Long over due review, but Penney was referred to me by a friend who used her for her wedding a few years back too. Her packages were pretty fair in pricing, I thought, compared to some other places I looked at, and she was so easy-going and fun to work with! I got a free trial included in my package and we had quite a lot of fun playing around. Even though Penney lives a little farther out part Martinez, I think it was worth it as many MUAs also charge you another couple hundred dollars just for a trial. I also used the trial makeup/hair to do an engagement shoot, and Penney even let me borrow the hair extensions she had tried on me for the shoot! It was seriously so nice of her. And some of the other places I researched would strongly recommend not using your trial for photos and charging you another fee to do engagement shoot makeup. It's honestly absurd and Penney is no-fuss, no games, down-to-earth, which I appreciated. I won't lie, a big part of why I chose Penney was also because she IS Asian and I wanted someone who knew Asian faces to do my make up. I'm sure non-Asian people can do Asian makeup just as good, but I have trust issues...so sue me! The makeup stayed intact all day (hot June wedding) and the best part was getting a good friend out of all of this! :) I'd highly recommend having her do your hair/makeup! read more

I am so thankful that I browsed around on yelp before finding Penney! She made me feel absolutely beautiful on my wedding day, and I received so many compliments on how gorgeous my hair and makeup looked! She really pays attention to details, and during our trial, I mentioned that I was allergic to latex, which many makeup sponges contain. The day of the wedding, she specifically brought non-latex sponges just for me! There were also 7 other girls that needed to have their makeup and hair done (including the two mothers) and they all looked incredible, thanks to Penney and her team! It was really easy for me to tell the team what I wanted for the bridesmaids' look and they made it happen. Besides being an amazing hair and makeup artist, Penney is just an incredibly nice person and super easy to get along with! I highly recommend her and you'll definitely feel and look gorgeous on your wedding day! =) Thanks so much Penney! read more

PD Artistry - Makeup Artists Near Me

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Penney was wonderful to work with for my wedding day hair & makeup. I was having trouble finding someone who would do a lighter, more natural look until my friend recommended Penney to me. She's so friendly and really organized; she was able to set up 3 other artists to do hair and makeup at a different location for 7 of my future in-laws, which was a huge help. My mom and I had our trial at Penney's house a few months before the wedding and Penney took all of my feedback from that day and put together a look that I absolutely loved on my wedding day. She was prompt arriving at our hotel that morning, even after styling an entirely separate wedding party hours before, and she has such a great, easy-going nature which helped me stay calm and relaxed. Really, Penney was exactly what I was looking for and I'm really glad I got to work with her! read more

This review is long over due. I got married in May 2014 and Penney did my hair and makeup. She did a fantastic job, which is saying a lot - because I was definitely in need of some MAJOR help after not sleeping the entire week before! I am of Indian heritage with medium/tan complexion, which I feel can be hard to match sometimes (I've had not so great experiences with other makeup artists in the past), but Penney did a fabulous job matching my skin-tone and brightening up my face for the big day. She was very professional and if I ever have the need for professional hair/makep again, I would go back to her. Thank you Penney!!! read more

Penney and her crew were awesome! They were very professional, and when I had crazy nervous breakdown during prep bc others vendors f!#? up, Penney was there to calm me down and bring me back to reality and I really appreciate it. Most importantly, the makeup was AMAZING!! My bridesmaids, moms, sisters, sister in laws-they all really loved their hair and makeup. And here's the most spectacular part- the makeup looked flawless ALL NIGHT! No touch-up needed, even when we were sweating bullets outdoors during the ceremony, our makeup looked great all night long! I received so many compliments on my makeup, Penney you were amazing!!! LOVED YOU!!! read more

