When I booked Vanessa to do my wedding day makeup, I already knew her work. She had done my makeup for a cousin's wedding a few years ago. I was ecstatic that she was available for my date! Her products are light as air, gentle and don't ever feel caked on. The fact that she will travel to your venue (within reason) was just the icing on the cake. My wedding was on a Saturday afternoon and my makeup still looked perfect when I went to dinner on Sunday evening. I cried (happy tears of course) MULTIPLE times in those 36 hours and you couldn't tell at all!!! Even having it on for that long didn't make my skin freak out. I was so impressed! She also did my mom's makeup and a couple of my bridesmaids. My mom - who never wears makeup - said 'She felt like a movie star!' I really can't say enough about the talent this woman has for bringing out the natural beauty of her clients. I have never felt so gorgeous as when I was made up by Vanessa. Thank you for making me the most beautiful me I have ever been on my most special day!! read more

Sitting Pretty - Feeling (and looking) simply PERFECT on my big day - Thank you Vanessa!!! - Makeup Artists Near Me

Thank you to Vanessa (and her assistant, who was also fantastic!) for the amazing job they did at my 9/15/18 wedding with my bridesmaids, mom, and aunt, who all looked stunning! She also did a beautiful job on my airbrush foundation, which lasted 12+ hours and still looked perfect at the end of the night! I appreciated that she was also very flexible with everyone's personal preferences and I thought her prices were very reasonable for the high quality of work. read more

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I found Vanessa through word of mouth, "She's wonderful, talented and fun to be around". When I first met her, at the make-up trial, I was instantly a fan. Vanessa is not only a highly talented artist but truly a wonderful person and great fun to be around. I only wish I could hang out with her all the time. "Hiiiii, it's me again..." On the day of the event, Vanessa arrived about 40 mins early to our appointment. She was scheduled to do my make-up and 2 others in my wedding party. I was the last gal to have make-up done and let me tell you, when I saw both my girls done up - I was even more excited than before. She's so talented - yes, that means, she's REALLY THAT GOOD. She had my face on in less than 25 mins and if I wasn't getting married in less than an hour, I probably would have cried. I looked so beautiful, I couldn't believe myself. The make-up lasted through the night (it was hot and I was a dancing machine) and into the early hours of the morning. I never felt like I looked overly done up, cakey, or heavy. My make-up didn't smear, melt or wipe off when I gave everyone hugs and kisses after the ceremony. I was a queen for a day and I owe most of it to the women that did my make-up and my hair (tho my dress was to die for - vintage romantic). Thank you, Vanessa, for making yourself available to people like me. I'll never forget how special I felt - an unexpected and appreciated gift. Highly recommended! Prices are reasonable too! read more

Sitting Pretty - Highly recommend Vanessa! The best make-up artist I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Fantastic! - Makeup Artists Near Me

Wow what can I say! Vanessa is awesome. Her professionalism is top notch. I served as matron of honor and wedding coordinator. Vanessa transformed my bride into an ethereal princess. She calmed our nerves and provided us without outstanding service. I'm not a make-up enthusiast and left all decisions in her hands. And she did not disappoint. She took into account my personality, the theme along with color scheme of the wedding , and the brides wishes to work wonders. Vanessa has a way of seeing someone's inner beauty and bringing that out through her makeup skills. She was very patient and again created a look that was beyond beautiful. I would recommend her a thousand times over! read more

Sitting Pretty - Vanessa's beautiful work! - Makeup Artists Near Me

Vanessa is amazing! She did my engagement shoot and wedding make up. I was the bride and was completely happy with her work. She is very professional, always on time and so easy to talk to. I was so happy to find someone I was comfortable with and did amazing work. All my bridesmaids were also happy with her work. On the day of the wedding she was their early to set up and ready to go by the time the first bridesmaid arrived. I would and have recommeded her to anyone. :) P.S. I found her through Yelp (a first for me) and was worried about having a stranger come to my home, but after talking to her and meeting her, I am glad I chose her. I will be using her in the future. read more

Sitting Pretty - Vanessa was able to give each girl exactly what we wanted! I couldn't be happier with the end result. :) - Makeup Artists Near Me

