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    Susan Lim Makeup Artist

    5.0 (54 reviews)
    InexpensiveMakeup Artists

    By appointment only

    Services - Susan Lim Makeup Artist

    Makeovers

    Makeup application

    Susan Lim Makeup Artist Photos

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    Makeup: Susan Lim / Photo: Ben Lau Photography
    Jennifer J.

    Susan was wonderful from start to finish as my bridal MUA! She genuinely cares about her brides and her skill and expertise show through her amazing work! She listens and works with you to understand your vision for your big day, especially at the makeup trial. She'll advise skincare needs (and make suggestions to help prep your skin before the big day) and utilizes top-of-line and high quality skincare and makeup products. She arrived early on my wedding day and did a beautiful job on both my mother and I. I received many compliments on my wedding makeup. She is very kind and professional, and any bride who hires her will feel comfortable and at ease with her. Future brides - she books up super fast, so book her early on. Also, be detailed in your requests and vision, as well as be open to her suggestions/advice. My skin was in great shape on my wedding day after tweaking my skincare regime with product recommendations from Susan. Susan is an expert and truly cares about not only making you look beautiful, but also feel beautiful. With her, you will know you are absolutely in good hands. Thank you so much Susan!

    Getting ready with Susan :)
    Laurel G.

    Susan is fantastic, both as a professional and as a wonderful human being. I have never had my makeup done professionally before, so when my wedding approached I was determined to do it on my own. After thinking it through a bit more (do I *really* think I could do my own hair? would it stress me out? wouldn't I need to buy more products?), I immediately went on Yelp to search for someone in the DC area I could trust to do it for me and take stress out of the day, which is where I found Susan. From the start, Susan was detailed and thorough. She asked me a bunch of questions about what I was looking for and what my routine currently is, walked me through the process (even helped me with my wedding timeline), and left me feeling very secure knowing she was on the case and would be there on my wedding day. When I had a question, she replied. She made planning a wedding from a different country way less stressful. I don't normally wear much makeup during the day - just some mascara and a little bit of brow gel, so I was concerned that the makeup would make me look like someone else. Susan listened and helped me achieve a look that looked both just like myself and also enhanced and played up my features. After trying out a few lipsticks, we even decided to move forward with a clear balm so we could go with my natural lip color. Susan also helped me organize hair and makeup for the bridal party and some of the family members - no small feat to pull off! She booked a few colleagues to help (who were also very professional and wonderful people), and I felt so at ease the morning of the wedding while they were helping us get ready. Susan is amazing - I enjoyed the trial with her (without which I totally would have chosen the wrong foundation!), as well as spending time with her in the bridal suite before the wedding. She made the morning of my wedding day really fantastic and took all of the stress out of getting ready. Thank you for everything!

    Anna J.

    I used Susan Lim for my wedding makeup and she was INCREDIBLE! I love makeup and had a really clear idea of what I had in mind for my wedding, and she did above and beyond a good job. She is a true professional but also such a warm, lovely person. She was so fantastic my sister booked her for her own wedding later that year. I cannot recommend Susan highly enough! Skilled, high end products, takes her time to really wow her clients. I have acne prone skin and the airbrushing really helped!

    Glamming it up!
    Sue G.

