I connected with Cara just 6 weeks before my April wedding, after having had 3 failed makeup trials with the initial makeup artist that I had booked. I was very stressed and certain that none of the best artists would still have availability for my Saturday wedding, but Cara came in to save the day! She got me in just a few days later for a trial and I was thrilled with how I looked on trial day. I was equally thrilled with how my hair and makeup looked on wedding day and moreover, the cool, calm, and kind vibes that they brought. I was worried about my oily skin causing chaos on wedding day, but the makeup didn't budge until it was time to remove it at the end of the night. I would highly recommend Cara, especially if you're looking for a more natural look. read more

Face Forward Bridal - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

See all

I had the absolute pleasure of hiring Cara to do my hair and make-up for our small wedding in Big Sur! Cara was recommended to me by my wedding planner - and as soon as I saw photos of Cara's work with previous brides.....I just knew right away that she was exactly the person that I was looking for!! The photos of Cara's work really speak for themselves - she is truly talented and amazing at what she does, and she also loves what she does! She pays very close attention to details and really works with you in order to make your wedding day hair/makeup vision a reality! Cara travelled to our remote venue in Big Sur to do on-site hair and makeup for myself (the bride), as well as the mothers of the bride/groom, and two of my best friends. She was very flexible and accommodating of our early morning start (since we were doing a first look and wedding photos prior to the ceremony) and she made sure everyone's hair and make-up was pristine and done on time! Spending the wedding morning with her was such pleasure for myself and everyone! Cara is such a sweet, caring and positive person - it was so easy to chat and joke around with her. The entire day started off on a positive note with Cara's presence and that positivity continued on through the rest of the day. Cara truly made me feel like the most beautiful person in the world on my wedding day! She is someone you can depend on and I would 10000% recommend Cara to any brides in the Monterey/Carmel and Big Sur area! read more

See all

I read so many great reviews about Cara and sadly very disappointed. I reached out in March and she got back to me in July. Once she did reach out to me I explain how.i would need minimal services and she again did not answer calls, emails or texts. She waited a week to reply that she would cute me $100 off her original price since I would not need trial hair and makeup. Very dissapointed. read more

Face Forward Bridal - disappointed. - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

See all

Can't get a call back. I've messaged on Instagram, emailed and called. I'll take my business to someone else.

Cara is the best make up artist I've ever worked with. She was amazing for my elopement, all I had to do was show her a picture and I got exactly what I wanted without even having a trial. If you're in Big Sur, you have to use her! read more

Face Forward Bridal - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

Cara was so wonderful to work with. She did my hair and make up for my small wedding in Big Sur and I couldn't be happier! She was so sweet and professional. She made me look and feel so good!! She made me look like the best glowing and radiant version of myself. I am so happy I found her and she was available. Highly recommend hiring Cara!!! read more

Cara did my makeup for my wedding on September 13th and I can't tell you how beautiful I felt! She did such an amazing job and it was exactly what I wanted. My husband will not stop raving about it and told me to buy everything she used on me. That says a lot because he doesn't like me wearing a lot of makeup but she made it so natural but dark enough to show in photos. From the start she was so speedy with email replies and always had the most professional approach to her work. When I saw her for my bridal trial she had already reviewed my photos for inspiration and completely understood the look I wanted. She took the time to discuss my entire wedding and showed true excitement for my big day which I loved. She did all of my bridesmaids (6 ladies) and the two moms and was right on schedule! She made sure to get me done near the end so it was fresh but not too late so I wouldn't be rushed! All the ladies loved their makeup and they are picky ladies. She has great prices and is the sweetest most talented makeup artist I have ever met. I would definitely recommend her for your next event. :) read more

See all

Cara styled my hair/make up for my wedding in January, in Big Sur. She braced the weather and was even early! Which was great. My ceremony was outside and the rain had been nonstop for days. She did a wonderful job with my hair and makeup. She was able to do it exactly how envisioned. She also used magic in sure, because through the rain, wind and dancing my hair and makeup were still perfect 13 hours later when I went to sleep. I would definitely recommend Cara to anyone getting married in the area, and I would not hesitate to use her again. Thank you for all you did that day! I know it was crazy weather and you braves it and made me feel incredible on my wedding day. read more

Face Forward Bridal - Just finished hair/makeup - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

