Hannah was anxious about her wedding makeup because she had had some bad experiences in the past.  She didn't want to look too done for her outdoor, romantic wedding. Hannah sent me some inspiration pictures and we discussed her desired look.

I kept everything soft and diffuse with neutral colors on her eyes with just a hint of shimmer. Then, I airbrushed her foundation allowing her freckles to peak through. False lashes helped show off her eyes and we lightly glossed her lip with a peachy nude.

Here is what Hannah had to say about her bridal trial run:

"She was AMAZING! I came in for my bridal trial very nervous because I don't wear makeup often. She did each part of my face section by section asking if I like what she was doing or if she should change anything. I showed her a picture of a brides makeup and she was able to copy the look and made it look even better! I loved the end result and got tons of compliments! Thank you again for making me feel beautiful!" - Hannah P.

For Hannah's wedding day makeup, we switched to mink eyelashes for an extra bit of drama, but left everything else the same. Check out her amazing flower crown! 

Here is Hannah's wedding day review:

I LOVED MY MAKEUP!!! Betsy was amazing, professional, and everyone complimented my makeup. I rarely wear makeup and was nervous I wouldn't look like myself when it came to a full face. Once I had my trial I knew I had booked the right artist. My makeup was very natural and not heavy. Furthermore, had a large party and she got everyone done on time. Betsey, thank you for making feel like a million bucks on my wedding day! I HIGHLY recommend her!

Sam wanted lots of drama for her wedding day makeup. We started off with a defined, but more natural look for her engagement photos. She then sent me some Pintrest pics of super dramatic purple smokey eye makeup. I was completely on board and layered in more than 8 colors on her eyes during her trial run.

Sam was very concerned about her breakouts, the texture and oiliness of her skin and whether the makeup would hold up throughout the wedding. I layered 4 different oil-controlling products on her face and then locked everything in with a water-proof setting spray. Sam sent me a photo taken after midnight with her makeup intact and said she never had to do a touch up.

Sam is absolutely stunning and I had so much fun using color on her and her wedding party! Here is what she had to say about her experience.

"When I came in for my first application with Betsey it was before my engagement pictures.  I wanted something that looked polished and brought out my eyes.  I LOVE a dramatic eye but to be honest, having someone else do my makeup for the first time before professional pictures was a little scary!  So we kept it basic.  Betsey was so professional and friendly through the entire process.  She brought out my eyes like I wanted and I left feeling beautiful and ready for my engagement pictures! 

When I came back for my wedding trial, I was totally on board with something more dramatic.  I love the way purple makes my blue eyes pop and I had found some pictures from Pinterest that were full of drama.  Betsey was super excited to use color which made me even more excited to see the result.  The trial was amazing!  I had never seen my eyes POP that much.  She taught me to line my upper inner lash line and it's a trick I’ve been using ever since.

The day of my wedding I had stressed myself into a cold sore!  I had been icing it all morning and when it came time for my makeup to be applied I not only felt very self conscious but was super nervous.  I remembered how my trial went and tried to focus on that.  When it was all done, I never felt or looked more beautiful!  Betsey was able to cover my cold sore and no one even knew it was there.  I expressed some shine concerns from the trial and she layered on makeup and powder accordingly. 

I was so caught up in the day I never even thought to touch up my makeup.  When my new husband and I arrived at our hotel well after midnight we had our picture taken.  And my makeup was still flawless!  As someone who usually has to blot the oil away a few times a day I was shocked!  Betsey is a true professional and someone I have and will continue to recommend. " 

Samantha S.

Tia wanted a very glamorous bronzy look for homecoming but didn't want to look super shiny or glittery.  Tia has a beautiful face that is ideal for makeup, with lots of eye space and amazing bone structure! I created on ombre effect for her eyes with a little shimmer on the lid and warm browns moving to the outer corner. I added some large, flared lashes to really make her eyes pop. I evened out her skin and then contoured with a rich bronzer.  A subtle peach blush and soft peachy nude lip finished off her look.

Here is what Tia's mom had to say:

"Ms. McKenzie was absolutely amazing!!! She was friendly, outgoing, and a tremendous help in advising what would look best based on what my daughter invisioned for homecoming. Teenage girls can be extremely picky, and my daughter was absolutely ecstatic on the outcome! Ms. McKenzie is a wealthy of knowledge not only as a make up artist, but she also extremely helpful with skin care products as well. She used top of the line MAC cosmetic products, and was an absolute joy to work with! We are already booking prom this spring. Thank you for doing such a fabulous job! You completely met and exceeded our expectations!" T. Yorek

I met Becca while doing bridal makeup for her soon to be mother-in-law!  Becca was getting married just a couple months later and was really concerned about how she would look for the wedding.  She didn't normally wear much makeup and wanted to make sure that she didn't look too "done".  Becca showed me some really natural makeup looks she liked and I checked in with her at each step of her trial run to make sure she felt comfortable with the color and texture of the makeup.  She left the trial feeling not just comfortable, but confident in how great she would look on her wedding day.

