Merle Norman • Luxiva Purely Mineral Makeup • Powder

Where To Buy?

*TOP REVIEWER* animalsrbetterthanpeople on 11/7/2009 5:56:00 PM more reviews by animalsrbetterthanpeople

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Neutral   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

Well, at the age of 57, and after having had this sitting in my mu drawer for a couple of years, I decided that I'm sick of the goopy liquid foundations. Decided to go back to this, and so far, so good. It truly covers more evenly and gives a more polished look than even long-wearing foundations like Almay TLC, Revlon Colorstay, etc.
I find that if I use just a tiny bit of Clinique's Pore minimizer on either side of my nose and on my nose, this does not accentuate my pores and looks much better than BE foundation, which I have also used in the past .
The quality of this product is superior compared to other mineral makeups I've tried, and I like the fact that it doesn't look "powdery", yet still gives light, even, believable coverage that looks like my skin only better. I use the L20, which, I believe is the lightest shade, and it's a good match. I think I'm going to stick with this and ditch the liquid foundations from now on. Will update as necessary. Oh, one more thing.....I do not use this under my eyes....I bring it up to the undereye area, and in that area, I use Maybelline Superstay Concealer in "Cream", which is a perfect match for this foundation. You get a good deal of product for your money, and I'm sure that this will last me a long, long time, with as little as you need to use. The only thing I don't like is the "messiness" of the product, but it's a tradeoff....I don't like the "feel" of liquid foundation on my face, either.
UPDATE: Now please don't take this as conceit, but this makeup must be doing its job. Today at the grocery store, a lady thought I was 40 years old (she made my day) and I'm 57. I didn't ask her how old she thought I was, she struck up a conversation with my mother and me, and she could tell we're mother and daughter....she said to Mom, "this must be your youngest daughter," and Mother said, "she's not so young...she's 57, and that's when the woman made the comment about thinking I was 40. Maybe she had cataracts, but I prefer to think it's the Merle Norman mineral makeup :) Whatever...she made my day and I think my skin looked much better than it's looked in a LONG time while I was wearing liquid makeup. I apply this foundation with the Too Faced retractable (pink case) teddy bear brush. I'm sold....no more liquid from now on. Give it a try...great price, few ingredients, lasts all day (and I don't use primer, only sunscreen underneath),... you can always return it if you're not satisfied, but I think you'd be hardpressed (no pun intended, since it's loose powder :) to find a better and more natural foundation. Just don't use it in the undereye area....use concealer only there, for a more natural look. Good luck

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

mbwest on 10/18/2009 10:55:00 PM more reviews by mbwest

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

Finally after years of MMU usage and many attempts at finding an HG I believe I have with this product. I would never have considered Merle Norman, but after the great reviews I had to give it a try. I have tried all mainstream brands of MMU and nearly all online brands and this is hands down the best. It provides nice buildable coverage, does not break me out (and trust me that is saying something), and stays put all day. I will say it is slightly shiner than I would like, but I just dust a light finishing powder over my T-zone and the look is flawless. Definitely try it!

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

*TOP REVIEWER* brittbrat118820 on 10/14/2009 1:13:00 PM more reviews by brittbrat118820

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I'm on the fence with this product. I have pretty horrible skin at the moment so I think my only option for coverage is a liquid. I think this looks great as a finishing powder over my liquid and might be better for someone who doesn't need as much coverage. It also is kinda shimmery, which I like because it makes my face look not so masky like it does with just liquid alone.
Pros:
Very natural light finish. I like that it has ingredients that won't irritate my skin. The color I got has a yellowish tone so it camoflouges redness that I have and doesn't turn orange like most liquids do.

Cons:
Doesn't cover enough by its self. I am on accutane and my skin is somewhat dry so this accentuates any dryness. Doesn't last all day like my liquid does.
Overall this wasn't too expensive for the amoung of product you get. The packaging is good too. I will update on this when my skin is better to see if this is good enough to be worn alone.

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

FallSoShort on 10/2/2009 11:07:00 AM more reviews by FallSoShort

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Wow...it's love. Does everything mineral makeup should do, only it does it better than any mineral makeup I've ever tried before. And for $26, you get an amazingly large amount of product!!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

makeup4ever07 on 9/1/2009 5:25:00 PM more reviews by makeup4ever07

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I love this makeup. At first the sales associate sold me a shade a bit too dark for me, so I went it and got a shade lighter, which is the lightest shade they have available. It's a tad pink for me, but it's not super obvious when applied. I used to use merle norman liquid makeup with Luxiva ultra powder foundation on a daily basis, but now I just use MAC concealor on certain spots on my face with this, and have a flawless finish!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

jules0305 on 8/31/2009 10:00:00 AM more reviews by jules0305

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I recently switched from BE to this, and I couldn't be happier with the result. I never had the itchy problem from Bismuth, but I wanted something that would give me more of an airbrushed look. I read the reviews for MN on here and I decided to give it a try. Though it is about $5 more expensive than BE, you get twice the amount of product! Also, it has a fine sparkly glow to it - but NOT glitter. You have to see it to know what I mean. Anyway, it goes on super smooth and really sinks into my skin, unlike BE (which I thought just sat on top). And, most importantly, no break-outs whatsoever. It still doesn't stop my oilies, but I've realized that no make-up will do that!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

zimmeju on 7/31/2009 6:07:00 PM more reviews by zimmeju

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Sensitive, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

