I first heard and learned about Penney when I was researching for my friend's wedding and ended up using her for my own wedding! This review is well overdue (over a year overdue to be exact), because since I've first used her, I've had her do my hair and makeup for at least 5 other times (one for my engagement photos, one for my friend's wedding, and three other events I have went to). She always does a fabulous job on both the makeup and hair and works with you to get you the style you want or help you decide what is the best style for different occasion. She is always on time, professional, and extremely easy going. She has also done my friend's wedding, and my bridesmaids makeup and they all have love her. Overall, I would continue to go back to her as my makeup and hair person and continue to recommend her to my friends for weddings. read more

Finding a hair & makeup artist for my wedding was the most stressful part of my planning. I actually had several trials that did not go very well. I am so grateful I found Penny and that she was available. Penny is very talented, professional and kind. She really listens to what you want and was so patient throughout my whole planning process. I must have changed my mind 100 times w/ different makeup looks and hairstyles. Somehow, on the day of.....my hair & makeup turned out perfectly! The airbrush made my skin look flawless and even the lipstick color she suggested turned up real nice on pictures. She arrived early to set up and even stayed to give the groom a light airbrush. Her pricing is really the best for the quality you get. read more

When the hair and make-up artist that I had planned on hiring for my wedding ended up being booked for the day, I went into a complete panic mode! I'm very picky about who does my hair and make-up and wasn't sure how I would find someone else that I could trust to take care of me on my wedding day. I immediately began my search online and found Penney through the "A-List Makeup" website...and was glad that I did! From the first email sent to the wedding day, Penney was an absolute joy to work with! She is very professional and very talented! After doing my trial session, I knew instantly that I wanted to hire her. She is so friendly and has such a wonderful personality and makes you feel so comfortable. She listens to your needs and opinions and makes it happen....she won't stop until you are completely happy and satisfied. She sent me an email of great tips prior to the wedding day on how to take care of my skin and hair which I thought was very nice and helpful. Penney had great suggestions and was always very patient with my many questions. On the day of the wedding, Penney brought a team of 4 other ladies with her and they did the hair & make-up for myself and my 7 bridesmaids/matrons, both the mother of the bride and groom, 2 sponsors, and 2 little girls (flower girl and jr. bridesmaid). They arrived early to set-up and finished all the ladies in time....and EVERYONE's hair and make-up looked beautiful. Penney worked on only a couple of the ladies and then focused solely on me. I loved how she did my make-up...it wasn't at all too heavy or "cakey" and it was definitely not the kind of make-up where the bride looks drastically different. I wanted to look like "a better me, but still me"...and she totally nailed it! Both my hair and make-up lasted throughout the night and she even gave me a "touch-up" kit that included the lipstick color she used, lipliner, q-tips, and blotting tissues. Penney is truly amazing at what she does and I will not hesitate to recommend her to future brides or anyone who needs their hair and make-up done. Oh and to top it off, her prices are very reasonable for the services that she provides! Thank you Penney and your team for getting me and bridal party "beautified" for my wedding=) Looking forward to working with you again for our "Trash the Dress" photoshoot! read more

Penney did my make up for my wedding, and she did an amazing job. I had a trial with her a few months prior, and I was able to tell her what I liked and wanted changed. She took detailed notes and was able to create exactly what I wanted on my wedding day. She is prompt, friendly, easy going and so fun to work with! She calmed nerves (always good a few hours before a wedding!) and was so flexible working with our photographer (so we have amazing getting ready photos). Overall, I highly recommend Penney for her make up abilities!! read more

A little late on the review from my May wedding but this is how much I Loved Penney's work! I came to her after my friend's wedding where she had used her. As a girl who doesn't wear a lot of makeup, I was looking for something that would pop but not overbearing. She was able to do just that! She also did my hair - I'm sure it was a challenge but she was amazing. I have thick, frizzy and somewhat wavy hair. Because of the Chinese dresses for the wedding, I had to have my hair up for the "proper look." My big fear is that it would not hold up, but the hair did fine. It did slip a little bit by the end of the night (probably also because of the dress collar that was rubbing against it). The wonderful part, everything looked great in the pictures! Penney was real, not overbearing and though excited was not overly bubbly on the wedding day. read more

