Leigh M. Clark said she always had a passion for makeup and proper skin care. “Growing up, I would spend my allowance on makeup,” Clark said. As a teenager, she also read magazines to research makeup applications and skin-care tips, she said.
Today, Clark is owner of Merle Norman Cosmetics & Gifts on Kelley Street in Lake City. Clark, a South Florence High School graduate, is a licensed cosmetologist and discovered while taking cosmetology courses that she didn’t want to specialize in just hairstyling.
Clark said she took a part-time job at Merle Norman in Florence and knew then that she wanted to specialize in makeup and skin care, ultimately owning a Merle Norman studio. “You can really transform a person’s look,” Clark said of makeup applications.
She said it makes her feel good to see customer’s faces after a makeover. “Some smile, and some have tears in their eyes,” Clark said. She said that she is “blessed” to have a job that she truly loves. Having that love for her job, she says, is why she has gained success during the years.
Clark opened her Merle Norman studio in Lake City five years ago and thinks it is a dream come true. “If you have a dream in your heart, don’t let it die,” Clark said. “God gives you desires.”Clark said that in any career endeavor, a person should be inspired, stay focused and never be discouraged.
In 10 years, Clark said, she will own more than one Merle Norman Studio and include a spa. Clark said she continues to have loyal customers in Lake City and in surrounding areas. “Customer service is the key,” Clark said. Another key she said, is listening to customers and knowing their needs and concerns.
Clark said loves special-occasion makeup, which includes such events as pageantry, proms and wedding parties. Many women are concerned with their skin, Clark said. “Good skin care is the key to good makeup application,” Clark said.
Clark said when a person practices good skin care, makeup can be applied more smoothly. Even with the bad economy, Clark said, business at her studio has been good. She said customers are going to continue to purchase products to make them look and feel better.
Clark said her business carries makeup and skin care products are for all ethnicities as well as a skin-care line for men. In the future, Clark plans to offer infrared radiant (FIR) treatment, which she said will detoxify and help relieve pain, stress and fatigue and burn calories.
She said Merle Norman is a family-owned business with products made in the United States. The company is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Clark’s studio is located at 205 Kelley St. She is newly wed to David Clark, and the couple has a 9-year old son, Sam. The Clark family resides in Florence.