It's not too often that I splurge on getting my makeup done. Actually, professional makeup…read moreapplication is usually reserved only for weddings. And intended to match some frothy, overdone bridesmaid dress. As in some derivative of plum on my lips to match my eggplant dress. As in overdrawn lip liner which results in a Pamela Anderson-esque look. I flip through magazines and study the page when I see a M.A.C. cosmetics ad. Bright pink eye shadow, feathers, glittery eyelashes... scary stuff. Haute couture makeup has its place, but not parked on my face. Ladies, you saw SATC the movie, right? Think Carrie on her wedding day with the crazy dark lipstick and the bird-thing on her head. Not.for.me. So, I felt like looking pretty one night for no particular reason. Makeup artiste extraordinaire Laura Black and her big back of tricks made a house call to my apartment! Even though I cringe at the thought of someone being so close to my eyes with sharp tools such as tweezers and eyelash curlers, Laura put me at ease. She has a soft, fluttery touch. Really, I was so relaxed I almost fell asleep! Laura is professional and friendly, and talks just enough. Everyone knows a stylist that talks so much that you feel tired when it's all said and done. Beauty treatments should be relaxing, and my makeup application was exactly that. Please don't take this as vain-- but when I saw the girl in the mirror looking back at me, I was impressed. Slightly awestruck, I kept looking... this was a much better version of the usual me, but still me. I like that. I never wear base, but Laura's expert application was so feather light and natural that I just ended up with a flawless canvas. I had somehow developed cheekbones I didn't know existed. My lips were tinted a glossy, sexy, nude-ish shade--a shade which I previously believed I was unable to wear. My eyes, however, were my favorite part. Smoky, sparkly and sexy without the vamp. The sparkle? Courtesy of a super-cool M.A.C. pigment powder. My green eyes popped! I took the show to the road that evening. Upon seeing me, one of my male friends immediately remarked "Oh--I'm so casual, and look at you!" I was only wearing jeans and a tank, but he knew something was different. Then I ran into another acquaintance, one that I had not seen for over a year. His take? "Wow, Jelena... I don't know how to say this, but you look amazing... not that you don't usually [insert foot in the mouth], but, um... you look really different... hot!" The makeup lasted all night, alas a "bombshell" for only an evening. I was even a little sad to scrub the beauty from my face when I got home. As I kept telling Laura... thank you, you're a goddess. What else would you call someone with such incredible transformative powers? Whether you're getting done-up for a wedding or just a night on the town, Laura's your girl.

I always walk away from makeup counters with a teeny bag full of overpriced crayons that I never…read moreintended on buying and a lump in my throat imaging the credit card receipt that I just shoved to the bottom of my purse. But hey, at least I got that free gift. The bright lights that make my skin look terrible and the gay guy at the counter that has better makeup on then I could ever dream of, make me feel like there is so much more that I could be doing with my face. I was beginning to feel especially inept with a makeup brush and guilty about all of the great products I had purchased over the years that barley made it out of the packaging. I decided to take action and I booked a makeup lesson. Enter Laura Black. Laura came to my house with her makeup case (which was about the size of a trunk you might pack for a month long voyage) and a fierce looking apron with every beauty do-hickey known to woman kind tucked away in its rightful pocket. With patience and excellent explanations Laura went to work on my face. She talked me though everything she was doing, from the motion in her wrist when applying color to the crease in the eye, to the reasoning behind dotting concealer on my lips. Now, I don't want to give away all of Laura's beauty tips here.....but you can be sure that she has plenty of them. From the colors to use for my face tone, to the sure-fire way to perfect blush.......I learned more from Laura in one hour then I have from reading thousands of makeup articles in Cosmo. And the best part? Laura used almost all of my own makeup and I didn't walk away from the lesson with a long list of "must buy's." When Laura was finished I hardly believed the reflection in the mirror. I didn't see makeup or colors, what I saw was a fresh-faced gorgeous version of myself. In my own best daydreams about my wedding, my sold our concert, and my Oscar acceptance speech, I've never looked that good. Since my makeup lesson, I have added a few minutes to my routine in the morning and I leave the house feeling more put together then before. But the best part is that now, when I am getting ready for a big night out, I actually look forward to spending time doing my makeup. What a difference it makes when you know what you're doing! Just the other night a friend told me how great my eye makeup looked. I started to tell her how I'd perfected the technique, then I thought better of it and just referred her to Laura Black.

