Finding someone to do my hair and makeup might have been the most stressful part of the entire…read morewedding. I can't even begin to count how many hair/make-up artists simply stopped communicating with me about a trial. How do these people run a business?? And then I found Ann. I had had my makeup done before my professionals and really did not like that caked-on look. The photos from Ann's website looked very natural and her prices were fair (we were paying for the bridesmaids' hair as well so I was very price-conscious on this front). Caitlin ended up doing my hair and make-up, and she was PERFECT. Patiently re-tweaked my hair 10 times until it looked exactly how I wanted it to. And my make-up was literal perfection. Could not have been happier!! I looked like myself but better which is all I ever wanted. Additionally, she was an absolute pleasure to hang out with me and my bridesmaids on the day-of. Stop looking and book with Ann!!

I was extremely nervous when looking for hair and makeup artists for my wedding. I am way too…read morepicky when it comes to my makeup, so I absolutely hate having other people take control. I never feel like myself, and I tend to completely redo everything once I get to a bathroom mirror. I cannot explain the wave of relief that came over me after my trial run with Ann! I love the idea of airbrush makeup, but I explained to her that I hated how it can accentuate fine lines. I couldn't believe how flawless my face looked, both in photos and in person! I did not touch my hair or makeup all day long...it was perfect for 14 hours. She also got it exactly right on the first try; I didn't have to ask her to change a thing. Ann did my hair and makeup, and the makeup for my mom, and my 4 bridesmaids. Caitllin did the hair for my mom and bridesmaids. Everyone looked gorgeous! Caitlin took everyone's specific requests, and really nailed them all. We were all so happy with the final results, and it was amazing not to have to worry about anything the rest of the day/night. I also have to mention how fun it was to have Ann and Caitlin with us. We all talked and laughed the entire morning. They are both so nice, and it was great having them with us while we were getting ready. I highly highly recommend Ann and her team. Making 6 picky women happy is not an easy task!

After my best friend had Jenny do our makeup back in June, I knew I wanted to hire her for hair and…read moremakeup for my wedding this past November. Since I'm not one to get done up much, I truly appreciated how incredibly patient and helpful Jenny was in creating my wedding day look. Her and her partner made the morning of so smooth and fun. They did makeup for 8 and hair for 6 -- everyone looked wonderful and the hair and makeup lasted into the early morning! Jenny was a pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend her.

Jenny is wonderful! I've used her multiple times for special occasions. She's done hair and makeup…read morefor my daughters graduation and even more recently my daughters pictures for her quinceañera. She has an eye for detail and takes her time to make sure each and every detail is just done to perfection. She also has done my lashes twice and they are fabulous!! I have never felt so beautiful! Super precise and listens to all my requests. I recommend her highly!!

A no-hassle way to get pretty on your wedding day? Coming right up!…read more After getting several quotes from other makeup artists and companies...I was frustrated and feeling a bit like "screw this, I can do my own makeup and hair!" Inflexible, upcharges for everything, outrageously expensive, booked, etc etc. No thanks. Then, a light bulb flashed... I actually found Julia (the makeup artist at Pretty Windy City) through her other affiliated venture, Vavoom Pinups. She spends time there making gals into cute little sexpot kittens for the camera. We took a friend of mine there for a shoot a year or so back and I remember the makeup being fantastic, Julia being phenomenal (and fun, and low stress), etc, etc, etc. So, I was pretty thrilled when I emailed and Julia told me that they actually love doing weddings and she also had a hair girl (Sara). Bonus! And that they'd come to my hotel, no problem. AND that they'd come to my house to do my trial. Could they have made it any better? In a time that was actually a bit helter skelter, the gals at PWC made life sparkle. They materialized my "vision" (meaning, pinterest board with random photos) into something I loved. Super simple, but glam. Julia uses airbrush foundation, which gave me a glow that more than one person commented on. Of course, I told my husband it was surely because I was so happy...but really, the makeup job was bangin'. Loved my hair too. Also simple and fresh, upscale without being severe. Sara is a gem! Pretty Windy City was all that and a bagga'chips and thus they are at the top of my list in terms of "wedding vendors." They made the afternoon fun, they weren't frantic or stressed out, they were flexible, they made my mom and grandmother look beautiful, and were all around just really fun gals to have at the hotel that day. Down to earth. Not divas. My grandmother (who I adore) said it was actually her very favorite part of the day, which touched my heart. I know she felt really beautiful walking out of that hotel room, and I was so grateful to J&S for making her feel special. Sara even fluffed up her hair on the fly after she got caught in the rain! True service and heart in this company. I'll post photos once I have them from the photographer! *payable by cash or check. *email for quotes/pricing. *no minimums, they'll come do just the bride if that's what you'd like. *if they travel to hotel, you'll pay for their parking, of course. *tell them I said hello!

