Chris has been the make up artists for three weddings I have been in, including my own. She makes you the most beautiful version of yourself! She listens, is fun, and helps the big day be that much more enjoyable. You truly feel and look flawless. She is one of the first people to book once you are engaged and know your wedding date. She came to the East Bay for tow of the weddings, and St. Helena for the third. I wish she could do my make up everyday! PS You have to get the fake eyelashes she offers. Thank you, Chris!! read more

See all

I love Chris! I had her do my makeup and my bridesmaids makeup and we all came out so pretty. Chris was professional and fun at the same time. Her energy was so calm and warm. Everyone's makeup was on point! And looked beautiful all through the day and evening. Besides my lipstick, I never once had to "touch up" my makeup. Even after getting emotional during the ceremony, my makeup stayed put and beautiful. Chris knows what she's doing!! I highly recommend her, she's very experienced and so sweet. She offers her professional opinion and suggestions, but listens to what YOU want. Thank you Chris! You really helped my special day be extra special. read more

Chris McDonald MakeUp - Makeup Artists Near Me

If you are looking for an incredible make-up artist I cannot rave enuff about Chris. She just rocks! I met her 7 years ago when she did my make-up for my wedding -- awesome. Really, really pretty stuff. Just had my 20 year high school reunion and wanted to treat myself to some pampering and wanted to look great too -- Chris made me feel like a rock star with gorgeous make-up that was not over-done or cheap looking. She can do wonders with a set of false eyelashes. Oh and did I mention I have not so great skin -- would have never known after Chris was done with my face. The only touch up I had to make all night was to add some lipgloss -- that was it! Many, many compliments all night that my eyes looked incredible! You just cannot go wrong with Chris. She is a true makeup artist diva! read more

Chris McDonald, in a word: Superlative. Chris McDonald in more words: Superlative makeup artistry created with the carefully honed aesthetic of a trained artist. Superlative service delivered on location, on time, and on point. Superlative professionalism backed by many years of experience. Superlative results received each and every time, evidenced by this happy client since 2009. read more

I don't even have enough words to express how grateful I was for Chris on my wedding day. We decided to have a small, intimate wedding due to COVID and I found her on a random google search. She was incredible, made me feel so comfortable with the COVIDS precautions, and helped make me feel so beautiful! Kind of felt like having a piece of my mom there with me when she wasn't able to fly due to COVID. I don't wear a ton of makeup and it was PERFECT. My makeup looked so natural. I was so beyond happy! I highly Chris for any event!!! read more

Chris is a great person and a fantastic make-up artist. She takes in to consideration the event, your needs, and injects her talent and skill into making you look and feel like the most beautiful version of yourself! She does amazing natural looks that are beautiful, ethereal, and not over the top, however she is capable of many styles with a strong skill set. Highly recommended! read more

Chris did a wonderful job for my wedding. She took into consideration what makeup styles we were comfortable with and tweaked troublesome spots like oily skin. She picked up minute details about my face and worked to accentuate the positives. I learned makeup tricks like how to make my eyelash curler hot by using a blow dryer to heat it. The eyelashes stayed curled all day! For the wedding, Chris stayed true to the time line and everyone loved her warm personality. She even brought her daughter who helped do our hairstyles! Her prices are very reasonable. She is amazing at Asian eye makeup. read more

I worked with Chris on the cover shoots for a magazine I used to work for that emphasized "real people" in all our photography. She did great makeup work on them all, making them look camera-ready and beautiful but also very much themselves and very natural. So when she mentioned that she occasionally does makeup lessons (I had never really figured out what to do on my own), I signed up for one in my home. Chris watched me put on my makeup, listened to what I was looking for, and gave me tailored recommendations on everything -- brushes, brands, colors, and techniques. She changed my life. I finally had confidence in my ability to use makeup. Now, not only did I know how to apply eyeliner and choose concealer colors, but I looked super pretty! I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone looking for makeup for a special occasion, photo shoot, or even just advice on how to apply it in everyday life. read more

Chris did my makeup for my wedding in Sausalito this past September. She was amazing! She was so helpful with the run-through, and gave great advise about what would look good on me. She ended up doing such beautiful work on my makeup the day of the wedding, that some of my bridesmaids decided last minute to have Chris do their makeup as well! Chris was exceptionally accommodating. Everyone turned out beautiful. Oh yea, and Chris has a great personality :) I HIGHLY recommend her!! read more