PD Artistry - July 30, 2011 - Makeup Artists Near Me

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Penney is a FANTASTIC hair and make up artist! I got married this October 21 and I found her last minute on yelp. I trusted the review here, it's exactly what you will get. Price is VERY reasonable and you will not, I repeat will NOT regret booking her! I met Penney during our trial with her 3 hrs service to discuss what type of hairstyles and make up will work best for me. Penney is very professional, easy to work with, and knew exactly what looks good when I start questioning myself. (Last minute booking and wedding planning makes you question everything). I had about 2 1/2 to 3 hrs trials to test different hair styles and thanks for the trial, I knew exactly what I wanted. Don't set or worry about the trial hairstyle/makeup look because it won't look as good as the actual day since Penney is playing around with the hair and getting ideas what you like and that goes the same with the make up trial. From the trial I decided to go with bold purple smokey eyes and as for hair- top twist with a side swipe. Sounds simple but on the actual day (Penney arrived early ON TIME! very important :)), she made me look and I felt like a STAR. A lot of people complimented me of my hair and make up, some couldn't even believe it was me! I felt gorgeous, real pretty-beautiful and that's the way you should feel on the day of your wedding, and Penney made me feel that way because of her talent/work. Every picture of me- with hair and makeup turned out GREAT! I loved it. She even covered my tattoos on my chest and back. My tattoo were really dark black and she did an amazing job with that! I couldn't look better in that white wedding dress. It was perfect and the most important... I felt beautiful and I even think I stunned many of my guests. My hubby and sister (I need to get their approvals) are never shy to give me their honest opinions and even they said she, Penney did a freaking amazing job. If I could post a before and after picture here, I sure will and you will agree with me 100%. Book her already cause I will do it all over again with Penney! Thank you Penny! xoxoxoxoxox read more

Penney and her team did a great job doing my bridesmaids and I's makeup/hair. She is very professional and pays close attention to detail. I am not an expert with hair and makeup so her expertise really made a difference and put me at ease with my choices. You will not be disappointed in her services. read more

Penney did a fantastic job on both my makeup trial (after which I took engagement photos which came out fabulous) and on my wedding day. Before our first meeting she sent me detailed instructions on skincare, what I should be thinking about in terms of my hair (to cut or not to cut, should I order extensions, etc) and was flexible about scheduling my first trial. She always responded promptly on e-mail as well. I felt like the make-up was so heavy at first, but she assured me it would turn out beautiful in professional pictures. (I don't wear much makeup usually). And she was right! Our engagement photos were fantastic. The trial went a little over 2 hours and she was calm and sweet and patient the entire time. On our wedding day she showed up on time (at 6:00am!), got my hair and makeup done and then did my mom's hair and makeup. She had never met my mom and my mother is extremely picky (and unable to speak English), but Penney finished her with plenty of time and my mom never looked better. We both looked great in our photos and I am very happy with her services. Oh and did I mention our wedding was one week before her's? I can't believe she was working the weekend before her wedding, much less being so relaxed and patient and sweet. I highly recommend her. Thanks Penney! read more

PD Artistry - Makeup Artists Near Me

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I hired Penney to do my hair and makeup for a special occasion in December, and I was very pleased with the results and the overall experience. Penney was very sweet and professional throughout the entire process: from our first conversation on the phone, through several emails planning things ahead of time, and then of course finally in person. She was right on time and was super easy to talk to. I didn't have an exact idea or image of what I wanted, but she took my vague suggestions: "something pretty and fancy, but not over the top... maybe incorporate the colors I'm wearing into the eyeshadow?" and did an absolutely amazing job. I've never felt so pretty and fancy in my life! Her prices are very reasonable for the quality service she provides, and I would definitely hire her again for another special occasion. read more

Penney is an amazing artist! My wedding was just this past weekend and I had a huge tattoo on my right shoulder and chest that I wanted to cover up. She definately did the job. Everyone that knew I had the tattoo was blown away because it covered up like skin, and the people that didn't, well they just didn't see it to begin with lol. Thank you Penney you saved me the headache of the elders lecturing me about tattoos. Highly recommended. ;) Love, Linda read more

Penney was fantastic! She and her team helped our wedding look fabulous! Throughout the planning process, she was attentive, helpful and very professional. I was planning our wedding from the east coast, and Penney was very flexible when it came to scheduling a trial. She walked through her process and answered any questions I had. On the day of the wedding, her team came on time, took their time to adjust styles if necessary and were very easy to talk to. She was a true professional that gave me many options so I was happy with the final result! Thank you, Penney! read more

PD Artistry - Hair and makeup done by Penney! Also, we rented a hair clip from her and it looked great! - Makeup Artists Near Me

