Kristen did an amazing job with my wedding makeup and hair! She was professional and communicative. She also managed her time well, and, most importantly, she was a very calming presence! She checked in with me a few times to ask how I was doing and if I was getting nervous. Her kind personality helped my stay calm and in the moment. I absolutely loved how my hair and makeup turned out, and my mom and brother's girlfriend love their hair and makeup as well. I showed her pictures and she was able to replicate the look on me very easily. Our wedding was at 11 AM so she had to get there pretty early to fit the 3 of us in, and she showed up right on time with all her products! She had everything setup within minutes and got right to work. I highly recommend Kristen! She is very talented and kind. read more

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Kristen and her assistant Mo did an incredible job with hair and makeup for me and 5 ladies in my family for my June wedding. They were so calm and patient in customizing looks for these sometimes demanding customers. Our hair and makeup was done on schedule and everyone was thrilled with their looks! I felt so beautiful on my wedding day, and my hair and makeup lasted well into the night. I highly recommend Rare Bird Brides to get you glammed up for your big day! read more

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I highly recommend Kristen, she did my hair and make up as the mother of the groom. We hit off from the start After having had to travel to San Diego from out of town it was a treat to be pampered and Kristen made it less stressful getting wedding ready. She is so costumer service orientated and treated me so special even though I wasn't even the bride. She even went the extra mile to touch up my hair Nd freshen my make up because I was the first one. She is so efficient in hair and make up artistry. She is the one you should definitely want to have your hair and make up done. In fact I happen to recommending her to my daughter for when she ever gets married in the future. Love how sweet and well mannered Kristen. She is so hard working as She worked non stop doing the bridal party hair and makeup which all came out so beautiful and elegant. So glad Sara (the Bride) recommend her to do my hair and make up. Many thanks Kristen. read more

Rare Bird Brides - Make up and Hair by Kristin - Makeup Artists Near Me

Waste of money for a trial and I'm glad I did not book for my wedding day. Very lazy way of putting on make up. Kristin makes a mess on your face with eyeshadow and wipes it away. The power in the airbrush was chalky and looked like a powder mess in pictures. I was recommend to Kristin by my wedding planner Rachel Le of Wynn Austin Events. Most of Rachel's recommendations sucked, photographer, wedding dress places and makeup choices. In 8 months I had an engagement party, a wedding photoshoot and 3 wedding ceremonies. So I did a total of 7 makeup sessions which included 2 makeup trials : 3 makeup artist from SD(Susan, Kristin, Savannah); 1 in OC (Travis Vu-great but very expensive); and 1 in San Jose (Yavivi-great India makeup- reasonable price). I found Susan Kim and she's is the only choice for SD makeup. She's professional, reasonable prices, quality skills and a perfectionist. Toast to Beauty-Savannah Allen was ok, she's very nice and prices are good, but her skill level is not as good as Susan Kim. read more

Rare Bird Brides - Don't waste your money here. - Makeup Artists Near Me

Kristen is the BOMB! As the mother of the bride, she transformed me and made me look flawlessly gorgeous for my daughter's special day. She exceeded expectations that were already high after my daughter's hair and makeup trial. Seriously, Kristen is an artist. read more

Rare Bird Brides - Makeup Artists Near Me

I had my hair done by Kristen due to the choice of the bride. She did an okay job but I do not feel that it was worth the $85 price tag. My hair was placed in curls that fell out of place within an hour. In addition, she probably only took 20 minutes per person to do their hair. If I had a choice in the matter, I would have gone with a different hair stylist with a more reasonable price point who could have made my hair last... I was not impressed with the quality for the amount I paid. She is a very nice lady though. read more