Chris was absolutely incredible to work with. Not only did she make me look perfect for my wedding day, she also helped me plan out the hair and makeup schedule for my bridesmaids and provided key insider tips on everything from the best location to get our makeup done to how to have 9 girls get their makeup done in 8 hours. She's truly a miracle worker. All of my bridesmaids looked fantastic and I received compliments the whole evening on how breathtaking I looked. The thing I loved most about working with Chris is that she kept everything very natural so that all of us still looked like ourselves -- just a more beautiful perfect version. read more

See all

I was lucky to find Chris right before my engagement picture shoot. Not only was she fabulous but she was such a sweet person. She not only recreates the exact look you want but she is human and kind. Chris is extremely responsive and punctual. She came to my apartment and we chatted for hours while she was doing my make up and hair. She followed up with me with an email listing out all the make-up items she used and her recommendations. What an amazing person! You can't go wrong with Chris! Thank you so much for making me look great for my engagement shoot! :) read more

Chris came to my studio with the photographer, Sarah Peet, to create photos of me for professional and personal use. Chris make me feel incredibly comfortable as she worked on my hair and makeup, creating a look that was natural and flattering for my photos. She made me look and feel like a better version of myself! She went beyond creating a wonderful hair and makeup look by giving me feedback on my wardrobe choices and watching to make sure the garments, hair and makeup remained looking good throughout the shoot. I would highly recommend including Chris in the planning of any important event and/or photo shoot. Chris was wonderful to work with! Thanks, Chris! read more

Chris MacDonald and her team did the make-up (and hair) for 6 bridesmaids, MOB, and bride, for our daughter's September 2016 wedding in San Francisco. She and her team made everyone look gorgeous and natural. Chris is an artist and make-up wiz who uses high-end products that enhance the best in one's natural self. She and her team kept to schedule while keeping everyone relaxed and having a fun time. Both the bride and her mother met with Chris months prior to the wedding to work out the correct colors/look and Chris very helpfully suggested lipstick shades to purchase prior to the wedding so that we'd be able to touch up after the ceremony and as the reception progressed. We all loved spending the hours before the ceremony with Chris and company and highly recommend her. read more

See all

Chris McDonald was the makeup and hair artist who helped me with my September 2012 wedding in San Francisco, CA. Chris went above and beyond her call of duty as my wedding makeup artist, so it is only fair that I share with all of you all the wonderful things she did. 1. She's responsive!! Out of all the makeup artists that I seriously considered, she was the most consistent and reliable when it comes to answering questions via e-mail. This was extremely important to me as I wanted things in writing to help remember what had been decided and what still needed clarification/work. My husband and I planned our wedding in 4 months (engaged in May 2012 and married in September 2012) and had a wedding party made up of people that were coming from out-of-town who had various personal, financial, and travel situations. I wanted to be upfront and fair to them in terms of hair/makeup cost, so they could decide and plan for the services they wanted based on their needs and budgets. The same went for me: I wanted to know the specifics for myself, so I could budget properly and plan the details of the Day-Of accordingly. Chris accommodated and worked with me on coming up with pricing and timing that worked for everyone. 2. Punctuality She came promptly at the time she said was was going to arrive at the hotel and was very efficient in setting up shop and getting everyone ready. 3. Ingenuity I had a 1920s themed wedding and wore a long pearl necklace that I was particularly concerned about as to how it would stay put throughout the event. Chris cleverly and artistically pinned and stitched the necklace to the back of my dress. I don't even know how she did it, but I can tell you that it was not difficult to take both the dress and the necklace off at the end of the day and my necklace stayed put and pretty on me throughout the event. I had people ask me afterwards what the trick was and I really couldn't tell them. I relied on Chris and she did her magic! 4. Awesome assistant. Chris brought her apprentice and assistant, her daughter Madison, to help with the hair/makeup for my bridal party. Madison is a talented makeup artist herself and did a fantastic job on my bridesmaids and flower girls. She has her own artistic style that is slightly different from her mom, but which also resulted in beautiful makeup and hair artistry. She definitely has a bright future in the industry. We loved her work. 5. Helpfulness and flexibility Chris ran around and went back and forth from my hotel to the wedding venue looking for a hair piece I thought I had forgotten at the hotel. She was extremely kind and helpful! She also had to deal with a bridal party that was as racially diverse as the United Nations and she along with Madison did a wonderful job on everyone. I am from the South Pacific and tanned, my wedding party and family ranged from Mexican, Indian, Caucasian, and Asian. Everyone turned out beautifully! Chris did amazing work and my wedding pictures speak for it. read more

Chris did makeup for me and my MOH/officiant for my wedding this past January. As I had never had my makeup professionally done and planned the wedding in six weeks, I very much had to rely on Chris' expertise and guidance. She is such a professional and worked with me before the event over email and telephone to share sources of inspiration and create a natural, daytime look. She works with many skin tones and we all looked fantastic. I had my hair done separately and she was able to do a few final touch-ups even though I hadn't used her for my hair. I would highly recommend her for any scope of work and hope to use her myself in the future! read more

Hands down, Chris McDonald is the best makeup artist in the Bay Area.