At long last I finally found a mineral makeup that doesn't accentuate my large pores. It is so much better than the BE mineral makeup that I have been using for the past 4 years and you get 4 times as much for around the same price. It has great color selection and feels great on the skin. I wish I could give it 6 lipsticks!!

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

HeidiJ on 7/30/2009 5:22:00 PM more reviews by HeidiJ

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

WOW! I found a good color match, L20 (for reference I am MAC NC20), for my fair skintone. I use a Japonesque kabuki brush to apply, and this gives great, buildable coverage. I put on a sheer layer over Merle Norman's Aqua Balance Makeup and it lasts all day, does not itch, and does not dry me out or give me oily spots. My skin is smooth and looks flawless! I highly recommend going to a MN spa near you, they will let you try and most likely give a free sample as well.

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

Belann on 7/30/2009 10:00:00 AM more reviews by Belann

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

This product looked amazing on my face! It maked me look alive.
I know it does not have irritants in it but my face began itching like crazy. I thought it might be caused by something else so I used it for a week. By them I felt like scrathcing my face off and had started making tiny marks on my face. Stopped using it and gave my face a couple of weeks to heal. Then I tried it again and the same thing happened. I use clean brushes and other mineral makeup so I cannot figure it out.
If it did not irritate my face, I would give it a 5!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* julieolivia on 7/16/2009 8:22:00 PM more reviews by julieolivia

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Fantastic product. I have been more than satisfied with the last three MMU's I have tried, but recently ran out of Garden Botanika, remembered I had samples of the Merle Norman I never really tried, simply because it looked glittery in the little jar. But wow. First, no bismuth - I can't tolerate bismuth. Nevertheless goes on with a lovely smooth creaminess and leaves my complexions looking moist and fresh. It is not matte, it definently has a glow thing going on, but it is not shiny or unnatural, just - fresh and healthy looking. Coverage is light to medium, I can still see my freckles, but also some uneven-ness to skin up close, but it is worth the trade off for the gorgeous texture it gives my skin. The color I had was too rich for me (ML40) so I went to the local Merle Norman today and after much patience on behalf of the store clerk (lovely, lovely woman) including taking me out into the parking lot to check in natural light (!!!- last time someone did that??? Never!) and wiping me down three times, we got the right shade (I also picked up a luxiva ultra powder for when I want more coverage). I really like this foundation and the jar is huge. No learning curve for application, does not go on powdery or get into pores. I have tried them all and this one is now running neck and neck with Garden Botanika, but I note, ML is all minerals, GB not so much, so if you want minerals, nothing but the minerals, ML is your winner.

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

jrp050680 on 7/16/2009 3:29:00 PM more reviews by jrp050680

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

Absolutely best bang for your buck. Package is much larger than other mineral brands and costs the same or less. Great coverage, feels light, my skin doesn't dry out during the day when I wear it. Huge plus is that when you go to a MN studio you get to try the shades instead of just guessing like you have to with some brands.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ahc010 on 7/14/2009 10:45:00 AM more reviews by ahc010

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Silver, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

My skin hates most foundations. It flakes if it's not happy - think peeling after a sunburn - or scaly like eczema - reaction depends on the product. Yuk. I'm 62 and my skin has a mind of it's own at this stage in my life.

As always, a good moisturizer is needed. Just make sure you use one that's stable - one that doesn't generate an oily residue to allow makeup to "migrate" and show every pore.

This makeup has been great. I had used Sweet Scents Mineral Foundation for years and was extremely happy with their products. My foundation color was discontinued. I panicked. My skin color is fair with a cool undertone. Any visible yellow just makes me look ill - so most colors out there are just too yellow or orangey for me.

The lightest color in this line, L10, is almost an exact match to my skin tone. It's build-able, very sheer and only one step above total matte (I hesitate to call it a "glow"). I apply with a Nars #19 brush - easy application. A really fine-mist spray of skin conditioner to "set" the application seems to give me the best look.

With only 8 colors in their line, you may have to find a patient MN rep who will work with you to blend their colors to get a perfect tone. More expensive to have to buy more than one color, but well worth it to find a perfect shade.

This product lasts - no touch up needed. Is it cheap? - no. Is it worth the price? - definitely yes. There are no fillers here - you're buying pure color. Way to many product lines throw in stuff I just don't want sitting on my skin all day.