I was impressed with Kristen's Yelp reviews when looking for a hairstylist and make-up artist for my wedding, but I got a lot more out of working with Kristen than I first expected. I am a hopeless mess when it comes to anything beauty related- I grew up on a ranch and my idea of putting on make-up is swiping mascara across my lashes and putting on colored chapstick. Not so glamorous... As soon as my make-up and hair trial finished I knew I was in good hands. Kristen was friendly and very professional- taking the time to really listen to what I wanted and hoped to get out of our meeting, though I had no idea what I was really talking about. Somehow she made a bride out of me! Moreover, I can tell you that Kristen is amazing with brides. The morning of my wedding I was a bit of a mess dealing with last minute questions, details, and relatives. Talking with Kristen really helped to calm me down, and she was even sweet enough to replace a lipstick I had lost with one from her own personal collection. She's like the bridal fairy godmother, but with much better hair and make-up. I would highly recommend her to any bride! read more

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I have never realized how talented Kristen Martin was until I let another hair stylist do my hair. Boy, was that a mistake!! I am right back at Rare Bird Brides! Kristen always knew EXACTLY how to do my hair & I was always left very happy with healthy looking hair. She has always been able to replicate the results of any picture of any model that I have brought in & shown her. Kristen is communicative, classy, intuitive, informative & knows exactly what she is doing. I feel very safe in her hands. I have not yet used her services for make-up application but I have seen pictures & she is very talented in all arenas of beauty. I am excited to use her make-up services for future outings (especially excited to try out airbrush make up)! I recommend Kristen to everyone, male or female...my boyfriend loves her too & Kristen is the only hairstylist he has ever been able to trust with his hair. Hair is a delicate subject for a lot of people. You really need to find someone you trust, & Kristen is your girl for that! So happy we have found her. read more

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Kristen did my hair and makeup for my October 17th wedding. From the very beginning working with her was amazing. She was super responsive, and I felt like she really listened and understood what I wanted to look like on my big day. The trial with Kristen was amazing. I just brought some photos on my phone and she nailed it on the 1st try. On my wedding day she made me feel extremely beautiful, and has a calming personality that is so wonderful when there's so much going on around you! The weather on the big day was a bit humid, so we debated doing it up instead of down - but ultimately she said she wanted me to be 100% happy with the look. I decided to keep it down, and though some curls came out, I was amazed how well it held up through the event and dancing! I would highly recommend Kristen to any brides-to-be looking for a hair and makeup artist. Her prices are competitive, she's extremely professional, and above all wildly talented. read more

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As wedding photographers we work with a lot of hair and makeup artists here at Spotlight Studios. We were extremely impressed with Kristen's professionalism as well as her calm, sweet demeanor on what was a very hectic day. She made our wedding client and her bridal party look absolutely stunning. Loved her! read more

Rare Bird Brides - Makeup Artists Near Me

Love Kristen! She made me feel so confident and beautiful on my wedding day. We got along so well and she works her hardest to make sure she achieves the look you are going for. Wouldn't have trusted anyone else than her to do my hair and make up! 100% recommend! read more

Kristen and her assistant, Bonnie, were delightful to work with. Starting with her communication and planning via email, she was timely, professional, and fun. All of my bridesmaids and bridal party LOVED their hair and makeup. The airbrush was key for photos and I cannot wait to share! I can't wait to use Rare Bird for other future makeup/hair needs! read more

Kristen did such an amazing job on me and my girls for my wedding last February despite me being insanely nervous (I was literally shaking and she still gave me a flawless look!) I decided to go a different direction after my trial with her and had sent her a few photos. The day of she gave me exactly what I asked for. Even my husband to this day will tell me how beautiful my make up was when we look at our photos and video. My airbrush stayed on all night! Don't go anywhere else! You won't regret having her be a part of your big day! read more

Kristen and her assistant (I believe her name is Chelsea but I could be wrong) were absolutely amazing. I hired her to do my wedding makeup after doing a trial run with someone else and not getting the look I asked for. Kristen is a great listener and very easy to communicate with. She is definitely a pro. I felt and looked beautiful on my wedding day, as did all my bridesmaids and my mother. I've never had someone do my makeup and hair and wind up happy with the results. I can't tell you enough how happy I am I hired her. I absolutely recommend her! read more