See all

We had a limited budget, and many of the elements of our wedding were DIY to keep costs down (I even altered my own bridal gown, eek!) I seriously considered doing my own hair and makeup, but I am so glad I chose to hire Face Forward instead! We were very deliberate about the items that we did decide to splurge on, and we spent a good amount of time making sure that the vendors we did select were high quality and exactly the right fit. Cara was a pleasure to work with; enthusiastic, prompt with her correspondence, and very talented. Nikki was an excellent complement, and I loved how my hairstyle turned out for the wedding! I appreciated that Cara accommodated our need to keep the services basic (Only my mother and I had our hair and make-up done, we decided to forego the trial appointment, and we did not have the Face Forward team travel to us) - many wedding vendors chafe at the word "budget" but Cara never flinched and made us feel just as important as if we had arrived with unlimited funds. I was so relieved that I did not add the stress of attempting to execute my own hair and make-up on such an important day! I could never have achieved what Cara and Nikki and did, I still looked great at the end of the night, and the wedding day photos turned out fantastic! read more

Face Forward Bridal - Mom looks wonderful! - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

See all

When it came to our wedding day, we picked vendors that were two things: excellent and genuinely endearing- Cara these things and more. I chose to have Cara do my hair and make up for our engagement pictures and then for my 3 jr bridesmaids, flower girl, and mom and myself on our wedding day in October. She and Nikki are FANTASTIC. Here's why: - She only uses high quality make up and her colors match your skin perfectly. You will feel confident and beautiful and recognizable on your wedding day. - she is so much fun and is so bubbly and cheery. She was laughing with my maids and made everyone feel at ease and calm- which is exactly what I wanted. I'm convinced that the mood in the bridal suite set the tone for the rest of the night - it was fun, cheery, and totally silly. - She is super responsive and enthusiastic- she's like a great friend who rocks at hair and makeup. I emailed her as soon as my puppy bit me and bruised me (5 days before the wedding) and she took care of covering it up. - She is a serious bride advocate and will get things taken care of. Our power went out (see my review of the Portola Hotel) and we were behind schedule because of it. As I was getting ready to leave the ceremony, I saw Cara at the front desk...she was complaining on my behalf. Cara is the best and she will bring so much heart to your big day! read more

See all

Cara did my hair and make up for our elopement in Big Sur in September. We are from Houston, Tx so I wasn't able to get a trial or didn't have a referral from anyone. I picked her because she has such amazing reviews and I'm so glad I did! Not only did she make me feel so beautiful she is so sweet and so easy to talk to. I felt so comfortable with her and she even helped my husband fix his tie because he had know idea how to! She is seriously the best! Love her read more

Face Forward Bridal - Felt so beautiful after my make up was done by Face Forward Bridal. - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

Cara did my hair and makeup for my wedding day. It poured rain through the day and night but you wouldn't have even known it from the look of my hair and make-up! Everything stayed perfectly in place throughout and looked incredibly natural - but more beautiful! Her energy was so calming, and the look that she created was above and beyond what I had imagined! Cara is hands down the best hair and makeup artist! If you don't use Cara, you're making a huge mistake! read more

WEDDING REVIEW: Highly recommend Cara and her team for your hair and makeup on wedding day. She was sweet, dependable and did a great job. I got married in Capitola and she drove up from Carmel even though she had to be there at 6:30AM! It was also fun to take a little trip to her cute salon and get a facial with my trial session. If you want an honest person and someone that will give you a fair price for very high quality results, Cara is your gal. read more

Cara and her team were simply incredible. They not only listened to my vision for my look on my wedding day but even reached out to my bridesmaids to be prepared and ready to personalize the look and visions they had as well. Face forward bridal left me feeling more beautiful than I have ever felt, and they were extremely professional, flexible, and SUCH a pleasure to work with. I would recommend them to anyone! read more

