Carla Pressley - Hair Stylist & Makeup Artist

Carla Pressley Hair & Make Up was amazing for my wedding!! They were super flexible, responsive and professional. Sarah, India, Tatiana and Nas were absolutely wonderful for the morning of my wedding. It felt like they were just additional friends in the room with us. All my bridesmaids looked and felt beautiful and said it was the best hair and make up they've ever had. I couldn't recommend Carla Pressley Hair & Make Up enough!

When I was looking for a hair and makeup artist, I wanted someone who I felt confident could help me decide the look for my wedding and come up with options for my naturally curly hair. However, I knew the deciding factor would be whether I felt confident that the artist could make every member of my bridal party that was diverse (in terms of race, disability, and LGBTQ) bridal party look and feel beautiful. Carla's portfolio showed me that she really lives her values of inclusion and I booked her with full confidence after our phone consultation the day after my inquiry. She gave me different options for the schedule for either just her or her and a team. I ended up going with the option of her and her team to not start so early and have a more efficient schedule. I was right to place my trust in her and the team she works with! I did a trial a couple weeks before my wedding, which I cannot recommend highly enough. It was definitely one of the most fun experiences of the entire wedding planning process! Carla spent a few hours with me trying different looks based on my inspiration photos and the vibe of my dress. I left so excited and knowing I had options I liked based on how I was feeling and the weather. On my wedding day she and her team were fantastic and executed flawlessly and made everyone comfortable on what was a hectic morning. My mother hadn't worn makeup since her wedding almost 40 years ago. My sister and maid of honor is also autistic with intellectual disabilities and had never worn makeup but wanted to be included (and look like a princess!) Carla and her team (special shoutout to makeup artist Mong!) were so patient and understanding and put them both at ease, which I appreciated so much. My other bridesmaids had a wonderful experience with makeup artist Nas as well. In terms of myself, I can say without question I've never felt more beautiful and glamorous but still myself than I did on my wedding day. Carla came with us to the church and fixed my veil that blew off during my first look and touched up everyone before we walked down the aisle. The look stayed the whole day and my hair held through the dip in our first dance into the after party. Going with Carla for hair and makeup was easily one of the best decisions I made in wedding planning and I cannot recommend her highly enough!

Carla is amazing! She did my hair and makeup for my wedding in August and I made sure to hire her for touchups throughout the day, given the charactertistic DC muggy weather. She kept me looking fresh throughout the whole day and made me feel like the beautiful bride I dreamed of being. She was also so easy to work with throughout the whole booking and trial process. I cannot recommend her enough!

Carla and her team did an amazing job with the hair and makeup of myself, bridal party, and family members. At my trial, we tried multiple styles of both hair and makeup and Carla encouraged me to think about little details that tend to be forgotten as well as gave advice that she's picked up through her experience as a wedding MUA. During the getting ready process, the team stayed calm and worked quickly and efficiently to keep the timeline of the day on track. Given a variety of hair/skin types, everyone looked AMAZING and the hair and makeup lasted wonderfully all night long despite us going hard and getting sweaty on the dance floor.

I had the most amazing experience with Carla and her team! Not only was Carla incredibly responsive making the process of booking appointments so simple, my makeup made me feel gorgeous. Bianca made me feel like myself just amplified. She listened to exactly what I wanted and delivered in such a big way. I can't recommend her enough to make you feel bridal but still yourself and not overly made up. I was between two makeup artists and I sent pictures from both to friends and family and EVERY single person said Bianca's makeup was the winner. Love love love them and can't thank Carla, Bianca and team enough for their help making me feel so beautiful on my special day.

OMG! I don’t even know where to begin. With less than a month to go, I was still on a search for someone to style my daughter’s hair for her wedding. An instagram search led me to Carla and her team. The reviews really don’t do her justice. We were sold after the consultation and on the day of the wedding she took exceptional care of me and my daughter. She stayed the entire day, facilitated a post ceremony hair change, did make up touch ups for more than just us after the hired make artist left and a bout of rain hit us during the ceremony. She calmed down an anxious mom, held my daughter’s dress as we walked to the ceremony start, and even touched up hair for the officiant (that darn rain !) Carla went above and beyond to ensure nothing messed up this day. Absolutely worth every Penny! It goes without saying that she will be our go to person this day forward for all hair and makeup needs. Thank you Carla!

Carla and her team were a dream to work with for my wedding! As a bride who knows next to nothing about hair and makeup, she met me where I was and instilled confidence at every step. Not only was I thrilled with my bridal look, but every single woman they did up felt great about themselves on the big day. Carla and her team were kind, calm, professional, and accommodating -- I couldn't ask for more!

Carla and her team coordinated an exceptional experience for me and my bridesmaids. Kayla and Nas did an outstanding job making us extra beautiful. By far more makeup than I have worn in my entire life but it didn’t look like it in pictures and I’ve never been more beautiful. Sure- half of the gorgeousness was pure happiness on my wedding day, but it was also an incredibly deft touch and care from our hair and make-up team! Thank you for making us so beautiful!!