Penney is a superwoman! Penney did my makeup for my engagement session, as well as the makeup for me and my bridal party for my wedding at the Headlands Center for the Arts last month. She completely wowed me with the makeup she did for my wedding. I had very specific requests for my wedding makeup-- and was troubled with typical wedding doubts. Penney was like a big sister, reminding me what I liked, what looked good and helped me get back on the right path. She had a magical way of calming me down and reminding me what I wanted in the first place. She also completely met every request I had (some of them quite specific) with gracefulness. For example, I sent her a picture of the makeup color/style I wanted and she reproduced the look to the tee (customized to my face). Penney was also accommodating-- I booked her services just for myself and then added on 5 more people over the course of several months. It was super easy to work with her and she had to resend me a gazillion revised invoices. Sorry, Penney! My bad! She and her associate also worked with my girlfriends, all who had certain tastes of their own. One girl brought her own vegan makeup while another wanted her makeup applied a certain way. Penney and her associate rolled with the punches and produced flawless results. Finally, Penney was genuinely interested in my wedding planning and our trial/engagement sessions were like mini-therapy sessions. I really appreciated how she listened to me-- it totally let me blow off some crazy wedding stress. Not only that, she remembered what I told her and the next time I would see her, she would check-in with me about it! It made me feel like she not only cared about my makeup, but the total outcome of my wedding. Hands down, Penney is a talented make-up artist and a spectacular businesswoman. She made me look awesome on my wedding day and even pleased my makeup-phobic husband who wanted me to be barefaced on our wedding day. Without hesitation, I would recommend Penney in a heartbeat. read more

Penney is amazing! I had her do my makeup and hair for my wedding in September. Not only are Penney's services affordable, but also high quality. She was on time, came prepared, was easy to talk to (it's not easy dealing with a stressed out bride), and worked quickly and efficiently. She listened to what I wanted and made adjustments accordingly. I got so many compliments on my hair and makeup. People were telling me a looked like a movie star (which is the old Hollywood look I was going for)! A lot of other makeup artists cake on make up (this is what I've observed pretty frequently with Indian brides), but Penney gave me a soft, natural, yet glamorous look (I didn't end up looking like a clown). Also, I have a lot of Asian yellow tones in my skin, which is extremely hard to match with the right foundation. The color she mixed with airbrushing was so amazingly flawless. I would work with Penney again in a heartbeat. Thanks Penney! :) read more

Penney is an amazing artist! My wedding was just this past weekend and I had a huge tattoo on my right shoulder and chest that I wanted to cover up. She definately did the job. Everyone that knew I had the tattoo was blown away because it covered up like skin, and the people that didn't, well they just didn't see it to begin with lol. Thank you Penney you saved me the headache of the elders lecturing me about tattoos. Highly recommended. ;) Love, Linda read more

I hired her for my wedding. She was on time and finished in time. she had to do my hair and my sister's before 8:30am. We had a trial run a week before and figure out what i wanted, which she was able to deliver on the day of my wedding also. She is really easy to work with. She even tolerated my dog who barked at her while she was working on my hair. It rained during the photo shoot before our ceremony... But my hair held up pretty well considering how much it rained. I would def. recommend her. read more

I've worked with Penney on a couple photoshoots and events and I'm always pleased with her work. Not only is she very easy to work with, she's quick and make sure the job is done right! Penney did my hair and makeup for my first physique competition and not only did I place, my photos turned out great. My hair style and makeup held throughout the day (from early morning till the evening). Since I started modeling, I've worked with many makeup artists and Penney's the only one I've gone back to when I need to look my best! read more

After about a year, i finally found the time to do a review on Penney's work.. (Sorry for the delay Penney!!) I booked Penney for my husband's family to do hair and makeup..My other makeup artist and hairstylist bailed out on me.. Finding Penney on such short notice was a GODSEND. She came promptly and was able to accommodate the last minute booking.. if i knew what an awesome job she does, i would have had her done the bride's side instead!! my inlaws looked flawless and amazing! even my MIL looked stunning (ha ha). Penney was also very accommodating and thorough in her work.. Quick to respond, answered all my questions and all my inlaws were very pleased with the work she did.. I didnt even get a chance to meet Penney at all but my husband said she was awesome.. and that's saying a lot! he NEVER gives compliments, so for him to give one, Penney must have been THAT good. Penney also accommodates last minute additions and changes very efficiently.. if i could get married again, i would definitely use her! HIGHLY recommended!! Matter of fact, i will prolly use her for special occasions! She is very reasonably priced as well. read more