I had the pleasure of meeting Meiko for the first time after she booked me for a photo shoot for her new food blog. I will be posting a link as soon as it's online ;). Meiko sent me some inspiration pictures with lots of fresh, sunny makeup looks. I had so much fun bringing out her shining personality with the makeup!

We wanted to keep her eyes fresh with a pop of liner and some false lashes. I filled in her brows with shadow and an angle brush to define her eyes even more. Then, I did some subtle contouring with a combination of a couple different shades of foundation, airbrush and highlight/contour powders so she would look just as vibrant on film as she is in person. 

I wish I could have hung around and watched all the fun and took advantage of all the yummy food that was made for the shoot!  Here is what Meiko had to say about her experience:

"Betsey was amazing. She was incredibly professional and personable. I showed her my vision and she delivered. Even as a woman of color she new my appropriate shades immediately. I was soooo impressed. I had an amazing photo shoot because of the quality of her work. I would definitely recommend working with her." - Meiko Dawn

My beautiful client wishes to remain anonymous, but wanted to share her images. School and wedding planning took a toll on her skin and she wanted to look as flawless as possible. She also wanted some vintage glamour with a modern, international twist.

I used really light layers of foundation, concealer and airbrush to smooth out the texture of her skin as well as hide the redness. I mixed a couple of different MAC Pigments together to get a luminous white gold to match her jewelry. Then I went in with warm and cool browns to carve out her crease and rimmed everything in lots of black close to her lash line and added really dramatic false lashes. We kept her cheeks softly contoured and then completed the look with MAC New York Apple on her lips.

Jordan is an amazingly smart and sweet young woman who graduated this year.  I was fortunate to meet her when she was looking for a makeup artist for prom.  She sent me pictures of her dress and some ideas of what she was looking for in her makeup. Jordan wanted pretty, but not too much drama.  We talked about color and shimmer and ended up with a lovely, soft application.

Here is what Jordan had to say about her experience:

"I ran into Betsey through thumbtack as I had put an ad out for a makeup artist in/near Minneapolis who could do a smokey eye for me for my Senior Prom! She quickly contacted me through the website and I hired her on the spot - after reading such great reviews! Those reviews were not mistaken!! I met Betsey at a salon (which she sometimes works out of) and she took great care in making me look fantastic for the dance. I was very impressed with the service and her talent in creating an intricate, specific look. Overall, she did a great job and there is no doubt I will be contacting her again in the future for other events. Not to mention we also had great conversations during our session - we discovered both of our fathers are/were pilots - how cool!" - Jordan J.

Ashley and I met when she lost her original wedding makeup artist to an unexpected move.  She really likes makeup and wanted something extra special for her wedding day. Ashley decided on a silver eye and red lip for her trial run.  She looked beautiful, but her fiance wasn't a fan of the red lip. Ashley then showed me some new inspiration pictures with more dramatic makeup that she liked.

On the wedding day, I took a look at her elegant dress, classic single strand of pearls and sophisticated veil and recommended doing a shimmery gold smokey eye to enhance her amazing eyes. I wanted to makeup sure everyone saw Ashley and not her makeup!  Ashley was on board and we completed the look with a soft cheek and pinky lip.

"You are amazing !!! I loved everything about my make up !!!!! Thank you so much ! -Ashley"

Lauren's mom contacted me for headshot makeup.  Lauren is a wonderful singer/actress and as a teen, she needs to update her headshots yearly. We decided on something very simple so her personality would be able to show instead of her makeup.

It wasn't hard to simply polish Lauren's natural beauty with airbrush foundation, subtle eye enhancement and a pinch of color on her cheeks and lips.

This is what Lauren's mom had to say:

"Betsy was terrific! My daughter needed new headshots and Betsy knew just the right make up for the setting. She is professional and personable." - Brenda B

My name is Bonita and I'd like to tell you about my experience with Betsey
I may not be too "picky"  about most things being "perfect". But, as far as mymakeup goes I AM "picky". I must ALWAYS look my best.  For years I wouldn't even walk to the end of the driveway without my makeup on. To be seen in public without my makeup, NEVER.   So for me to allow myself to be captured in a photo without makeup on should make me Uncomfortable. But.... .  With her confidence,  professionalism and shear talent, Betsey put me at ease. She was the first person who didn't try and put peach blush on me! You see I am a plum blush person.  Peach just doesn't work! Usually I have to attempt to convince the makeup artist that "their" choice, peach,  just doesn't work. Betsey was different.. She knew right off what would work.  I was nervous at first because I wanted to look good for my daughters wedding. Almost immediately any concerns I may have had were gone. Having just met me, without my usual makeup on, Betsey was able to create a beautiful Mother of the Bride.

Betsey has my recommendation ANYTIME!

Sincerely,

Bonita S. 
Darien, Illinois