There are so many great things to say about Liza - for starters, she was so patient with all of my…read morerequests and was able to help me find a balance between two totally different styles - I wanted heavy, contoured, modern glam (all about that defined brow and matte lip) BUT ALSO a soft, whimsical look because we were getting married in a forest! Impossible right?? She did such a great job of helping me find this look! Her opinions and advice were embraced and I even made a change to my lip color right before she finished off my whole look on the wedding day, and she remained cool, calm, and positive about it! Thank god because I was feeling all the wedding day anxiety. Now that I've had my makeup and hair done for several weddings, I wanted to note a couple things that she does differently which make her well worth your budget. She asks for photos of you with and without makeup prior to the trial (and hair naturally in a photo as well), and she does the same for your bridesmaids. This made me feel like she would be well-prepared for the wedding day for all the different skin tones and hair length that bridesmaids have, lowering the possibility to run short on time. She was also available throughout the year of planning, not just during the trial. I would email her photos and she would send some back, and I would send feedback about my trial look that I wanted to adjust after seeing the photos she took for me (hint - take photos and look at them a week or two later with fresh eyes). I noticed that she also took notes from our trial and had reviewed them on the wedding day - I haven't seen any other artist do this that I've worked with. This also helped with the time efficiency AND getting that look perfectly since the last time we had done the trial was months before. Trust me, you'll have Bride Brain no matter how organized you are and you can't have an artist who asks you what lip color it was that you had wanted. So glad she had the look all set to go and from there we went! I am so pleased with how my makeup turned out in my photos and lastly, she brought an assistant because I had so many bridesmaids and she was seriously incredible too. I LOVED my BM's makeup and hair (always a plus...haha)!

Your MUA search can stop here!! Seriously, Liza is everything you can ask for in a make-up artist…read moreand more. She's a real pro in all aspects, a true artist and visionary, she's smart, saavy, down-to-earth and dedicated and hard-working in her craft. Not only is she knowledgeable in the products she uses but she also has "the eye" for colors and blending which she can apply to facial feautures of all kinds. As a client, you really feel you are in great hands (literally) with Liza. I've had the privilege to be her face canvas for an outdoor boudoir shoot and for my wedding this past June. For the boudoir shoot, Liza did my hair and make-up and I remember coming home that night not wanting to take my make-up off because I've never had it done so good! It was flawless and did not feel caked on at all. There was no question who I would call when my wedding came around. For my wedding, Liza along with a second artist, Rose Lasprilla, took care of me, my mom and my bridesmaids. Liza definitely helped make the vision for my wedding come true and I can't thank her enough for making all of us feel beautiful and look great in our pictures on that special day! Liza truly loves what she does and it shows in all of her work from photo shoots and fashion shows to parties and weddings. She is a quality make-up artist who is a rising star in the industry...Thank you again, Liza, for your amazing quality work with our shoot and my wedding! You're going straight to the top!!

She was late to the bridal makeup trial. She didn't call to inform me she was late until after the…read morescheduled time. When I said more heads up would be nice this escalated to an argument. She explained because it's not her space she would need also additional time to setup. This didn't include sweeping up or moving the hair on the floor. Sure it's not her space but she didn't acknowledge it in anyway. She didn't even have me saved as the right client leading to confusion on both ends Extremely condescending and rude. I am 5'10 she informed me because my legs were long it was making her job challenging. She told me the dark circles under my eyes were very noticeable and hard to hide. She got makeup in both of my eyes and informed me because I don't regularly wear makeup this was because of my eyes Despite this I was willing to go with her. However I didn't get back to her within 48 hours. Stated no where. And she never followed up with me leading to last minute confusion on my end assuming having already paid her for a trial would encourage some professionalism in a courtesy follow up. Wedding planning is stressful! Additionally in our last conversation after she informed me she likely couldn't do the makeup. She asked where I was planning on getting ready for my wedding. I told her the salon. She then went on to disparage their space as it doesn't even have the table space she would need to do her work. I thankfully was able to find a nicer and actually warm artist and had an amazing wedding.