Carla and her staff did a fantastic job for my wedding! From the very first outreach to the final wedding day, Carla was willing to answer questions and talk through options, not only for hair and makeup styling, but also for scheduling and the right level of service. While all of my bridesmaids and family who received services were happy with the results, the true win of the wedding day was Carla's willingness and expertise to work with my hair extensions. She had to re-pin them multiple times and worked extra hard to make sure they looked amazing. My wedding day was extra windy, and she stayed an extra hour (charged same price as touch-up hour) to help reset my hair after the ceremony to make sure it was perfect for pictures. She also worked through her break to make sure all my bridesmaids received exactly what they wanted for their hair - Carla was the MVP of the day for sure. There were a couple super minor challenges with the forms prior to the event (sample photos not being organized, having to repeat who had which hair styles/requests a couple times over email, etc.) but it sounds like her and her team are going through a transition on the business side and should all be worked out soon. I highly, absolutely recommend Carla and her team for their hair and makeup skills for any event. Thank you so much Carla!

Carla always sought feedback on the hair and makeup throughout our appointment. She listened to my input and requests. She was also very friendly and easy to work with!

Working with Carla and her team was so easy. She was able to do exactly what we envisioned with our hair and make up. Everyone in our wedding that worked with Carla and her team had a great experience as well. She even stuck around to do touchups right before our ceremony (after she was scheduled to leave)! Carla is extremely professional and affable, and made everything so simple and easy. We highly recommend working with her for whatever type of event you might have. She really can make anything happen!

I’m so glad that I found Carla and was able to book her for my wedding! She was so easy to work with and is so talented. I have the type of hair that most stylists have no idea what to do with (or have bothered to learn how to style), but thankfully Carla was able to manage my hair and make me feel beautiful on my wedding day. She also did a fabulous job at my makeup and made me feel so comfortable throughout the entire process. Her team was also phenomenal and made all of my bridesmaids, sisters, and mother in law look gorgeous! We all have very different hair and skin types, and for all of us to have looked and felt good truly speaks volumes to the standards and level of talent that the entire team possesses. I will definitely reach out to her again for future events, and cannot recommend her enough. Absolutely wonderful experience.

I reached out to Carla with a hair styling idea for my 40th birthday party, and she enthusiastically took up the assignment and nailed the requested 90s themed! Carla is so kind, talented, communicative, organized and helped me and a good chunk of our event guests look and feel their best for our party. I would love to hire her again if the opportunity arises, and would not hesitate to recommend her to others.

Carla was such a pleasure to work with! Her and team were not only super fun, but they delivered absolutely gorgeous looks for myself and my bridal party. I could not be happier with the service and results provided!

I am overall disappointed by the service promised by Carla Pressley. I originally went with her because of all the positive reviews and awards. However, I did not end up going with her for my wedding day after my trial. However, she made me *feel un-beautiful* and *uncomfortable* durning the trial....She kept trying to say she was educating me but I was not there to be educated. I was there to feel beautiful and confident in my big day. I did not trust her to make me feel that way after my encounter. I am very natural and holistic with my beauty regimen's and I felt like she did not listen to how I take care of my body. I got multiple second opinion from beauty industry professionals after my trial and there was nothing wrong with my hair or skin. Durning the trial, she made a lot of negative comments of how I take care of myself. I understand some questions are necessary to perform the best services for my unique hair and skin BUT it was all in-depth long conversations about her talking negatively about my hair and how I need to take care of it. I kept trying to change the subject she kept coming back to comments about my hair. I told Carla how I felt and there was no apology extended for the way I was treated during the trial, just a quote for a retrial at 150 (just hair), after I already spent 1000 on trials for my bridal party (4 people - 3 hair, 3 makeup). Especially, considering that the service I initially received did not meet the promised standards. Not everyone was given the same amount of time and attention nor did everyone leave happy about their looks as promised. Lastly, I felt like my invoice questions weren't being adequately addressed, responses were confusing and unclear, and additional services were appearing on my invoice without my request.

Carla was incredibly wonderful to work with. I really enjoyed getting to know her through the trial process and wedding day. The trial was so lovely. She listened to me and offered me so many options of how to do my hair! It was really cool to see how her work came to life. Carla and her team were very communicative throughout the booking process and leading up for the wedding. She also was so accommodating of my scheduling needs (a relaxing morning before everything began!). My mom is still talking about how nice Carla was over a year later. She was great to work with on my wedding day even with lots of people coming in and out of the space! I love how I looked like an elegant elevated version of myself.

Carla is an amazing hair stylist and makeup artist! She made me, as well as my sister and friend, look amazing yesterday on my wedding day. Since hiring her for my wedding, she has been great at communicating every step of the way. She really built on my vision while we did a hair and makeup consultation adding in valuable insight about my hair and skin tone. Her knowledge helped me find the right look for my wedding, when my initial vision wasn't going to work with my dress and hair thickness. She was willing to meet with me for a second time and perfect the look for the big day. She even offered me the opportunity to get a haircut from her the month before to ensure everything would be just right. She's super friendly while you are sitting in the chair. She is very sociable and easy to talk to you. She even left me a touch up kit for after the ceremony when her schedule did not allow her to stay. I would highly recommend Carla to any bride looking to have the perfect hair and makeup for their perfect day!