    Having a professional makeup artist apply the wedding makeup for myself, my daughters and my mom was a lovely way for us to bond and enable everyone to feel beautiful on this special day. I found Susan when her name (and overwhelmingly positive responses) kept popping up everywhere I researched--Yelp, wedding planning sites, etc. What I love most about Susan is her thoroughness. We talked on the phone first, she suggested a trial makeup application (which I could not arrange due to time constraints) and she sent a very detailed questionnaire asking about everything from skin tone/issues to dress and accessories to how I envisioned myself on my big day. She requested recent photos of me, both with makeup and without and images of makeup and hair techniques I hoped to emulate. While this questionnaire took some time to complete, it made me feel completely comfortable in her abilities. Personality-wise, Susan is friendly and upbeat in her communications and no-nonsense professional when working at her craft. I especially liked that when I questioned her about her Caucasian makeup skills (she is perhaps best know for her Asian makeup expertise), she assured me of her ability in applying makeup for all ethnicities, but also wanted to make sure I felt 100% comfortable and gave me the option to cancel our arrangement if I did not. For expediency, we opted to have Susan as well as an assistant working simultaneously. I found the prices to be reasonable. Note that mileage and parking costs are additional, as Susan comes to your location. I wanted to feel glamorous on my wedding day and Susan delivered with thick false eyelashes and glam eyeshadow that didn't make me look like a clown. She would apply some makeup, then check with me to ensure I was getting the look I wanted. Most impressive? As I began to walk down the aisle, my soon-to-be-husband serenaded me in song and tears immediately began to stream down my face. Yet, the makeup didn't budge! We had two minor glitches which were easily remedied, first being that one member of our party has acne-prone skin and her makeup needed to be reapplied to properly accommodate it. The second being that additional moisturizer had to be applied under my eyes, due to the makeup powder being too drying and accentuating under eye wrinkles. We all felt as though Susan and her assistant genuinely wanted us to look our best and gave us ample opportunity to make adjustments as we went along.

    Esther P.

    Even before I was engaged, I knew I had to book Susan for my wedding. 3 of my good friends had booked her for their weddings and their makeup was truly flawless, it was an easy decision. This was my first time getting my makeup done professionally so I was a bit apprehensive about how it would end up. I normally don't wear much makeup but I knew I wanted to have that "wow factor" for my wedding. Susan found the perfect mid point to a natural/smoky look. This is an art that she's perfected and I'm so happy to have had such a professional for my wedding. She made sure I was happy in the end and she wouldn't even give me her advice until she knew where I stood so that it wouldn't sway my decision =) I felt like the whole experience was tailored made for me. She remembered all the details and the concerns that I had; most specifically raccoon eyes and oily eye lids. Let me just say, my makeup stayed ON me the ENTIRE night. I highly recommend the airbrush she offers for an additional price, it's so worth it. She's thoughtful enough that she packs a small sample of the lip color so you can touch up your lips prior to walking down the aisle, make sure you give this to your MOH or bridesmaid that you can trust to remind you! There's a reason why she has a perfect rating. So go ahead and treat yourself and know that you're in good hands.

    Susan Lim did my hair and makeup love love her work made me feel like a princess that day
    Thuy T.

    The best makeup artist in Va highly recommended She made me look very pretty on my wedding day I really love her makeup and the hair she did on me last week she's so sweetttt too love her I wish millions star for rating I would give her all millions star not just only 5

    From left to right (1-5) Susan did the make-up for 3 & 4 Her assistant did 1 & 5

    Susan is quite possibly the best decision I made for my wedding. She is knowledgeable, not just as a make-up artist, but also as a wedding vendor--she's the first vendor to talk to me about making a wedding timeline! Susan is a busy woman, with fully blocked-off weekends, and make-up trials during the week (on top of being a mama to her toddler), but she is extremely responsive, and always willing to make your vision of your wedding happen. My mom is extremely picky (and also extremely cheap LOL), so she was weary of my hiring of Susan... but her reservations disappeared as soon as she saw Susan's work. Susan is not one of those MUAs who just does the same thing for every client. She takes into consideration: skin type+tone, normal make-up regimen, and the bride's preferences. The make-up trial is so fun, because she doesn't just share her vision, but also does multiple styles so that the bride can decide which style(s) she likes. We even tried on 6-7 false lashes before finding the perfect one... and considered piecing together multiple. Susan also gave me suggestions for my skincare, and my face is looking better than ever. She is a true artist, and I cannot thank her enough for helping me feel beautiful on my day. :)

    A picture of me (make up done by Susan) on our wedding day.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Susan Lim Makeup Artist

    Review Highlights - Susan Lim Makeup Artist

    She listens and works with you to understand your vision for your big day, especially at the makeup trial.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    Own Your Wonder - Wedding makeup by Karina of Own Your Wonder.