I live in Santa Cruz, and had a photoshoot up in San Francisco this past weekend. I found…read moreTamra-Marie Artistry by typing in "best Black makeup artists in San Francisco." Thank goodness for Google. I hit the jackpot. After the heaviness of the past year, I wanted a look that represented how I'm coming back out into the world. Unapologetic, bold, and a PROUD Black woman. It was also very important to me to support Black businesses with this shoot. The 4 words I had in mind were Afro futuristic, Afrocentric, Afro punk. And superhero. I sent Tamra various photos of makeup inspiration, but when I met her the day of the shoot, knew I could trust her expertise. She went to work, and when she was finished, she handed me a mirror, and... MAAAAAAJOR!!! That day in the city ended up being really cold, and foggy. (Surprise, surprise ) My makeup stayed flawless, and I felt FABULOUS. Strangers were stopping me on the street to say that I looked gorgeous. After over a year of staying home, then kindergarten teacher outfits (jeans, tank tops, and sneakers) no sexy gig looks (I'm a vocalist), and half of my face covered, I NEEDED THAT. Tamra, Thank you SO much. I can't wait to work with you again. *Will add pics from the shoot when I receive them.*

I had an AMAZING experience with Carolyn. I don't wear alot of makeup but when I turned 30 I…read moredecided to get a make over for my party, I was a little nervous because sometimes make up artist make you look like a clown and I didn't want that look for my party. Carolyn was just the opposite she made me look AMAZING I got compliments allllll nite and everyone was shocked I had makeup on and just kept telling me hoe beautiful I looked. i loved the look she gave me that I didn't want to wash my face at the end of the nite LOL I can honestly say that with the way Carolyn made me look it has changed the way I feel about make up. I have used her several times since my bday bash and will NEVER use another make up artist again

Carolyn did a GREAT job! A few weeks before the wedding, we met up and did a trial run... a try…read morebefore you buy of sorts, and we scheduled that on the day of my shower, so bonus! I'm in my mid-40s, so I was a little worried about being overdone, but Carolyn did an awesome job of giving me an age-appropriate look. The day of the wedding, Carolyn did my make up as well as my three bridesmaids ... everyone looked fantastic, and we all got so many compliments. She was punctual and got all our make up done with time to spare. Also, I found her prices to be very reasonable. I definitely would recommend Carolyn and in fact will probably plan a make up party with her later this year (at $25/pp, what a deal!)

I came across Leanne's page only a few weeks before my wedding, and I'm so glad I did! Luckily, she…read morehad availability, so I booked a hair and makeup trial session and day-of hair and makeup for myself and my mom. With my wedding ceremony being at 9am with an hour-long commute to the venue, we had to start at 4am to fit everything in. She was prompt and very accurate in predicting how the morning would go. She also gave me plenty of opportunities to share feedback through the entire process. I was very pleased with both of our results! Thanks so much, Leanne!

TLDR: Flawless hair and makeup after 6 hours of photography, dinner, and dancing, and relaxing/…read moreutmost professionalism are what Leanne stands for. I can't recommend her enough. Backstory: I planned my wedding in 6 months and did lots of research. My girl friend couldn't make it to my trial but it turned out for the better. Leanne and I bonded over food, drinks, etc. I asked for a natural but polished look and she delivered. Leanne even took off my makeup and hair so I can head off on my run. On the day of my reception, she maintained her composure which kept me calm, did an excellent job as usual, and even stayed late to touch me up before she takes off. Thankful for Leanne to keep my cool and amazing look for my big day!

Brushed by an angel, an angel name Ngan. She is a heaven send!…read more I've found Ngan through one of the FB Wedding groups and after seeing her reviews, Instagram, and website, I reached out to schedule a hair and make up trial. I already knew from the beginning that Ngan was going to be great to work with - she was friendly and personable and it felt like I was having a conversation with an old friend, to be honest. Ngan was not only patient with me through my trial as she listened to my concerns and worked with me who has 0 knowledge about make up, but she provided suggestions and ideas based on my skin tone and likes and dislikes. My mother also did a separate hair trial with Ngan because she had some concerns if she would be able to get her hair in a bun since she had some bald spots she wanted to cover with thin hair and Ngan was able to reassure her and get to work to make her feel good. Coordinating a time and place for both the trial and the actual wedding day was very easy to do. Ngan and her assistant arrived on the morning of wedding in a timely manner and got to work right away. My bridal party looked and felt amazing which was very important to me. My hair and make up looked perfect - Ngan did a fantastic job. Even though we went through a trial already a few months back, she reiterated what we went through, what we agreed on, and asked if there was any changes to the plan. She worked with me and my thinner eyebrows and I have to toot my own horn and say I looked fantastic. Overall, I would highly recommend Ngan for any special occasion - whether it's a wedding, an engagement party, or a "just because I deserve it" day. Her communication is on point, she's patient and kind, and open to any concerns you may have. My hair stayed in place the entire day and my make up turned out great in the photos.