Carla did my hmu in February for my casual wedding. She was incredible. I had some insecurities about my thinning hair. She put me at ease and made my hair look thicker than it has in years. I started with an updo for the ceremony and had her stick around for touch ups and she brought my hair down for the reception so I had 2 looks! She also fully understood my desire to have a natural look with a little pop of fancy. Literally perfect. And she’s both incredibly professional and fun! I had zero stress on my wedding day mostly thanks to the confidence I had knowing that Carla had my back.

What can I say about Carla Pressley and her team, besides WOW!! I had an amazing experience with Carla from booking, to my make up trial, and then on my wedding day. Carla and her team are super responsive to email, and I had a great and informational consultation call with Carla when I first inquired. Following that, I came in for a hair and make-up trial before my official booking as I wanted to make sure this was the right fit. I had a great and comfortable experience that I booked right away! On my wedding day, Carla and her team were on time, set up their stations, and got to work, easily holding conversation with me and my bridal party and staying on schedule. Carla and her team took their time with each girl, and customized their experience, starting by asking them if they had any dislikes or allergies, and at the end, asking what they would change/fix and what they liked about their look before making final adjustments. Carla worked her magic and made all of us feel beautiful and confident in our hair and makeup looks. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Carla is very busy, and rightfully so, so if you are thinking of booking her for your wedding or other event, do not hesitate and secure her now!

Loved how calm Carla and her team were, it made the morning of so much better than I imagined. I looked wonderful, as did everyone else! I loved that she could work with naturally curly hair as well! Would absolutely recommend her!

We hired Carla’s team and we’re SO happy with it! Kayla did hair for me,my mom,and my sister and Camille did all 3 of our makeup. We all looked great and we were SO happy with the results!!!

We hired Carla for our wedding and she did my bridal makeup/hair as well as my bridesmaids and my mother. We looked FANTASTIC! Carla was so receptive to my and everyone else's wants/needs and honestly it was the best hair/makeup experience I've ever had! My bridesmaids are still talking about how amazing Carla and her team were! One of my bridesmaids has very curly 3c/4a textured hair, and Carla took extra time to work with it and the final style turned out INCREDIBLE. Literally do not have enough good things to say about her and her team. 100% recommend for any and all hair/makeup needs!

We booked Carla Pressley and one of her associates Nas for hair and makeup services for the bride, three bridesmaids, and the mothers of the bride and groom. They were with us for nearly 6 hours the morning of the wedding and took care of all the time management of getting all the ladies ready. Ahead of time, they shared detailed instructions and a schedule down to 15 minutes for getting the whole group ready with plenty of time to make it to our pre-ceremony photos. It was Carla’s clear handle of time management that helped create a relatively stress-free wedding morning with music, snacks, family, and best friends. In researching hair and makeup artists, we were incredibly impressed by Carla’s portfolio and her professional credentials but expected her to be way more expensive than other vendors. However, in comparing her prices with others in the D.C. area, her rates were competitive and very reasonable given the clear quality of her work. We also felt so confident in her skills that we were able to save a bit of money by forgoing a trial. The mother of the groom is sensitive to many scents and products, but they were fully receptive to our concerns and Nas was happy to work with the party's own makeup products or to recommend hypo-allergenic products that she brought along. They had separate sets of makeup brushes and sponges for every lady to keep things fully sanitary. All of the ladies looked and felt amazing and had a great time with Carla and her team. And the styling lasted through hours of activities and dancing!

Carla and did such an amazing job with my hair and makeup on my wedding day. She was extremely professional, personable, and made my bridesmaids and I feel so comfortable and beautiful on my wedding day! My makeup stayed on all day and night and my long, thick, curly hair didn't even fall out! I have long, thick, curly hair and one of my biggest concerns was ensuring that my hair stayed in the up-do I was looking for and that I wouldn't look like a lion due to frizz by the end of the night. Let me tell you.... my hair stayed ALL DAY AND NIGHT AND LOOKED AMAZING EVEN THROUGH OUR SENDOFF!!! By the end of the night, my makeup looked like she just put it on... even though it had been 6 hours :) I highly recommend Carla for all brides! Curly girls, Carla definitely has you covered!

Do not hesitate to work with Carla. A friend who got married the year prior referred her to me, and I would have been happy to book her based on how gorgeous my friend looked on her wedding day alone, but what sealed the deal was hearing how calm and kind and fun Carla was to have around on her wedding day. If you have bridesmaids or family members also getting hair and makeup done, you spend a lot of your wedding day with your hair and makeup team, so having someone who is both talented at what they do and pleasant to be around is huge! And it was absolutely true. Carla did an amazing job starting with my hair and makeup trial. She spent a ton of time with me going through multiple makeup looks and three different hairstyles, including a back-up rain option for our outdoor wedding. She made two suggestions that I would not have thought of myself--one at the trial and one day-of--both of which made a huge positive difference in the overall look. She did a wonderful job working off of my inspiration photos and adapting them to me. My mom, sister/MOH, and bridesmaid all looked gorgeous and got exactly what they asked for. At the end of doing everyone's look, she asks "what would you like to change?" so if there's something you're not happy with, it feels like you're collaborating with her to get to the perfect final look without any awkwardness or feeling like you're critiquing her work. It's brilliant! And I didn't want to change a thing. I do not normally wear heavy makeup, which is recommended for all the photography, but I still felt comfortable and like myself. I referred Carla to another friend who was getting married the same month, and she was thrilled as well! She looked gorgeous and was really happy with Carla's services as well. She asked for a rather complicated hairstyle, and I was so impressed when I saw the inspiration photo, because Carla nailed it!

