My now husband and I had our wedding in Yosemite, and I found Carol Cardinale who has done many weddings there and knows the area well. I'm so glad I found her, she is so good! When I went in for my trail run she made my hair and makeup look so beautiful, and she said this is just a rough draft, haha! I couldn't wait to see how it looked on the actual day! Oh man, did she deliver. She made me look and feel gorgeous! She also did a fantastic job on my bridesmaids and the mom's hair and makeup too. Plus she's super funny and easy to get along with;) Highly recommend! Thanks Carol for making my day even more special! read more

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I don't even know where to start... Carol is absolutely amazing!! Weddings as we know are so stressful and finding someone for hair and make up for two brides who have different styles adds a challenge as well. Carol was super excited from the start to do our hair and make up. She is super down to earth, has many years of experience, and VERY affordable. Anytime I had a question she was able to help me. I never felt like I was being an inconvenience. I even ended up FaceTiming her to help me pick out my hair extensions. She was on prompt and professional. I would 100% recommend her to anyone. Just check out the photos... her work speaks for itself!!!! So again don't think twice, go with Carol it will be the best decision you make. read more

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Carol Cardinale is awesome! I'm so glad she was able to accommodate me during this pandemic... as there are limited makeup artists/salons available this time. She followed safety precautions and made my experience a wonderful one. She also did an amazing job for my makeup! Definitely recommend her. read more

Bellissimo On location - Makeup still intact and looks great hours after! - Makeup Artists Near Me - Oakhurst, California

Carol is an amazing artist and person. She did my hair and makeup for my October 2020 elopement. During such a crazy time she was such an easy going, flexible, and committed person to work with. Her communication is outstanding and she knows how to work with brides, especially as it gets closer to the big day! And her work speaks for itself. She arrived at 2:30am for my hair and makeup in Yosemite for our first look sunrise photos. The magic she did from 2:30am-5am lasted all day long!! I didn't have to do any touch-ups except for lips, of course! I was so happy with her service, expertise, and personable demeanor and it made my day that I didn't have to worry at all about makeup or hair. 100% recommend Carol for any of your hair, makeup, event beauty needs. read more

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I was so blessed to have met Carol through a diligent search for a stylist/makeup artist for my wedding in April. Yosemite is not the easiest place to find someone with Carol's skills! We spoke on the phone once or twice, and I never had a trial run. I pretty much handed myself to her on the morning of my wedding and let her work her magic! My room was utter pandemonium that morning, with kids coming in and wanting breakfast, my (for the first time ever) early arriving parents, and of course my wonderful photographer. A tad crowded, even for one of the bigger rooms at the Ahwahnee. Nonetheless, Carol kept everyone comfortable, and even got my tomboyish daughter to wear curls! The pics I posted don't do her work justice, as they're "raw" photos. If I could steal her away for events in San Francisco, I would! read more

Bellissimo On location - Makeup Artists Near Me - Oakhurst, California

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I am so glad I found Carol for my elopement wedding at Yosemite. She did an amazing job with my hair and makeup. It stayed up through the day. She even did my husbands hairdo and everybody loved it. read more

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I would definitely give Carol and Ann an "A" for their services that they provided for me and my ladies on my big day! Everyone wants to be beautiful on her wedding day and Carol definitely made me glow. Carol and Ann showed up at the Ahwahnee-- punctual and ready to get started. They clearly know what to do and are familiar with doing weddings. They had to do hair and makeup for me, my bridal party, both moms, and my sister in law-- they worked fast and professionally. I showed carol a bunch of pictures that I liked and she was able to beautifully replicate a style with a minor change by adding a floral hair pin that I brought on my own. I got a simple floral pin from Claire's and it looked pretty good! Keep in mind that they will charge you extra for applying eyelashes (which I thought was a bit weird,) but that's stated somewhere in the paperwork. I definitely recommend the fake eyelashes to all brides because they made my eyes pop (in a good way) The hair lasted all day and the makeup held up pretty well. It definitely didn't look the same at the end of the day, but it's impressive how it looked after 12 hours. Haha. My only "complaint" is that when you contact Carol by email-- there is an automatic email that bounces back saying that she will contact you within 48 hours. It's a very nice, professional, and cordial email which thanks you for emailing her, but in a few email experiences-- she didn't follow through on that 48 hour rule. I ended up calling her instead and it was no biggie, but I would recommend her changing that default email to something like, "thank you for contacting us.... We will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible. If for any reason, feel free to call us at the salon at: ...." I felt a little strange calling her after the 48 hour window I didn't want to be labeled as an "annoying client." I would definitely recommend Carol again if you're planning a Yosemite wedding. She's familiar with the park, uses good makeup, and she'll make you look pretty! :) read more