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Vanessa is the BEST! She did my makeup for my engagement and wedding day. She is extremely talented and professional. Her prices are very reasonable. On my wedding day she was amazing and fit everyone in last minute that wanted their makeup done. HIGHLY recommended her for any makeup needs!! read more

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Vanessa is extremely professional. I would recommend her for your make up needs. She's timely and is good about letting the customer know what when she will arrive on site. I used her for my engagement party. She arrived promptly in the morning. Completed the job and cleaned up and left with out anyone noticing. I think if you let her know what your needs are in terms of make up and the kind of look you are going for ..she's happy to accommodate. I only knew that I wanted fake eyelashes. In terms of what look I was going for for make-up application I had no clue. Vanessa doesn't do hair. However, she does work with JoAnne, who I hear is fantastic when it comes to hair. You may want to ask for a package if you are interested in a hair and make up combination. They may work something out for you. read more

I've worked with Vanessa on a wedding we did in Los Gatos and she was amazing. Very fast and effecient as well as professional. It was as if she wasn't around and personally working with brides and bridesmaids on such a stressful day you need someone who can be very precise without making mistakes or mishaps. I love her because she's also very flexible to work with. She's timely and a doll. I would definitely recommend her to anyone needing on location services. In fact any professional who is needing a make up artist for their shoots or an event, Vanessa is the one to call!!! read more

I use Vanessa's On Location Make-Up Artistry for my modeling & Photoshoots & i am very pleased with the variety of different looks she offers me. She is very reasonable in price & works with me & my schedule. She provides the On Location service which works out perfectly for me. I would recommend Vanessa for your make-up needs because of her punctuality and professionalism. She is a pleasure to work with and I couldn't imagine having my face touched by anyone else!~ P.S. This picture is from my latest shoot . Make Up by Vanessa of Sitting Pretty! read more

I found Vanessa on Yelp as an emergency replacement for another make-up artist that canceled on the day of my shoot for my engagement photos. She called back as soon as she could, but too late to do the shoot. Anyway, I rescheduled and made an appointment with Vanessa based on my conversation with her, yelp reviews and her my space page. I liked her and was very comfortable with her coming to my home. My photos which were color as well as black and white turned out fabulous!!! My fiance, friends and family loved the photos..... read more

This yelp review is long overdue. I already had a make up artist that I typically go to for special events but she was not able to do my make up the specific day I needed. I was in a rut and did not know where else to go. One of my girls recommended Vanessa and she came to my rescue. I needed my make up done for a wedding I was a part of. She did an amazing job on my make up and she will definitely be doing some of my future bridesmaid's make up. Thanks Vanessa for coming to my rescue! read more

I was so lucky to find Vanessa at the last minute to do my makeup for a charity event. She did an amazing job, I can't tell you how many compliments I got! Vanessa is very professional and really wants you to be happy with the results, she won't hesitate to make a few changes if there is something you are not comfortable with. I really enjoyed being pampered by her and would not hesitate to recommend her services. Vanessa, thank you again for an outstanding job!! I will definitely reach out to you again. read more

My sister originally found Vanessa on Yelp when she got married in 2008. As her MOH, I also had my makeup done by Vanessa. It looked so great and lasted all day, and photographed perfectly. When I got married this fall I went back to Vanessa knowing I would be in good hands for the big day. Vanessa is professional, asked a lot of questions about how I wanted my makeup to look and had great suggestions. I liked that she took photos during the trial so that I could see how the makeup would look in pictures. She arrived to my home on time, set up quickly, and provided me with a calming sanctuary as the rest of the family bustled around the house. As a girl who is hopeless at doing my own makeup I was so relieved to know I had nothing to worry about and that it would look flawless for my wedding. I would definitely recommend Vanessa for any of your special occasions! read more

Vanessa was recommended to me by my hair stylist for my wedding and she is simply AMAZING. She is a top notch professional, incredibly talented, and all around fantastic human being. I brought her a few pictures to my trial and she recreated the look perfectly. Before my wedding I did a spray tan session with her which also turned out great and looked very even and natural. On the day of my wedding she traveled to our venue and did our makeup onsite (she also did a fabulous job on my bridesmaids). Our makeup lasted all day and looked great in photos. I was so beyond happy with her work and I can't wait to have another excuse to hire her. Highly highly recommended! read more