I had a great experience with Ngan for my recent wedding. She is super sweet and friendly, fast to…read morerespond to emails, puts you at ease, and pays attention to details! We had some miscommunication/issues with scheduling the trial run but it ended up working out. Ngan went through the inspo makeup and hair pics I had sent her and we discussed what colors/styles I liked. She gave great recommendations on what complemented my facial structures. During the day of the wedding, Ngan and her team arrived on time to set up and get started. I LOVED the way my makeup and hair turned out and my girls also looked amazing! Ngan gave me a little bit of the lip products she used so that I could touch up throughout the day, and my makeup and hair stayed put throughout the whole whole day. Thank you so much Ngan!

Vivi did my makeup at a friend's wedding, and then I contacted her for my bridesmaids. The week…read moreprior to the wedding we made a good plan for how to schedule the bridesmaids before the call time. She came promptly on time and got straight to work. She also gave me an email to send to the bridesmaids before on how to prep their skin and hair. She worked well with everyone and kept the atmosphere light. She is incredibly reliable. She knows how to work with different tones of skins, hair texture/length, and different looks. My bridesmaids looked gorgeous!

What's a socal girl to do when her engagement photoshoot is in norcal? Look for a hair and makeup…read moreartist, of course! My fiance and I decided to do a 2-day photoshoot at our alma mater (where we first met), and Vivi was my hair and makeup artist for both days as well as the trial session. I found Vivi through Yelp, took a look at her work, loved it, and e-mailed her for a quote of her prices. Vivi was very quick to reply whenever I e-mailed her and she was very flexible with her scheduling. She was one of the few hair and makeup artists who were able to do my hair and makeup for both days of the photoshoot. We collaborated over a few weeks about different hair styles/looks I was going for for each day of the photoshoot. I created a Pinterest board with pins for her to look at ahead of time. Her prices are very reasonable, compared to other hair and makeup artists in the bay area, yet the quality of her work is well worth the price! My photographer was surprised when he found out how much I had paid for the trial and 2 days of hair and makeup! Keep in mind, it's cash only though! My skin tends to break out after using makeup, but my skin did not break out at all after the trial session and two photoshoot days! I was shocked! The makeup also lasted all day for my trial and my photoshoot. Although my hair is thick and long, Vivi styled it very well. My hair looked just like my Pinterest pins, and it held very well against the strong SF wind! At the end of the first photoshoot day in SF, my hair style and curls were still intact and on point (I have straight Asian hair). Although the trial and photoshoot hair and makeup sessions took place at her home studio, everything was neat and clean. She also played some music during the sessions, which made me more relaxed. She also offered me a room to change to my photoshoot dress, which was super helpful, especially since my photographer, my fiance, and I were on a time crunch. Despite the hair and makeup session being in Berkeley, parking was easy peasy. Vivi offered parking on her driveway (you just need to park closer to her side of the yard). Street parking is also available but is limited to 2 hours. If you're doing an early hair and makeup session like I had to for one of my days, there is a coffee shop across the street. Super convenient to get your hair and makeup done then run across the street to get your coffee fix! Thank you Vivi for the amazing work! Just as I flew my photographer to norcal, I am hoping to fly Vivi down to socal for her hair and makeup services on my wedding day! To summarize... +1 Star = Customer Service (Nice, pleasant to work with. Listens to what hair/makeup style you want. Prompt response with e-mail.) +1 Star = Quality of Work (Makeup and hair that lasted several hours and in strong wind. No break outs from makeup used.) +1 Star = Ambiance (Although it's at her home studio, the area was neat and clean. Music played during hair/makeup sessions.) +1 Star = Price (Unbeatable price for quality and amount of work. My photographer was even surprised when I told him how much I had paid for both days!) +1 Star = Parking (Street parking or parking on driveway available. Street parking limit is 2 hours.)