    Own Your Wonder

    4.5(39 reviews)
    4.0 kmGeorgetown

    I have now worked twice with Karina of Own Your Wonder, and I am SO HAPPY to have met her. She did…read morea phenomenal job with my makeup for a friend's wedding in June 2022 and then my own wedding in November 2022. I was thrilled to have found Karina after going through a full-glam wedding trial with another artist. The look was not me at all, and I went searching for someone who could achieve a more understated look. Karina fit the bill perfectly. Karina always came to me and charged a minimal cost for travel; she explained everything she was doing, as she was doing it; and she -- expertly -- did a complete pivot on my wedding makeup look between the trial and the big day. I truly can't wait to work with her again!

    Five stars because they truly did the best with what they had (me)…read more I booked the headshot package for $100 because I hadn't had headshots done in almost four years. I am ACTUALLY the least photogenic person on the planet - I know everyone says that, but please trust me here - and while I only ended up liking three of the photos, that's still honestly a way better than average success rate for me. Julie the photographer was great to work with, and my makeup was of course on point. I showed the makeup artist a random photo of Olivia Wilde's makeup and she was able to replicate the look pretty well. I also love love love the owner here. You rule boss babe. I think a cool option they could consider adding is photo-editing for extra; I'd definitely pay more to have some airbrushing and magical Photoshop face slimming. So while most of these pictures sadly ended up just being another reminder of how badly I need to lose weight, I would highly recommend the package itself! Edit: before you ask, yes, the photos you get are way higher res than the ones I shared here. These three went through multiple rounds of amateur editing by me, screenshotting from insta, etc. That'll do the trick.

    Photos
    Own Your Wonder - Makeup by Kaela & Own Your Wonder

    Makeup by Kaela & Own Your Wonder

    Own Your Wonder - I absolutely loved my photos!

    I absolutely loved my photos!

    Own Your Wonder

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    Karma Beauty Lounge By Erwin Gomez

    Karma Beauty Lounge By Erwin Gomez

    4.5(188 reviews)
    3.0 kmWest End
    $$$

    Do not come for haircut. This is simply a place to beautify your face and hairdo for your special…read moreday or to color your hair but don't come here for a haircut. Except for French woman named Sophie who can do decent cuts, there is no any other stylists skilled in precision haircuts. Came here and one of their top stylists gave me the worse cut I've ever had in my life. I've had to wait more than 6 months to grow my hair out from the horrible layers he did on me. He literally just chopped my hair up. The bottom of my hair in the back was an upside down triangle! Every stylist knows it should be straight across and maybe just a bit rounded on the sides! Any salon would have easily provided a (normal) soft, feminine, sexy, natural cut that is subtle perhaps at different skill levels. This guy clearly had no concept of how to cut (straight) hair because his clueless messes get disguised easily in wavy or curly hair or in a blow dry with curling brush.