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Having a great hairstyle and not overly done makeup on my big day was important to me. Also, I wanted one person; I didn't want a team. I found this in Kristen of Rare Bird Brides. Kristen was very easy to work with, and I liked that she really enjoys her job, which I don't think many people can say. She tried multiple hairstyles during my trial, and with each style, it got better and better. Kristen has some patience because I was very difficult to please. I was afraid she'd tell me to go and never come back! On the day of my wedding, Kristen showed up early, and even stood outside my room for a while so as not to bother me. I thought that was so considerate of her, even though I was in my room pacing. LOL! She transformed me into someone I didn't recognize: so pretty and elegant! My hair turned out even prettier than during my trial. The makeup was nice too. I didn't feel like I looked like a beauty pageant contestant. Kristen made me look naturally beautiful. Kristen also did the hair and makeup for my maid of honor, and styled the hair for my two flower girls. She did this all herself and finished everyone with plenty of time to spare. She had assured me she could do it, and she completely exceeded expectations. The only bad thing -- Having to wash my face and hair. [(Cue Debbie Downer music] If I could, I'd want to look like this every day! Thanks Kristen for making me feel so wonderful on my wedding day. Looking forward to continue working with you in the future! read more

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I. Love. Kristen! She made me feel beyond gorgeous on the most magical day of my life, which is enough to give any review 5+ stars. From the hair and makeup trial to the actual day, every step along the way with Kristen was wonderful. I went in not knowing what I wanted for makeup (daily makeup for me is mascara and a possible eyebrow brushing), and I let Kristen work her magic. I asked her a bazillion times about my lashes falling off, makeup sweating off, etc., etc., and she reassured me a bazillion-and-one times that I would be just fine. And, you know what? She was right :) I sweat, balled my eyes out, and looked just as beautiful as when she left me before my ceremony. I didn't expect to cry so much (I started hysterically crying as soon as my dad and I linked arms to walk down the aisle), and didn't stop for quite some time. The *only* thing that happened was that my right fake lash started to lift off, but: a) it went completely unnoticed by anyone but me; and b) it was fixed with a drop of lash glue before my post-ceremony pictures. I was sweating beyond belief during my first dance, and my makeup and hair stayed perfectly in place. For my hair, I went back and forth and found a style online, and it looked awesome on my perfect day. Kristen also set my birdcage veil and feather headpiece, and taught my bridesmaids how to take off the veil between ceremony and reception. Kristen also beautified my bridesmaids and mother-in-law, all of whom looked amazing on such a perfect day. I am LA-based, but had a Carlsbad wedding, and I picked Kristen solely based off of yelp reviews. She is professional, punctual, thorough, an artist, and a genuinely sweet person. One of my favorite moments with Kristen was when she was doing my makeup on the day of my wedding, and she noticed I was breathing heavily. She stopped, asked me if I was okay, asked me if I needed a drink, and poured me an alcoholic beverage. Kristen, you sure do know the way to my heart :) Whether you are down south or up north, Kristen will make you feel like a blushing bride on your special day. Really, what more could you ask for? read more

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My wedding was yesterday and Kristen was so amazing that this is one of the first things I've done with my free time. I need to start by saying that I NEVER wear make up. My idea of putting make up on is slapping some lip gloss and walking out the door...and I only do that for special occasions. I'm actually a little intimidated by makeup and have avoided it completely. My only condition to wearing makeup was that I wanted it to look natural and I wanted people to recognize me. Kristen went above and beyond and made me look like a more put together self. I told my husband (I can say that now!) that I felt glamorous but I also still felt like myself and he loved what she did too. I had a traditional Vietnamese wedding ceremony in the morning that started at 11 am and a reception that began at 5pm so I needed makeup and hair that would last all day! Add the fact that I needed to fit a traditional vietnamese khan dong and switch it later with a feather fascinator I made AND 90 degrees weather. I was a little worried but Kristen reassured me that it would be perfect. At 2 am when I rolled to my hotel room finally after an epic hot day, multiple outfit changes, lots of dancing...my face was still impeccable and looked almost exactly like it did when Kristen walked out of my house at 1030 am. Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting me at ease and making me look like a more fabulous version of myself! read more

