Merle Norman • Luxiva Purely Mineral Makeup • Powder

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hanksmom on 11/3/2007 1:50:00 PM more reviews by hanksmom

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

So far, so good! Just bought the product a few days ago and am loving it so far. I have light olive skin with yellow undertones - the L60 is a great match for my skin. The make-up is light and very natural looking, but you can use more in the evening for a more "made-up" look. There is a very suble glow that comes with this product - makes my skin look soft and fresh - great for putting life into dead looking skin. I'm sold!

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cherity81 on 11/2/2007 3:26:00 PM more reviews by cherity81

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

I love this product and I will continue to use it for years! I have oily acne prone skin and i think this product is actually improving the quality of my skin! No more breakouts! I love it and reccomend it to almost anyone. i get sooo many compliments about my skin since I have been using this. I also use the mineral blush that just came out! I am so happy with it!!

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jew2w on 9/19/2007 4:54:00 PM more reviews by jew2w

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

I love this foundation, I cannot believe how good the coverage is! I also apply it with the MN coverup concealer.

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gingereg on 8/29/2007 11:30:00 AM more reviews by gingereg

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Even though I'm working at a Merle Norman store and should love this product, I think it's just okay. My issue is with the color selection and the shimmer. The coverage is okay, not as good as BE for me, but I have to mix two different shades to get a shade that somewhat works on my skin. And I have very oily skin so the last thing I need is shimmer on my face. I look shiny all day when I wear the MN Minerals. It works great for some people, but not everyone...you just have to try it I guess. I am excited to try the mineral cheeks whenever those come out...I just hope they don't have shimmer. AAAGGGHH...I'm not 13 anymore-NO SHIMMER!!!

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jdesq on 8/27/2007 11:54:00 AM more reviews by jdesq

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I was compelled to buy Luxiva Purely Mineral Makeup after seeing reviews here. I am very happy that I did. I am a fair-complexioned black woman and the salesperson directed me to shade ML80. I couldn't get the right shade with Bare Minerals (either too light and ashy looking or too dark), but the Luxiva is pretty perfect. I love the price for the amount that you get. I apply for pretty heavy coverage and I still have a ton of product left after about six months of daily use. The Luxiva feels really good on the skin, very weightless, no itch like with Bare Minerals, and no sparkle either- just nice matte coverage for me. The only thing I don't like is the Merle Norman brush that I bought to apply the Luxiva- it doesn't give me the coverage that I like. I use my Bare Minerals large kabuki brush,and buff, and it applies the Luxiva perfectly.

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bluedevil on 8/8/2007 10:44:00 PM more reviews by bluedevil

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

I got the lightest color L20 as I am super-pale. It does have a yellow/peachy hue, and is actually lighter on the skin that appears in the container, but just does not offer enough coverage and too much of my real skin shows through (I know that is the idea of "natural" makeup, but unfortunately, I need some coverage). I tried using a flocked sponge and layering for more coverage without success. Just when I thought it was going to collect dust on my counter, I decided to mix a little sample with half L20 and half BE Fair (which is too pink for me), and volia....I have a perfect match! I get medium to full coverage when applied with my flat-topped mmu brush and my skin looks smooth and even-toned. I pat on some MUFE Super Matte loose powder both under and over my mmu to lock it in place, and it holds up really well on my very oily skin without seperating. I tried every mmu under the sun, and this is a good combination.

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makeupqueen26 on 8/7/2007 8:06:00 PM more reviews by makeupqueen26

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

The best mineral makeup ever!!!!!

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SLS2000 on 7/30/2007 11:12:00 PM more reviews by SLS2000

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

This is a great mineral makeup with so few ingredients. I have found that it makes my skin look flawless, luminous and incredible without the large-pored, greasy look that I had with other MMU (I've tried MANY). The color selection is not the best, but the L20 worked for my somewhat fair, yellow-toned skin. Covers naturally, yet very well, layers flawlessly, and does not settle into lines or pores. Fabulous! However, the color selection is skimpy, so I'm not sure that there will be a color choice for all. I've heard that Merle Norman is coming out with mineral blushes and eyeshadows in the Fall. I'll be the first in line to buy them! By the way, I am acne prone, but with dry skin, and this doesn't irritate either of my skin problems. Will definitely repurchase, as this is just about the only line that actually works AND doesn't contain the bismuth oxychloride, parabens, talc, and other unecessary ingredients. With the finish of this, I wonder why the other companies put so many things into their formulations? Makes one wonder...

UPDATE: Still loving this, but I now combine two shades to make the perfect shade. Lasts forever, and have not had to repurchase more with the exception of buying a darker shade to mix with the lightest I initially bought. Seriously, this LASTS forever and the finish is gorgeous.

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

yelsel on 7/1/2007 1:54:00 PM more reviews by yelsel

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

I'm a 24 year old with slightly dry, slightly acne-prone skin. I have a very hard time finding foundations that match my skin well, but can can qualify myself as an NW20 in MAC. I chose to buy this product in order to wear makeup that's a little better for my skin and a little more natural looking.

