Once every blue moon, I must leave my hibernation cave and look presentable for an important event…read more The kind that requires more than just washing my face...and maybe brushing my hair.
This event was one of my closest friend's weddings where I was also going to be giving a speech. No wallflower girl or invisibility cloak will help this girl, except for a makeup artist guru. Trying to find a good makeup artist is fairly easy I feel. But finding a great makeup artist who really knows how to bring out all the best of one's feature...that's a feat. Thank goodness for Cherry of Sessions Makeup. Cherry was recommended to me by a dear family friend. My friend told me she knows I will love Cherry.
If this review looks too long, this is the TLDR version: Cherry is a phenomenal makeup artist, a guru, who knows how to bring out the best features in people through her art, and her energy is magical. Have faith in her skills and know one will walk away in the end feeling beautiful and confident.
Here's my longer review:
I hesitated to make an appointment, only because I am not one to have my makeup done professionally, and it was just nerve wrecking, especially for someone who is makeup-illiterate and also has low confidence. My brain would say: "how could any makeup possibly fix something that is not pretty nor beautiful?"
Eventually panicking as my friend's wedding approached, and knowing I wasn't going to become makeup literate in less than a week, I scheduled an appointment with Cherry. I appreciate so much how organized Cherry is from the start with the appointment time, location information, and deposit information. I knew exactly what to expect, because I even asked her follow up questions about the makeup session.
From the moment I stepped into Cherry's studio, the energy of her joy, passion, enthusiasm, love for her craft, and infectious laughter was lovingly contagious. Cherry is so compassionate, warm, and has a way of making one feel completely at ease, and to put fear aside and trust Cherry and her process. Did I also mention how genuine and kind she is too!
I let Cherry know the wedding was going to be outdoors, and despite the ceremony being in the evening, it was one of the hottest days of the summer in Orange County, CA. Cherry listened to my concern and told me not to worry if I was afraid that my makeup would melt. She said the makeup would actually do just fine and be dewy, in the good kind of way, if I did sweat.
Cherry then proceeded to ask me what kind of makeup I wanted. I told Cherry that all I knew was that I loved the winged liner look and for her to highlight my eyes. Everything else, I told her to do her magic and gave her free creative reign. Cherry definitely has all the skills and talent up her sleeves. She is meticulous and pays attention to detail. She is also a perfectionist, in a good way. Several times I teared up as she was applying my liner, and that's because I am super sensitive to eye liner, but also at the time, I was suffering from allergies, hence the watery eyes also didn't help. Cherry fixed my eyes constantly because the tears would mess them up. As soon as she was able to get my eyes to dry completely with a little fan, she nailed the winged liner look I wanted, and made it infinitely better with what she called a "soft winged liner". Cherry took her time applying foundation and all the other amazing makeup tools in her arsenal of weapons. At the end of the session, I actually walked away feeling so beautiful, so glamorous, and yet knew it was still me staring back from the mirror.
That night and in the pictures, I received so many kind compliments about my makeup. Many of my friends told me my makeup was glamorous and also natural, which is the best kind of compliment. And the real test too...my makeup was still PERFECT 11 hours later. My makeup withstood emotional crying at the wedding, sweating through the heat, and yet at the end of the day, my face remained flawless.
Cherry's price is also reasonable. From what I know as of July 2024, the price for professional makeup in Orange County, CA ranges from $100-$250.
With that being said, I would 10/10 recommend Cherry in a heartbeat, especially for those who need to look flawless and beautiful for any special occasion. Cherry is an artist who is incredible at her craft and has a huge heart.