Penny was great. She did the hair and makeup of myself (the bride) and my bridesmaids. My hair is long, heavy, and usually won't stay in an updo more than a couple of hours. Lo and behold my hair looked amazing AND stayed put the entire day and night of my wedding. It also looked amazing - my mom told me all the relatives were commenting on how gorgeous it looked. Being the first to get married amongst my friends, they had no idea how to lace up my corset dress. Luckily, Penney was there to show them how to do it! She was like my fifth bridesmaid and was super awesome! read more

Penney did my makeup for my engagement photos and my wedding day on may 16 2015! I must say that I am so glad that I chose her as my makeup artist! She is so sweet, talented and very calm! For all my makeup needs I will definitely be coming to her for any future events in my life. On my wedding day I was freaking out w/ everything and she was there calmly and respectfully telling me that everything was going to be alright. I love how very professional she is and how she does everything with a smile. Thank you Penney for making me feel so beautiful. I will be seeing you soon! read more

Penney did such an AMAZING job on the hair and make-up for me and my bridesmaids. I received so many compliments! I am extremely happy with her work and she is so easy to work with. I feel so lucky to have been recommended to her by a friend. She was truly amazing and my bridesmaids loved her and her friendly staff. Penney also was so great about accommodating my mom and aunt last-minute on the day of the wedding. The wedding would not have been the same without her services and I will HIGHLY recommend her to all of my future engaged friends :) read more

Penney was the hair and makeup artist for my wedding in Mill Valley last August. I had so much fun collaborating with Penney. I had a trial with her and booked her right away. She is so skilled and talented, listens carefully to your preferences and somehow manages to make every one of her clients look smashing. My bridesmaids and I loved working with her and her colleague for the big day. She took her time with each of us and managed to give us all looks that reflected our individual styles. She has such a fun and calm personality too. Thank you, Penney! read more

I loved working with Penney before and on the day of my wedding. During the trial, we experimented with a couple different options - even though she nailed it with the first look. Though my mom and sister both loved one of the makeup options, I loved the other. I told Penney I would have to think about it. But Penney totally knew that I wasn't into the one that everyone else was and on the day of, she didn't even hesitate about which look we should go with. I really appreciated that! I also thought that I wanted a crystal hairpiece but couldn't find one - Penney let me rent the one we used in the trial and it was absolutely perfect. I can't say enough good things about Penney or the work she did for me. (P.S. my bridal brigade loved her sister! She did an awesome job with their hair and makeup.) I felt just like the princess I wanted to be on that day. *Side note: I was nervous about the cost of all the services,but at the end of the day, I'm so glad that I decided to go through with Penney and her impeccable work!* read more

Penney is amazing! Her work is stunning! She is sweet, professional and a JOY to work with! 5 BIG STARS!!!! :)

Penney did my hair and makeup for my wedding in September 2014, as well as the hair/makeup for my bridal party, mother, and mother-in-law. A friend recommended Penney to me, and Penney was great to work with. I dislike the usual wedding hair/makeup (heavy makeup and overdone hair), so during my trial, I expressed this to Penney who worked with me. We played for a long time with my unmanageable hair and Penney listened to me when I explained the type of makeup I wanted and implemented incredibly, even though I'm sure I was inarticulate. For the day of, Penney was professional, arrived on time, and did my hair and makeup perfectly. The pictures looked great, but I also felt like myself! read more

This woman is amazing! She said she does makeup not miracles but I beg to differ. I had lots of BIG DIY elements in my wedding and she totally went with it. Penney gave me big amazon hair and lashes that could blow out candles when I blinked. It complimented my dramatic oversized ball gown well. I wanted heavy contouring for my chipmunk cheeks but worried that my pale complexion would come out 'dirty' looking. Penney made it happen! Best of all, everything stayed put for over 12 hours even with my oily skin and my reckless face touching tendencies. Penney's assistant, Jenny and Cheryl, made my bridesmaid, sisters, and mothers looked spectacular. Each one was too hot to handle. Pros: 1. Super responsive 2. Aware of your wants and makes it work with what you got 3. Quick and on time 4. I didn't look like a clown Cons: 1. What cons? read more