In regards to the product, there are some pros and cons: PROS: I really like the natural finish of the product and its slight "shimmer" that makes your shin look luminous, but not glittery. It's also easy to apply and tough to put on too much or have that awful line across your jaw.
CONS: It was very difficult to find a color match. I had to buy two (L60 and ML40). And the two mixed together match my skin just okay. Another con is that it's kinda messy (the powder gets all over my bathroom counter) and that it's not portable. I wish I was able to bring it with me in my purse. The price is decent ($25.50), so if the product works for you, then it's well worth it.

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Sowga on 6/25/2007 6:40:00 PM more reviews by Sowga

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

Would I buy this again?? H*ll yes! This is by far the best MMU I have used. And, there are so few ingredients in it, unlike all other MMU lines. NO bismuth! No preservatives! Just mica, zinc oxide, titanim dioxide and the iron oxides which give it color (there were five in my L20 shade). So, compared to most other brands, this is so much more simple, and relatively little to irritate the skin. I've used every brand you can think of, and this is the least offensive to my super-sensitive, combo, acne-prone skin. And to boot, I get smaller-looking pores, luminous, but non-oily looking skin! Yeah! Also, the size is GENEROUS, at 1/2 of an ounce, you pay $26. That's a bargain for such a high-quality, gentle, and effective product. Don't even need to use concealer with this one. Holy Grail.....

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

damblues on 6/23/2007 1:09:00 AM more reviews by damblues

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Green    

UPDATE: 1/27/08 - I am still using the original jar I purchase over 7 months ago and still have quite a bit left! I have tried a couple of other foundations but keep returning to this one. I use it all the time. I love it. I recently tried Laura Mercier and Alima and neither performed like this one does on me. I bought my daughter some today in the lightest shade and it looked great on her skin. They have additional colors now. For the price of this foundation (approx $30) - it has lasted me over 7 months, making it very cost effective. This one is my HG.

I have been using this for about a month now. I really like it. It looks better on my skin than BE, Sheer Cover, Mineral Wear, the Loreal one, the Physician's Formula one, etc.... I, originally, got the ML80 but it was too yellow on my face. I took it back and swapped out for the ML40. This is much better. Feel silky on my face. I use my kabuki brush from BE. They told me several more shades were coming out soon. RIght now there are just 4. This is a large container so I think it makes it cost effective. I am really liking it so far.

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ccarolee on 6/19/2007 3:38:00 PM more reviews by ccarolee

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

problem : i went to the merle norman in Tustin, to check out the mineral makeup.

problem #1: none in stock
problem #2: i asked to try some, and it had NO coverage (they did not buff in, which is how i usually use mineral makeup)
problem #3: the color was a bit too pink, so i asked about the other colors. they said that All other colors are Discontinued...??? is that true?
problem #4: i asked if the coverage was sheer, and she said Yes. she told me to use the luxiva foundation powder, but the other mineral makeups i've tried have alot of Coverage capability...?

needless to say i didn't put my name on a list to order it.

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LongBeachGirl on 5/22/2007 1:35:00 PM more reviews by LongBeachGirl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I may have to ditch my liquid foundations for good. This is amazing makeup and my skin looks absolutely perfect without looking masky, cakey or shiny. It just looks like good skin. I buffed it on on one side of my face for comparison and WOW I was sold! No itching, lasts all day, looks natural in sunlight (a true test) and has only 4 ingredients. Comes in a big container which will last quite awhile. I can't recommend this enough. Totally excellent!

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*TOP REVIEWER* ultimagrl on 5/18/2007 4:42:00 PM more reviews by ultimagrl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I never, ever, ever thought I'd write a positive review about a Merle Norman product - did I say EVER? - and especially that I'd write one about Merle Norman having the best mineral foundation I've ever tried. Now, just to put things in perspective as to what I've tried as far as minerals: BE, Everyday Minerals, Alima, Bare Faced Minerals, Physicians Formula (pressed and loose), L'oreal, Milani (pressed and loose), Isadora, Arbonne, La Bella Donna, Aromaleigh, European Bare and Jane. So....to say that Merle Norman is the best I've tried is saying a lot, I think.

I'm a FFF so I got L20 which is their lightest shade. This formulation contains four ingredients - mica, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and iron oxides. The L20 is light and appears to have some pink/peach tones in it to me. This is perfect for me because I definitely have pink undertones to my skin.


I put it on with my Arbonne kabuki (which I absolutely love) and immediately liked the color. It seemed to blend better with my skin than other brands and was a closer match to my own skin tone without covering it up, if that makes sense. The coverage was medium and the texture was very smooth. My skin looks healthy with a nice, subtle glow and no shine. I did not have to use a finishing powder with this.

My skin tone was definitely smoothed out with this powder and any minor imperfections covered (I'm sure this could be built to full coverage - I just didn't need to apply any more because my skin is fairly clear right now overall). I had a little blotchiness/uneven skin on my cheeks which was covered easily by this foundation. This has worn nicely throughout the day and I have not felt the need to touch up (not that I do a lot anyway but sometimes with new products you never know).