Sitting Pretty - Vanessa's beautiful handiwork. Photo by: CalMax Studios - Makeup Artists Near Me

Vanessa did my makeup for my wedding and I never wear makeup. With Vanessa's skills and expertise, I felt and looked like a million bucks. Plus spray tans....you can not go wrong if you are looking for a nice and natural tan too! Sitting Pretty is a must if you are looking for makeup for any occasion. Any makeup needs, Vanessa is the one to contact!! Keep up the great work. read more

I Love Vanessa and you will too! For my wedding, she not only met with me ahead of time to complete a trial, but she was able to create the exact look I was going for on my wedding day. She arrived on time at the location of the shop I was having my hair done at and applied my makeup in the amount of time we had planned for. She applied the airbrush foundation on me and my bridal party. It looked completely natural and it lasted ALL night. I was worried about becoming shiny at some point, but it did not happen at all. We had an evening wedding and my makeup lasted not only for our entire reception, but also for the red-eye flight we caught to our honeymoon destination (because I loved my makeup so much!). Vanessa also worked with my sister-in-law who never wears makeup and typically doesn't like to have it done because they always go overboard, but not Vanessa! My sister-in-law absolutely loved it and to this day is not afraid to have her makeup done. Being that I am light complected, I asked Vanessa about the spray tan. It looked natural and everyone kept asking me when I had time to go to the beach. :) Vanessa is a personable gal and you will enjoy working with her. She strives to make you look amazing for your special day. She also gave me a few makeup tips that I still use. read more

Vanessa did a FABULOUS job for my wedding makeup. I had a large, colorful Indian wedding and I wanted makeup that was bold and dramatic to go with the events. She did my makeup for both my wedding and reception and I got so many compliments on it. My makeup was bold and elegant at the same time. She actually did a better job then all of the Indian makeup artists who did trails for me. I had one trial with Vanessa and she immediate understood my needs. Even the trial makeup was fabulous. I have recommended Vanessa to all of my friends -- she is meticulous and strives to give her clients exactly what they want. She was super punctual for all of my events and I am planning to retain her as my make up artist for all of my events going forward... read more

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Vanessa.... 100% recommend... I was stressed out for my sons wedding because I needed to get make up done diffrent than what I normally wear.. And might I say complements were given. And even though I may shed a tear here and there, make up was still holding up.. Even for pics simple and not over powering of make up... Enjoyed advise that is given (make up suggestions) easy to ask for her opinion.. Transformation I tell you!.. Will surely use again.... # is on speed dail... Thank you again Vanessa for all you done for my transformation. Thank you, Thank you again.... read more

Vanessa was SIMPLY perfect! She is extremely talented and made me look flawless for my wedding. I showed her exactly what I wanted and made me look amazing for my wedding ! I highly recommend using Vanessa !!!! read more

This review is a little late. Sorry Vanessa. I got married on 11/11/11 and was lucky enough to have Vanessa to do her her thing. She was so thorough and took her time making everything perfect. I had even changed the color palate on her after the trial appointment! No problem for Vanessa. I don't think I have ever looked better. Vanessa maintained professionalism at every turn and she did not overcharge as many others seem to do. I would not hesitate to recommend Vanessa to anyone looking for a fabulously awesome, professional, and affordable makeup superstar! read more

Vanessa is AMAZING!!! She's professional and fun to work with. My makeup looked great at our trial and even better on my wedding day. She was so wonderful and I received tons of compliments on my makeup throughout the day and into the night. I cried during our ceremony and it stayed. I danced and sweated all night, and it stayed. I'm recommending her to everyone I know. Thank you so much!!! read more

Oh where shall I start? Vanessa is off the hook with her make-up skills! If it's just for fun, weddings, try outs. I always LOVE how my make-up turns out. She's great with the smoky eyes and the whole 9! I totally recommend her for any type of occasion she will MAKE it work! She will make you feel right at home by her friendliness too! :) read more

I style hair for weddings and have seen Vanessa's work many time. Her work is amazing. She knows exactly what colors look good with her client and applies a great smokey eye. She also adds lashes which make the eyes stand out even more. Very professional. read more