Penney is a great makeup artist! she not only did my makeup but she also helped me create me makeup collection by helping me pick the right products for my color. She was awesome and I would work with her again. read more

Penny did my hair and make-up on my wedding day, and make-up for the bridal party/both mothers (with an assistant, all in 3 hrs). She was amazing - really easy to work with, very professional, and really listened to what everyone wanted. She was super patient with everyone and was superb with some very strong personalities. She's also great at getting back to you right away. I had an excellent experience for both the trial and the wedding day. The early pictures from family cameras look great. The make-up also stood up well against tears (I was an emotional bride, so opted for normal foundation for easy touch-up), and lasted well from the morning tea ceremony through the afternoon church ceremony, and after a touch up, was great for the rest of the night too. Penny made me look really elegant, beautiful, and yet not that far off from the normal me. I didn't feel like I was looking at a stranger in the mirror. The hair was beautiful and easy to transition back and forth between the Vietnamese canh dong, the cathedral veil for the church, and the flower for the banquet. I highly recommend Penny for your event. In fact, my sister's already booked her for her wedding next year. We found her through a yelp review - she definitely deserves 5 stars +. read more

Penney is THE ONE you want to do your wedding hair and makeup!!! Penney accommodated me last minute this past summer when my original hair stylist canceled, and even made time to fit in a trial/consultation session before my August wedding. Penney is extremely talented and does excellent work, but also cares a great deal about how the client wants to be styled, and makes sure the bride is happy with her work. Penney listened to everything I asked for, and did such a wonderful job on my wedding day. She was super fun to have around as my bridesmaids and I got ready, and she did all of their hair SO beautifully!!! She is genuinely a lovely person, is always professional and communicative, and is an *AMAZING* hair and makeup artist. I felt so happy on my big day knowing that I looked my best! Thank you so much, Penney!!!! read more

I hired Penney to do my hair and makeup for my wedding, and she was worth every cent. She was absolutely amazing to work with. She was fast with communication, and she gave me several great looks to pick from at my trial. On my wedding day, she showed up exactly when she said she would, and did a beautiful job. Not only was my hair and makeup stunning, but it lasted all day and night and looked just as good at the end of the evening as it did at the beginning. read more

I can't believe I forgot to write a review for Penney who did the makeup and hair for my wedding almost a year ago! She was absolutely fantastic and I loved the look she pulled together on my wedding day! We did a trial before and I admit, I was a little nervous to book because we tried a couple looks and I didn't think they were perfect yet. But on the day of the wedding, Penney spent the entire time (almost 4 hours) getting my hair and makeup absolutely perfect and exactly the way I wanted. She was great about asking me how I was feeling about it during the process so we could adjust as we went along. She also did a really fantastic job with the eye makeup, which isn't always the easiest for Asians. At the end, I was really happy with her work and so was my husband! The first thing he did at our first look was breathe a huge sigh of relief and say "thank god you still look like you!". read more

After my wedding, my husband and I held a banquet for 200 of my parents' friends and our extended family and needed a hair and makeup stylist. I found Penney through my sister and did a little recon online before booking her. Aside from how I looked in the final stage, I really appreciated Penney's whole approach and how she looked after her clients. Before meeting with her, she sent me an email on "Looking Your Best" about what to do leading up to the wedding. She recommended how to keep your skin, hair etc and a timeline to-do list I found it very helpful to just keep things in perspective. I am a practical person and thought that Penney really cared about how her clients would feel on their big day...and she understood that it was more than just what she did to your hair and face on THAT DAY that would make the difference. After finishing my hair and makeup, she gave me touch up lip liner, bobby pins, and qtips in a cute little sachet. She was very calm while working on me...and was immensely helpful in getting my khang dong (Vietnamese wedding hat) to sit properly with my hair. It is the little touches and details that make her stand out. Her artistry and professionalism are outstanding. read more