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

lunarg0dd3ss on 7/9/2009 11:57:00 PM more reviews by lunarg0dd3ss

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

First of all, I want to start off saying that this is one of the only mineral powders I have tried before. The texture of the powder is very fine, and a little bit really does go a long way. And $25 for that huge of a box is an amazing deal! I love how you can build up the coverage to how you like it. (I use it for medium coverage). Dab on some concealer, swirl on the product, and your skin looks very healthy and natural. As compared to my old liquid foundation made-up look, this powder looked like I wasn't wearing makeup at all but gave my skin a nice even glow. There's no fragrance at all to the powder and it doesn't clog pores either. This is definitely a much healthier alternative to those pore-clogging liquid foundations.


One of the things I wasn't thrilled about the product was the limited color selections. I am very fair-skinned, with yellow undertones. And even the lightest shade they had was a bit too pinkish for me. Another thing is that you now have to buy your own kabuki brush, whereas before I believe a brush already came as a part of the package. Not a big deal if I didn't know about it before. But you guys can imagine being a little disappointed going into the store expecting to also get a brush and being told differently by the sales lady. Lastly, I felt that I had to diffuse and blend the powder a lot or else it made my pores stand out. I am told this is one of the better powders for concealing pores.... Maybe I just didn't swirl the brush around enough?? Also, I have really oily skin, so I found that I have to brush over baby powder (so much healthier than loose powder!) on top or my face will look shiny in about 2 hrs or so.


Overall, I highly recommend this product if you're looking for the best bang for your buck. Great product quality (not so much package quality b/c the box looks and feels a little cheap) and decent coverage. Best part about it is that you don't look like you're wearing makeup at all! People just naturally think you are born with good skin =)

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

laceylogan on 7/6/2009 10:47:00 PM more reviews by laceylogan

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

HG,HG,HG,HG...Now that I have that out of the way...let's begin...lol! I am from one of those small towns where there has been a MN Store for 115 years, and that's what you wear, that's what your Momma wears, and that's what your Momma's Momma wears, well I decided I would be a rebel and venture into the "Big City" for BE Mineral powder...Huge Mistake! B.E. made my NON-EXISTENT pores appear HUGE! Who knew that this little gem was hiding behind the hideous packaging at my MN store! I worked at a the local MN store for a few summers and fell in love with several other products, but this was released after I worked there and I am so fortunate to have stumbled upon it! This product gives AMAZING coverage, like many my MAC fix powder can be a little cakey especially in the summer months, but this product applies effortlessly and covers amazingly without feeling heavy or cakey! I will continue to use this product as long as it is available!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

britt22tx on 6/22/2009 10:57:00 PM more reviews by britt22tx

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I heard great things about this product so I thought I would try it...First of all this product is not for people who have oily skin. I tried the L20 and I really wanted to like it but it made my pores look big and made me VERY shiny looking. They say this product has a glow, but its nothing but shimmer and shine! I will def not purchase this product again. I hope you have better luck with it than I did.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

carmendavey on 6/18/2009 6:32:00 PM more reviews by carmendavey

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I read the reviews here before I purchased. This is a GREAT foundation. I have acne prone skin and NEED medium coverage but I hate the heavy feel of traditional foundation. This foundation is buildable and your skin shows through; but in a good way. feels good going on and stays put with no touch ups during the day. i've tried BE, pur minerals and many others. I just had to share this with anyone looking for a superior mineral foundation. the ingredient deck is great too, no extras to irritate the skin. GIVE THIS ONE A TRY :-)

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

dsjnix on 6/18/2009 2:25:00 PM more reviews by dsjnix

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

OMG, Love this product! I have tried to use Bare Minerals and BE in stores and found that they did not offer enough coverage for my redness, but this stuff is great! I am 50 years old and was afraid that this would sink into my wrinkles, but the coverage is flawless. My husband says I look great and younger. It does add a nice youthful glow to face but doesn't look shiny.

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

sunny923 on 6/2/2009 2:47:00 PM more reviews by sunny923

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I absolutely love this website but never do any of my own reviews. Merle Norman's mineral makeup has inspired me to finally write a review because of how amazing it is! For the past few years, I have tried many many many mineral makeup brands. Almost all of the ones available at the drug store, Bare Minerals, and several online brands such as Everyday Minerals, J.Lynne Cosmetics, Elegant Minerals, and Aromaleigh Mineral makeup. The majority of the online brands were...adequate and some even good, but just not my holy grail.
I love researching different makeup brands I want to try and it was on this website that I noticed Merle Norman's mineral makeup and the good reviews it had received. I decided to buy it and so I did just a few days ago.
When you look into the actual makeup it looks like it has these tiny sparkles inside but when you put it on your face, you do not see that sparkle at all! What you do see is incredible coverage without looking like you have anything on!! It's absolutely amazing! I can't get over how it looks on my face. It also seems to be very long lasting. With my oily skin, other mineral makeup brands would sometimes crease around my nose and brows but this product doesn't do that at all. My face just looks great with it on! It covers up my redness & discolorations without using much product. Also, my oily skin just doesn't look as oily as it usually does when I have other mineral makeup brands on. The makeup seems to absorb the oil more.
The only bad thing about the product is that it is pretty pricey. It costs 26.99 for a 14 gram jar. But with the jar being so big, I'm sure it's going to last me a very long time. I can't wai tto see how the makeup will be over time! I definitely recommend this one!!!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