It's been 3 years since my wedding and I can't believe I haven't written a review for Melanie yet…read more She is kind of really awesome... like in a "I wish we could be friends" way. Working with her was so easy and I loved the makeup and hair she did for my wedding. I had her do mine and my stepsister's - my stepsister loved her makeup so much she asked her to do her prom make up later that year as well. I really wanted someone that knew how to work with asian features and Melanie is clearly very skilled. My eyes looked open without being unnatural looking and the makeup wasn't overly heavy; they looked great in pictures. I didn't have anything I wanted specifically, in fact I was pretty lost but she gave great recommendations She was incredibly professional. She was very accessible, responded quickly and punctual. She made getting ready on my wedding day so stress free! Can't recommend her enough

Melanie did mine as long as 8 of my other girlfriend's makeup for a cotillion a few years ago. I've…read morenever really been good at makeup nor really took much interest into it b/c most of the time I don't like how caked on it could look, but Melanie did a great job with mine and none of those concerns were a problem. She did a full face of makeup for me. She did a great job incorporating the color of my dress (pink) into my makeup without making it look tacky. It was the perfect amount and intensity of makeup for the occasion. Melanie herself is super nice. She's super professional but also really personable. She also is time efficient but doesn't rush her work. Not to mention there were 9 of us girls and everyone looked so good when she was done. She's good at what she does and the pictures on her Yelp page show it. Overall, great makeup artist all around. I will definitely be using her for future formal events where I'll need my makeup done (b/c lord knows I can't do my own.. LOL)

This goes out to Maria and Adrienne! THEY ARE SO AMAZING AT WHAT THEY DO!!! I found these lovely…read moreladies via Thumbtack and from the beginning, both were so kind and responsive. Maria did my trial and she literally has transformed the way I do makeup. She showed me what tightlining is, which seriously has given me so much confidence. I never knew why top eyeliner was a struggle for me. No matter how thin the line was, it still took over my eyelid. I have explained this to makeup artists before, but they just continued on with the eyeliner, which made me self-conscious, like one single black line takes up my whole eyelid. Maria explained to me that the shape of my hooded eyelids would benefit from tightlining, which is putting eyeliner on the upper lash line, instead of on top of it. WOW! I feel like a new person. I do it myself now and I just can't believe I never knew about it before. During the trial, I absolutely adored Maria, but I kept falling for her as she was just so respectful. She told me what the next steps were and asked if I'd like to see myself. Other trials felt rushed and I never saw myself until the end. She was so respectful of how I wanted to look: natural and probably even a bit bare as a bride. But she made me look like a better version of my usual self! Leading up to the wedding, Maria checked in and had us send our looks and preferences. I loved this as I was paranoid about not staying on track that day. I loved that she wanted to be so prepared. The wedding was chaotic, we just had a lot of people and unexpected situations arise, like high winds. Maria was patient and never made me feel like, "Hello, we gotta get this show on the road." She made sure I ate and every time I was scatterbrained on the chair, she let me do my thing! I just felt so accepted by her! My friends and I all got so many compliments and it's really more a compliment to Maria and Adrienne and their amazing skills! Last thing I'll say is that Maria also made sure to get some great photos of us! They're the "model" ones in the chair. This was one of my favorite parts and we wouldn't have thought to do them at all! Maria and Adrienne were one of the best vendors I went with for our wedding; I was always so worry-free and I know you will be, too. If I ever get my makeup done, it's going to be by Maria, if she will have me again!

I hired Angelie and Maria for my wedding day. They applied make up for 4 bridesmaids, mothers of…read morethe bride and groom, and an aunt. They were very skilled at applying across faces of different ethnicities (Asian, Latina, and Caucasian) and catering to each person's preferences. They showed up with all the needed lighting and tools needed. The make up held for a full day (6am - midnight) of celebration. I highly recommend these ladies for your make up needs. You won't be disappointed.