Diane Mazey says customers are often shocked when they see the variety of products and services offered at her Merle Norman franchise.
In addition to the Merle Norman line of cosmetics, the boutique offers a variety of gifts and accessories, including jewelry and handbags. It also features creative items such as bottles of dish detergent designed to look like containers of olive oil.
“With accessorizing, we do image consulting, which helps you build your accessory wardrobe, outfits. We also do makeup consults (and) makeovers,” Mazey said.
Mazey attends trade shows and goes to the wholesale district in New York City to find accessories that are both unique and trendy. Some lines of quartz jewelry offered at the store are even customizable.
“Our products change frequently, so we look for unique products that other people don’t carry,” Mazey said.
The store also features a spa room, where a licensed aesthetician is available for facials and waxing services. In addition to spa facials, a complimentary facial is offered, Mazey said. The complimentary facial includes steam treatment and the application of skin care products. A makeup lesson usually follows the complimentary facial.
“The complimentary facials are nice because you’re being taught what’s best for your skin, how to use the product,” Mazey said.
The store also hosts birthday parties for girls, featuring complimentary facials, hand treatments and makeup sessions, Mazey said.
Just like its selection of gifts and accessories, the store’s Merle Norman cosmetic line is constantly changing. Each season, there are new colors that follow the latest trends. Sometimes, customers bring pictures from magazines to demonstrate a look they would like to achieve, Mazey said.
The Merle Norman line is a prestige line that is only available for purchase in Merle Norman stores, Mazey said. That, however, does not mean the products are unaffordable. The most expensive moisterizer in the store costs $59, and the most expensive serum is $64, Mazey said.
“Our products have all the same technology in them, the peptides, the vitamins, the pro–retinol, have all those ingredients, and you’re paying a fraction of the cost,” Mazey said.
Mazey said the 80-year-old company was founded on the philosophy that customers should be able to try the product before purchase. She and the store’s two other beauty consultants work with customers to make sure they are satisfied. Customers are able to try products before purchase, and are also taught the correct way to apply the cosmetics. Mazey said owners of Merle Norman franchises are constantly trained on techniques to apply products and colors.
“It’s not like going to a department store and you buy a couple eyeshadows. We teach you how to use it. So, when you go home, you’ll know how to apply it,” Mazey said.
Another thing that sets the store apart is the service they offer the customer after a purchase is made, Mazey said. The staff will often arrange for customers to come back for follow–up visits to make sure they are happy with the product. If a customer tries a product and does not believe it is the best fit, the store will exchange it for another variety. Mazey said.
The store also offers makeup application for special occasions, such as weddings, bat mitzvahs or other events. It was a similar experience that Mazey says made her fall in love with Merle Norman years ago. Mazey, who previously worked in the insurance industry, said she had her makeup done at a Merle Norman studio for her wedding. Since then, she has been using products from the cosmetic line for more than 25 years.
“I used to be in insurance, and so, I retired because it was a passion of mine. It was just a passion that I wanted to be able to help women feel better,” Mazey said.
The store will celebrate its fifth anniversary in February, and Mazey says she has enjoyed watching her business grow to more than 2,500 customers.
“I get repeat customers all the time, so it makes me feel good that they appreciate the service,” she said.
Merle Norman is located at 1 Tree Farm Road, Cornerstone Court in Pennington. It is open Monday through Saturday. The store is currently running a promotion that offers a free scarf with the purchase of a spa facial, while supplies last. For more information, or to make an appointment, call (609) 730–8700.
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