It was tough finding a hair/make-up artist for the wedding - it seemed like all the salons, all the private artists, charged a huge premium when I mentioned the "W" word. Penney's fees were so reasonable, I was skeptical at first, but after seeing the results from a brief trial run, I was a believer. Penney and her crew did an amazing job for my wedding. I had three bridesmaids, two mothers and myself needing both hair and make-up done and WOW, what a great job. We all felt like beauty queens walking down the aisle. Penney and her staff were professional, timely, and really nice to work with. We got a ton of compliments throughout the day... and the best part? My MOH despises having her make-up done by other people, but after much begging (by me), she finally gave in, and let Penney's group do her make-up. She was ecstatic when the job was complete. read more

My sister had already selected a make-up artist for her wedding and her bridesmaids, but our friends and extended family also requested getting hair and make-up for the event. While asking around for a stand-in make-up person, someone told me to try Penney. When I contacted Penney, she was very responsive. Since the make-up wasn't for the bride or bridal party, we did not meet in-person until the day of my sister's wedding. She showed up on time and worked quickly and effortlessly. I initially hired her to handle hair and make-up for four people, but she was able to squeeze in two more people with time to spare! Initially, I would have been wary of someone who rushes through hair and make-up, but her work looked very natural and meticulous. (Also, it was a godsend she could work so fast because the make-up artist for the bride and bridesmaid was falling behind.) All in all, I would definitely recommend Penney to anyone who's looking for hair and make-up for a wedding or a special event. She's personable, professional and reasonably priced. read more

Penney is so very talented and sweet!! The first time I met her was when she did my make-up for my pageant photo-shoot. She gave me a very natural look that was simple yet elegant. I then asked her to help me with my hair and make-up on the night of my pageant. Everything turned out amazing! Not only was I able to place runner-up for the MAS pageant, I also won best swimsuit!! yay!! Thanks so much Penney!!! =) read more

I loved having Penney do both my make up and my hair for both my wedding ceremony and my informal reception dinner on a different date. She was so great to work with. She really made the whole experience feel so good! At the end of it.. I felt like I'd gained a new friend instead of just a make up artist or hair stylist! I got so many compliments about both my make up and hair on both seperate days! She made me look absolutely flawless and beautiful, but still made me look like myself; just a better more perfect me. LOL Penney was on point with how long the process would take. She took the picture I had in my head and made it really become real. I am definitely going to hire Penney again for other events coming up in my life. Her work was so great that even my best friend booked her for her wedding which is still a year away! =) read more

Penney is so awesome! She did my hair and make-up for my engagement photo shoot and I absolutely loved it! She was super efficient and got me done in a timely manner. Penney is very skilled and excellent at what she does. I highly recommend her! read more

Penney did hair and makeup for my wedding (both myself and my three bridesmaids). I couldn't have been more pleased with my choice. Penney was extremely professional, which is super important to me. She provided a written contract and email communications with reminders and tips for how to prep hair and face before the big day. She was very helpful, offering her professional opinion but also listening to what I wanted. She arrived early on my wedding day and finished exactly on time. My hair and makeup looked awesome. They were exactly what I wanted! If you are looking for someone who is professional, easy to work with, and does an amazing job with hair and makeup - book Penney! Book early...this girl fills up! read more

Unless you or your friends are blessed to have amazing makeup and hair skills---invest in a professional makeup artist! That includes all you DIY brides on a budget. Believe me, I was a bride on a shoe string budget trying to cut corners here and there, but at the end of the day, I realized that I didn't want to look back on pictures of my wedding and wished that I looked,...well, a little more polished for my big day. So whether you end up going with Miss Penney, or someone else...hire a professional! But alas, I'm here to talk about Penney! I hired Penney to do my hair and makeup both as a bridesmaid and then later as a bride. Hunting down a great, yet reasonably priced makeup artist was really difficult, but with lots of research I finally found Penney through the A-List Makeup site. Honestly, although her prices were on the semi-lower end, her work from her blog was incomparable to her prices! I booked her quickly for a wedding that I was going to be a part of in hopes that that experience would help me gauge if I would use her for my own wedding. So here's my summary of my experiences with her... Her professionalism: Penney was early and on-time for both events. She was friendly, warm, and with her extensive travel make-up rolling luggage...she really has the works. She ensured me of the cleanliness practices she uses for the make-up and prior to the event, sent me a list of do's and don'ts for preparation for the day. Lastly, she finished on time for both events! Her costs: Totally reasonable. Her attentiveness: Penney was concerned about making me happy while giving her opinion of what style/color would work best on me. Because I usually only wear light make-up on a daily basis, I was kind of shocked when I first saw myself in the mirror (for my first event). I shared how I felt and she was very accommodating in changing things up for me and making me feel comfortable. After the first event, I corresponded with Penney about my own wedding and we were able to work off my bridesmaid experience to improve even more how I wanted my hair and makeup to look for my big day. She offered suggestions and again was very assuring that she can do what I requested. Her make-up artistry: Penney was very patient and took her time with both my hair and makeup. I don't know what else to say other than she was great and made me feel wonderful in my skin!! My hair and makeup stayed pretty much the whole day (other than some mascara smearing by the end of the long sweaty day....). I really appreciated her help in putting flowers in my hair and my veil on...and how she gave me a little bridal makeup emergency kit for the day! All in all, I am very pleased with my decision to hire Penney! read more