See all

The team at Face Forward Bridal, under owner Cara Hopkins, were without a doubt the most incredibly talented stylists I've ever worked with and far surpassed my expectations for styling of myself and my wedding party. I've been in quite a few wedding parties and have had my makeup and hair styled numerous times ... Face Forward Bridal far exceeded any and all prior experiences. The team listened to my style preferences and created a look that was perfectly aligned. In addition to their talent, the team were the most thoughtful, kind and fun group to have alongside of us on our wedding day. From the music they played, to the thoughtfulness in setting up and creating their workstations in a way that was conducive to my bridal party being able to mingle and have space to interact, to their warm and light hearted demeanor! There were lots of laughs throughout the day! Looking back on my wedding pictures, I am so blown away by how beautiful the hair and makeup was done for everyone in our bridal party (and it lasted throughout the ceremony tears and dancing)! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Face Forward Bridal. Highly memorable and an absolute must for all brides. read more

Cara was so sweet and I felt very welcome at her skin care salon. She took my last minute appointment for lash extensions (see photo attached) as well as a body wrap so that I can look prettier for my wedding the next day. I noticed that my skin was definitely tighter after the wrap and the wrap had a soothing minty feel to it. I liked it so much that I bought an extra wrap to take home with me. Regarding the lash extensions, I got tons of compliments on them and they definitely feel softer than the extensions I got from a salon in San Francisco. At my wedding, I applied extra mascara just to make my long extensions more dramatic. The glue was not affected at all and I loved how my eyes looked in my pictures. The only thing I didn't like about getting extensions is the part where she has to cover your bottom lashes so that your eyes don't get glued shut. The tape used to cover the bottom lash is hard to remove so it hurts when she peeled them off. I don't mind having a little pain if I end up with fabulous lashes, which I definitely did. Cara is officially my go-to gal for lash extensions. The lashes are staying put and I'm at day three already! The pricing is also reasonable and better compared to the services available in San Francisco. Definitely stop by Face Forward if you want to look awesome on your wedding day! read more

Face Forward Bridal - I love my lash extensions! - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

This review is long overdue! Cara and her team did my hair and makeup for my wedding 2 years ago and I really cannot say enough about what a wonderful job they did. They are SO sweet and made everything about getting ready fun and stress free. I showed Cara a picture of what I wanted my makeup to look like and she literally duplicated the picture - I wanted something very natural, flawless, and beautiful and that's exactly what I got. When I looked at myself in the mirror I was almost in tears because I felt so pretty and even now when I look at the pictures I am thrilled that I chose her to complete my special day. Thank you Cara and team for being such a big part of my wedding. If you're looking for true professionals, choose Face Forward. You will not be disappointed! read more

Face Forward Bridal - Wedding makeup by Cara! - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

Cara was AMAZING! She did the make up for myself and bridesmaids for my wedding on 5/18/13. For the trial run she had wine and snacks waiting for us at her suite. On the day of she came on-site and took care of everything. I have never felt as beautiful as I did after Cara worked on my make up. She made my vision become a reality, we all look like stars! Not only is she a fabulous make up artist but she is also a fantastic person and so much fun to be around. Thank you Cara for being a part of what made my day so special! read more

Cara is the sweetest! She and Nikki are incredibly talented. She was able to work with us with only 2 weeks notice when I was scrambling to find a good artist for our big day. You will not be disappointed. read more

Face Forward Bridal - Face Forward Bridal allowed us to feel glamorous on our big day! - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

I am a woman who does NOT enjoy having my hair and makeup done. But I'm also a woman who does not excel at doing my own hair and makeup (beyond my usual day-to-day look), so I need professional help when preparing for life's special occasions. I was extremely nervous about finding someone for my wedding, but after searching for the perfect hair and makeup vendor on various wedding websites (mostly, The Knot and WeddingWire) I found Face Forward Bridal. I hit the jackpot! Cara Hopkins and her team are the best of the best! They made me, my bridesmaids and maid of honor, our flower girl and mothers, all look and feel gorgeous! The hair and makeup they gave each of us lasted all day and night, even though our wedding and reception were held outdoors in extremely windy (and chilly) conditions. Cara and Ariel (who did my hair and makeup) also gave me the wonderful gift of "calm" on my wedding day and I have never felt more beautiful or like myself in professional hair and makeup. They are truly gifted artists and I could not be more grateful to have worked with them. The entire team of Face Forward Bridal was an absolute delight! They are so professional and punctual (and fun!); and I cannot recommend them enough! Cara - Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did for me and the most special ladies in my life. You helped make my day less stressful and more beautiful, and I truly appreciate your heart and hard work. Thank you! All my love, MacKenzie read more