Another thing I really like about this besides the number of ingredients, the color and the coverage is the size of the jar. Good God A'mighty it's huge! While this is the same price as BE ($25), it's 14 grams of product. It's the size of a regular loose powder jar which is about double a regular large size of BE for the same price. Personally, I think it makes the powder an even better deal because you get more for your money.

Will update, of course, if I notice anything negative or have issues with this powder. Keeping my fingers crossed though that it continues to be a strong performer because I think I've FINALLY found my HG mineral powder!

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chancydennis on 5/8/2007 11:32:00 AM more reviews by chancydennis

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

The best mineral foundation I've tried, and I've tried around 6 different brands. The MN minerals don't itch, shine, enlarge pores, or make my skin dry. Almost every other brand I've tried really itched and made my face look too shiney.

The coverage is really, really good. My skin looks flawless with this on. I hope MN goes on to make mineral blushes and eyeshadows.

btw try the MN kabuki brush. It's very good quality for the price and it doesn't stratch my face!!!

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kjolly on 4/22/2007 6:21:00 PM more reviews by kjolly

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Other   Eyes: Green    

Love this mineral foundation. I think it has around 3 things in it... which is way better than other mineral foundations I have tried. It has a wonderful smooth finish. It isn't to heavy nor to light... perfect. Gives my skin a natural healthy glow and my skin looks flawless! It stays on too!!! I will buy this again.

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*TOP REVIEWER* chattykathy on 3/9/2007 4:27:00 PM more reviews by chattykathy

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I recently started trying Merle Norman products again after not even thinking of this brand since the late 70's early 80's. I always thought of it as gaudy, dated makeup. After falling in love with the cream eyeliners I began to get curious about other products and I decided to try this on a lark. I normally really do not like mineral makeup. I have tried many from BE, to JI to Alima and none of them looked good on me except for Janes from the drugstore. From crater like pores to a shiney glowy alien appearance to bringing out lines and wrinkles I never knew I had I gave up on mineral makeup. I got this off of ebay since I am not near a store and I can't believe how much I love it. While I still prefer liquid makeup, this is a really great option for me when I am in a hurry and don't have time to fuss. I use shade L20 which is the lightest shade and as an NW20 it works perfectly for me. I always moisturize well before I apply, and this never dries my skin out. It just evens my skin out and does not look like I'm wearing makeup. It lasts throughout the day too. The ingredients listed are Mica, Zinc Oxide,Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides. The finish is not flat or matte but it's not super glowy like the BE was on me. It is just right, very natural looking and I am extremely pleased with this! I believe it is $25 for 1/2 ounce/14g. The jar is huge and this is definitely going to last me forever but I would repurchase if I ever ran out.

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txwildswan on 3/8/2007 11:31:00 AM more reviews by txwildswan

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Grey   Eyes: Green    

I really wanted to like this and had such high hopes after reading the reviews. I rushed down to the closest Merle Norman and grabbed the last one in the L20-which is the lightest shade. I was told all shades had flown off the shelves and there was a temporary outage of the product. Used it this morning and it just does not work on me-extreme PPP, 52 menopausal skin. It is too peachy and a bit dry looking on me. I had tried the tester on my wrist and thought it would work. But it just does not on my face. To its credit, it did not make pores more noticeable. But, I have found that Cover Girl Smoothers Tinted Moisture in fair to light is the best thing for me after having tried everything there is. I had reviewed it a few years back and I cannot recall why I stopped using it, and recently looked for it and could not find. Luckily I looked the other day at CVS and I found it-$8.99-new packaging-I grabbed it and had worn it yesterday, and looked fabulous, before trying the Merle Norman. So, the Merle Norman is going back today, and I am very happy with Cover Girl for now.

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Tesann on 3/6/2007 11:12:00 PM more reviews by Tesann

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I was very skeptical, but went in the store and tried it. Right away I loved it. I purchased it and the brush and love it! I am so glad that I found it. I will buy it again for sure!

UPDATE: I have now tried three other mineral foundation and this is by far the best. It is so smooth! The Bare Essential does not go on my skin smooth it looks spotty and dark. I will only use Luxiva.

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amyl715 on 2/27/2007 9:33:00 AM more reviews by amyl715

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Just saw this on the shelf the other day and about had a stroke! I LOVE mineral makeup and have been using Bare Escentuals with good results but don't really care for the glittery look it gave me, not to mention the huge pores (and I normally don't have visible pores!) Anyway, tried this and loved it. Like the texture, the coverage, and the fact that it didn't look as shiny as Bare Escentuals. My only complaint was that since this is a brand new product, they haven't come out with a wide range of colors. Since I'm presently tanning in preperation for a cruise, none of these colors worked for me. I've decided to use up my Bare Escentuals while I'm tan and when I get back from the cruise and start getting paler, I'm heading to Merle to grab this stuff up!

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