I absolutely loved working with Vanessa Rose Makeup for my wedding and I'm SO glad I found her…read more I first met Vanessa when I went to get the hair and makeup trial done and I felt so at ease and comfortable because she is so nice and down to earth. She and the woman doing my hair both really listened to me about my vision for hair and makeup on the wedding day and after seeing the trial results I didn't even have any suggested changes, because they had so perfectly captured the look I was going for. On the wedding day, they were both so nice to me and all of the bridesmaids and even to the 9 year old flower girl getting her hair done. They arrived on time and got things going right away and they made the process fun because they are so nice so the conversation was flowing the whole time. Each of the bridesmaids ended up looking amazing and everyone was so happy with their final look. They also were able to get everyone done on time, allowing us to stick to the timeline, which was great. I've seen a few preview photos of the wedding day and I am SO happy with the hair and makeup look and super grateful to Vanessa Rose Makeup for making it happen.

Vanessa and Michelle did an absolutely amazing job for our wedding!! They did something different…read morefor each of my bridesmaids, mother and mother in law, and for me to give each the look we wanted. Very professional and responsive. Also experienced, Vanessa brought her own lighting. Hair and make up looked great the whole night! Would definitely recommend.

Dani and her team are fantastic! If you're looking for skilled, kind, and attentive makeup artists,…read morereach out to Dani! Her makeup style is tailored to your liking and she has a range of capabilities from full glam to more scaled back natural looks. She's very good at listening to what you like and executing on it!

We booked Dani for a photoshoot and could not be any happier. She was punctual, professional, and…read moreperformed a quality job. Her pricing is also very competitive and he work justifies the pricing. We will 100% be booking with her again for future events.

Antonette was recommended to me by a friend. I'm so glad that we decided to book with Antonette…read moreand her team. They really made the whole makeup/ hair process go so smoothly and took the time to make my vision come to life. Antonette listened and made great recommendations to me. I LOVED my hair and makeup and felt so beautiful on my wedding day. The bridesmaids also enjoyed theirs! I would definitely recommend Antonette and her team to anyone getting married ! I would like to add as well that I had doubts about my hair and makeup lasting until the end of the night because my hair is course, long and very frizzy. The day of our wedding it was also EXTREMELY WINDY but to my surprise it held itself very nicely. I included two pics from the morning and the last one of the end of night . I'm beyond IMPRESSED with everything Antonette and her team did for us!

Antonette and her team are outstanding!! I can't get over how wonderful this team is. They were…read moreincredibly professional, kind, and talented!! This was actually my second experience with Antonette- my best friend had used her for her wedding day and they did my makeup as a bridesmaid! I loved the way I looked and loved how amazing they made my friend look, so it was an easy decision to choose Antonette for my wedding day! I would highly recommend them!

From the start, Chyla was super responsive and put me at ease - I don't normally get my hair or…read moremakeup done. We did two trials and then she came on the morning of my wedding for me, 2 moms, and 1 sister. After the trials, she was super open to feedback and was able to take my rambling thoughts and condense them into actionable steps. Everyone was happy with the result and I just really appreciated being able to work with someone who made each session fun!