Cara and her team at face forward bridal are so incredibly amazing at what they do. They made me, my family, and my friends look absolutely radiant on my wedding day. Cara was extremely professional and flexible to my ever changing contract. She was a true pleasure to work with and her calming nature really helped to set the mood for the big day. Even my mom was happy, and she's a tough cookie to please. read more

Cara was awesome to have on my wedding day, not only for her incredible make up skills, but for her calming and soothing demeanor which really helps calm a bride down! She was very organized, she had a list written down of the names of the bridesmaids whose turn it was to get their makeup done. She was flexible, in that, if that particular bridesmaid wasnt ready, she easily moved on to someone who was ready. At my makeup trial, she really made me feel like she knew what she was doing, and constantly checked in with me to make sure that I liked how she was doing my makeup. I would definitely recommend her to anyone who wants a fun, professional makeup artist to make them look beautiful! read more

Cara and her team were wonderful! I had trouble finding the right person who could appreciate the same vision and the day of was great!

Booked a silk peel appointment with Cara after finding this place on yelp. I checked their website and some silk peel videos on YouTube since I never had a silk peel before but do get clinical strength micro on regular bases to treat scars. The place is located in the beautiful Court of Fountains in Carmel. The place is cozy and welcoming. I found Cara to be caring, genuine, and passionate about her work. She took the time to explain her approach and talked about the results I am seeking and what to expect. i did not feel rushed to go in and get the treatment and off to the next apt. I have to say that I thought it would be like any micro plus the liquid treatment infused into ur skin but it was superior to any I have had before. Skin was glowing, scars looked much smoother and less noticeable, and I received complements on my skin from family and friends alike. I would tribute these results in part to the skillful hands of Cara who took the time to do several passes over my areas of concern. She really knew how to treat/ approach my condition with her wand and I think it made all the difference. I highly recommend Cara at Faceforward and I look forward to my next visit. read more

I had never heard of a silk peel before until I met Cara! I can honestly say that my skin has changed for the better! The products she recommends and sells are amazing! They smell nice and they do work on my skin! She just recently got in Bare Minerals and I was really excited to have somewhere locally to buy it from and learn more about the product! They also sell goddess wear clothing there which is one of my favorite brands. You have got to check this place out. read more

In my search for eyelash extensions, I came upon Face Forward. Cara is experienced and not fussy, straight forward and knowledgeable about her products with a very kind disposition. My lashes are perfect. Natural and exactly what I had hoped for. She has a knack for perfection and a great vision in terms of what looks good. I managed to sneak in a quick makeup lesson. She doesn't over sell and is spot on with her recommendations. I'm looking forward to going back for a Silkpeel dermalinfusion facial treatment....which has gotten nothing but rave reviews on the internet. This is your go to place for learning to apply age-appropriate makeup or a special event as she never over does. What a find........ Sheri J read more

Had my hair and makeup trial today with Cara and Nikki! Can't wait for my wedding day and to see this beauty with my dress on too! They listened to my ideas and were very conscientious about asking me how I was liking the look along the way. They will make me and my bridesmaids look stunning! So easy to work with and love the outcome. read more

Face Forward Bridal - Bridal updo by Nikki - Skin Care Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

See all

Cara and her assistant were wonderful and came all the way down to the rental house we had in Big Sur to do my hair and make up for my wedding! I would highly recommend them. They were very professional, friendly, and did a great job. I asked for a very natural make-up look, which Cara executed perfectly ( I don't usually wear make-up so was a bit concerned about getting it professionally done). I was able to send some photos of hairstyles I liked and her assistant did a great job with that too. She was also priced very reasonably for that expensive area of the world! I highly recommend Cara and Face Forward Carmel!!! read more

I booked Cara and Nikki for my July wedding in Monterey, completely blind. I read reviews others had posted and looked at pictures of their work. After Cara and I emailed back and forth I felt comfortable that they were the right fit for me, even without a trial run. Cara is great with communication, I had a ton of nervous questions that she always answered, even when she was on vacation. I was nervous about getting my make up done, from bad past experiences. But Cara showed up to my hotel on time, very friendly and did a beautiful job! She did exactly what I was looking for, but better! Nikki was great to work with too! So friendly and even styled my grooms hair! I showed her pictures of the look I was going for and she knocked it out of the park- it was perfect! Both ladies were great! I'm so glad that I chose such talented ladies to be apart of my special day! read more