Just a final review on Penney for you - earlier I posted positive feedback on the trial but wanted to also leave feedback from my experience on saturday. Penney is just a wonderful person to work with, she came on time and worked magic. She is fun, professional and makes you feel beautiful. Her mix of eyeshadows made it look perfect for my evening reception while still capturing the natural essence for the ceremony. The airbrushing was awesome and my makeup stayed on from the time she finished at about 2pm to the time I finally fell asleep around 3AM!! My skin was flawless and it captured well on regular cameras. I have to wait for the professional pictures but I have no doubt in my mind that it looks beautiful. I wish I had more events to go to just so I can get it done with her =) So in regards to my post-wedding experience I would still HIGHLY recommend her to do your makeup for any of your special occasions! read more

Penney (and several staff she brought along) provided hair and make-up services for me and my six bridesmaids. I absolutely loved her work - and appreciated that she had her own ideas when I would request them (for instance, I really wasn't sure whether to get eyelash extensions vs use fake eyelashes), but that she was also very open to my specific requests (e.g. my husband really likes pale foundation with very rosy cheeks). She was extremely pleasant, was punctual, and professional. The staff she brought for help with the bridesmaids was also very skilled and all of the ladies were really happy with the way their looks turned out. Finally, Penney was flexible and game - I had a complicated piece of jewelry had to be draped over my hair and she was great about figuring out how best to place it. read more

I booked Penney to do my bridesmaids and mother-in-law's hair and make up for my wedding. Penney was very responsive by email. She was always professional and also gave me beauty tips so everyone would look their best for the wedding. My bridesmaids said they found the advice very helpful. There were 6 people who had their hair and make up done: three Asians, one Latina, and one Caucasian. Penney had 3 assistants come to do the hair and make up for the girls: Jenny, Cindy, and Christina. The assistants were scheduled to come first and get started on the girls. They were very punctual. Everyone was very polite. For two of my bridesmaids, I wanted a slight change done to their hair and they changed it for me. Penney and her crew did an excellent job. My husband said it was the best he had seen two of them look. Their makeup and hair lasted the entire evening. read more

I had Penney do my hair and makeup for my wedding, as well as hair for my bridesmaids. I hired her last minute and did not have time for a trial, so I emailed her pictures of styles that I liked. On my big day, I was very happy with the way my hair and makeup turned out. She was professional and very friendly. She allowed for plenty of time to do my hair and makeup as well as my bridesmaids' hair. She also made me a little "survivor kit" that included lipstick color, gum, a mirror, and q-tips. She was very thoughtful and knew what she was doing! Thank you, Penney! read more

Penny was a rock star at our wedding. She arrived on time, and worked pleasantly and quickly to make my large wedding party (6 bridesmaids & 2 mothers) look fabulous! She very professional, and made hair and makeup one of the least stressful parts of the day. I would absolutely recommend her. read more

Penney did my hair and makeup for my wedding a few weeks ago, and her associates also did the hair/makeup for my bridal party and both mothers. She was recommended to me by a friend, and Penney was so easy to work with, nice, and professional! I'm not a big makeup person, but Penney was able to give me some great recommendations on what looked good on me. The day of the wedding, she did such an amazing job that my makeup and hair held up for over 10 hours, even in 105F weather! I highly recommend her! read more

I am so happy to have had Penney do my make up and hair for my 04/16/10 wedding! It was a Friday morning wedding ceremony and she promptly arrived at the hotel room at 6:30AM in order to complete my MOH and my hair style and make up. Also, she did a beautiful job on my (flower girl) niece's hair. My niece still raves about how much fun it was to have her hair done by Penney. I received so many compliments on my hair and make up throughout that day. It held up all day and into the evening. I knew I did not want to wear my hair in an updo for my wedding, but was worried that my shoulder length hair would be too short when curled if I was to wear it down. Instead, Penney suggested extensions. This was a great solution and so much fun. I wore my long(er) hair down, curled and it was exactly what I wanted! Also, my MOH was thrilled with the length of her eyelashes. Definitely, do the airbrushing. It lasted throughout the day and through all my crying! Another bonus to working with Penney was her thoughtfulness. As we were getting ready to leave for the ceremony, she surprised me with a personalized "touch up" kit. This came in very handy as I was able to "touch up" my lipstick throughout the day. She thought of everything : ) Her friendliness, professionalism and ability to translate what I wanted for my wedding day make-up and hair made it a delight to work with her. Her prices are also very reasonable, which is a plus in today's economy. I would definitely recommend her in a heartbeat. I can't wait to find another occasion to have my make-up and hair done by her. Thanks, Penney! read more