Penney did my hair and makeup for my wedding ceremony last month and I would not hesitate to have her do my hair and/or makeup again for another occasion. She was prompt in replying to emails, on time for trial and day of services, professional, and fun & pleasant to work with. Everything was very straightforward and easy, allowing me to put complete trust in her. I'm not the best at articulating ideas, so I gave her a vague idea of what I wanted and she went above and beyond my expectations. The best part was the day of my ceremony. When Penney arrived, I was frazzled and starting to feel very anxious. By the end of our appointment, I was completely calm, relaxed, and ready for the day. I felt fabulous. read more

Penney is an amazing makeup and hair artist. I got married last year, and was nervous about booking an affordable makeup artist who would do a good job with my makeup as I am Indian-American and have darker skin. I booked a trial with Penney and she did a phenomenal job with airbrush makeup--it matched my skin and looked so natural. I shot my engagement photos after the trial and they looked fantastic. I wanted to play around with the look a bit and see if we could do something different with the eyeshadow, and Penney took the time to listen and use some eyeshadows that I had purchased and wanted to use. Even though perhaps doing heavy makeup for an Indian wedding wasn't her regular style, on the wedding day, she delivered exactly what I wanted. Penney knocked on my hotel room door at 4am sharp so I could be ready for our 7am photos. (Thanks for coming so early!) She was timely, and professional. She also had just the positive energy I wanted to be around on my wedding day. Penney met up again with me in the afternoon to do a touchup and change my hair for the reception. The makeup was so well done in the morning that she barely had to do anything--just change the eyeshadow color and some other small touchups. I felt beautiful all day and got so many compliments. For my hair, the updo that Penney did in the morning was gorgeous and lasted all day. The evening hair she did for me was equally as beautiful--a side do with lots of curls. I danced my heart out and my hair still looked great at the end of the night. As far as pricing, I did shop around a bit and can confidently say Penney's prices are very reasonable and you certainly get great quality for what you pay for. I strongly recommend Penney to anyone considering a makeup artist for their wedding or any other special event. read more

Penney is fabulous at what she does and makes brides feel AMAZING! Everyone commented with how great my makeup and hair looked, but it goes beyond that. She has a great personality. She is very friendly and easy to work with. From the time I had my trial run with her I knew I wanted to book her right away. She was very easy to talk to and explain what I wanted and really captured what I was envisioning. And SHE IS A MIRACLE WORKER! My mother had bought this HIDEOUS weave like a week before the wedding and was dead set on wear it. She has short hair and wanted the pulled back look and didn't think it could be achieved with her natural hair. I thought absolutely not, but Penney was able to work some magic and made her hair look amazing! #webeweave #beweaveit If you have any needs for hair and makeup for anything definitely reach out to Penney, she is super sweet and is a pro at what she does! Thanks again!! read more

I found Penney here on Yelp when I was looking for someone who can do both hair and make up for my sf city hall wedding and who was near me and could come to me and I found her...and she didn't disappoint one bit, her replies are prompt and you feel like you are talking to a regular friend who listens to you too =) Everyone was right over here when they said she is always right on schedule with your appointment, gives you advices on how to take care of your skin in preparation for the big day..and even though I didn't do a trial with her coz I was only doing a sf city hall wedding, she gets what outcome I wanted, really listened to my suggestions too and did a wonderful beautiful job, everyone loved how I looked in the pictures and that was the best comment any bride would want to hear on her wedding day, all added compliments to the hair and make up artist. =) I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for a hair and makeup artist for their special day or even maybe any other special occasion too, I definitely will be in touch base with her again maybe when I do a bigger wedding celebration...thanks again Ms. Penney! =) read more