Julia and Sara just did my trial makeup and hair for my upcoming wedding…read more They are badass! I love what they did with my hair and makeup. Plus, they are hilarious, fun, affordable and professional. I highly recommend them!

When my daughter got married this summer, the makeup person was the last vendor we hired. We had…read moreDarcy McGrath's name from another recent bride, so we went to her apartment for a trial run for both of us. She charged us for that but said she'd put the money toward the wedding day fee if we decided to use her. Unlike many wedding makeup artists, Darcy charges by the hour rather than by the person. It all comes out to roughly the same, which isn't cheap but it turned out to worth every penny. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event but the photos last forever, which is why the makeup was important to us. Darcy was a lot of fun and knew what she was doing, so we hired her to come the morning of the wedding and do the makeup for the bride, four bridesmaids and me. The bride and bridesmaids then spent two hours in July's humid 90 degrees getting their pictures taken all over Chicago. When they arrived at the wedding venue, their makeup was still perfect. I had asked Darcy to meet them at the venue after the photos for a touch-up, but it wasn't even really necessary. And when one of the bridesmaids shed a few tears at the wedding, the makeup still didn't run! Darcy handled each of us individually--from the bride, who normally wears zero makeup, to all of the rest of us with our individual taste and requests. She's a real professional. Everyone looked amazing. One guest told me it was "like an Oprah makeover," while one of our musicians told the bride she looked like a movie star. Still, the makeup was not at all overdone. It was just pretty and brought out everyone's best features.

It's not too often that I splurge on getting my makeup done. Actually, professional makeup…read moreapplication is usually reserved only for weddings. And intended to match some frothy, overdone bridesmaid dress. As in some derivative of plum on my lips to match my eggplant dress. As in overdrawn lip liner which results in a Pamela Anderson-esque look. I flip through magazines and study the page when I see a M.A.C. cosmetics ad. Bright pink eye shadow, feathers, glittery eyelashes... scary stuff. Haute couture makeup has its place, but not parked on my face. Ladies, you saw SATC the movie, right? Think Carrie on her wedding day with the crazy dark lipstick and the bird-thing on her head. Not.for.me. So, I felt like looking pretty one night for no particular reason. Makeup artiste extraordinaire Laura Black and her big back of tricks made a house call to my apartment! Even though I cringe at the thought of someone being so close to my eyes with sharp tools such as tweezers and eyelash curlers, Laura put me at ease. She has a soft, fluttery touch. Really, I was so relaxed I almost fell asleep! Laura is professional and friendly, and talks just enough. Everyone knows a stylist that talks so much that you feel tired when it's all said and done. Beauty treatments should be relaxing, and my makeup application was exactly that. Please don't take this as vain-- but when I saw the girl in the mirror looking back at me, I was impressed. Slightly awestruck, I kept looking... this was a much better version of the usual me, but still me. I like that. I never wear base, but Laura's expert application was so feather light and natural that I just ended up with a flawless canvas. I had somehow developed cheekbones I didn't know existed. My lips were tinted a glossy, sexy, nude-ish shade--a shade which I previously believed I was unable to wear. My eyes, however, were my favorite part. Smoky, sparkly and sexy without the vamp. The sparkle? Courtesy of a super-cool M.A.C. pigment powder. My green eyes popped! I took the show to the road that evening. Upon seeing me, one of my male friends immediately remarked "Oh--I'm so casual, and look at you!" I was only wearing jeans and a tank, but he knew something was different. Then I ran into another acquaintance, one that I had not seen for over a year. His take? "Wow, Jelena... I don't know how to say this, but you look amazing... not that you don't usually [insert foot in the mouth], but, um... you look really different... hot!" The makeup lasted all night, alas a "bombshell" for only an evening. I was even a little sad to scrub the beauty from my face when I got home. As I kept telling Laura... thank you, you're a goddess. What else would you call someone with such incredible transformative powers? Whether you're getting done-up for a wedding or just a night on the town, Laura's your girl.

