Beauty On Location NJ

I’m writing this review 7 months after my wedding, with a clear mind and the intention of sharing an honest and fair account of my experience. While the artists are clearly skilled and the makeup was applied well, the major issue was their refusal to listen to what we wanted and their unwillingness to make changes, even when there was more than enough time to do so. As the bride, this was incredibly upsetting, especially when I had 50 minutes left in my scheduled 90 minute makeup slot. Planning and communication beforehand were smooth, but the day-of experience was a different story. The team arrived and initially refused to use the designated makeup room. Instead, they set up in the kitchen and moved items we had prepped the night before. They did this without introducing themselves and immediately began explaining why they wouldn’t use the correct room, ignoring the direction of the venue coordinator and myself. My bridal makeup was rushed through in about 40 minutes. During that time, the artist did not have me look in a mirror to see the progress. When I finally saw the finished look, I expressed that it was too dark and not what I wanted. Rather than adjusting it, she told me to “let it sit” and reassess later despite us being ahead of schedule. Instead of using the time to correct it, she said she wasn’t going to start anyone else early and just sat around. She then asked me for coffee. When I said no, she went to my mother-in-law and asked her instead, ending up with a coffee that was meant for someone else in the wedding party. Later, she made a minor change to my makeup, but it still wasn’t what I wanted. I had to request setting spray before she packed up, and I later noticed my mascara hadn’t been fully applied. I fixed that myself. Several bridesmaids and my mom had similar experiences—asking for lighter looks or better coverage, and being told no. Most ended up redoing their makeup themselves. I was also charged a $50 travel fee per artist, only to learn that one of them traveled just 15 minutes to the venue. That felt excessive and misleading. After the wedding, I emailed to share my concerns. The owner called me but made it clear she wasn’t interested in having a real conversation. As I began explaining what happened, she interrupted several times and said, “I read your email. I just called to apologize.” She offered a discounted makeup session, but since I live in Hawaii and the wedding was in New Jersey, that wasn’t a realistic or helpful solution. She also subtly placed blame on me for not having a trial, even though that wasn’t feasible due to my location—something she knew. That’s precisely why we scheduled an extended 90-minute slot on the day of the wedding, to allow time for adjustments if needed. To make matters worse, she told me they planned to contact my photographer and videographer about my feedback. When I asked why, she said they had an existing relationship with my photographer and wanted to make sure they didn’t need to “edit the photos too much.” I told her not to involve them because my photographer hadn’t been made aware of any of this, and it felt like a way to save face rather than take accountability. Ultimately, the morning of my wedding was far more stressful than it should have been due to the team's unprofessionalism and lack of flexibility. I sincerely hope my experience encourages this company to reflect and improve for future clients.