Penney is AMAZING. Don't hesitate to book her for your wedding or special events. Her work is top notch, as is the work of her team. On my wedding day they arrived on time and ready to work, even though they had already worked an early morning wedding before my evening wedding. Every one of my bridesmaids looked stunning. One of the most memorable moments of my wedding was when I descended the staircase to walk down aisle to my future husband, not only was their an audible gasp from my guests when the laid eyes on me but my husband-to-be even began to tear up again--and considering we did a first look before the wedding, I took that as kind of a big deal! It was 102 on my wedding day but my makeup stayed in place and perfect all day and night. I thought for sure I was going to sweat right through it and even asked my bridesmaids if I was looking sweaty and they all said I looked perfect! And don't even get me started on the hair...it was a masterpiece. I loved how she made it a little softer and romantic the day of the wedding. She really took her time and made sure we looked our best. She even helped us tie the bow on the back of my dress! read more

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If you are looking for an amazing makeup artist for your wedding for an extremely reasonable price, CONTACT PENNEY NOW! Really, you're just wasting your time reading more reviews when you can be beating others to Penney--a real steal. You will not be disappointed if you have Penney as your makeup artist, the only disappointment you will feel is when you contact her only to find that your wedding date is already booked! That almost happened to me. When I contacted Penney (about 7 months before my wedding date), someone actually had a soft hold on my wedding date already. I hoped and prayed that if I submitted my deposit right away, the other person would feel pressure to make the decision quickly and back out-- and luckily for me, she did. I felt a little evil on the inside for stealing the other bride's potential makeup artist but after meeting Penney and getting my makeup done by her, I knew that I had done the right thing ;) My advice to you, yelper friend: Make no hesitations when it comes to booking Penney! Who am I? A newly-wed who loves all things makeup! I would feel confident enough to do my own makeup on my wedding day, but I honestly just didn't want to do any more work than I had to on that day. I could also be a makeup artists' worst nightmare because on one side, I am laid-back and an overall happy/chill person, but on the other side, I can be secretly crazy nit-picky when it comes to makeup. I can confidently say that I made the right choice choosing Penney as my hair and makeup artist :) My impression of Penney: - She is responsive and informative: The worst wedding vendors to work with are those who take forever to get back to you. You don't have to worry about that if you work with Penney. - She is reasonable and flexible: Her pricing is excellent and hard to beat. I ended up not liking my makeup as much as I thought I did from the first trial run, and Penney booked another trial for me. I'm so glad we did that because we were able to learn from the trial run and as a result my makeup on the wedding day was flawless! - She is knowledgable: I really enjoyed having conversations with Penney, especially about makeup. She was even able to teach me a thing or two that I plan on using in the future :) - She is talented and professional: We started on time and finished on time. Timing was extremely important on your wedding day!! - She goes above and beyond: Only two days before the wedding, I asked Penney if she had a certain foundation in a certain shade that I thought was a better match for my skin tone. She didn't have it but I was fine with that since the shade I asked about was only a TINY bit off from the shade we used during the trial run. On the day of the wedding, she came with the exact foundation and shade I was asking about. That really blew me out of the water and I could not believe she would take the time and spend the money to do that for just one client. I don't want to say that she will run out and buy everyone's foundation request, but I did want to mention this because I thought it really shows Penney's character-- if you book Penney you would be working with someone who exceeds expectations. I'm not sure why this surprised me as much as it did.. but as much as I liked my makeup from trial #2 and would've been happy with that exact same look on my wedding day, I could tell Penney paid extra extra extra attention to detail on the actual wedding day which resulted in an extra flawless look :) More importantly to me, it lasted through the entire night, which was my biggest worry because I knew my makeup would have to battle tears from the ceremony and sweat from some crazy dancing I had planned. So yes. You can now celebrate because your search for the perfect wedding hair and makeup artist is over and you can move on to looking for the next vendor on your list :) read more

