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.

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.

My planner recommended Bianca Sansosti Artistry and I'm so glad she did. Both Besa (hair) and Alisa…read more(makeup) did a wonderful job with my wedding day look! On my wedding day, I decided to go in a different direction than I did for my trial and they both nailed it. Besa, Alisa, and Sarah also did an amazing job with the hair and makeup for my bridal party, MOB, MOG, and nana. Highly recommend!

Bianca and Gabe did a fantastic job on my makeup and hair for my engagement photos. The pictures…read moreturned out so beautiful that they were my first choice when I found myself several years later needing someone to help me get ready for my maternity photos. Unfortunately, due to city restrictions related to Covid they were unable to do my makeup, but they did transform my hair into some maternal goddess that I did not know it was capable of. The company moved to the cutest boutique salon since the last time I worked with them, and it seems like the perfect spot to get ready for a wedding with your bridal squad! I'd highly recommend brides use Bianca's team once we can fully celebrate milestones again!

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.

Karisa DeLuca did my wedding day makeup, plus the makeup of 7 other girls. She has many years of…read moreexperience as a makeup artist & is a perfectionist at her work. Karisa is very friendly & has a great personality. I had a trial with her before my wedding day & she spent nearly 2 hours applying my makeup, I loved it. She does AIRBRUSH foundation & it's awesome! My makeup lasted for 10+ hours. Please message me for additional pictures of my myself & the other girls. Everyone looked fabulous, I would definitely recommend Karisa to anyone wanting to have their wedding day makeup professionally done! You can EMAIL Karisa at karisa@karismatic.com.

Karisa did the makeup for myself, 6 bridesmaids, and my mom on the day of my wedding. Everyone…read moreabsolutely loved her!! All of our makeup looked awesome, and everyone was so, so happy with the way that they looked, including one of my bridesmaids that normally never wears makeup. Before she started, she asked everyone want they wanted done, and made sure you were happy with the way looked before she moved on to the next girl. She stayed until we were about to leave for the church, applying last minute touch ups to anyone that wanted one. Even my photographer stopped at one point to tell my how good my makeup was turning out in the pictures he was taking. He said that it's really hard to find a makeup artist that applies makeup that shows up well in HD pictures, and that Karisa's was some of the best he'd seen. I am SO happy I went with Karisa for my wedding makeup, and wish that I could have her to keep, so that I could have her apply makeup whenever I wanted :o)

Tracy and her assistant were incredible!! Our experience began with a yelp search for an…read moreaffordable hair and makeup artist in the Chicago Area. Goddess Effect Artistry immediately caught my interest and, after a quick email exchange with Tracy, we had a trial set up. She was so sweet and accommodating, going so far as to send me a list of things to do in her area since my fiance and I had to rent a car to get out to her. That level of personal service extended all throughout her work with us. On the day of the wedding, she got the hair and makeup of two mothers, two bridesmaids, and two brides done in no time flat. Everyone looked beautiful and, most importantly to me, looked like themselves! I hate when makeup overshadows someone's natural beauty but Tracy and her assistant did a great job of highlighting how gorgeous all of our ladies already are. They were kind, funny, and set everyone at ease. Only two of the six ladies present had ever had their makeup done professionally and all six were thrilled with the end results. Everyone's makeup stayed fresh and there wasn't a hair out of place throughout the entire night. The airbrush makeup left us all feeling as if we weren't covered in caked on pounds but instead, as if we had fresh faces! The best part was that it was easy to take off at the end of the night (we were exhausted and, had it been a difficult clean up process, we both might have just slept with bobby pins and lashes!) If you are looking for someone to listen to your needs and make you look your best, look no further. Tracy is the best!

Loved working with Tracy and Crystal for my wedding! They did a phenomenal job with my makeup and…read morehair as well as all my bridesmaids. We all loved the airbrushed makeup! Very responsive to emails and answering questions. Definitely recommend for your upcoming event!

Ann Marie recently did my makeup for a photo shoot (another GREAT review there) and I loved every…read moresecond of it. The shoot was boudoir so I was a little nervous but Ann Marie made me feel like I was in great hands. I showed her what I had brought to wear. It was a high waisted number so she immediately was asking if I wanted that classic pin-upy look. I did and she got started. Before I go any further I want to explain my ascetic. I have piercings, tattoos and one of those crazy asymmetrical hair cuts with crazy colors all in it. Far from the 'classic' pin-up. I was a little worried that my nontraditional hairstyle might prove to be a roadblock. I had even considered bringing some wigs (my back ups for a classic look). I'm so glad I didn't! My haircut was a non-issue as Ann Marie worked curls throughout my hair. At the end I had this great 1920's fingerwave looking style. She even curled the little tail part of my hair that hangs down from the rest. The whole time she kept checking in to make sure I liked the direction we were going. I felt so GLAM! Then, the makeup. I wanted to go dramatic. Big lips, big eyes, the works. Ann Marie did not disappoint! She did a great job and the products she used felt great going on. When I saw myself at the end I couldn't believe it was me! It was a great experience and solid ego boost. After the shoot was done my makeup still looked great. Ann Marie had even left a little lipstick and a makeup pad in case I needed to touch anything up but I never felt the need. The fake eyelashes she added made my eyes look unreal in the pictures that were taken. It was a great experience and I can't wait to do it all over again.

It's not just that Ann Marie makes you look good (and boy does she), but after my make-up session…read morewith her I also felt great. She is kind, warm and engaging without being too overwhelming. I received so many compliments after Ann Marie did my hair and make-up that I don't think I stopped smiling all day. Thank you!!!

Maria was my makeup artist for all my wedding-year events from June 2018-March 2019: from my…read moreearly-morning engagement photo shoot, my bridal shower, and my wedding and I was 100% happy with the process and results. I got so many compliments on my makeup at each event. Maria is so nice to talk to, too, and is flexible and always willing to make any changes to meet what you like. We did a number of makeup trials and as long as I spoke up, Maria was great at adjusting the makeup to get my desired look. It is very important to her to make you feel great and she doesn't take any adjustments personally. She also went the extra mile before my wedding and brought me amazing skin care samples to use-- face scrubs & masks-- to help me really glow on the big day. On the wedding day, she was fantastic, as was her talented assistant. She was on time and she and her assistant got through the 5 person bridal party (4 bridesmaids, 1 bridesman who got male grooming with Maria, and 2 moms, and of course me, the bride), smoothly. Everyone was thrilled with their looks and so happy, and we all looked like movie stars! Her pricing is extremely reasonable, too, and good value for the work. I wish I had more events and excuses to work with Maria again!

Let's start with the good: Maria was very nice and accommodating…read more Unfortunately, I was disappointed and frankly shocked at how bad the makeup itself was. For eyes, the eyeliner lines were incredibly shaky (and not even a true black!!!), the requested blending was either nonexistent or very shoddily done (with streaks), and the lashes were noticeably plasticky with no mascara to mask the artificial texture. The blush technique and shapes were ALL wrong, concentrated all on the apples, and not in a good way, with almost no blending. The lip color was for one of the models was very unflattering! NO eyebrow definition. Also, I paid for some hairstyling, but she didn't even bring a curling iron. To be fair, we were rushed with one of the models, but one had PLENTY of time to be worked on and turned out like a clown due to the very poor attention to detail. Maybe I caught her on a bad day. The makeup I did on myself in literally 4 minutes was better than the end result. While I enjoyed her company, I STRONGLY advise you to stay away if you're looking for more avant-garde looks.