Merle Norman Cosmetics

Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Merle Norman Cosmetics develops, manufactures and distributes its own full line of skin care and color cosmetic products. These cosmetics are sold through approximately 2,000 independently owned and operated Merle Norman Cosmetic Studios in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

THE LINE

Today, Merle Norman's vision carries on. The Merle Norman line includes hundreds of tried-and-true products, addressing the full spectrum of skin care and color needs for all women.

QUALITY

To ensure optimum quality control, the company researches, develops, manufactures and packages its own products, shipping them daily to Studios from major warehouse facilities in Los Angeles and Memphis. Using state-of-the-art technology and the finest ingredients available, the company takes pride in its pioneering use of advanced formulations - sometimes years ahead of competitors.

ABOUT MERLE NORMAN HERSELF

The company’s beginnings are an American success story. It started in the late 1920s when an ambitious young woman named Merle Nethercutt Norman began sharing skin care products of her own creation with family and friends. She demonstrated the products as an added service, believing if she could “get it on their faces” they would become customers.

'Try Before You Buy'

It was from this concept that the famous and much imitated slogan, “Try Before You Buy” originated. Merle Norman is also the inventor of the legendary “Before and After” makeover. As demand grew, she opened her first Studio in 1931 in Santa Monica, CA, with the help of her nephew, J.B. Nethercutt, who assisted in the development and manufacturing of her products. Decades before working women were the norm, Merle Norman gave hundreds of women the opportunity to achieve business success by owning and operating their own Studios. Her single Studio has evolved into the successful corporation it is today.

These dynamic franchisees benefit from intensive training, strong marketing support and the same spirit of enthusiasm that inspired Merle Norman more than 75 years ago.

Dedicated to Merle Norman's original vision of superior products, individual service and the 'Try Before You Buy' philosophy, and bolstered by a contemporary new design, Merle Norman Cosmetic Studios are positioned for continued expansion and even greater success in the years ahead.

Although Merle Norman passed away in 1972 and J.B. Nethercutt in 2004, the company, under the guidance of Jack B. Nethercutt II, remains a family-owned business dedicated to helping women everywhere look their absolute best.