Chris just did the make up for my wedding this weekend. There were 9 women that had to be out the door by 2 p.m. and she made us all look beautiful! She took special care of every woman - especially me, the bride. Not only did my make up look flawless, she also took the time to make sure I felt happy and relaxed. She is a true professional and is a great person to work with on your wedding day! read more

... i never wear makeup so i was very nervous... she created the most beautiful natural look on me... i was so happy...definitely would use her again for special occasions... she is reasonably priced and very very fun to work with. extremely professional.. everyone liked my makeup. read more

I've known Chris McDonald over the course of many years and always go to her for my makeup before big events. Her taste is impeccable and her makeup artistry... flawless. One thing that has always brought me back to Chris is her personal touch on everything she does. She makes you feel as comfortable as you would with a dear old friend and gives the best makeup and beauty tips. Above and beyond she is fabulous! I refer her to everyone I know with confidence. They too become fans. You have to check her work out. It's amazing! read more

Chris recently did my hair and makeup for my engagement session, and she did a fantastic job! It was exactly what I asked for - way better than anything I could have done myself but still fairly natural and not overdone. Chris asked for photos of the look I wanted in advance so she could prepare, was very responsive over email before and after the session, and she was so sweet and fun to hang out with for the 2+ hours she worked on me. She even gave me tons of tips for my wedding since she had worked at my venue before, despite the fact that I'd already booked another hair & makeup artist for the wedding prior to finding her. Finally, I found her rates to be very reasonable relative to other artists I'd considered - even though I needed her services on a weekend and she was traveling to me for the session. Hoping for an excuse to have Chris do my hair & makeup again soon! read more

I don't know where to begin in describing how wonderful Chris was for my wedding last month. First, she is an amazing makeup artist. She actually listened to what I wanted, adjusted where needed, and gave me some great tips along the way. Second and perhaps more importantly, she is an amazing person/professional and so wonderful to work with. I can honestly say she was the calm in the two hours leading up to my ceremony. When the bus that my hairdresser was on broke down she saved many nerves and tears by jumping in an doing some last minute hair styling. Needless to say I'd recommend her to anyone - I hope I get to work with her again! read more

As I was a recent bride, I have been fortunate to be able to work with Chris 3 times: (a) wedding make-up trial run, (b) wedding day make-up and (c) make-up lesson. She is patient, detailed and fun to work with. Chris is very knowledgeable in her products and can create the look that you want for your wedding. I chose a simple look, and the make-up looked flawless and elegant on my wedding day. And yes, she works wonders with fake eyelashes! I was so impressed with Chris that I asked for a make-up lesson at my house. She taught me tricks to applying eyeshadow, blush, mascara and even lipstick. We worked on having make-up that could transition from the office to a party, which turned out to be effortless. Would highly recommend Chris to be your make-up artist for your wedding, special events, and even for make-up lessons. read more

Chris is amazing. I would give her 10 stars if I could. I was married in Calistoga last September and Chris did makeup for me and my two bridesmaids. Chris is an artist with her brushes. When she was finished my skin looked flawless, radiant and glowing. The makeup didn't feel heavy or overdone. The makeup looked natural but at the same time positively glamorous. Chris was also very meticulous in her work and made sure we each had the look that was right for us. She stayed with us, touching up lips and making sure everything was perfect when we walked out to begin the ceremony. My Matron of Honor's 10-year old daughter had also joined us while we were getting ready and Chris generously volunteered to put spiral curls in her hair.. The wedding was in September and people are still commenting that I looked like a goddess that day. I have never felt as beautiful as I did for my wedding. I am so grateful to Chris for helping me feel that way. read more

Chris McDonald MakeUp is amazing! I have had the privilege of working with her many times on portrait shoots and weddings and she is always professional, sweet and so talented. She brings a sense of calm to everyone she works with and makes them feel so comfortable. So after their time with Chris, when they are being photographed they are relaxed and feel like themselves, only even more beautiful and radiant! read more