I always walk away from makeup counters with a teeny bag full of overpriced crayons that I never…read moreintended on buying and a lump in my throat imaging the credit card receipt that I just shoved to the bottom of my purse. But hey, at least I got that free gift. The bright lights that make my skin look terrible and the gay guy at the counter that has better makeup on then I could ever dream of, make me feel like there is so much more that I could be doing with my face. I was beginning to feel especially inept with a makeup brush and guilty about all of the great products I had purchased over the years that barley made it out of the packaging. I decided to take action and I booked a makeup lesson. Enter Laura Black. Laura came to my house with her makeup case (which was about the size of a trunk you might pack for a month long voyage) and a fierce looking apron with every beauty do-hickey known to woman kind tucked away in its rightful pocket. With patience and excellent explanations Laura went to work on my face. She talked me though everything she was doing, from the motion in her wrist when applying color to the crease in the eye, to the reasoning behind dotting concealer on my lips. Now, I don't want to give away all of Laura's beauty tips here.....but you can be sure that she has plenty of them. From the colors to use for my face tone, to the sure-fire way to perfect blush.......I learned more from Laura in one hour then I have from reading thousands of makeup articles in Cosmo. And the best part? Laura used almost all of my own makeup and I didn't walk away from the lesson with a long list of "must buy's." When Laura was finished I hardly believed the reflection in the mirror. I didn't see makeup or colors, what I saw was a fresh-faced gorgeous version of myself. In my own best daydreams about my wedding, my sold our concert, and my Oscar acceptance speech, I've never looked that good. Since my makeup lesson, I have added a few minutes to my routine in the morning and I leave the house feeling more put together then before. But the best part is that now, when I am getting ready for a big night out, I actually look forward to spending time doing my makeup. What a difference it makes when you know what you're doing! Just the other night a friend told me how great my eye makeup looked. I started to tell her how I'd perfected the technique, then I thought better of it and just referred her to Laura Black.

Karisa DeLuca did my wedding day makeup, plus the makeup of 7 other girls. She has many years of…read moreexperience as a makeup artist & is a perfectionist at her work. Karisa is very friendly & has a great personality. I had a trial with her before my wedding day & she spent nearly 2 hours applying my makeup, I loved it. She does AIRBRUSH foundation & it's awesome! My makeup lasted for 10+ hours. Please message me for additional pictures of my myself & the other girls. Everyone looked fabulous, I would definitely recommend Karisa to anyone wanting to have their wedding day makeup professionally done! You can EMAIL Karisa at karisa@karismatic.com.

Karisa did the makeup for myself, 6 bridesmaids, and my mom on the day of my wedding. Everyone…read moreabsolutely loved her!! All of our makeup looked awesome, and everyone was so, so happy with the way that they looked, including one of my bridesmaids that normally never wears makeup. Before she started, she asked everyone want they wanted done, and made sure you were happy with the way looked before she moved on to the next girl. She stayed until we were about to leave for the church, applying last minute touch ups to anyone that wanted one. Even my photographer stopped at one point to tell my how good my makeup was turning out in the pictures he was taking. He said that it's really hard to find a makeup artist that applies makeup that shows up well in HD pictures, and that Karisa's was some of the best he'd seen. I am SO happy I went with Karisa for my wedding makeup, and wish that I could have her to keep, so that I could have her apply makeup whenever I wanted :o)

Catherine did the makeup for my wife and her bridesmaids on our wedding day. I don't know much…read moreabout makeup and colors but my wife looked at Catherine's Instagram and she really liked her makeup work so I hired Catherine as a gift to my wife. One thing I know for sure on the big day - I was BLOWN AWAY BY MY WIFE'S BEAUTY. She looks absolutely stunning and gorgeous!! I can't ask for a better gift on our wedding day! Thank you Catherine!

After following up countlessly with Capital One to dispute the charges we were unsuccessful in…read moreobtaining a refund for services not rendered. We were cancelled by the company after complaining about the level of service we were provided and the full amount of what had been paid was retained by the company and refused for refund after this horrific experience. This company failed to act in the best interest of us (the client) and utilized business practices that were not advertised when we signed on with them to take advantage of our trusting nature which resulted in us having to hire a new hair stylist which was not budgeted for. Absolutely horrific experience, its sad to see a company take advantage of an industry that is supposed to make people feel special and appreciated on their big day.

Got my nails down with Maria, absolutely love them! Can't recommend it enough. Place is clean,…read moreshe's is extremely nice, and overall did a great job with my nails.

This was my first time getting my lashes done, and I have to say that it was a great experience. I…read moredidn't have to worry about space because she takes clients in her private studio. Maria was very nice and friendly! I could tell she was there early because everything was already setup and ready. My lashes lasted more than 2 weeks and I went back to get them filled in and they lasted another 3 weeks. So, 5 stars! She even gave me advice on aftercare on how to accommodate the cleansing of my lashes since it was my first eyelash experience; so I did not have to go through the trouble to find the right cleanser , brush etc . All you really have to do is show up. Will definitely be going again for my next event. Thanks again, Maria!!