How to Avoid Just Caking on the Makeup

Last month on St. Patrick’s Day, the dark gray skies threatened rain and the air was chilly. I parked my car on Honolulu Avenue in Montrose and hurried into the welcome warmth of the Merle Norman Studio. The storeowners Kris Kline and Kim Kelly were busy with customers. I browsed for a while in the sparkling clean, well-lighted shop.

A beautifully dressed woman with impeccable grooming asked Kris what eye make-up colors would complement a red outfit. Kris suggested charcoal and black for evening, browns for daytime. “For real drama you could try plum,” Kris added.

After the customer completed her purchase I introduced myself to her. Charie Laugharn, an active career woman, said that she’s used Merle Norman products for 25 years. She makes the drive from South Pasadena because there’s no Merle Norman shop near her home.

Charie’s color query turned out to be a typical question, according to Kris and Kim, sisters who took over the shop after their mom retired. “We’re often asked for color coordination, style and accessory advice,” they agreed.

Longtime residents may remember Kris and Kim’s mom, Elloise Konrad, who opened the Band Box in 1979. After Elloise retired, her daughters dropped the Band Box fashions and expanded the skin care and make-up section into a full-fledged Merle Norman Studio. Elloise is enjoying retirement, splitting her time between homes in Oregon and San Dimas.

Elloise’s daughters work together in the studio from Tuesday through Saturday. On Mondays, they quilt. “Quilting is our shared passion,” the sisters said in unison, prompting a laugh at the synchronicity. “We’re best friends,” Chris said. “It’s like a marriage,” Kim added.

They’re both members of the Glendale Quilt Guild. They sew quilts for children who are patients at the City of Hope. The project is sponsored by the Desi Geestman Foundation.

Kris and Kim devote Sundays to their families. Kim is married to Jeff Kelly, president of Keldon Paper Co. Her daughter Jessica is a Crescenta Valley High School senior. Her son Nick Kelly is a freshman at the high school.

Kris lives in La Crescenta, too. Her husband Bob Kline is an art director for Disney. Their daughter Kate attended Campbell Hall and recently graduated from New York University.

At their March tea, La Cañada Thursday Club members watched Kris and Kim transform the club president Anita Torres in an onstage make-up demonstration. I noticed a big basket from Merle Norman at a Thursday Club fundraiser luncheon and mentioned it to the girls. They frequently donate auction items to local organizations.

Dee Fisher and Sue Beatty, fashion show models for the Thursday Club fundraiser, came into the studio to have their make-up styled, before appearing under the bright stage lights. Another model, Karen Poindexter, manager of La Cañada Books and Toys, popped in on her day off for some makeup tips. Kris and Kim wondered how Karen had carried off her black evening dress from Wynn’s at the show. I assured them that she’d looked fantastic in the elegant, slender, architecturally styled gown.

Of the 2,000 Merle Norman studios across the nation, our Montrose store ranks seventh in sales and has come in first in sales among the free-standing urban studios. “Our close-knit community supports local merchants. They’re grateful for our contributions to local organizations and tend to shop with us,” Kim said. “Skin care sales are high in our area because women here see the importance of protection and hydration.”

What do you think is the biggest make-up mistake that women make? I asked the sisters. “Timidity. Women have a fear of going overboard,” they replied.

Kim is sensitive to aging issues. “Our mom at 77, looks years younger because she updates her look, but she is also age-appropriate and classic,” she said.

The sisters agreed that most women who are concerned with finding the right color and texture for foundation need help in applying eye make-up and worry about keeping their lipstick fresh.

Kris admitted that she was a rebel as a teenager and tried many products from various cosmetic lines. “We’d grown up with Merle Norman and knew nothing different, so I experimented with a lot of other brands. Now that we’re more educated about products, we know that Merle has something for every age and skin type. It’s a well-rounded, balanced line. We help women at 75, but we also have a big teenage business,” she said.

Kim nodded at Kris; “We don’t push products, staying low-key. We don’t want to sell for the sake of selling. We want women to use products, not have them sit in drawers. We’d rather undersell or exchange a product,” Kim said.

Before I closed my notebook, I asked, “What’s new for spring?” Kim showed me a lovely compact with blush and eye shadows in the new spring colors of silver, pink and soft taupe. Kris, perched on a plush, highchair, let Kim demonstrate how the new colors should be applied. I snapped their picture.

Usually, I request a recipe, to be e-mailed after an interview. Kim and Kris, sharp and detail-oriented, handed me a neatly typed recipe as I put away my camera. “We both like to cook,” said Kim, who makes a sit-down dinner four times a week for her family. “This cake recipe is a favorite of both our families and comes from Mrs. Johnson, a Temple City neighbor we knew when we were little girls,” Kris added.

Kris and Kim aren’t little girls anymore, but somehow they still have the open, honest faces of children. Maybe it’s the magic of Merle Norman skin care?

Write Lynn Duvall at boblynn@Netcom.com or in care of the Valley Sun.

Mrs. Johnson’s Cinnamon Apple Cake

4 cups apples, (Jonathon or Granny Smith) peeled, cored and diced

2 eggs

1/2 cup cooking oil

1 cup chopped nuts

2 cups sugar

2 cups sifted flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

Break eggs over diced apples in medium mixing bowl. Mix well. Add oil, nuts and sugar. Stir well. Add flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch greased and floured baking pan. Bake for an hour at 350 degrees. Batter may not look done, but don’t over-bake. Serve plain or with whipped cream.

“A great choice for Easter brunch,” Kim suggests.