Carla was easy to work with. I wanted a natural look and she delivered. She was chill to work with and our wedding photos came out great.

Carla and her team were professional, detail oriented, friendly, caring and most of all super talented! They made me and my bridesmaids and my mom, mother in law and grandmother all look and feel our BEST for the day. Carla went above and beyond making sure every detail of my hair and makeup was set perfectly. She stayed with us far past the time allotted because she cared so much about making sure our experience was a positive one and that through a day long event and outfit change everything was still looking fire until the night came to an end! Everyone’s makeup was natural yet elegant and they gave each person the hair style of their dreams. We are so grateful and would highly recommend!!!

Carla and her crew were wonderful for my son's wedding in October, 2022. We had a lot of women who do not regularly wear make-up or style their hair and were a little apprehensive with how they would look. Carla & Crew did a wonderful job of listening to the Groomsmaids as to what they wanted and then proceeded to make each and everyone of them look beautiful. She also had such a calming influence during preparations. She was on top of getting everyone ready. Especially when I added 5 extra hair and make-ups to the morning. Carla even stayed around and touched up the Grooms during their professional photos before the ceremony. You are WONDERFUL, Carla

Unfortunately I didn’t have a great experience with Carla. I booked a HMU trial the day of my bridal portraits to try out my look before the wedding day. To start, she was almost an hour late to the 1.5 hour trial so we were extremely rushed, but she assured me it was plenty of time to achieve the look, my curls would just likely fall because they wouldn’t have as much time to set. For the sake of doing the trial, I could live with that. Of course I understood we would probably make some changes for the big day, but I was so disappointed in the result that I cancelled the bridal portraits last minute. The foundation didn’t match my skin at all and the look was nothing like the inspo photos I shared with her. She asked what I wanted to change and when I brought up the foundation color, the fact that the look was overall much heavier than the inspo photos, what I wanted done differently with my hair, etc. she became pretty irritated. Of course it’s a trial, there are kinks to be worked out, but this was really not even close to the quality I expected based on her portfolio and our previous conversations. Ultimately I asked for a trial redo, which she said she could do the day of my rehearsal dinner for the same fee (I was charged full price for the first trial). When I said I didn’t think that was doable, she again became irritated and said she was an artist and couldn’t recreate a photo exactly as is (even though she asked for inspo photos, and all of mine were really simple/natural). My wedding was a few weeks away so I went through with using her for my bridesmaids, and she did my hair. I did my own makeup which turned out to be the best decision. Carla did my mom and my MOH’s makeup, both of which turned out very heavy and almost theatrical. Carla’s attitude and the way she spoke to her staff on the day of were very harsh and unpleasant, not what I expected from a vendor who spends most of the day with the bridal party. I have to point out that her assistants were WONDERFUL and did an amazing job on hair and makeup! I wish I had known and could have had my makeup done by one of them. Overall I was really disappointed because this added so much stress to the weeks leading up to my wedding day.

As an Asian female with uneven monolids, I wanted to make sure that whichever MUA I worked with for my wedding day was comfortable working with Asian features. Carla more than delivered, and I'm so glad to have had her as part of my vendor team. She and her team were responsive and proactive throughout the whole process, providing me with questionnaires to better understand my needs and preferences and updates to let me know what I should be aware of. During our hair and makeup trial, Carla examined the options I presented her and focused on understanding what I liked about each style/look. She never pushed me to decide anything on the spot, instead encouraging me to take time after our trial to sit with the photos she took of me and see which one I liked most. A few weeks before my wedding, I found a style that combined elements from multiple looks that we tested during the trial. She more than happily agreed to do it and said she’d practice the look before the big day. Carla was a calming presence on the morning of my wedding, working on the hairs and makeup for myself and my three bridesmaids. She kindly touched up the curls two of my bridesmaids had gotten from the Dry Bar even though she didn’t have to. All of our looks held up beautifully throughout the long and somewhat windy day. One of my friends has already asked me for Carla’s information for when she gets married herself. I have really come to appreciate Carla not just as a hair and makeup artist, but as a strong female entrepreneur with high standards and who cares about doing right by her teams and her clients. I respect the thoughtfulness with which she approaches her craft and business, and really look forward to the opportunity to work with her again in the future.

Carla and her team are incredible. She delivers exactly on your inspiration pictures and is clearly very skilled on how to make sure that style lasts throughout your wedding day. Everyone in our wedding party looked gorgeous and could not stop complimenting how talented, warm, and professional Carla and her team are!

Carla and her team were the absolute best. They were on time, calm, professional and made me feel incredible on my wedding day. All of my bridesmaids were also insanely happy with their looks. Loved working with Carla and would definitely recommend her to any bride for her special day!!

I got married on Sept 10, 2022 and Carla did my hair and makeup. It was perfect, and I have never felt more gorgeous. But besides her talent, she is incredibly professional and easy to work with. She was so flexible with timing, made the day stress-free and really cared that I loved the final look. In short - look no further, you need to hire her and her team. Carla is the best!!