Okay, so you're looking for someone to do your hair and make up for your big day. Are you still on the fence wondering if you should spend the extra money to have someone do your hair and make up? I get it. I was the same way. But watching the extra YouTube make up tutorials will not do you justice, let's be honest with ourselves. Do you want to wake up on the day of your wedding worried about someone who does not know what they are doing? No. The questions and hesitation stops here. Kristen at Rare Bird Brides is your answer and solution. I CANNOT praise Kristen enough. I asked Kristen if she would provide services to myself, sister, mother, and bridesmaid. She promptly sent me a quote and answered my nervous bride questions every time I sent her an inquiry. I was astounded by the beauty of her work in her portfolio. She was there every step of the way before my wedding day! My wedding was at 11am and I had to be done at 9:30am. Kristen showed up to my hotel at 4:45am to set up and started at 5:00am. That is some dedication right there! Kristen could not have been more professional, friendly, and talented. She listened to each individual person about how they wanted to look and went right into it. Everyone looked flawless. Then when she did my hair and make up she listened to every request I had and delivered!! Kristen also uses airbrush make up which I HIGHLY recommend. Ladies, it stuck on my face like it was no ones business. It stayed through out the whole day. I did not have to worry about if I was sweating, make up was smearing, etc. I felt like a Disney princess, okay? Who doesn't want that?! Bottom line, email Kristen and feel like a million dollars. She is the best. So worth it. Thank you Kristen!! Jennifer read more

Kristen is pretty amazing. I was SO nervous and apprehensive about getting my hair and makeup done by a stranger, since I always do my makeup myself and am pretty good at it, I think. Kristen was very easy to work with and made me feel comfortable, which was pretty much all I wanted. She was so friendly and honest, it was hard not to want to work with her. Her prices are incredibly reasonable, which made working with her even better! Day of, everything went pretty smooth, and her assistant Alice is also great! I got a lot of compliments on my hair and makeup, and everyone looked fantastic. Finding a hair and makeup artists was honestly the most difficult vendor for me to book for a wide variety of reasons, but I am very happy and satisfied that I found Kristen in the end. read more

Kristen was a blast to work with and such a professional - She oozes confidence and I am so happy with my experience. Kristen did my engagement and wedding hair/makeup and I LOVED it. I gave her very little direction and it's like she read my mind! Most importantly - her makeup looks natural and held up perfectly during some miserably hot conditions during my engagement shoot. I highly recommend her airbrush makeup. On the day of my wedding, she was a champ and handled all of the bridesmaids' and mothers' requests - she even took on additional last-minute appointments from friends. She made me, my bridesmaids and my mom feel so pretty on my wedding day! read more

Rare Bird Brides - 100+ Degrees in Palm Springs and Kristen's Hair & Makeup job held up perfectly! - Makeup Artists Near Me

Kristin did my makeup for my wedding, and I absolutely loved how it turned out. By the time I arrived at the venue site, she was there, set up, and ready to go. She worked with a few adjustments I wanted to make since we did the trial session (which is so worth doing). When I turned around for the review, I was thrilled. I looked wedding fabulous, but still felt like myself, not a drag queen. Not that there's anything wrong with looking like a drag queen. But that's for a different sort of occasion. Kristin also did the makeup for my mom and my husband's mom. Both LOVED their respective looks. I think was a great coup that she could make the two very different women (one who always wears a lot of makeup, vs one who never wears any) feel so beautiful. Both moms were glowing all day. Can't recommend Kristin enough. She did an exceptional job. read more