Wow! Chris is amazing. I was so lucky to find her to do my makeup for my wedding. She came over right on time and made me look so much better than I could imagine, and she made me look very natural, as I wanted. "Like me, only better," as she said. She even covered my tan lines perfectly. She gave great instructions for touch ups throughout the night, but she did such a great job I did not need one touch up. She is really talented, and a lovely person. read more

Chris did my hair and makeup for my wedding, as well as hair for my 4 bridesmaids. We were all so happy about it. She did a great job doing for each of us a hairstyle that we liked and fit our personality and look. I loved my hair and makeup, and got many compliments about it. It's a pleasure working with Chris - she made us all feel very comfortable, and it was definitely a fun experience on an incredible day. She was also very responsive to last minute changes. I can only warmly recommend her! read more

Chris did my makeup for my wedding a couple of weeks ago and she was amazing. She managed to start with my mother and make her look amazing while reeling in her level 14 anxiety / emotions and then came over to my hotel and did a great job on my makeup. It was important to me that I didn't look like someone else and when I told her the vibe I wanted to go with she happily delivered. She was also very communicative leading up to the wedding and always answered my emails very quickly. I got married in Napa and she was hard to find but worth the search and definitely worth the money! Thanks again :) read more

Chris is honestly the best!!!! Not only does she do incredible makeup, but I felt truly blessed to have had the opportunity to work with her. My sister and I wanted to look beautiful and natural and Chris accomplished this perfectly. The entire morning started off way behind schedule and Chris just went with the flow. She was actually waiting in our hotel room when we got there happily and patiently, and when the photographers came, she encouraged me to get up and help them with whatever they needed for the shoot- where as someone with a different personality would have been really annoyed. Working with her was such a breath of fresh air. We started chatting and I swear it was like divine intervention that I found her. Our conversation was so heart felt and meaningful, it made me cry (and relax) for the first time in weeks-tears of joy and relief from all the stress I had been going through. I felt such a connection to her not just as my makeup artist but as a person as well-she is completely professional and personable at the same time! And the best part- she's way underpriced for her amazing services!!!! :) She is so talented and other make up artists charge two to three times as much! Honestly she's great- so easy going, soo sweet, extremely talented and very affordable!! I can't wait until I have a good excuse to get my makeup done- I would call her in a heartbeat! I highly recommend using her for all your makeup and hair services! She also did my nieces hair for free spontaneously and she looked beautiful!! Book with Chris- I promise you won't regret it!!! :) read more

I was so happy to connect with Chris as I researched and spoke with many makeup artists for my wedding and found many to be way overpriced, flaky or have obviously photo-shopped their web page/yelp images. Chris is so sweet and a true talent with makeup and hair. She took her time working with me both for a trial run and the wedding day. My makeup lasted throughout the night and she did a wonderful job keeping me still look like myself, but better! You could not find a more down to earth talent in this field. read more

I've never really known how to wear makeup or what really are the right colors for me, etc, so I splurged and scheduled a makeup lesson with Chris. wow, I had no idea what a big impact this would have-- I've gotten more compliments about my looks in the past several months since our lesson than I can count. Chris came to my house, spent 3+ hours with me, going through my current makeup and recommending what to keep and what to throw out, figuring out the best colors, teaching me to apply, and then writing a detailed plan of exactly what products to use in what order. she's been super available and responsive to questions I've had by email since then, too. some of the best money I've spent! read more

Chris has been doing my makeup for special events for over 10 years (!). She is an AMAZING artist and a wonderful person. In addition to formal events, I have had her also do makeup for some theme parties (70s, Great Gatsby, etc.) and she is always excited to tailor my makeup to my outfit and the specific theme (and it is always spot on). She is simply amazing and makes me look gorg. I wish she could do my makeup every day!!! read more

I was very lucky to book Chris for my wedding day! She did my sister's makeup for her wedding five years ago and did such a fantastic job that she was my number one choice for my own wedding. Her prices are fair, she is professional, yet fun to be around, has a very calm demeanor, (which is helpful if you are a stressed out bride!) and most importantly, she does a magnificient job! My sister, mom, and I all had our makeup done by Chris and were extremely happy with the result. She knows how to emphasize your best features and even though she spends a lot of time on each client and seems to use a lot of products, you never look like you have too much makeup on. Chris also did my hair in an updo for my wedding and I love what she did! She achieved the exact look I wanted and everything stayed put all night, through SF wind and a sweltering dance floor! I highly recommend her to any bride, bridesmaid, mother of the bride, etc. She is the best! read more