    UPDATE: Jillian threatened me with legal action for writing this review…read more After being a loyal client of Jillian for hair cuts and Adrian for brow waxing since at least 2016 until 2018, before I moved back to San Francisco and to Plano, Texas, I returned to NoVA/DC - moving on election day in Nov 2020 - because it seemed like NoVA/DC was being pragmatic about covid-19 regulations vs. the two extremes in CA & TX. I messaged with Jillian prior to my move on 11/3/2020 to learn how Karma was handling covid-19 regulations, because there were no capacity restrictions in Texas, so I hadn't had my hair cut or colored for 7-months - the longest I've ever gone. I saw her and Adrian on 11/22/2020, and even brought them both "welcome home" rose gold goodie bags with cards, Sugarfina rose gummies & chocolate caramels, and masks. I knew the global pandemic was especially hard on the beauty industry, because my aesthetician in San Francisco & her mom had to close 2 of their 3 salons in the Bay Area - in spite of being open since the 1970s. I was therefore sensitive to this fact. Which is why it was even more bizarre when I learned on social media in December 2020 that Jillian was moving to Dallas, Texas in January 2021, after she listened to my stories about Texas and pumped me for specifics about salons there, and at no point told me about her move. I later learned she told some clients about her move and not others, and that she expected Karma to tell me about it. However, the poor communication continued, given Karma never emailed me, the same way I never receive receipts for my "contact-less" transactions, and they still ask for my physical credit card, in spite of verifying its existence on file. The poor communication and the broken technology are both annoying. I let that go, and worked with Jillian - via social media - to book hair cut appointments with her for the next 6 months on Saturdays, however even when we agreed on my preferred time slot (4pm), she booked them for 5pm, because that worked best for her, she said. Not very friendly customer service for loyal clients! She also initially told the receptionist she was booked in February, which initiated our social media messages, requiring me to book with her directly. Then magically she's staying late for me! In parallel, as to the quality of Jillian's cuts, I started seeing her when she used to place a placemat on my shoulders to ensure her cuts were even, and I was always happy with how even they were over the years. That said, I've been very clear - including bringing drawings and instructions from my stylists in San Francisco, who do editorial work for Nordstrom & Gap, and trained in London & globally - that I don't like "shelves" of layers in my hair, I prefer long layers, I don't like corners, and I prefer professional cutting techniques to remove weight vs. thinning shears that butcher the ends of my hair without expertise. Jillian uses thinning shears, and my last cut included all the things I don't want mentioned above. It was, however, even at the bottom. I let this go, because I've had uneven cuts in DC, and I knew that by August 2021, I would need to find a new stylist anyway. I did, however, vocalize my concerns to Jillian yesterday & today about the inaccuracy of rapid covid tests, in parallel with Texas removing their mask mandate, while she travels back & forth between a covid hotspot & DC over the coming months, and she decided to cancel my appointments as a result. That's fine. I'd rather not contract covid, which is exactly why I left Texas. Which brings me to the brow waxes. Due to schedule availability, I booked an eyebrow wax with Erwin in December 2020, and his brow waxes are better - and more expensive - than Adrian's. Erwin's shape was superb, and similar to my favorite brow artist in San Francisco, who's regularly voted best brows. However, Erwin did not pluck or wax the hairs in between my brows, which I had to do myself. He also told me the gold dab of eye shadow I placed in the center corners of my eyes made me look cross-eyed, which I found insulting, so I suggested he remove it if he found it distracting. He asked me who gave me that make-up guidance, and "if they were black". Was that a racist comment? And why was he criticizing me, his paying client?!? I tried booking a brow wax in January 2021 with either Erwin or Adrian, and learned they were both at home quarantining with covid. Surprisingly, when I saw Adrian in February 2021, he criticized my brows, saying how much they needed a wax. Obvi! Why do he and Erwin feel it's OK to criticize their clients? Furthermore, they were uneven. Shockingly, I pointed this out to Adrian, and he agreed that my left brow was taller than my right, and re-plucked, yet when I got home, I still had to fix myself, comparing to my photo of my best brows in San Francisco. He also over trimmed the end of my right brow. If you like being treated as a client, look elsewhere.

    Photos
    Karma Beauty Lounge By Erwin Gomez - Hair color and cut by Ji Cha.

    Hair color and cut by Ji Cha.

    Karma Beauty Lounge By Erwin Gomez - Picture perfect makeup by Ji Cha.

    Picture perfect makeup by Ji Cha.