Cara is wonderful! She worked with me to help surprise my wife with her spa services, she was very personable and professional. My wife loved the pampering that she recieved, we will return to her the next time we visit Carmel. Thanks for everything Cara, you helped make our vacation very special. read more

Cara & Nikki did hair and makeup for my wedding in Big Sur, CA and I couldn't have been happier! They were informative, genuine, and created a calm and relaxed environment for us to get ready in - not to mention they are extremely talented! I wasn't able to do a practice trial beforehand and was a bit scared of how everything would turn out but it was perfect. Both Cara & Nikki sat with me beforehand and made sure we were on the same page with the look I wanted and most importantly made me feel like we were working together as a team to create a look I was comfortable with. They listened, provided honest feedback, and were an absolute joy to have on the day! If you are looking for hair/makeup for your wedding look no further! These girls are amazing! read more

My Mother and I had been planning a trip to Carmel for a while and we wanted to get our makeup done just for fun, so we searched on yelp! to find a shop that sold Bare Minerals and found this cute retreat in downtown Carmel called Face Forward. As we walked into the peaceful shop a beautiful woman named Cara greeted us with a huge smile on her face. She showed us all the different types of Bare Minerals and what type works on us and how to apply it. The makeup turned out beautiful and I was very pleased with the lovely job Cara and her co-worker Nikki did. I would DEFINITELY recommend Face Forward to anybody who wants an affordable,beautiful,relaxing place to get massages,and make-up done. 5 Stars! read more

I cannot say enough about my experience with Cara! From my first communication via email and phone to the moment that she left the venue, I was blown away & beyond happy! I live on the east coast, so I was unable to do a trial. As a bride, that's certainly scary to begin with! I had a small intimate wedding, so I was only looking to have hair and makeup done for myself. However, with Cara's expertise and reassurance along the way, her open communication during the whole process and super fast responsiveness, I looked and felt more amazing than I could have expected on the most important day of my life! I was so at ease the whole time she did my hair and makeup! She also styled my mother's hair, which turned out great! And to add to everything, JUST 2 DAYS BEFORE THE EVENT--she even agreed to fit in styling the groom's mother's hair (change of plans so it didn't end up happening, but still!!) I would highly recommend Cara to any bride wanting to look and feel their best on their big day! THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN!!! :) read more

See all

Cara is amazing! She styled me, my mom and sister for my wedding in September and made me feel like the most beautiful bride. She and her team were so sweet and professional. She is extremely talented and I would highly recommend her to any bride! Thank you Cara! read more

I decided to book Cara and Nikki for wedding hair and makeup based on their glowing yelp reviews, and they completely lived up to their great reputation! They were timely, friendly, used great products, and really understood and nailed our "vision". I would hire these ladies again in a heartbeat! read more

Cara was a joy to work with! When it's your wedding day, you want to be surrounded by people who are helpful, who will go above & beyond, who will listen, who are CALM!! and people who are genuinely happy for you on your big day. Cara was more than a makeup artist to me, she was everything listed above. Just a small example: I forgot my white robe to wear while getting ready with my bridesmaids (my girls had floral robes that I remembered to bring) and Cara reached out to her son to run to Victoria Secret to buy one for me - how awesome is that? She also allowed me to use a couple of my makeup products that I felt most comfortable with, which was important to me. If you are looking for a makeup artist with a natural hand & who knows what she's doing, book Cara!! XO read more

Cara and Nikki did a fantastic job for my wedding hair and makeup for me and my bridesmaids. Cara made sure our makeup was just how we wanted it and made sure we looked good. And we showed Nikki pictures of how we wanted our hair done and she did an awesome job. I can't say enough good things about them both, I loved everything they did and felt so pretty! Cara is so sweet and quick to respond when booking and sending over contracts. I would definitely use her again and recommend to anyone getting married in the area, they are worth it! read more

Cara perfectly translated my vision into my hair and makeup. She was extremely talented, timely, and friendly. Cara is an absolute pleasure to be around and even though we eloped I felt like I was surrounded by my dearest friends. I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to look and feel amazing! Thanks Cara!!! read more