Vanessa is a doll! She is a fantastic make up artist, she's funny and puts you at ease (all of the girls in the wedding LOVED her) and I can't imagine anyone else doing my makeup for my special day. I booked a wedding trial a few months back - we set it up so that the trial coincided with my bridal shower, which just so happened to be in a house in South San Jose with no AC on one of the hottest days of the year! I thought my makeup was going to melt off, but a few hours and 2 buckets of sweat later, my makeup looked just as fresh as if Vanessa had just done it! Amazing! That pretty much sealed the deal. On the wedding day, Vanessa did make up for me, my mom, and my two bridesmaids. My bridesmaids looked gorgeous :) just how I wanted! My mom NEVER wears makeup, and when I told her that I wanted her makeup done by Vanessa, she protested because she had never had anyone do her makeup the way that she liked. Vanessa gave her a super light and natural look, she looked so beautiful and I was so happy because my mom loved it. For myself, I wanted an old style 1940's look: Winged liner, red lips,etc. She listened and looked at the pictures I had brought her and did it exactly how I wanted! Everyone who saw me got this starry look in their eyes and told me how absolutely beautiful I looked ... Let me just say that I am an okay looking girl but I felt like a princess on my wedding day. Vanessa was absolutely wonderful. I recommend her to everyone who wants to look beautiful for their special event. read more

Loved my spray tan! Vanessa did a great job covering up my white pasty butt with a glorious golden tan! I was glowing brown for a full 2 weeks. Thanks Miss V! read more

Vanessa did my wedding makeup and she is awesome!!! I looked forever for someone to do my wedding makeup many people were over priced and extremely rude. Vanessa was a pleasure to work with from beginning to end. She came to my house for my trial run. She was extremely helpful in helping figure out how much makeup to wear and what I needed for the day of the wedding. We even went outside to take some pictures to know how it would look. My makeup stayed on all day. She stayed in contact with me from the time of our trial till the wedding and I was always able to get a hold of her. She showed up to my hotel bright and earlier (on her birthday no less!) and was ready to work. She did my makeup, my mom, a few of my bridesmaids, my grandma, and my flower girls. Everyone looked beautiful. I would definetely recommend her. :) read more

I would highly recommend Vanessa if you're looking for someone who really knows what they are doing , she's an amazing makeup artist . she always kills it doing my make up for events, she's good at doing all make up looks. she's done my make up from dramatic to a simple make up look ..I wouldn't choose to go to anyone else (: read more

Vanessa is a truly talented makeup artist. She did my wedding makeup (and my maid-of-honor's) and I was more than impressed with the results. It was an outdoor wedding and the heat was unbearable at times, but my makeup held up through the reception and late into the night. Not only is Vanessa great at what she does, but she didn't even mind that during our trial, my house was in a major state of disrepair due to remodeling. There were electricians running around and I didn't really have a proper space set up for her, but she completely understood. If you are considering booking a makeup artist for a special event, go with Vanessa. She can work with whatever style you looking to achieve and is professional, friendly and super fun! read more

Vanessa is absolutely incredible, I honestly cannot recommend her enough. She is so versatile and skilled at enhancing everyone's features, not just covering them up with layers of makeup. I don't wear a lot of makeup, especially on my face, and the one thing my now husband asked was that he would love to see my freckles on the day of our wedding. This seemed simple enough yet after other trials and people trying to convince me to step way out of my comfort zone for pictures, I was getting nervous that I wouldn't look like myself the day of. Then I met Vanessa, who I was referred to by my hairstylist. I went to meet her and felt a sense of calm yet professionalism right away. She eased my nerves and listened to exactly what I was looking for, I couldn't wait to work with her on the big day. I hired her for two days and I honestly ended up looking the best I ever have on both. She also did a wonderful job on my mom, sister and bridesmaids who wanted to go more dramatic, as well as made my mother-in-law comfortable who normally never wears anything besides lipstick. It was over 100% degrees and our makeup lasted through the ceremony and plenty of dancing all night. Besides the fact that she is an incredibly talented artist, I can't recommend her enough for how relaxed she is, and makes you feel, as well as her professionalism in terms of showing up early, being flexible, adding last minute requests and more. Trust me, she is honestly the best!!! read more