My wedding was on 3/30/13 at the Bridges Golf Course in San Ramon. I started looking for a make up artist around October of 2012 (the recommended 6 months time frame to secure a make up artist on most wedding websites). After doing some intense research for a couple of weeks, I love Penney's work the most and her prices are very reasonable for what I'm looking for. She was very responsive to all my questions (I believe there were over 60 emails exchanged between us), and she's just a great person overall. Super easy going, and she really cares about her clients and what they want. My fiance and I went to the trial at her house, and we just loved her! It felt more like hanging out at a friends place, and the warmth of her personality just shines. (Her dogs are super friendly, too!!!) The trial went very well. I don't typically wear a lot of make up, so it took a bit getting used to. But like everyone says, make up helps the photos look better! We decided on the indulgent bride package with some modification to it. That's another fantastic thing about Penney, she's sooooo flexible! I made some changes to the hair/make up leading up to the wedding. Penney was always very understanding and did everything she could to make sure I'm happy. She also updated our contract and detailed out the changes to make sure we are all on the same page. I wanted to have different make up/hair styles for the ceremony, tea ceremony and reception, and also wanted my make up touched up throughout the day because our day started at 6 am. (Her airbrush skill is so good, in the end, I think I'd be totally fine without any touch up. But because she was there, I didn't have to hold in my tears during the emotional/touching moments of the day, cuz she could just touch it up! =p) Looks on Wedding day: Bridal pictures: natural make up with up-do hair with pearl studs in hair Tea Ceremony: touch up make up with up-do hair with Chinese gold accessories Ceremony: natural make up with up-do hair with fresh orchids in hair and 10 ft cathedral veil Reception: smoky look with side do hair with extensions and crystal hairband 6 am - Penney arrived a couple minutes before this to set up. Most of the bridal party were still asleep, and I was super sleepy, too. Penney showed up all professional and ready to get the day started! Pictures speak a thousand words, I will post some pictures when I get them. Penney did a fantastic job with my make up and hair, I received endless compliments throughout the day, but most importantly, I still feel like myself! Her airbrushing technique is superb, and she really concentrated on the little details(such as making sure my own lashes goes well with the fake ones). One side note, I broke my right elbow (yes...that's the side where everyone will see during the ceremony) a month before the wedding and had surgery on it , so I had a scar about 5 inches long. It was a fresh scar, but after a couple minutes of airbrush, it's completely gone! 9:00 am - We were done with hair and make up around now. And it's almost time for bridal pictures! We had a lot of ppls running around in the bridal suite at this point, and it's amazing how Penney can concentrate on her work while talking to ppls. All my bridal party and photographers loved her! We had to check out of the bridal suite to go take pictures, Penney stayed to help clean and made sure we got everything! Thank you thank you thank you!!! 12 pm - Penney met us at my in-laws up to touch up my make up and hair for the tradition tea ceremony. Again, there must've been 50 ppls in the house. Penney got to work right away. With just a few touches, and different accessories, my tea ceremony look was completed. Again, lots of compliments. =) 3 pm - The ceremony starts at 4 pm. Penney came to the venue to do my touch up. I could tell I was getting super nervous at this point already, and Penney definitely helped to keep me relaxed. I had a 10 ft long cathedral veil and fresh orchids for my hair. Our wedding was on a grass lawn at the first hole, and it got pretty windy when the ceremony first started. I could feel my hair was getting pulled my the wind and was soooo scared that it might the flowers or the veil would fall off...but Penney did such a great job that they stayed in one place (as evidenced by how great the photos looked later). So if you are thinking about having a super long veil for an outdoor wedding, you can definitely do it with Penney's amazing skills! 5 pm - Like all Asian weddings, our photo session took longer than expected. So Penney was only left with half an hour to change my hair do and touch up on my make up. Again, super fantastic job while under lots of pressure from the event coordinator and ppls coming in and out of the bridal room Wow, that was a long review. Words cannot describe how happy I am to have Penney be my make up artist. I will definitely recommend her to all my friends and family. =) read more

Penney is awesome. My wedding was on June 21, 2013. She and her crew showed up on time (early actually) to the hotel where we were getting ready. Very efficient, professional and friendly. They got started right away and you could tell they have worked together a lot. Penney was nice enough to even fit in a bridesmaid who initially said didn't want hair and makeup but then decided at the last minute that she changed her mind. Something she didn't have to do but did because she's nice. The job she and her crew did was simply AMAZING. Very natural, elegant and beautiful work. The makeup and hair stayed for quite a while and looks incredible in pictures. Would highly recommend!!! read more

