my more heavier foundations to add a little 'sparkle'. The foundation has a shimmer to it, so I wouldn't recommend applying it to any oily-prone areas. Overall, its a really great investment and it lasts forever (however, I use mine only sparingly-so maybe that's why it lasts!). Regardless, it's a great powder alone or with other foundations.

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lovesyou on 10/10/2011 5:03:00 PM more reviews by lovesyou

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is my HG foundation!
Pros:
~covers nicely
~matches my skin tone perfectly
~stays on well
~only 4 ingredients!!!
~doesn't irrtate my skin or break it out.

Cons:
~package sucks hard to get any foundation out(mine container looks different than the one shown in the picture)
~expensive (cost me $30 taxes included.)
~Has glitter in it but that doesn't bother me but for some people i know it will.

EDIT:not to crazy about this now i found that my skin is so oily at the end of the school day that I can't wait to get home and remove it.It also transfer so easy i can't even scratch my face without getting foundation on my fingers.. and i thought you get so much product but you don't even get a full Oz.you get A half of an oz. o_O so thats really expensive.It does give me full coverage without irration but I know there is so many more foundation out there that is cheaper and works better than this so I wouldn't repurchase

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XdoodleX on 9/27/2011 12:59:00 PM more reviews by XdoodleX

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

I've been wanting to try this for a long time but don't live near a Merle Norman store. While vacationing near a store I stopped in and picked some up. I absolutely love it! It gives a slightly luminous coverage that looks very natural. I am happy with how nicely it blends into my skin, I use it over a primer and apply with a dense flat top powder brush. I've been looking for the right foundation for my very problematic skin for years and this is it! I'm so glad th owner said she will ship me anything else I need in the future because it's pretty hard to come by if you don't live near one of their stores.

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Stephsayss0 on 9/21/2011 11:40:00 AM more reviews by Stephsayss0

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is my daily foundation. As someone who suffered from Acne and 3 rounds of Accutane I am VERY cautious of what foundation goes on my face. I’ve been using this for over a year, and have just gone back to buy my second container. This hasn’t made me break out at all since I started using a year ago (daily use).

The coverage is great, can be light but can easily be layered for stronger coverage, without looking cakey. Yes it’s a little more pricey, but when it last over a year with daily use I can not complain about the $35 I paid for it. Although it looks a bit shimmery in the container, does not appear that way on skin. The shimmer only helps to make a very natural glow. On warm days or going out at night I will use a bit of MAC Blot Powder to stop any possibly oiliness. I was considering Laura Mercier mineral foundation, but it’s hard to stop a good thing like Merle Normans.

Pros:
Keeps skin clear/acne free
Not cakey
Covers well
Good skin color match
Perfect

Cons:
Bulky Package

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Lizzieloveslipgloss on 7/28/2011 12:53:00 PM more reviews by Lizzieloveslipgloss

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I have tried almost every mineral foundation and jsut always bought BE because it was easy. I agree with many reviewers that think MN is make-up for the more mature lady, but this brand is amazing. The minerals are the best I have tried and the product with last an entire year with daily use. I love this product for my aging skin, does not go into wrinkles or creases and has a MUCH better coverage than BE. I will never purchase BE again!

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gme72455 on 7/4/2011 11:32:00 PM more reviews by gme72455

Age: 44-55   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Other    

I love Merle Norman mineral makeup. I have tried so many different brand names of makeup - liquid and mineral - and this is the best makeup I have found. It doesn't break me out, looks and feels completely natural. I find a jar lasts me a year or more. My mother and sister started using it, too and they both love it. I use a L10 in the loose powder and it matches my skin perfectly. Just love this stuff!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

lorel1016 on 5/9/2011 1:11:00 PM more reviews by lorel1016

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This product covered better than any other loose powder that I have tried. However, it seemed to break my face out BAD! Then once I had little tiny bumps all over my face it seems to accentuates these little bumps. Also, if your face is dry at all or you have dry patches it makes these even more noticeable. I would not repurchase. I have never had my face break out so badly! Plus it is $28.00 for the loose powder.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No