What can I say, Vanessa is the best, and I am so glad that I went with her for my wedding makeup. I was considering doing my own makeup but decided to splurge and hire a makeup artist, and I am so glad I did. I had a two day wedding, so it was important for me to have differentiated looks. Scheduled a trial and spent more than 2 hours going through the details of both looks. Vanessa is very patient and really made sure I was completely satisfied. Day of wedding, everything was perfect. She was on time and really flexible in the space to set up all her things. My makeup was exactly what we discussed and I couldn't have been happier with the results. The makeup looked amazing in pictures too. read more

Oh she was great my make up was perfect all night! Vanessa did my make up for a wedding I was in and after bawling my eyes out that night during the ceremony I was pleased to see my make up in tact! My dress was Marine which is dark blue...she did my make up great it matched my dress and I did not look crazy with blue eyeshadow! Instead I got lots of wonderful compliments from all the guest on how beautiful I looked that night! I want to make a very high recommendation to everyone to book her for your special day. She is very helpful, professional and most of all she knows what she is doing to make you look beautiful. read more

I really didn't think makeup would make me look that much better, but apparently it did! I was more afraid that makeup would make me look less like me for my wedding, but Vanessa did a fantastic job keeping a soft natural look that i wanted and I was complimented about it all day. If you are looking for someone to do your makeup stop looking and call her, you will not be disappointed. read more

(Re-posting review from May 2008 which got removed): I hired Vanessa for my wedding day makeup and was very satisfied with her work! I had a makeup trial about 4 months before the wedding, and Vanessa was willing to patiently work with me to try several different "looks" to help me decide which one would work best on my wedding day. I wanted a very natural look that would stay on all day and night, and Vanessa was able to accomplish that for both my trial and big day. Vanessa works quickly and efficiently, but not in a way that makes the bride feel rushed. She stopped every so often to make sure I was happy with what I saw so far, and was willing to make any changes if the look wasn't quite right. I would highly recommend Vanessa's wedding day on-location makeup services! read more

i got married in oct. and i wanted a make up artist that would make me look pretty but also make me look like myself. vanessa did that and so much more. i had a trial run a month before the wedding. we had scheduled it at my mom's house but that day was my surprise bachelorette party so she was kind enough to let me come to her house so that my mom could keep it a surprise, on the wedding day she came to my mom's house, she was on time and she's also very organized. she made me look amazing. i had air brush make up done and it stayed in place after crying and dancing the night away. i received so many compliments. i would go to her over and over again read more

I found Vanessa on yelp when I was looking for make up artist for my wedding. I came to find out that she used to be my teacher when I was going to school to get my Esthetician license. Crazy coincidence I know, but it worked out perfect! She made sure that she was on time and had a fantastic look for everyone in my wedding party! I really enjoyed working with her, it was easy and fun. Thanks for helping make my day amazing! read more

Vanessa did my makeup for my wedding. She also did my daughter's and my Mom's makeup. We all looked just perfect. Very fresh and lovely. She is fantastic! read more

I love to pamer myself and I had a wonderful time hosting a party with Sitting Pretty. I had gone to Vaness before at her salon and she told me about her parties and I said "why not!'. When Vanessa came to my house she was prepared and professional. We all had a great time and I can't wait to do it again! read more

I have booked Vanessa for my wedding day makeup! To date she has been so easy to work with, replies to any and all questions I have very quickly. Even though my wedding hasn't happened yet I already know she'll do a great job! We already had a makeup trial, and the makeup was perfect. I went in not knowing what I wanted, and she helped me narrow it down, and when she finished it was better than I could have imagined. On top of that, I am the biggest flincher on earth when somebody works on my eyes, and she made me so relaxed that my eyes hardly moved! I'll definitely follow up post wedding, but she is awesome! I will definitely recommend her to all my friends! read more

Vanessa did a great job for my sister's wedding. She was very professional and super helpful. She did makeup for my mother who never wears makeup. The makeup was beautiful, fresh and natural and still looked like my mom. My sister wanted more dramatic makeup and needed tatoo coverage, both of which were done excellently. read more

Vanessa is amazing!! I found her on Yelp and hired her to do the makeup for my wedding. I never wear makeup and was worried about looking "too made up, and not like myself" for my big day. She did a great job at making me look like a better version of myself, not like I was wearing a ton of makeup. My bridesmaids, mom and I looked great all night long. I would definitely recommend her, and will use her again for any special occasion makeup needs. read more