FREQUENTLY asked questions 

Makeup and HAIR

Is hiring a makeup artist for my wedding worth it?

As a makeup artist, although this may sound biased, I believe it definitely is. The way you look will be showcased in front of all your guests and in all of your photos. You want to ensure that you enhance your beauty and look your best for the entire duration of your wedding day. Hiring a professional makeup artist means that you are paying someone who is trained in working with different features and skin types to enhance your natural beauty so that you look your best on your wedding day, and an expert in using products and techniques that ensure your makeup will last for the entire duration of your wedding.

Do you do airbrush and is it really necessary?

Yes, I definitely do. I used Temptu’s Airbrush system with their Perfect Canvas and S/B Airbrush Foundation. Having airbrush foundation not only gives you flawless looking skin but also ensures a long-lasting makeup base for your entire wedding day. With that said, I always tell my brides that no matter what you end up choosing, traditional or airbrush, your makeup will look good no matter what. There are just certain benefits each type of foundation will give you and I will be posting a comparison blog post about it soon. Whether airbrush is necessary really depends on multiple factors (skin type, wedding vision, season/temps on your wedding day) and can be discussed thoroughly during your trial.

Why is airbrush and traditional foundation pricing the same?

Airbrush and traditional foundation pricing is the same because we are a full-service makeup team. What that means is that you’re paying not just for the products used but also the level of expertise and skills we have to complete a makeup look on you. This is why we do not do a la carte pricing for parts of the face (i.e. eyes only makeup, etc.) Also, I do not want my brides or their wedding party to choose based on pricing, because at the end of the day, which type should be used on you depends on your skin type, needs and what you’re comfortable with. I’ve had brides choosing airbrush because they think it’s more luxurious/better, when their skin type would have benefited more with traditional foundation. And conversely, I’ve had some mother of the bride/groom choose traditional makeup to keep the cost down, when they’re not used to wearing foundation at all and how it feels on the skin; they would have benefited greatly with the weightless feel of airbrush foundation.

How long do you take to do makeup?

For bridal bookings,bridal makeup is 60-75 minutes and bridal party/attendee is 35-40 minutes (includes 5 minutes in between to sanitize and clean my station for the next person).

Bridal trials are normally 90 minutes long and are held at my Lincoln Park Studio. For in studio bookings, please refer to my studio booking page for timing.

What makeup brands are in your kit?

I use a variety of professional and luxury makeup brands that are tested for their longwear and budgeproof abilities. This means that I use brands that you may already be familiar with like MAC, Tom Ford, Chanel, YSL, Charlotte Tilbury, Urban Decay, NARS, etc or brands that are well-known amongst industry professionals like Face Atelier, RCMA, Mehron, Ben Nye, etc.

What’s included in your makeup application?

All makeup applications will include a skincare prep, makeup and standard lashes. Airbrush application option is offered by request and depending on what the makeup artist feels is suitable for you.

What do you need us to do before we come in for our appointment?

For your makeup appointment, please come in with a cleansed face before you appointment. There is no need to put on your skincare items, as I will be doing my own skin prep, however, if you are particular with your skincare, feel free to apply your own toner, serum and a moisturizer. Please do not apply any skincare treatments as some treatments form a film over your skin and do not layer well with makeup products.

For hair, please wash your hair the night before your appointment and make sure to use conditioner on your ends only. Unless you have extremely dry ends, please do not apply any post-shower/aftercare product to your hair like leave-in conditioners, curl enhancing creams, hair serums, etc. Blow-dry hair smooth (as smooth as you’re able to make it) and do not use a straightener.

Do you do hair?

Yes, however, I only do hair occasionally when I’m doing a 2/3-person bridal party (microweddings) and they require hairstyling as well to meet my service minimum. For parties of 4 or more, I prefer to concentrate on doing makeup and partner with a hairstylist who works exclusively with me to take care of your hairstyling needs on your wedding day.

