Dez Penaloza Beauty

Hiring Dez was the single biggest regret I had about my wedding. My experience was completely different from the reviews that convinced me to book her. From the multitude of things I wish Dez had handled better, the biggest disappointments were: 1: She did not read my answers to the questionnaire she requested I fill out, nor did she look at the reference photos I sent her ahead of the trial, which ended up making the trial somewhat of a waste. It was upsetting and stressful to have to communicate changes so close to the wedding for things that I had spent so much time clearly communicating in advance. 2: I was MORTIFIED to see that the makeup photographed extremely poorly, making my face and some of my neck look washed out and completely different in shade from the rest of my body. It even looks completely white in some of the photos. There’s no way it can be a photographer issue, as this My SILs and MIL all had their makeup done by a different MUA and there were not any problems with their makeup photographing poorly. Because of everything I’ve mentioned, I think it’s pretty clear that Dez used a product that was not suitable for photography, resulting in what’s known as “flashback”. Usually the culprit is setting powder, but I know of at least 2 brands that don’t cause this issue, as I test drove them in preparation for my wedding before deciding to book a MUA. In addition to the product causing flashback, I’m almost certain that the shade she used for my skintone was too light. My face looked extremely pale in several of the photos without flash, along with our wedding video taken in natural light. I think she might have used my MOH’s shade on me, whose makeup she did first, as she has a fairer complexion and Dez seemed to have gotten my shade correct at the trial. Honorable mention: Dez felt the need to post a photo with a passive-aggressive caption of our Airbnb stairs (her “work commute”) to her IG stories, despite the fact that my husband took time out from getting ready for his OWN wedding to help Dez carry her things up and down. I had warned her in advance when I found out the stairs would be difficult, and she said that she would pack light. The complete lack of empathy and self-awareness on her part was pretty appalling. If a client were to tell me I made them feel this way, I would be mortified to have tainted their special day. Dez issued me a partial refund (a whopping $350) and apologized for forgetting to look at the pictures and questionnaire I sent her ahead of the trial, but took absolutely zero accountability for the way the makeup photographed, saying she wished I’d told her to fix it then and that none of her other clients have had this problem. It should be a bare minimum expectation to assume that a nearly $1.5k wedding MUA will match my skintone correctly and use products that don’t cause flashback. Dez ran a bit late finishing, and things were running behind in general; we were all really stressed and rushed getting to the venue. In the time I did have, I was looking for all of the changes I had to request post-trial due to Dez not looking at any of my notes or pictures ahead of time. I shouldn’t even have to defend myself, though. There’s no reason for someone charging these rates to make those kinds of mistakes and then try to put the blame on the client. When all was said and done, I feel like I just paid someone an exorbitant amount of money to ruin my wedding photos and make me feel unimportant, extremely stressed, and gaslit.

Desiree is truly a gift to work with. Not only is she incredibly prompt and professional, but sitting in her chair is something magical and therapeutic. With Dez, the entire process is one that is so peaceful and uplifting! I can also always trust that my hair and make-up will be beautifully unique and stay in place all night. I appreciate that her glam techniques are not over-the-top or one-size-fits all. She really caters to your own unique essence and how to make that shine. Whenever I have a red carpet event or creative production, she is the woman I call!

I found Dez through the referral of a friend after initially being overwhelmed by the wedding makeup/hairstylist selection process. I could not be happier with this decision! In my day to day life I do not wear much makeup and have had a few poor experiences getting my makeup done for friend's weddings where I felt overdone and not myself. I communicated this to Dez and she assured me that she would work with me to achieve a natural, but elevated, dewey look for my Malibu wedding. She absolutely nailed it! I loved how my makeup turned out and I felt beautiful both after my trial and on my wedding day. She is so so talented and a true expert in her field. The makeup lasted the full day - from 7am until midnight. She also styled my hair in loose curls using a few extensions and it turned out beautiful! From the first point of communication until the wedding day Dez was a true professional - she was flexible with scheduling, gave me all needed information upfront, and was punctual and efficient. It was completely stress-free from the second I booked her. Beyond that, Dez is just an absolute joy to work with! She has an incredible positive energy and a calming presence that you'd want on your wedding day! I would strongly recommend to anyone to not hesitate in booking Dez! I already plan to book her for a makeup lesson to learn some of her magic for my day to day life!