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I had a Yosemite elopement package and Carol was so amazing! She did hair and makeup for my mom, sister, and myself! She is so personable and down to earth and flexible! I have always had super dry skin and makeup always seemed to make flakiness so much worse! But Carol uses quality products and definitely knows how to apply her products! She is without a doubt super talented! Highly recommend her! read more

Carol did my hair and makeup for my wedding in Yosemite on December 30th. She did a fantastic job! Carol arrived on time, and set up her equipment in my hotel room. From the start, she was very friendly, and helped calm my nerves on my wedding day! My family kept coming in to snap pictures and take video, and she stayed natural. We chatted the entire time and now I feel as if we know each other well! Simply put, it was fun. I didn't look in the mirror until she was completely done. Let me tell you...wow! I really looked like a princess. My hair typically doesn't curl well, but it looked fabulous. My makeup played up my best features, and made me feel glamorous. Best part were the first words my Husband told me: "You look stunning. I love your dress...and your hair!" Thank you Carol! read more

Carol did a fantastic job on my hair and make-up for my wedding! I did a trial run a few months earlier at her salon, and was very pleased with the results at that time. I have found that whenever I get an up-do, the stylists use about a ton of hairspray to hold it all together, and this just makes my baby fine hair look wet and greasy- which is NOT a good look and something I wanted to avoid for my wedding day. Carol told me she doesn't make the hairstyles look rigid and unmovable, and that too much hairspray is not something she believes in. Boy was she right- when I walked out of her salon I knew I had to have her do my wedding hair/ makeup...it was fantastic, and no stiff super sprayed hair!! On my wedding day she did hair/ makeup on location inside Yosemite National Park. The on location fee was a bit steep, but hey it was my wedding day! And since I knew she would do a fabulous job I actually didn't mind forking over the $$. I ended up liking my hair and makeup even better than the trail run, and was very happy with how it turned out . I would highly recommend Carol to anyone! read more

Carol is a fantastic stylist for weddings!! Her work is so elegant and classic. She loves to try new looks and offers wonderful suggestions! I highly recommend her to other brides. The best thing about her style is that she does not try to repeat other styles and prefers to start from scratch. That is something some stylists try to achieve throughout their lifetime and she has accomplished that goal! I hired her for my wedding and she did a fabulous job along with making my bridesmaids beautiful too! She also does a wonderful make up job! I am so glad I hired her! You won't be disappointed, I promise you. Just look at her website! THANK YOU CAROL!! read more

I absolutely adore Carol! My wedding was on July 8, 2015, in Yosemite. A quick background on me: I never fix my hair, and I don't like makeup. We did a trial hair just a week before (since I was driving in from Alabama) and I was completely comfortable with whatever Carol had in mind. I showed her a couple of pictures of what I wanted and she went to town with the bobby pins. The second style was perfect. She snapped some pictures and we were done. Best hair appointment ever. Wedding day...Carol drove to Yosemite and met me in my room at the Ahwahnee at 7:15 (that's about an hour and a half from Oakhurst). My husband was still in the room when she got there and he asked her to trim his "neard" (neck beard...hairline) and she did. She was just so pleasant the entire morning! As she was doing my makeup, I realized how much of an art it is. She took her time to make sure it was perfect. And the same with my hair. I couldn't have been more pleased with how they both turned out. But not only that, Carol's personality was just so enjoyable. I was feeling rushed and excited and hungry and all those things brides feel, but she seemed to take away those feelings just by being calm and steady. She wasn't a "chatty Cathy" type hair stylist - which was awesome! My hair and makeup lasted all day, even after hiking around Yosemite for pictures and getting rained on. If you're looking for someone to do your hair and makeup, definitely give Carol a call! Oh, and while we were waiting for the rollers to warm up during the trial, she called a friend about a drink I was asking about to see if they had it. Carol is just awesome! A+ all around! read more