I am so impressed by Carla and her team. She made me and my bridesmaids look so glamorous for my big day! Carla was able to create exactly what I was looking for. We really enjoyed working with you. Thank you again for making my day extra special!

Absolutely cannot say enough about Carla and her team! As the MOB I so appreciated her communicativeness. professionalism, and skill. She listens and cares about your vision. Makes great suggestions and is just fantastic to work with. Wonderful team as well! Recommend highly!

Carla is simply everything!! It’s hard to write a review worthy of everything that Carla does and is, because truly, no words adequately do justice. I was originally scheduled to get married May of 2020. It was especially important to me to look natural and like myself on my wedding day, with some added glam of course. I normally wear minimal makeup and I use quite a bit of product to tame my naturally curly frizzy hair. When I started looking for someone to do my wedding hair and makeup, I was nervous I wouldn’t find what I’m looking for. But as soon as I saw Carla’s work on social media pages, her website, and read the many reviews, I got excited. It was evident that Carla had a special gift as a hair and makeup artist. I reached out and had my first phone consultation with Carla. We talked about my desire to feel like myself as well as my concerns. Carla really listened to me. I was immediately impressed and felt drawn to Carla’s easy going and positive demeanor. I decided to secure Carla’s services before even having a trial. Considering the concerns I shared above, this was huge for me. Then the pandemic happened, which had us rescheduling our date several times. Working with Carla and her team on our date reschedules was easy. During tough times, especially for the wedding business, Carla and her team were flexible, accommodating, and always a pleasure to work with. Once we got closer to our wedding date, I met Carla for my trial. The trial was fun! Carla is fabulous! She took time and care to provide lots of great options and different styles, all of which I loved. I loved them so much that I ended up choosing to have one hair style for the ceremony, and another for the reception. I also enjoyed talking to Carla very much. She far surpassed my expectation in every way, and I was excited to have her as part of our special day. On the day of the wedding, Carla was nothing short of amazing. Until Carla, no one has been able to manage my hair, let alone make it look fabulous. Both the ceremony and reception looks she created for me were natural and classy and sexy, all at the same time. What Carla does with hair and makeup is absolutely art. She ensured my wedding looks made me feel beautiful and confident. During photos, she stayed close to keep everything just right, and also went above and beyond and was extremely helpful. Through all my time with Carla on the day of my wedding, I felt happy and calm. I am so happy that I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Carla. I feel fortunate and thankful for having Carla as part of our day. Carla is the only one I would trust with my hair and makeup, especially for such a meaningful day as my wedding day. Without any hesitation, I highly recommend Carla, her team, and the services Carla provides.

I cannot recommend Carla and her team enough. She was very communicative and took everything I said into consideration and the final product was everything I could have dreamed of!!

Carla and her team did the most AMAZING job at my May 2022 wedding. I honestly have never felt more beautiful! Not only did my hair and makeup come out exactly how I wanted it to (well, even better!), but Carla was so calm and kind. She truly went above and beyond to not only make me feel beautiful, but also took the time to give my niece, who has 4B hair, a straightened hair look for the first time. I would recommend Carla and her team 100 times over. Schedule her as soon as you can - she books up far in advance!

Carla is not only an incredibly talented makeup artist and hair stylist, but she is also extremely professional, calming, kind, and laidback. She did my makeup for my wedding and my hair and makeup for our engagement shoot. She is very easy to talk to, totally got my exact vision, and made me, my bridesmaids, and our moms feel and look absolutely gorgeous. I had a big bridal party so on the day of the wedding, she had a team of 3 additional assistants who were also fantastic at their craft. Everyone was in love with their hair and makeup and raving about the kindness of Carla and her team. I had asked Carla to stay for touch-ups after the ceremony. She was such a welcome presence during our photos and even helped fix my hair a bit to look best in pictures. The touch-ups helped me feel confident for the ceremony and reception after sweating in the summer heat. I can't imagine using anyone else but Carla for your wedding! She is the best of the best!

From my hair and makeup trial to my wedding day, Carla was an absolute JOY to work with! I felt comfortable with her right away and I knew from the start that she would be an invaluable member of my wedding day team. During our trial, she squeezed in all of the looks I wanted to try and did a fantastic job of documenting them so that I could look everything over after the fact. She also gave me some helpful tips about products to use leading up to my wedding. On the big day, Carla and her assistant arrived early and were ready to go right when we needed them. Even with our tight schedule, she made it work while still helping to maintain a calm, fun environment. I loved every second of being in Carla’s chair. Carla and her team made us all look absolutely stunning with hair and makeup that lasted all day and all night. Carla stuck around until right before I walked down the aisle, going above and beyond all day to ensure that everything was just right. I couldn’t have asked for a better hair and makeup artist and I truly cannot recommend Carla enough!!

Carla is the best! I had a pretty diverse group of women so I needed someone who could work with a variety of hair textures as well as face structures and everyone including myself LOVED her work. She made me, my mothers and my bridesmaids feel 10/10. She is warm and personable as well so it was the best way to get ready for the big day!

Carla and her team did a phenomenal job in capturing my and my bridesmaids’ visions for our hair and makeup! We all looked and felt our best. What certainly helped and made me feel at ease was having Carla stay through the ceremony to touch up my hair and makeup before portraits and again before entering my reception. No worries of smudged makeup or frizzy hair! Carla was there to keep me looking my best and send me into the evening touched up perfectly. She was a big help. Highly recommend!