JYCS19 on 5/29/2009 3:32:00 PM more reviews by JYCS19

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Okay so I got his in M/L 80 and I wear NC 30 in the Select foundation in MAC. It does look quite natural when it's on but the color was too dark for me. I can't comment on lasting powder since I took it off 5 minutes after!!! I know the shade lighter in the Warm tone (L60) will be too light since people said they wear it when they are NC20. It has very few ingredients in it which is PLUS but I can not seem to get the right color in ANY of the Merle Norman foundations. The package is sloppy, when I got it. There was mineral powder scattered around even thought it was sealed up. It does have a lot of product. It tends to settle into my pores, but everything does since I have big pores. This is going to be returned due to color variation. Oh and its a ridiculous price in Canada, its $36 then add tax. Came up to $40. Now that's really ridiculous, I don't even care how much product I get, It doesn't even have SPF or any other benefits from it. BLAHH.


Update 06/06/09: I returned it and got a sample of L60 and its too light for me and didn't have enough yellow in it to match my skin tone. One thing I have to say is that this realllllllllllllllllyyyyy stays ALL day! Like theres minor fading but I tried EDM and this just does not compare in lasting all day. EDM was gone after couple hours and I do have oily obnoxious skin. I think Merle Norman would do a lot better if they had more colors since that's a big issue with everyone else using their products. It'll be your HG if you can find your shade and don't have large pores because this made my pores look bigger, but so does any other mineral foundation!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* urstandingonmytoes on 5/29/2009 12:06:00 AM more reviews by urstandingonmytoes

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Green    

I would like to have a review of this product, but because of an inept saleswoman..I don't. I went into the store today to pick this up to try--because of the GREAT reviews. When I told the saleswoman (I use this term lightly, because she looked about 19) that I wanted the mineral make up. She said "you don't want that its glittery". Imagine my surprise at THAT!! I said, well do u mean Glowy or Glittery? She said "Its glittery" and proceeds to swipe some on her hand--and without giving me a chance to say anything, she said "I hate it". She then tells me the best mineral makeup is PHYSICIANS FORMULA and I can get it at Wal Mart. I was literally in shock. I tried one last question, I asked her if the Merle Norman MMU contains bismuth...she looked at me and said " What is that? I don't know." I said Thank you and left the store. That is the first time I'd ever been to a Merle Norman store and will probably be the last. I just wish the owner knew that their employee was bashing their product. That sure doesn't build confidence in a brand.
EDIT: I wasn't ready to give up on trying this foundation..since it has great reviews. I went back to the store today and GRRRR!!! The same girl waited on me, I told her I wanted to go ahead and try the foundation, she seemed rather put out that I hadn't taken her brilliant advice about Physicians formula. I asked her if the L10 and L20 were cool tones, she said SHE DIDN'T KNOW! Then she put a swatch on her hand (very tan and I'm very fair) and said "This one looks neutral to me." I told her that I needed to try them on MY skin to see how they will look, she gave me a qtip with some on the tip. So, basically I had to figure out which shade worked for me...by myself. She barely spoke to me the whole time I was in there.
Anyhow, I went ahead and bought the foundation $28 (there is a huge amount in the jar!!) and found out they have a 30 day refund policy with receipt. I came home and LUCKILY I picked a shade that was a great match and I did not look glittery at all!! In fact my skin looks beautiful with this on...and I even dragged my hubby outside to check my face in the sun, afraid I'd be a disco ball in sunlight.
I'm going to see how it holds up in humidity and make sure it doesn't clog my pores (I'll update if it does), before I declare it a HG...but so far so good. I left BE because of the itch, I left EM because it clogged my pores and made me look orange, so I don't want to get my hopes up too high. I just want a nice glowy, long lasting, non-oxidizing finish that makes me look beautiful--is that too much to ask?? lol Maybe not.
I don't think I'll need to return it, but I am going to call and talk to the manager about the SA, it has been the WORST customer service I've ever had in a makeup store. And, considering she knows NOTHING about the brand and even bashes it..I think they should know. I am raising the lippies to a 4...because the foundation seems to live up to the hype...HOWEVER, I give the service a NEGATIVE ONE.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No