Carol came highly recommended to me by each photographer that I interviewed for my mid- April Yosemite wedding. When a photographer can vouch for hair and makeup being beautiful and long-lasting then I am sold! Not surprisingly Carol was AMAZING! She arrived on time, communicated well, and made me look (and feel) beautiful on my wedding day. I HIGHLY recommend her! Thank you Carol!!! read more

Bellissimo On location - Beautiful hair. Carol also did amazing makeup! - Makeup Artists Near Me - Oakhurst, California

Carol did my hair on my wedding day and did all of the bridesmaids' makeups. Everyone looked beautiful and she was professional and accommodated us at the last minute. She is great! read more

Carol is amazing. She came to Tenaya Lodge to do my hair and makeup for the wedding at the Ahwahnee. We didn't do a trial run or even talk about what I wanted until she came into the hotel room. I showed her a few pictures of hairstyles, and she somehow managed to combine pieces of each hairstyle and create something better than any of the photos I brought! She's great at creating soft, up-to-date styles that don't make you look you're attending a 1990s high school prom. And just to attest to the quality of her materials and work--my makeup and hair did not smudge, run, or move an inch throughout a 5 hour photo shoot in direct sunlight in 90F+ weather (despite me sweating!), a 30 min ceremony facing into the sun, a pretty crazy dancing reception in a very hot room, and a 2 hour bus ride back to Tenaya! It actually still looked so great at 2am that I didn't want to wash off the makeup or take the pins out of my hair! :) I highly recommend Carol to anyone getting married in Yosemite! read more

Carol and Grace came to my wedding and were amazing!! They were 15 min early and finished in plenty of time for my maids and I.They were super amazing and we turned out better than I could ever imagine !! Our hair and makeup stayed all day and night!!! It was perfect not crunchy at all and very whimsical! Thank you Ladies for being calm and getting everyone done in a timely manner even those who did. not want to be on my list until they saw your work! Thank you Thank you we all were so happy !! read more

Carol is amazing!!! She did my hair for my Wedding and Reception. Only had to pay a little bit extra for her to drive out to my Reception location. Both up-do's were custom to me and my style, and each was different. She listened to EVERYTHING I wanted. Would definitely get my hair done again if I attend a Wedding in the area! Thanks Carol! read more

Bellissimo On location - Reception Hair by Carol - Makeup Artists Near Me - Oakhurst, California

Amy at Bellissimo saved my wedding day! I had the chance to work with Amy for 2 events (back to back) my rehearsal dinner and my wedding day and I actually only had her officially booked for the rehearsal dinner. When I realized my wedding day hair stylist (who wasn't very experienced) just couldn't get the look I wanted, I called Amy. She was able to race over to my hotel and give me exactly what I was looking for - I only had to show her a picture! Everyone at Bellissimo is so nice, easy to work with and really talented. I would highly highly recommend them for any wedding or special event. read more

Carol did an ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC job on my hair and make-up for my wedding! She was very friendly and fun to work with and the style was beautiful and just what I had envisioned, even though I didn't give her a lot to go on. And it lasted for over 12 hours without the curls falling down! The only reason I can't give her 5 stars is that the communication leading up to the wedding was a little spotty. She is obviously a very busy woman and sometimes takes a little while to get back to you with answers to your questions, receipts, and what not. Other than that, she is an absolutely FANTASTIC stylist. read more

I have had my hair done by Carol since I was in High school and she has always been a big part of many of my special events growing up. She has done my hair numerous times for special anniversary dates and did my hair for prom. After my boyfriend proposed last year I knew that I wanted Carol to be apart of the most special day of my life. She is one of those hairstylists that makes you feel comfortable and I trust her completely with my hair and makeup. I wanted to have a photo session in Yosemite two days before my wedding so i could have those gorgeous photos and Carol fit me right in to her schedule and did my hair and makeup for the photo shoot. My hair and makeup lasted all day as I took photos all over the park. On the wedding day Carol was on time and set up quickly. She and her assistant were able to do all four of my bridesmaids, my mom, and me in the time frame I asked for so we could take pictures before the wedding. Carol made me feel so comfortable and I felt so beautiful all day. I recommend her to everyone and she will make you look perfect on the most important day of your life. read more

