I hired Elaine to do makeup for me, my mom, my mother-in-law and my husband for my wedding in January. I wasn't 100% satisfied after the trial, but I hired her anyway because she has positive reviews, and by that point I was just tired of contacting vendors for our two weddings (one in TC and one abroad). I think things turned okay, but I kind of wish I had gone with my gut and tried out other makeup artists.
TRIAL RUN:
First of all, I thought it was strange that she never introduced herself to me through email or in person. I only knew her name was Elaine because of all the Yelp reviews I've read.
She did two hair styles and one makeup for the trial. She didn't seem very interested in my dress when I tried to show pictures to her, so don't hope for any input from her.
I didn't really like how my hair turned out, but she blamed the thickness of my hair. She didn't make any suggestions or try altering it to look nicer since it was already the 2nd hair style so I was a little disappointed. I ended up choosing a simpler hair style for my wedding day. Luckily the MUA I hired for my other ceremony abroad was able to achieve what I wanted! Unlike Elaine, the other MUA actually took the time to get to know me, and we discussed what hair/makeup would go with my dress, shoes, etc. even though I wasn't able to do a trial with her before my wedding day. The contrast between that MUA and Elaine really stands out to me in hindsight, and I regret not trying out more MUA's for my wedding in TC.
Overall, Elaine did a good job with my makeup, but I really didn't like that she kind of laughed at my eyebrows. I have thick eyebrows and she said they were "too much" and also commented on how they were uneven and seemed unsure of what to do with them. Even my eyebrows weren't perfect, I think there are better ways of going about it if you are a professional. I felt so self-conscious after the trial that I actually ended up going to an eyebrow waxing salon every month leading up to my wedding to try and get them to look better. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, her makeup kits were very messy/dirty, which made me feel a little uncomfortable.
WEDDING DAY:
A day or two before the wedding, Elaine texted me to confirm details. She said that her assistant would not be able to come even though I had booked her back in June, but she assured me that she would be able to do makeup for all four people. She was very flexible about time, which I appreciated, and she suggested a good time to start, taking into account when my photographer would be there and when the ceremony would start.
Elaine arrived on time and immediately set up and got to work. She was able to do the simpler hair style I chose much better than the one I had her do at the trial, but after she left, I notice crimped parts showing that should've been hidden so that bothered me all night. At least it's not noticeable in pictures. Also, one of the fake eyelashes she had applied was falling off by the end of the night. At least this time, she didn't say anything about my eyebrows, so I guess going to the wax salon paid off. I thought it was strange that she didn't apply ANY powder to my eyebrows, though, since not all of the hairs had grown in completely yet. I wish I had spoken up, but everything was so chaotic that day, I didn't notice until it was too late. Overall I looked okay. It was just the little details that bothered me.
She did a far worse job on my husband and our mothers. She literally told my husband before she started that she's not good at doing hair/makeup for men, which kind of put him off. She only applied a thin layer of powder to his face and barely did anything to his hair. She did nothing to hide the flaws he's self-conscious of, and he also had to do his own hair in the end. She should take groom's hair/makeup off her website if she is unable to perform that service. I'm not sure what I paid for. Our moms complained that she didn't really do much makeup on them either. Unfortunately, no one told me how disappointed they were until AFTER I had already paid and tipped her. I really regret that.
I also felt weird that she left without telling anyone. I saw her packing up, but since I was running around doing other things, I didn't notice when she actually left and no one else knew that she had left either. I feel like you should tell at least one person that you are leaving before you disappear. You should probably double check that at least the bride is looking her best before you leave.
ADVICE:
Definitely do a trial run and no EXACTLY what you want. Simple is better.
If you are going to hire her, only hire her for bridal makeup. Don't bother with other family members and definitely not the groom. She also didn't apply any skincare on any of us before she started applying makeup so make sure you do your own skincare routine beforehand if you decide to hire her. Also, make sure everyone is satisfied before tipping. read more