    Karma Beauty Lounge By Erwin Gomez - The Breakers w/ Lindsay

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    The Breakers w/ Lindsay

    Diti Devi Makeup Artistry - Diti made my day even gorgeous

    Diti Devi Makeup Artistry

    4.7(13 reviews)
    1.7 kmDowntown
    $$

    Glad to find Diti in D.C....I booked her only a few day in advance from CA feeling a bit anxiously…read moredoubting whether she is a real person or a scam (sorry but there are a lots of fake businesses all over). No worries everyone, she is such a professional make up artist knowing what clients want. Showing up on time, bringing all tools, setting up quickly and get a job done! Especially Diti has a very good sense of reading client's character, so she can carefully customize what the best on me. Although I had no prior conversation with her about how I want to look like, she finished even better than I imagined myself with only limited conversation we had!! Like I said, she's known what clients want!! It was my casual wedding vowing ceremony but turned out a formal gorgeous look thanks to her amazing makeover! Definitely recommend her for any occasions;).

    I contacted Diti to do my makeup for a black tie event that I was coming to DC to attend. She…read moreresponded to my appt request within minutes and made booking the appt very simple. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed by 3 hours due to weather, so I wouldn't be able to keep my original appt time, and I was worried I wouldn't even have time to get my makeup done at all because I was already going to be late to the event. Diti was so understanding when I texted her about my delayed flight and she was so kind to move her schedule around to accommodate my later arrival time. When I arrived at my hotel, she was there waiting for me and ready to get right to work. Diti did an excellent job on my makeup. My skin is kind of a challenge for makeup sometimes because I get breakouts, and have dehydrated skin that also easily gets very oily with makeup. Ive had my makeup done countless times for photoshoots and events, and although it will look okay right after it's done, it *always* looks greasy after one hour. This is the first time that my makeup stayed flawless for the whole evening. I didn't even have to blot any oil with blotting sheets. Diti did a really beautiful job covering my skin imperfections without it looking cakey. She gave me a really pretty bronze eye that looked amazing with my tan. She also added the perfect amount of darker color to sculpt and give dimension to my face without it looking obvious. There are many makeup artists who can put together a nice look, but Diti truly is an artist. Beyond the makeup, she was so sweet dealing with me when I was a nervous wreak about my flight being delayed and rushing to get ready. She completely calmed me down and gave me a beautiful makeup look when we were cramped for time. She was really easy to talk to and gave me a few bits of advice for some of my makeup concerns. I would recommend her to anyone and will absolutely be using her again next time I am in DC.

    Photos
    Diti Devi Makeup Artistry
    Diti Devi Makeup Artistry
    Diti Devi Makeup Artistry

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    Carl Ray Makeup Artist

    Carl Ray Makeup Artist

    5.0(2 reviews)
    1.2 kmDowntown
    $$$

    Carl did my wedding day makeup. He is a beauty magician and I would hire him again in a heartbeat…read morefor any occasion. Here's why: 1. Beautiful makeup: I didn't even give him instruction for how I wanted my bridal make up to look, but he made me look amazing and I've never felt so beautiful. It was the perfect blend of glamorous and natural that every girl should be on her big day. I felt that he just discerned my best features and highlighted them for all to see. I got so many compliments on how I looked and on my makeup! 2. Long-lasting makeup: I was amazed that my makeup lasted (without any upkeep!!!) for the whole day and night. I got my makeup done around 12noon. This same look lasted even though I got caught in showers from a hurricane and even though I was dancing like crazy for at least 4 hours. Not to mention: the makeup withstood my frequent tearing-up. 3. Great person. Carl is so nice, kind and reassuring. He's the kind of person that you want to have on your side and that you really don't mind paying money to on your wedding day.

    I have seen a work of pure natural art with Carl Ray! His eye for beauty is amazing! He knows about…read moreperfect skin tone matching, contouring with blemish control! His hands are a gift of art! Not only have I watched his hands at work; Carl also add pure value with the already beautiful First Lady make up! He has a touch that no other can be compared!

    Photos
    Carl Ray Makeup Artist
    Carl Ray Makeup Artist
    Carl Ray Makeup Artist

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    Susan Lim Makeup Artist - makeupartists - Updated June 2026

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