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Carol did a fantastic job on my hair and makeup for my wedding at Yosemite. The style, which I pretty much left for her to decide on (especially details) was gorgeous and really suited me. Light, fresh, informal yet so "glam"!!! Unlike another reviewer, I did not have any mentionable issues with Carol being responsive, providing receipts, contracts, etc. I find this to be a subjective topic, as it really comes from the person's expectation if someone is really responsive or not. To me, it was no problem if she returned my call the next day. I understand how busy people operate, so I can relate and accept. But also understand that brides would like to get things resolved literally as soon as possible. So, that's that. :-) My "less one star" rating comes from having the same issue as another reviewer, with a pin or two falling out and dropping a small part of the back of my hair. Some of the pictures show it and this is was of the "bummer" moments I had on my special day. I definitely recommend her service, for sure! read more

Bellissimo Salon in Oakhurst provided on-site hair styling for me and my two bridesmaids for my wedding at the Cottages at Tenaya Lodge on Saturday, June 6, 2009, and we were VERY pleased with the results! I have short hair, and the stylist (I believe her name was Julie) gave me exactly what I was looking for; my bridesmaids didn't have much of any idea regarding what they wanted -- and one of them has hair past her waist -- but the stylist took into account their personal style and what each would be wearing during the ceremony, and came up with terrific styles for both bridesmaids! Carol Cardinale-Ruiz, who owns the salon, was great, and I highly recommend her salon. read more

Carol was beyond amazing!! She arrived on time and came fully prepared, even with some finishing spray for my make-up, even though she was only doing my hair. She was very personable and funny, and also seemed excited for me like a friend. My mom's, sister's and my hair turned out perfectly for my wedding! She also saved the day when she even helped attach my garter belt to my thigh-highs!lol Talk about above and beyond!!:) read more

Carol (the owner) was reccomended to me. She did my hair for my wedding. I was dissapointed- a few of the bobby pins fell loose from my hair (within two hours of getting my hair done) and the curls whent staight. The pictures durring my wedding ceremony show, half of the back of my hair-out and down! I was not pleased. Plus I feel that I was over charged by $25.00. Carol was nice but I felt as if she was rushed- and the worked showed. She took pictures of my hair after she did it. Which made me think of all the other beautiful pictures on her website- which look great but let's face it- means nothing if the hair doesn't even last a few hours. Would not reccomended- sorry. read more

Carol was wonderful to work with for our Yosemite wedding. She spent many hours helping me, two moms, a sister-in-law, and a flower girl get ready, and everyone looked and felt beautiful. She put us all at ease with her friendly conversation and was very accommodating to a few last-minute timing changes. Hair and make-up are an important part of the wedding look, so I was a little nervous since I didn't get to meet Carol before the wedding. But I sent pictures of the look I was thinking of and sent details of the wedding, and she gave me exactly the look I wanted - natural and retro. I would gladly recommend Carol for hair and make-up for any wedding. Photos of the look she created for our wedding are at: http://athenakalindiphotography.com/blog/?p=4125 read more

Amy did a great job on my hair. I did not do a trial run, I just brought in pictures of how I wanted my hair. She took what I wanted and styled my hair perfectly for my wedding. It was nice that she would ask me every now and then if I liked how it was progressing. She was very friendly and was also good at what she does. The only slight negatives I would mention are that it took what I thought was a long time (1.5hrs!) and it was pricey, simply because it was "bridal hair". But, I think the time was worth it and the price, though jacked up because it was for a wedding, is to be expected. read more

Carol and her coworker Juliana came to my room at Yosemite Lodge at 6 am to prepare 5 women with hair and makeup in time for a 10:30 am ceremony. They managed their time very well and were very friendly and relaxed all morning. I didn't feel the least bit rushed and we had time to spare when they were all done. I was absolutely thrilled that Carol was able to perfectly execute the pincurl style I showed her with only one photo to go on. It looked stunning all throughout the hot day and stayed in place well throughout the hot day. I would highly recommend Carol and her team. read more

Carol did a great job on my hair and make-up; however, I was really disappointed with her time management. First off, she showed up 30 minutes late and then needed 10-15 minutes to set-up. That was disappointing since we had agreed-upon an 8 AM start and me being done by 9:30. Before my big day, I had sent her a table with all of the ladies' needs and the times they needed to be done by. She never referenced that and didn't seem to be aware of the time at all (despite the fact that we were all there and waiting). As a result, many things ran behind. I also paid her extra to bring two assistants. One was able to do some hair and make-up work, but the other one only seemed to be able to keep the brushes organized. I was expecting people who were closer to Carol's equals. read more