Kristen was the best decision I made regarding the wedding! She is very knowledgeable about hair and makeup and her work for both are an absolute dream. I wanted a natural look for my makeup and she was able to make sure that I had the look I wanted and that it would last all night long and look fabulous in pictures!! Initially, I thought that I wanted my hair to be down but after my hair trial, Kristen helped me to realize that having my hair up might be the better option because of my type of hair. She was nice enough to do ANOTHER hair trial and try my hair up and I am so happy that we did because it was a game changer. I had a bad experience with an updo and was nervous but Kristen's work is very elegant and creative. She hit it out of the park for both my hair and my makeup! She also did my makeup for my boudoir photo shoot that I did. She has the ability to do any look that you want and make you feel comfortable throughout the entire process. Her work is versatile and I really think that she can do whatever a bride wants with no hesitation. The other thing that I was really worried about was my mom's makeup. She is VERY natural and almost never wears any makeup. She was super nervous about wearing any makeup but Kristen's assistant Chelsea made her feel comfortable immedietly. My mom looked so beautiful and I know that she felt beautiful as well. It was very important to me that my mom had a good experience and liked her makeup and that was easily accomplished by the Rare Bird Brides team. You will not regret hiring Kristen and her amazing talent! Thank you Rare Bird Brides!! read more

Rare Bird Brides - Rare Bird Brides did an amazing job on our hair & makeup!! - Makeup Artists Near Me

KRISTEN IS AWESOME! I was so skeptical when looking for someone to do my hair and makeup for my wedding because I know that some people SAY they are capable of more than they are. Kristen is all she says and MORE! I was so incredibly happy with my hair and makeup for my wedding day, I felt more beautiful than I ever have before! The airbrush was fantastic and held up to all of my tears of joy, sweaty dancing and cake smashing. I would certainly recommend Kristen to my friends, family or anyone with a special occasion. She wasn't just on time on my day, she was early, she set-up quick and spent a lot of time ensuring everything was perfect on my big day! She also did my Mom's hair and makeup which also turned out stunning. I will also post photos to this page so you can see her work. :) Thanks Kristen! read more

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I am a very selective person and I was no different when it came time to planning my wedding! I had a pinterest board for almost every facet of the big day and of course wanted everything to be perfect. I work in marketing for a well known cosmetics company so when it came time for me to find someone to do my hair and makeup for my wedding, the search was on. I met with several different artists and searched websites high and low. I can tell you that Kristen is SO GOOD at what she does. Coming from a picky bride--you will not go wrong choosing her. She has so much integrity in her work and was one of the most professional vendors my husband and I had as part of our team. She is a good listener, offers up suggestions and feedback and is such a doll. She is very easy going, and trust me, you want someone like that by your side on your big day. Kristen is so good at what she does, and she is now my primary hair dresser and colors my hair on the regular. Her prices are also extremely fair and are perfect for someone who doesn't want to pay an arm and a leg. I should also note that Kristen did my mother's hair and makeup, my husband's mother's, and also my bridesmaid. Each radiated so much confidence and beauty that day--Kristen listened to what each one wanted and delivered. My mom, who is not a girly girl, and who was extremely hesitant about even wearing mascara, ended up going with the full hair and makeup and it was so touching to hear her say how beautiful she felt. Kristen made sure to address my mom's makeup concerns with her prior and made her feel confident. If you're on the fence with who to go with, or if you don't know much about hair and makeup--I encourage you to give Kristen a call and just talk through your concerns. Also, if you are on the fence about whether to have a professional do your H/MU---don't be. You will have these pictures for a lifetime and you want to feel like a queen on your big day. Make sure to do it right and have it professionally done. You wouldn't leave photography to a novice, and you certainly do not want to leave your H/MU to one either. FIVE STARS!!! read more

Kristen was amazing! She took me from indecisive, insecure (and somewhat neurotic) to happy, confident, and totally satisfied with my hair and airbrush makeup! She also did an amazing job on my 4 bridesmaids as well as my mother. One of my bridesmaids has very long, thick hair and said that my wedding was the first time she has had her hair styled in an up do that didn't result in a horrible headache (and she's been a bridesmaid several times). Kristen was patient with me through my trial and even made day of adjustments to make me feel confident and beautiful. I'm a makeup novice and Kristen helped me go out of my comfort zone to make my makeup look amazing for my pictures without making me look too made up. I will definitely be recommending Kristen and Rare Bird Brides to everyone I know! read more