Penney was the first and only hair/makeup artist I met with for my engagement and wedding day. After first meeting her, I knew she could deliver everything I wanted. I was extremely happy with the results from both the engagement and wedding with both hair and makeup. My hair was only shoulder length at the time of the engagement, and I wanted my hair in an updo. I was skeptical that it could be done so I showed some pictures of styles that I wanted. Penney was able to recreate the exact style even with short hair. 6 months later was my wedding day and my hair was a bit longer. She was able to recreate everything she did from the engagement session and incorporate the tiny changes I requested. Penney is very humble with her awesome talent and open to your requests. She is very friendly and patient! She made me into the bride that I always dreamed of and didn't make my look like a "China Doll" that I had nightmares about! I got plenty of compliments on both occasions and everyone was amazed at what Penney could do with a face that hardly wears makeup! I was asked several times whether Penney had added hair extensions and I responded it was all my hair along with Penney's magic! I would recommend Penney to any future bride or anyone who wants to look their best on any special occasion. I am hoping for a future special ocassion so I can work with Penney again! read more

Penney is a great hair/makeup artist to work with! She was very open to what I wanted and what type of makeup I prefer. I loved the way she worked with my hair during our trial. On the day of the wedding, she showed up with her two assistants before the scheduled time to set up. We started right on schedule. I was very happy with the way my makeup and hair turned out. Penney made me look really good, but at the same time, I still looked like myself. My bridesmaids all looked very beautiful. Many of our guests complimented on my hair. I needed hair that was very secure, because I had to wear an Indian sari veil in the morning, then I had to switch over to a Western white dress veil. My hair toughed it through all the outfit changes and still looked great at the end of the night. I would definitely recommend Penney for wedding hair/makeup. She is very talented and is a blast to work with! read more

I used Penney for my hair and makeup for my wedding day last month, and I loved it! She is exactly what you want in a wedding vendor: open to your suggestions, responsive, flexible, friendly. Additionally, I highly recommend doing a trial. When I did my trial, it wasn't exactly what I wanted, but after some back and forth with Penney, she absolutely nailed it on the wedding day. Not only is Penney talented, but her team is also very talented. You want to make sure your bridesmaids look beautiful and that they are in good hands. You can interview the make-up artist, but you can't always interview their assistants. You can trust Penney that she will take care of you and your bridesmaids. Finally, Penney's prices are very competitive for the Bay Area, and she includes extra services that many make-up artists will charge additional for. read more

i've hired penney on multiple occasion and she's delivered huge results every time! so easy to work with and such a talent! we recommend penney without hesitation. read more

Penney did my hair and make-up for my wedding in April 2011 and I was really happy with her services. Penney was so easy work with and was always prompt and profesisonal with her quote and other correspondence. She and I had a trial run a few months before the wedding and she gave me good tips leading up to the wedding -- how long I should keep my hair, what to do with my bangs, skin care, everything. She knows how to recommend things that will complement your look, but is also respectful of your own decisions. On the morning of my wedding, it was really nice to get ready with my bridesmaids and with Penney and her team. I'm sure they were feeling busy getting seven women ready, but they were all so pleasant and fun. They definitely added to the fun, laid-back vibe that morning. I've already recommended Penney to other friends, and am definitely going to continue recommending her to other brides! read more