With no exaggeration, I felt and looked the most beautiful that I had ever been! Carla showed up on time with her assistant and a second assistant arrived an hour after. It took roughly 5 hours for 5 people, each with hair and makeup. Carla completed touch ups in the end and was very accommodating to perfect loose curls and eye makeup. She even helped apply some body makeup that I had brought to conceal my acne scars. Wonderful personality to work with and my updo (with hair extensions) stayed in place for over 9 hours with no frizz from dancing. She made my day!

Carla is such a talented hair and makeup artist, truly in a league of her own. I trialed with two other artists before finding Carla, and Carla blew the competition out of the water. What sets her apart from the pack is her deep understanding of the technical aspects of hair and makeup, and her ability to truly listen to what I wanted. Just a few examples: I wanted to try out a hairstyle with glossy, vintage curls. Carla knew immediately that the correct way to create these is with pin curls on damp hair (as opposed to a curling iron, as other the other stylists tried). Right off the bat, it was clear that Carla really knows her stuff. It was really important to me to have natural, light makeup on my wedding day. Instead of covering my entire face in a layer of foundation, she used a half-dozen tiny brushes to place foundation and concealer exactly where it was needed, letting my natural skin shine through. When I told her that I'd prefer not to wear lipstick, she respected my decision and didn't try to pressure me into wearing any, as other (well-meaning) artists have done in the past. Two of my bridesmaids have curly hair and were very nervous about letting someone else handle it, having had bad experiences with wedding stylists in the past who don't know how to handle curls. But once again, they had nothing to fear with Carla behind the chair. My straight-haired bridesmaids and I watched with awe and delight as Carla and her assistant used a tiny curling iron on finger-wide pieces of hair to create volume and definition and enhance their natural curls. Carla was happy to tweak my updo several times until it was the shape that I wanted. I always felt comfortable asking for modifications, and I really appreciated that Carla was always patient with me and open to feedback. Most importantly, my bridesmaids and I were so happy with our final looks. We all left the chair feeling like our natural beauty was enhanced, not altered. Truly, there were smiles all around! Thank you, Carla, Nas, and Sarah!

I can't say enough wonderful things about Carla and her team. From the moment I reached out to inquire about availability and pricing to the day of the wedding, they were responsive, professional, and genuinely kind. I shared a few photos ahead of my consultation and Carla took the look I was going for and turned it into something that suited me perfectly. She was totally open to feedback I shared about wanting to tone down my brows and eyelash extensions for a more natural look on the actual day, while also sharing recommendations for what not to change so I didn't look washed out in my photos. I felt beautiful – but not overdone – on my wedding day and that's all thanks to Carla and her team. They also did hair and makeup for my mom, grandmother, aunt, and mother-in-law, who all have short hair and don't wear much makeup, and they were extremely happy with how it turned out, as well. Carla Pressley Hair & Make Up was one of the easiest vendors I worked with and I'd hire them again in a heartbeat.

Carla is amazing! I had the best experience! She listens to what you want and truly makes you feel confident and beautiful! I wanted my hair and makeup done for my elopement and photoshoot afterwards and I can say I wasn't disappointed! Everything came out great and I would recommend her to everyone!

Carla did my hair and make up for my wedding this past November. She gave me everything I was hoping for and more and was definitely one of my favorite wedding vendors I worked with throughout my whole experience. Carla was professional and amazing at what she does and I received so many compliments and people at my wedding asking who did my hair and makeup. On top of all that, Carla is so sweet and personable and was a calming force the morning I was getting ready which was much needed during the wedding stress. 10/10 recommend!!

I had a very intimate wedding on 12/2021, and Carla made me feel like a MILLION DOLLARS! My experience with her with so smooth, organized, easy and reliable. She is extremely talented, patient, caring and I had the best morning getting ready with her. Although I didn't have any bridesmaids, she did my sisters' make up/hair and they all looked STUNNING! She even helped my mother in law style her hair a little bit, very last minute. She is a gentle soul that is so hard working and professional, but somehow she makes you feel like family..If I had to do it all over again, I would choose her a million times. I felt and looked incredible.

Oh … my … goodness!! Carla is absolute magic and a complete pleasure in all ways. She just did our wedding (myself and my two sisters) and we all looked stunning. She listened for what we wanted, asked amazing questions to really understand what we loved about our inspiration, and the DELIVERED beyond our wildest dreams. I asked for a very dramatic look with dark makeup while my sisters did more dreamy - they were all equally as perfect. Plus, throughout the entire day she was just so wonderful to be around - calming when I was getting nervous (I hate being the center of attention … yes I know), funny when we were all together and laughing, and great to the other vendors and family members who showed up. Honestly, I would recommend her a million times over!!!

From the moment I came across Carla’s Instagram page a few years ago, I KNEW she was the only person I wanted to trust to do my wedding hair and makeup. There is a reason she is consistently ranked as one of the best in the DMV. Fast forward 2 years, a pandemic, and a wedding date change and Carla was everything I had hoped for and more. Not only does she and her team exude professionalism and calmness, but they are also committed to working with you and your wedding party to make sure everyone gets the exact level of makeup they are comfortable with. Carla and Karen made me and my wedding feel SO special on my wedding day and I’m so thankful I had an opportunity to work with them. I absolutely will not hesitate to call Carla and her team for future beauty needs.