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I absolutely loved Kristen! She made me feel gorgeous for my June botanic garden wedding. I was definitely not an easy bride to do hair and makeup for, primarily because I never wear makeup and wanted to look as natural as possible on my wedding day. Kristen was incredibly patient with me and even did two trials to make sure we were on the same page for the wedding. She is so calm and sweet and just has a great energy to be around- I felt comfortable immediately with her! It also helped that she plays super chill music and is fun and interesting to chat with. She's just the type of person you immediately want to become friends with, which makes sitting in her chair for a few hours painless! On the day of my wedding she nailed the "natural" look. I felt beautiful, and more importantly felt like I looked like myself. She used airbrushing (which I really loved) and we agreed on a few single lashes to highlight her beautiful eye makeup. Even my mother and now husband who are super-critical of too much makeup were very complimentary of her work! She also did my hair (beach waves) which was a bit covered by my floral crown, but everything held up for the entire day and night and I was thrilled since my hair is so thin that nothing usually lasts for more than 5 minutes! I would recommend her in a heartbeat. She also did hair and makeup for about 7 women from my bridal party (including my mom and aunt) and they were very pleased and they looked great (unfortunately I don't have any great pics to share). Her timing for everything was impeccable on the day of, especially considering she did it all herself and even squeezed in some extra makeup for my aunt! Not to mention her prices are way more approachable for a bride on a budget than some of the other hair/makeup vendors in the SD area- and the quality of her work is perfect. Thank you Kristen! I finally got our wedding pictures back so that I could post a review and some pics :) read more

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Kristin was amazing. I found a picture and she executed even better than perfect. I am so grateful cause I have never looked so gorgeous. Her execution of services is amazing and she follows timelines, so there is no delays. If you want a professional she is the one. Your look is custom to you and just whatever is closes. Thank you so much. read more

Rare Bird Brides - Loved my hair and make up. - Makeup Artists Near Me

Kristen did an amazing job with the hair/makeup of myself and my bridal party. All of the girls hair looked gorgeous as well as the makeup. Kristen was extremely accommodating and flexible. She has a great attention to detail and made sure we were on schedule and on time for the wedding day. I appreciated Kristen's sense of calm that morning and her high level of organization! Highly recommend Kristen-- her work was great. The airbrush makeup lasted all day-- throughout even sweating and the outdoor heat. read more

Kristen Martin is a genius when it comes to styling! She is also very professional, friendly and will make you feel uber special on your day! Kristen did hair for me and also 5 ladies, my mom and 2 flower girls with the help of a colleague. She did all this and finished early for the pictures. I told Kristen that I wanted a vintage look and she perfected it! She knew how much make-up to use for the pictures and styled my hair so it would last the entire day. Kristen will make you feel at ease so you can enjoy all the other special moments on your wedding day. read more

Kristen is incredible! Kristen did the makeup for me and my bridal party. She took her time with every girl and still stuck with the schedule/ timeline. She was always quick to respond to any emails I sent and was flexible when I added extra people. Everyone looked amazing. Even my two bridesmaids who aren't big makeup wearing girls loved what she did. My mother in law ended up leaving the hotel and going to urgent care and Kristen waited for her to return so she could have her makeup done. Overall a very sweet, hard working person. If you want to feel absolutely gorgeous on your wedding day hire Kristen!!!! read more