I cannot recommend Carol highly enough for your wedding hair and make-up. I got married at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite two weeks ago. I was initially a little concerned about my look lasting throughout the day since my (now) husband and I had a very long photo shoot in Yosemite Valley mid-day prior to our evening event. Carol showed up to my hotel room at 8am and knew just what to do with my make-up and hair. (Added bonus is that she knew my photographers, Brady Thomas and Ken Mendoza.) I wanted a natural look and she executed it flawlessly. On top of that, she not only did the hair and make-up for my sister and now sister-in-law, but she also waited around for me to get back from my valley photo tour so she could touch me up before my event. The best part is that I barely needed a touch up, even after being in 90-degree heat! I even still looked good at midnight! Carol is friendly, accommodating, and an incredibly talented hair and make-up artist who made me look and feel beautiful on my wedding day, both in person and in my photos. Thank you Carol! read more

I would highly recommend Carol for wedding hair. I had a family member doing my bridal hair and make up but wanted to give my bridesmaids an option of getting their hair professionally done. I never had a trial done with Carol and based my decision to hire her solely on all these great reviews. I was very happy with her professionalism, promptness to respond back to me, and she was on time and ready to go the day of. She works very quickly and able to do anything the girls wanted and cleaned up her work area after. She made the very early morning hours of getting ready very easy going. Thank you Carol! read more

I just got married at the Clovis Castle on 9/28/2013. I wanted to find someone who could travel to the venue and do my hair and make-up, and also do an awesome job. During my internet research on photographers, I noticed that quite a few had mentioned Bellissimo Brides, and the pictures of the brides were beautiful. I looked at Carol's website, and I knew she would be the one doing my hair and makeup for my wedding. I contacted her and sent my deposit. Carol was very understanding to my schedule for the trial hair and make-up. I was in the middle of moving from Northern CA to Idaho, starting a new job, and doing wedding planning. She fit me in to her schedule and I couldn't have been more happy with her on the trial. She explained everything to me and was honest on what would work and not work. The day of my wedding, Carol was there right on time, and started getting to work. She did my hair and make-up, my MOH hair and make-up, 2 bridesmaid's hair, and 1 bridesmaid eye makeup. She even helped my fiancé who was concerned with under eye dark marks and how they would look in pictures. She said "no problem!" She was able to cover his under eye are, and not look like he was wearing make-up at all (a major concern for him). I have to say, I was very happy with my trial run, but my day-of hair and make-up was gorgeous! And it stayed put all day and evening. Before going to bed, I looked in the mirror and I looked the same as I did 10 hours before. I've never worn a ton on make-up before, but Carol was able to make me look beautiful without looking like I had a ton of make-up on. The look was very natural. She made me feel so confident, that I decided to do a Boudoir Session with the photographer before putting on my dress (something I was not sure I was going to do). And I'm glad I did, the pictures were awesome, and I plan on surprising my husband with a book for Christmas. All I can say is this woman is amazing, and if you can book her, DO IT!!!! She is reasonably priced, and she will come to you, a major stress reliever. After all, we all want to look great on our wedding day, so book with Carol at Bellissimo and you won't regret it. read more

My wedding was about 1 year ago and I was not pleased with the services I received from Carol. First off, I drove to her salon the day of my wedding and I was 15 minutes early to my appointment. She was late by 10 minutes. As a professional she knows timing is everything. Because my wedding was in Yosemite National Park. Anyway, I show her pictures of the hair style I wanted for my day. Which was an old Hollywood hair-do with brushed out waves. My hair do ended up looking like a greaser hair do. My hair line was not in the place where I had told her I wanted it to be. And when she was "done," I gave her a confused face because clearly my hair was not to my expectations of what I wanted. She and her crew were clearly in a rush to another bride in Mariposa and had no interest into my feelings about my hair that I was NOT pleased with. My hair that she had all pinned up ended up falling by the end of my ceremony. So my hair do did not hold up for photos or anything. Carol was late on my appointment at her salon AND rushed my hair do to attend to another bride. I will never recommend her to any future brides. read more