Penney did my hair/makeup for my wedding this past April and brought two assistants to get my 5 bridesmaids ready too. Penney and her assistants showed up a few minutes early and were great throughout the whole process. They were all so nice, really listened to what each person wanted and were happy to make changes. I knocked off one star because I had done a trial run with Penney about a month before my wedding. On the day of my wedding, she arrived and we proceeded like she knew exactly what she was supposed to do (based on my trial). As she was doing my hair, she started to pin it half up so I reminded her that my hair was going to be all down with some swept to the side. Not a big deal, but there were a couple other little directions that we had gotten right during my trial that weren't quite right on my wedding day. I wish we had run through what I wanted again the morning of my wedding. I liked my hair pretty well, but I didn't love it. And by the time we got to cutting the cake, my hair had gone flat. At that point it had been many hours so maybe my down-do would have done that no matter who styled it. I LOVED the way Penney did my makeup and all of my bridesmaids looked fantastic (hair and makeup)! She also did my mother-in-law's hair/makeup and she looked beatiful as well. Overall, Penney and her team did a great job. Thanks Penney!!! read more

Penney is everything you want in a make up artist. She does a good job, is affordable and responsive. I called a bunch of salons and other make up artists and they either don't call back or want to charge an insane amount of money. I did my trial with Penney for my engagement pictures and it worked really well. I would recommend that if that's what you need. Penney took notes and pictures after my trial so she can remember exactly what I liked. Her assistants did my mom and bridesmaids' hair and makeup on the wedding day and they were great too. Everyone looked gorgeous. On the wedding day she just focused on me and made sure I was totally satisfied. I would totally use Penney again for a friend's wedding or a special occasion. Highly recommended! read more

Penney did my hair and makeup for my wedding day and she did an amazing job. She made my skin looked flawless and the makeup stayed on the entire night. I've never had airbrushing before but Penney is a pro. I was also very impressed with how she was able to highlight my eyes. Hands down, the best makeup job I've ever had! read more

I found Penney after reading tons of reviews for wedding makeup. I was really pleased with her immediate responses and her willingness to answer my numerous questions both over the phone and over email. Penney went over and above what I expected in my makeup trial, changing the look as I waffled from idea to idea. She was amazingly patient and positive. She was honest about what would look good on me and encouraged me to stick to a timeless look that was me instead of something that I would look back on in 50 year questioning what I was thinking! I look back on my wedding pictures now and am really really happy with how natural and fresh I look. Penney came early and worked tirelessly the whole time leaving me with a beautiful personalized touchup kit for the day. I highly recommend Penney to anyone looking for someone who is flexible and talented as well as artistic and detail oriented. I got so many compliments on my makeup and on how natural and radiant I looked. Penney was my favorite vendor of my day. read more

Penney did a fantastic job on my hair for my wedding. She was prompt, professional, personable, cordial, and what impressed me most was that she listened to my concerns when I voiced them after the hair trial. I received lots of compliments from friends and family on my hair. I would enlist in Penney's services again in the future. read more

Penney did my hair and makeup for the wedding this month. It was fantastic! My face stayed exactly the same after 12 hours in the heat. She was professional, calm, and generally just a very nice person to work with. I highly recommend her! read more

A great recommendation from a friend, Penney and Jenny did an exceptional work on the whole bridal party including the mothers, grandmother and myself. Very natural and light application. They both came on top and were very accomodating. Penney did a great job on my updo and it was well intact even with crazy wind speeds during our ceremony. Penney is great to work with, very professional and making sure everything is up to par. Thank you so much the photos came our beautiful with your magic touches. read more

Penney and her sister were great in working with us for our wedding in August. I had my trial with Penney in February (which is a little early, but wanted to get that done so could focus on other items!). I was immediately put at ease by her professionalism and kindness. I did go to her home to get the trial done, which is a little far away from SF for me, but driving there was fine. Before our wedding, I sent Penney a few questions / photos with how my mother wanted her makeup/hair to look, and she was patient and responsive. The day of, Penney and her sister arrived on time and as expected, and worked ahead of schedule. They were very patient with my mother, mother-in-law, bridesmaids etc, particularly when some of them were more demanding with their hairstyles (thank you, Jenny!). My makeup and hair looked great. I got compliments on how natural my makeup looked, and it stayed put the whole day. Penney even gave me a little kit to bring to touch up my lips (lip balm and lipstick). Very thoughtful and appreciated. For brides who are looking around for great makeup artists at reasonable prices, Penney is an amazing choice! read more