Chyla is YOUR GO TO ARTIST for ANY special events make up and hair needs!…read more I reached out to Chyla 6 days before our wedding (very last minute!) to treat myself & the important women in my life to having our hair & make up done! From the very first phone call, to the many questions I had and the wonderful experience of having her style our hair and do our make up, I was impressed with Chyla's professionalism, warmth and her genuine bubbly personality. She is not only worth EVERY PENNY, Chyla is a joy to work with! I was immediately drawn to Chyla's understanding of our needs, her kindness, passion for what she does; & her clear expectations for the day! She is so proactive, genuine and very responsive with communication. Within hours of connecting, Chyla provided me with a contract, set expectations & a wedding day schedule! She was so very patient when addressing my questions, & some of our last minute changes! On our wedding day, Chyla showed up on time, was so sweet and friendly towards all of us & her highly skilled artistry spoke for itself! We all wanted a softer and more natural look and she executed our vision perfectly! I had never felt so beautiful- polished & put together! The products she used were so light and I felt like I was not wearing any make up at all and received so many compliments! My daughters, best friend, mother and sister in law all were very happy with their hair and make up too! We are all very thankful to have Chyla help us glow & radiate on our special day! Chyla is amazing and we loved how she SPARKLES & adds so much beauty, confidence, creativity, & positive energy to the world! Thank you Chyla for making us look and feel so elegant and beautiful!

Catherine did the makeup for my wife and her bridesmaids on our wedding day. I don't know much…read moreabout makeup and colors but my wife looked at Catherine's Instagram and she really liked her makeup work so I hired Catherine as a gift to my wife. One thing I know for sure on the big day - I was BLOWN AWAY BY MY WIFE'S BEAUTY. She looks absolutely stunning and gorgeous!! I can't ask for a better gift on our wedding day! Thank you Catherine!

After following up countlessly with Capital One to dispute the charges we were unsuccessful in…read moreobtaining a refund for services not rendered. We were cancelled by the company after complaining about the level of service we were provided and the full amount of what had been paid was retained by the company and refused for refund after this horrific experience. This company failed to act in the best interest of us (the client) and utilized business practices that were not advertised when we signed on with them to take advantage of our trusting nature which resulted in us having to hire a new hair stylist which was not budgeted for. Absolutely horrific experience, its sad to see a company take advantage of an industry that is supposed to make people feel special and appreciated on their big day.

I highly recommend Casey for all of your makeup needs :) She is the best -- super friendly, cares…read moreabout her clients, and you will always have a great time when you're with her. She is always super flexible and is willing to make sure you get everything done when you need it -- I know she's pulled a few really early mornings for us! I have gone to Casey every time I need my makeup professionally done since I have met her -- including my engagement photos, conventions, etc! If we had been in town for my wedding, she would have done it then too! Casey listens to what you want, gives some ideas, and she goes above and beyond to make sure you are happy!

Casey was my makeup artist for my engagement and wedding photos. She was attentive, helped me find…read morewhat look I was going for, and executed it so beautifully. She knew exactly how to match the mood of my engagement shoot and wedding day, while still making me look like myself- just better! She is professional, always on-time and responsive. My bridesmaids and mom all looked so amazing on the day as well. Having Casey do my makeup put my mind at-ease and made my wedding morning so much fun. I highly recommend her as a professional, talented makeup artist.

I highly recommend Lisa for microblading services. I have picked at my brows for years so they…read morewere very thin and sparse in places. I was a little nervous but was sick of having to color in and shape brows everyday and worried the makeup would rub off. Lisa made me feel very at ease. The procedure was painless. She gave me a great after care plan that was easy to follow. I am so happy with the finished product and have new self confidence! I've gotten great compliments. Simply A

This was the first time I was having my makeup professionally done. I have to say that Lisa was the…read morebest! I was having make-up done for my civil ceremony. I showed her a couple of pics on Pinterest of what I wanted. I wanted to keep it more natural with some smoky eye and she nailed it! I did my hair with her daughter Miles. I have straight hair that doesn't hold a curl for more than an hour at best. I told miles this and without putting too much hair spray or making my hair brittle, she managed to give me curls that last a full 24 hours! I can't praise this mother daughter due enough to justify how much I loved my make-up, the hair and my entire experience with them! My wedding is in India next year, and if I could take them along with me I would!