Penney did a fantastic job on my hair and make up for my wedding. I had a short engagement and Penney did everything she could to accomodate me--which I greatly appreciated. She fit me in to do a trial the weekend I called her and was receptive of all the comments/details I wanted.One of my biggest concerns was I wanted to look like myself during the wedding and she did exactly that. My skin, make up, and hair looked radiant. and on top of that, it lasted throughout the entire day! Also, her price is unbeatable. I looked at several other places and Penney was the most reasonably priced. read more

I hired Penney to do hair and makeup for my wedding for myself, bridesmaid, and my mother. Penney showed up on time and got things done in a timely manner.She did an amazing job! We looked gorgeous, but still like ourselves. My makeup was flawless, not overdone, and lasted throughout the day. I would highly recommend her for any special event! read more

Penney did my hair and makeup on my wedding day and she did a great job. Everybody said I looked so natural and beautiful. I don't usually wear makeup so I was very nervous when doing the trial. However, it turned out great. I could still recognize me, unlike some brides with so heavy makeups that even their grooms could not recognize them =) Just loved loved loved what Penney did for me. She was very professional, punctual, and helpful. She didn't mind traveling 60+ miles to doll me up @ 6am at my place on the big day. I just couldn't thank her enough for her willingness, thoughtfulness, enthusiasm and professionalism. I would definitely recommend her to any bride-to-be. read more

After a disappointing trial with other 5-star yelp-reviewed wedding hair&makeup specialist, I contacted Penney less than 2 weeks before my wedding. She was super prompt in responding my emails, and did such a thorough job on the trial session. She was very attentive to what I had in mind, gave me airbrush trial with no extra charge( we eventually decided to go with traditional makeup), and took multiple photos from many different angles and sent them to me the next day! Between the trial and wedding day I sent a couple of question/suggestions, again she was very helpful with her professional advice. It was so great because I know next to nothing about special occasion makeup, and I wanted a not-so-common wedding hairstyle with straight-down bangs(which I've never been without my entire life) and downdo with hair extensions. On the wedding day, Penney arrived earlier although there was major construction going on around my church, got everything ready when I got there couple of minutes before appointment time. Most importantly, she did an amazing job!-on both hair and makeup. I could hardly be happier with the result! She is such a professional, talented and reliable yet easy going expert! I've already recommended her to firends who are getting married next year. I myself will definitely go back to her for special occasions. Thank you so much Penney! read more

Penney did my friend's wedding last year, and her sister Jenny did my makeup when I was a bridesmaid for another friend's wedding. Both of my friends highly recommended them. When I contacted Penney she was able to honor last year's amazing prices, which really helped my budget. She also understood that I wouldn't be able to do a trial run. On the day of, Penney and Jenny arrived right on time. They were very prepared, professional, and friendly. The girls (3 makeup and hair, one hair only) and I were done and ready to go way ahead of schedule. Penney gave me a to-go kit with lipstick, chapstick, blotting papers, and Q-tips. She styled my short hair beautifully and arranged the headpiece and veil for me. As someone who doesn't wear makeup often, I didn't really know what kind of look I wanted. Penney made me look beautiful and checked in frequently to make sure I was happy with the way I looked. She put in false eyelashes and airbrushed the makeup which felt very light. Overall, I was very satisfied with Penney and my girls were very happy with Jenny. Thanks for making me look beautiful on my big day! read more

Penney is an amazing hair and make up artist! I had a small San Francisco City Hall ceremony just a couple of weeks ago now and coming up to the USA from Australia specifically to get married, Penney made the whole process of booking and organizing things so easy!! Initially I was afraid that by booking everything online and having no trials, there would be plenty of opportunity for things to go wrong, however Penney was absolutely wonderful! She kept in touch regularly via email with me and accommodated for my every want for the day. She was punctual the morning of the big day AND my hair and make up lasted the whole day and all through the night. She had the genius mind to make up a little emergency pack for me complete with lip color for reapplications and blotting paper. She is a highly professional artist and I loved having her responsible for making me look my best on the most important day of my life. I chose her based on other yelp reviews and her price was perfect for my budget (although now that I know the level of service she provides, I would have been more that happy to have paid more for her). I cannot reiterate enough how great she truly is and I'm so glad to have chosen her for my hair and make up. read more