Carla is the absolute best, and so is her team. Leading up to the wedding, Carla helped me go over the timeline and make sure it all made sense- she and her assistant, Erin, were always quick to reply too which is so helpful in the last week or two of planning. I have never felt more beautiful than I did on our wedding day! I knew she was an amazing artist from her Instagram, but she truly went above and beyond on our wedding day. When we booked, I was unsure if I should keep Carla around an extra few hours for touchups, and it turned out to be the best decision I made! You don't realize until the day of the wedding how helpful it is to have someone to touch up your lips after eating, or hair after being in an Uber- it didn't even feel like an extra, but rather a necessity. She even put my veil on me! Aside from her expertise, Carla and her team helped keep us on schedule and kept me at ease throughout the day. I'm not a big makeup person, and Carla totally understood how I wanted to look- glam but not TOO made up (the trial we did helped too). She and her team also made me entire bridal party look and feel amazing- I could tell even my Grandma, who can be a little apprehensive, felt (and looked!) really beautiful. It felt like I had a supportive friend beside me through each step, who just happened to also be able to keep me looking my absolute best. She made sure I drank water and didn't mind when I messed up my lips 50 times from eating. Overall- book Carla!!! And have her stay for touchups, she rocks!

Carla was simply amazing. Carla and her team were knowledgable, communicative and extremely thorough, down to every curl and eyelash. She gave me a heads up the night before the wedding that she was having a medical issue and may not be able to do my hair/makeup (which was stressful news to say the least), so she contracted another artist at her own expense (and without prompting) to join the team to make sure we could stay on our timeline and deliver the quality we were promised. The day went off without a hitch and I loved how I looked. A true professional. Highly recommend!

Carla & her assistant Nas were fantastic. They did hair & makeup for my bridesmaids and I, and we were all thrilled with the results. I booked Carla because of vast & impressive experience in general, as well as her experience working with diverse bridal parties. She & Nas worked beautifully with our varied hair textures and skin tones. Carla will listen to you, ask specific questions to get your vision just right, or recommend hair & makeup looks if you're like me and have very little beauty knowledge. Carla was able to give me the very natural look I wanted while still making me look great in photos. She was professional, prepared, on-time, efficient, patient, and fun! Could not have been happier.

Sarah R. was amazing. I have never let anyone other than me style my hair as I have super curly hair and not everyone understands how to style it. She was amazing and made me feel like a more beautiful me. My hair stayed perfect the entire day even though it was hot out.

Carla and her team were just perfect and I wholeheartedly recommend her for your wedding. I scheduled her for a consult before my wedding, the entire process was organized, which I appreciated. She spent so much time with me refining my look. On the wedding day, everything went off without a hitch. She and her assistant Sarah provided hair and makeup services for my mother, my mother in law, my matron of honor, and me. She has an ability to instantly understand someone's hair and makeup desires. Each person in my wedding party was extremely satisfied with their hair and makeup. I also had Carla stay and do touch ups for the photography shoots before and after the ceremony, which was wonderful. She's a true professional.

Carla and her team were absolutely wonderful to work with! I chose Carla because of her ability to work with a diverse bridal party, which I had. Everything from booking to consultation to day of was easy. Brie and Sarah did mine and my bridal party's hair & makeup, and they were phenomenal, and Carla was able to help out as well due a last minute cancellation with no additional cost! What a bonus. They worked with each of my bridal party (bridesmaids and flower girls) to get the look they wanted, and everyone looked BEAUTIFUL. Special shoutout to Sarah especially for my hair, which was just *chefs kiss* Thank you Carla & team for making us all feel like princesses!

I picked Carla and her team after a consultation given her vast experience working with diverse clients. I was not disappointed. Her team is very communicative and professional. Carla was booked the day of my wedding, so I worked with Nas and Sarah. Nas is so extremely talented. I cannot tell you how many compliments I received on my make up. She made me feel amazing. My bridesmaids were extremely happy with their make up as well. The hair stylist, Sarah, was also incredible! Together, they make an amazing team! They made everyone feel their best. They are also very flexible, low key, and have a calming demeanor. I was so happy that they were part of my big day.

I hired Carla for Bridal hair and makeup for my wedding in late August and it was the best decision I made! I have never felt more beautiful than on that day. Carla is kind, she's very professional, her work is stunning, and I could not be more grateful for her services. Her assistant Erin is also amazing!!! Erin graciously answered all of my questions leading up to the day. Carla and the second make-up artist that came with her, Nas, also serviced my mother, mother-in-law and 3 bridesmaids who all looked beautiful as well. I would highly recommend Carla to any bride looking for the perfect hair & make-up artist for their wedding day. Thank you Carla and Team for making me feel beautiful on my special day! <3

Amazing, Amazing, AMAZING! Carla Pressley, from the start, was extremely professional and responsive. I booked her for hair and make up for our bridal party back in 2019 before COVID hit, when we had to reschedule our wedding day a year later she was extremely flexible and did her best to meet our changing needs. Carla sends out reminders leading up to the day to ensure a clear exchange of information and that expectations are clear. Day of, Carla and her team were extremely professional and on point in keeping everyone on schedule and adjusting to the minor changes during the morning. Our hair and makeup turned out gorgeous and we received so many compliments. Overall, the make-up and hair stayed fresh and in place pretty much the whole day. Would most certainly use her again for events in the future. Very much impressed. Thank you!