How long are hair appointments?

Hair appointments for brides usually last 60-75 minutes and 40-45 minutes for the bridal party. Bridal trials can last up to 90 minutes and will be held together with your makeup trial in my home beauty studio at Lincoln Park.

Do you work on thin/fine/short hair?

Yes! Depending on what hairstyle you choose and what hair type you have, we may end up needing to get you extensions to achieve the look you are going for. We will be able to determine this during your trial. You are also welcome to purchase your own extensions or we are more than happy to rent our hair extensions for you at an additional cost.

Can I bring my own hair accessories?

You are more than welcome to bring your own hair accessories that you would like us to incorporate for your hairstyle. Feel free to bring them on your trial (if booking wedding) so we can preview how it’ll look on your hair. We also have some available hair accessories that we can provide you for an upcharge.

Bookings and Payment

How far in advance should I book?

I accept bridal bookings up to 12-18 months in advance. In-studio bookings are available 60 days (or 2 months) before the date you require the appointment; this means that if you need to make an appoint for June 15, you won’t be able to book it until April 15 or later.

How do I reserve a date?

To reserve and secure your date, you will need a signed contract and pay a $150 non-refundable deposit per service-type booked. I will not hold a date until these two items are submitted to me.

can i have a trial first before i sign a contract and/or pay a deposit?

Unfortunately, I do not offer a trial first without a signed contract and deposit, because I do not hold wedding dates unless I have signed contract and deposit. I would hate for my clients to be in the process of booking a trial with me, and then in between the booking process and trial time have their wedding date booked out by someone else who was willing to give me a signed contract and deposit. In the contract, it is outlined that should you decide not to book our services after our trial, the $150 deposit (per service-type) goes toward the payment for the trial and the contract is voided. If our client ends up going forward with our services after the trial, they will just have to pay the trial fee as their deposit will go towards the event day balance.

What form of payments do you accept?

I accept cash, checks, Zelle, Venmo and Paypal. I also accept credit cards for a 4% surcharge on your total.

Do you have a bridal reservation minimum?

Yes, I do. I require a 5-service minimum for all on-location bridal/group services. Group bookings that do not meet my minimum service booking will incur a $75 travel fee.

Do you travel and what are your fees?

I am based of off the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago but service many clients from all over the greater Chicago metropolitan area. All of my bridal bookings that meet the 5 service minimum have a free travel radius of 25 miles from my 60614 zip code. Any mileage over that will incur a $2.00/mile fee rountrip.

Do you do destination weddings?

Yes, I do and have been fortunate enough to travel for some of my clients! Pricing will depend on the location and duration of your destination wedding event. Please submit an inquiry so we can talk further about my destination wedding services and the details of your wedding.

How many people can you accommodate?Do you do large bridal parties?

Yes, I do. I can accommodate up to 10 people in one party. If you have more people, I am able to bring a secondary support artist provided you meet their service minimum (usually 5 people/services).

Why is a trial required to book bridal makeup with you? When should I book it?

Bridal trials are required to establish that the makeup artist and the bride have an understanding of what the bridal makeup should look like on the wedding day, and the artist can properly execute your dream wedding look to your liking. It removes the stress of figuring that out on your wedding day which can lead to a longer makeup time if it isn’t done before. A trial ensures that your wedding schedule runs smoothly and your entire party is ready on time. Furthermore, having a trial will verify that all makeup products used by the artist will work well with your skin type, as certain products react differently with different people.

In my experience, booking your trial 2-3 months before your wedding is the most helpful. By this time, you are closer to the wedding date and have a better idea of how your makeup should look and how it’ll fit with the rest of your wedding look such as your dress, veil and accessories. Booking it too far in advance may not be helpful as you may still change your mind closer to the wedding date. I can usually reserve time for Saturday and Sunday afternoons (usually anytime after 2PM) for bridal trials and can also do it during weekdays as well.