North Jefferson News, Gardendale, AL

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  • Reagan Salter, left, helps Natasha Childress decide what her wedding day makeup will be at Merle Norman in Gardendale. Childress works at The Perfect Look hair salon in the same shopping center as Merle Norman, and the two women often refer customers to each other.

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August 24, 2010

‘Makeup junkie’ helps men, women with skin care needs

By Ben Montgomery The North Jefferson News

GARDENDALE — Reagan Salter is the beauty advisor for Merle Norman in Gardendale. Although she works in retail, she said directly selling makeup is only a small part of her job.

“My job is to match people with what they need,” she said. Salter believes makeup and skin care is important for anybody, and can help improve skin health and confidence.

“I like making people feel better if they’re having a bad day,” she said. “When people leave they thank us and tell us how much better they feel... make-up makes you feel better. I think it’s a stress reliever.”

She said walk-ins are more common than appointments, and Salter thinks it’s because many of those people need a pick-me-up. She said she can usually tell when people are having a tough day.

“They’re usually not scared to tell you what’s wrong... I guess it’s a girl camaraderie thing,” she said.

Salter said people’s beauty needs vary, but one thing remains constant.

“People are always so concerned with their color, but the first step is really skin care.” She said she even has male customers who buy skin care products.

“They don’t want to age, either,” she said.

Salter said many customers come in with what they want in mind, and that’s not always what’s best for them. It can sometimes be challenging for Salter to convince them to go with her recommendation. Salter keeps up with customers’ past purchases and analyzes them carefully to determine their individual needs.

Salter has been working as a beauty advisor for seven years, but her experience goes much further back.

“I used to do my friends a lot in high school. They used to always ask me to do their makeup, and I decided to make a career out of it,” she said. “I love makeup. I’m a makeup junkie.”

Merle Norman has been in business in Gardendale for over 40 years

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