Carla and her team were amazing! They were so fun, kind and easy going which made a day of wedding prep way less stressful. She did an awesome job and rolled with whatever we needed and was extremely communicative to make sure we all got exactly what we wanted.

I loved working with Carla the day of my wedding! Her and her team were so lovely to work with. I had initially booked Carla for a June 2020 wedding, and she was so flexible with the multiple reschedules we had to deal with due to COVID. If there's one thing I'd highlight about her, it's that she really listens to what you want. She was so thoughtful, both at my hair/makeup trial and day of, to make me feel heard and really give me the look that I wanted. I felt like I looked like the best version of my real self the day of my wedding, and that was all thanks to Carla. I really appreciate that she offers a full, and a "super natural" package for clients. My MOH and I wanted to do the full glam deal, but my mother and MIL are more low key and didn't want to do a lot with makeup and hair, so it was great that Carla and her team were able to accommodate that. I can't recommend Carla enough, it was so wonderful to work with her!

Carla and her assistant provided the hair and makeup services for myself and some family members for my wedding in April, and I could not have been happier! Getting my hair and makeup done professionally is typically an awkward/anxiety inducing process for me, but Carla made it so comfortable and fun! From the initial consultation, Carla took the time to listen carefully to what I wanted and review my reference photos. She then walked me through the whole consultation and made adjustments until I was 100% happy. On the day of the wedding, Carla was such a positive and calming presence. And I was so pleased with the outcome! It was by far the best my hair and makeup has ever looked. Everyone else was super pleased with their services as well. My mom and MIL still speak about how wonderful Carla is!

Carla was so great to work with! From her quick responses to my initial inquiries on the Knot to Erin's prompt and helpful replies on email, it was so easy and pleasant to work with Carla. She made me look absolutely beautiful on my wedding day. I booked services for hair and makeup with Carla and getting both done was a breeze on the morning of. She adjusted anything I didn't like and we stayed right on schedule (we actually finished early). I had lots of tears of joy throughout the day and lots of kisses from the new hubby and our small guestlist. My makeup stayed on point, no smears or need to reapply despite the heat and humidity (over 90 degrees). I wouldn't hesitate to book with Carla!

Carla and her team were amazing! They're true professionals. We had clear and easy communication for the whole process leading up to our wedding. On the wedding day Carla and her team were efficient and well organized (they had a lot to get done!) but still fun and pleasant. I'll definitely be recommending her to any friends that need hair/makeup services.

Carla did an amazing job on mine and my bridesmaids hair for my wedding. She sent out a draft schedule ahead of time to give us an idea of timeframes and started and ended on schedule. The entire day she kept the mood light and didn't make any of us feel rushed. She also just took everyone's inspiration pictures and everyone's hair turned out beautiful.

In my book, Carla is an angel sent from heaven. To make sure I would be photo-ready at 5AM for my sunrise elopement, she came to our hotel suite at 2:30AM to help me get ready! I honestly couldn't quite believe she agreed to take me on as a client, but I have been counting my lucky stars that she was willing and able to do so. I had been somewhat in denial about needing a hair and make-up artist, and therefore booked her services only a few weeks in advance. Due to the timing, I didn't request a trial run, but in hindsight, we didn't need one. Carla styled my hair in an elegant, low chignon (as requested), and my makeup looks incredible in our photos--very natural and flattering. During our time together, it became evident to me that Carla is truly knowledgable, skilled, and talented. My entire experience was wonderful from beginning to end. Choosing her to be part of my wedding day team was one of the best decisions I've ever made!

With Carla’s help, I had the wedding day of my dreams. In addition to making my hormonal/flushed skin look glowing and youthful, Carla also calmed me down and helped me reflect before I had to walk down the aisle. Talk about going above and beyond! She also is a complete genius with curls—I had an exceptionally fun trial with her, but I didn’t need it, she is such an expert, she could probably work off of a quick description alone and come up with something even better than expected. Any bride would be lucky to have Carla work her glam magic on the wedding day.

Carla had two of her artists do my hair and makeup for my wedding this Spring and WOW did they do a great job! They were also on time and kind. I really enjoyed working with Carla, Erin and her team for my wedding!

Carla and Nas were amazing. Working on a tight schedule, they arrived right on time, were super positive throughout, and went FAR above and beyond to make sure everyone looked perfect. Everyone who got something done was incredibly thrilled with the process and results (even the party member who hates wearing makeup!).

Carla was amazing! I ended up needing a somewhat last minute hair and makeup artist for my postponed microwedding and was so happy to have found Carla. She is very talented, but also is extremely friendly and a pleasure to be around. She came to my apartment for a trial and did such a wonderful job. She also followed COVID procedures and made me feel very safe. The day of the wedding, she did hair and makeup for me and two family members. She made us all look beautiful!! She even brought hair extensions that better matched my hair for the wedding after looking at the trial photos. I would highly recommend Carla and would work with her again in the future.