I got my hair and makeup done by kristin for a maternity shoot today. I chose to go with kristin because of the wonderful yelp reviews. Ive never had airbrush makeup done before so this was my first time. My actual, honest rating would be 3.5 stars but i can't give half a star (and 4 stars i feel is too much). Here's the breakdown/why: 1)Customer service was excellent, 5 stars for that. She was very professional and courteous. Her email communications were prompt and she was attentive to stuff i wanted tweaked with my makeup. I felt that she really wanted to make sure i was satisfied and happy with her work. 2)Makeup was okay, so-so--2.5-3 stars. Ive worked with two other makeup artists in the past (one for my engagement shoot who is based out of San Diego and another for my wedding who is based out of Orange County and they both do really awesome work--both have their work featured in a ton of magazines) so i have something to compare her work to. Today, i learned that There's a difference between someone who just does makeup and an actual real makeup artist. A true makeup artist is an Actual Artist in his/her craft. It doesn't matter what kind of canvas the makeup artist starts off with, he/she should be able to enhance your facial features and hide your flaws. I have naturally sparse eyebrows that aren't the most shapely. In my opinion, a great artist should be able fill ur brows in such a way so they are shaped and defined to fit your face and accentuate your eyes. Kristin filled my eyebrows but didn't do much for the shape. She didn't do an incredibly horrible job on my brows, they were just mediocre, so-so, amateur brows--i wasn't impressed with them. I re-did them after i left because it was just easier for me to just redo them myself (mind you, I've lived with having sparse unshapely eyebrows that i couldn't grow out for the life of me all my life so I've become very good at doing my own brows, and get compliments on them all the time.) My other two makeup artists didn't have this problem when they did my brows for my engagement shoot and wedding. I didn't have to tell them to fix it or redo it, nor did i have to redo/fix it myself. Also another thing: I'm not sure if it was because of the lack of lighting in her home in the room where i had my makeup done at, but i didn't realize how uneven the foundation right under my eye and cheekbone was blended. It wasn't blended very well. She uses natural lighting from a large a window. It could be because it was a cloudy day bc i didn't notice the uneven blending when i looked at it in the mirror in her home until i got into my car and looked in the mirror when the sun actually came out. I looked like i had tan lines from wearing sunglasses. Also, my eyeshadow could've been blended a little better too. Im sure that if i noticed it earlier before i left and made her aware of it, she would've tried to fix it for me. But since i had already left, i just whipped out my own makeup brush and blended it myself so that the contrast wasn't so noticeably blatant and did a little touchup blending on the eyeshadow. Easy fix. Again, I'm just not sure if her lack of blending was due in part bc of the fact that it was hard to see due to the lack of natural lighting bc it was cloudy at the time. 3)As for hair, i thought she did a fantastic job--4-5 stars. Got tons of compliments on it! So, bottom line: i would definitely recommend kristin to do ur hair. I would however, caution you on her doing ur makeup. Unless u have fair skin tone and have brows that have already been shaped to ur liking and doesn't require her to shape them for u, i would be cautious of having her do ur makeup bc ur brows will look exactly as they are but just filled in when she's done. So, if ur already a natural beauty, you will have no problems with her doing ur makeup. Yes, i could've done my own makeup but sometimes you just want to relax and just pay someone else to do it, ya know??? Plus i wanted to try out airbrushed makeup. All in all, i tipped her for the wonderful customer service and beautiful job she did on my hair. Hope this review was helpful and insightful for you ladies! read more

I cannot say enough good things about Kristen and Rare Bird Brides. She made my special day even more special and made me feel beautiful. She truly is an artist and worked magic with my hair and makeup. If you want to feel beautiful and confident on your big day, Kristen is the person to have by your side. read more

"I contacted Kristen Martin a week before my wedding. I had spent several months and several hundred dollars doing hair trials with three different stylists. None of them looked good. Some looked awful. Kristen was so kind and helpful over the phone and I could tell she really wanted me to be happy on my wedding day. She arranged her schedule at the last minute to fit me in for a trial. I was having a hard time explaining what I wanted, not sure that I even knew, but she immediately suggested a couple of styles that looked great. They were elegant and classic, yet fun and whimsical. I immediately booked her. (Her fees are also very reasonable.) Then, the day of the wedding she made a few minor adjustments to the back and I loved it even more. I was happy and confident and received so many compliments. I would recommend Kristen to any bride to be or anyone looking for a new look! " Rachel B. San Diego read more

Kristen did the make up for all the girls in my wedding party plus my mom and mother in law and I must say, she was one of my most communicative and talented vendors. First, I decided to do a trial with Kristen after browsing through the Knot for some suggestions. When we finished our trial, the I made a note that she followed exactly what I had described - and elegant, natural look with a little bit of color played up around my eyes and my lips. Leading up to the big day, she made sure to touch base with me to make sure she had all the info she needed to get to the hotel we were getting ready at, which I really admired because we were running a hundred miles an hour with the wedding planning. This showed me just how organized and prepared she was. Come the day of, her work with the other girls somewhat matched a similar style to what I had for myself, but varied depending on the girls' skin tones, facial structure, etc. The best part was that her work was consistent. I loved my make up and thought she did a spectacular job overall :) I would recommend her to other friends who are seeking out a make up artist in the San Diego area in a heart beat. read more

Kristen was sooo great! I had a hair/makeup trial and it came out great! She was so organized on the wedding day. Arriving early to my hotel room she got started right away. She was very flexible when we had to add a last minute service on to the timeline. All of us loved our hair and makeup and having Kristen come to us! Thank you Kristen for an awesome job!!! Sari Eriksen read more

For my wedding day, I had the vision of this gorgeous 1920's inspired updo to embody the old Hollywood glam look. Very sophisticated and elegant. When my original stylist informed me she was no longer able to make it to California for my big day, I thought all hope had been lost. This was until I stumbled upon Rare Bird Brides via TheKnot.com. I knew from the moment I saw photos and reviews that this was the woman who had the talent and passion to produce the stunning vintage look I was dreaming of! Kristen was nothing short of amazing on both my trial and wedding day! It was important to me to have someone who could not only tolerate my polite yet particular opinions, but WANTED to listen and communicate to make sure every detail looked just right for me to feel gorgeous. I walked away from the trial feeling so lovely, and got compliments left and right throughout the rest of the day from perfect strangers. I had to laugh when they'd ask me if I had achieved this look myself. Umm...no way! I should have carried her business cards with me to pass out that day! On the day of my wedding, Kristen arrived early and even offered to help with my bridesmaids' hair when I wasn't quite finished with makeup yet. Because of the time crunch, we had less time for hair than originally planned, but Kristen didn't miss a beat! She was quick and efficient, but with no loss in the style or sturdiness of the updo. It looked literally flawless and lasted through an entire day and night of outdoor fun and dancing! I cannot recommend her enough! She was the perfect addition to our wedding morning "getting ready" session, and has the talent to back her lovely personality! Book her for your day, before someone else snatches her up first! read more

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Kristen is amazing! On a short notice, she was able to do my hair and makeup for my civil ceremony wedding. I like what I saw from the Rarebirds website so I decided to book an appt. I showed her the picture inspirations of what I liked from Pinterest and she was able to create the look that I envisioned! I would definitely book her again for a formal event and recommend her to my friends:). read more

Best hair and make-up artist every! Kristen did a fabulous job on everyone's hair and makeup and I couldn't have been better! She made everyone feel absolutely beautiful and comfortable! Kristen was such a kind, fun, and super talented and informative about everything she was using! If I could hire her to do my hair and makeup for the rest of my life, I would! Thank you so so so much for making my wedding perfect! Not only did she make my wedding day perfect, she was amazing to communicate and plan out the details months and days before the wedding! I would recommend her to any and all friends and family! Thank you, Kristen!!! read more

Man, I really wish I could have used her services from the good reviews that I saw. I have been calling her and sent her a contact form and no response. She picked up the phone once in the week I was trying to reach her and she said she would call me back later that day to tell me if my date for my wedding was available...that was 3 or 4 days ago. Called again today, no answer. Not sure if this place is still in business or what. Now I have to find someone else when I was excited to book with Kristen. read more

Kristen made me look exactly how I wanted to look for my wedding! I got tons of compliments on my hair and makeup. She is excellent at her craft, plus she was fun and upbeat to get ready with! Her prices are also very reasonable. I strongly recommend hiring her for your wedding! read more