Kelli Thomsen Beauty

Kelli, Laura and Taylor did a fantastic job with my daughter's wedding party hair and make up. Very organized, on schedule and fun. Highly recommend.

Kelli and I worked together in June 2022 (I was the coordinator for a wedding she did). Great work! Hair and makeup went smoothly and on time, which is huge since it started a wedding day. I also appreciated Kelli's responsiveness and collaboration throughout the process. I hope we work together again soon.

I chose to hire Kelli to do my bridal look because I really trusted her to help me look like the best, hottest version of myself - and did she deliver! Kelli’s focus on natural skincare and clean make up was one of the main reasons I chose to go with her team. The products truly feel like part of your skin, which made me feel so comfortable and confident. I really appreciate her attention to detail and ability to adjust anything if there was a detail that wasn’t right. Cate, her hair stylist partner in crime, is also amazing and is the best hype girl! Plus my hair stayed all day, with no uncomfortable poking or pulling. They are such a fun crew and are so talented to achieve any look that you’re envisioning while also highlighting your own natural beauty. Highly recommend!!

I wish I could give Kelli a higher review considering her delightful personality on the phone, but our overall interaction with Kelli communicated that the money/contract meant more to her than the customer. Unfortunately, our original wedding date was June 12th, 2020, which was right in the middle of the lockdowns. We tentatively looked to September 12th, and when we reached out to Kelli, we made it clear that the date was very tentative and that we didn’t even know how many people would have services done. Kelli gave us no indication that this would be a problem, so we signed the contract. We unfortunately regret that deeply. Due to circumstances out of our control thanks to the pandemic, we moved the wedding date again to July 18th. All of our vendors except Kelli were extremely flexible with the second switch. Kelli stated that she was unavailable and could not refund our payments since she had already allowed us to move our wedding date once (she had not communicated this policy to us previously.) We had already paid approximately two-thirds of the contract (estimated for the maximum amount of people we would have had services for) but did not pursue a refund further. Cue September, we got a notification from Kelli that the remaining balance was due. We were shocked that she expected us to make the final payment (a total of over $1600) for absolutely no services. We inquired, and she insisted that she was owed the entire balance without providing anything in return. This was not communicated to us at any point previously. She eventually conceded that she could provide services (like facials) in her salon, but at this point, we felt too uncomfortable with the situation to continue a relationship with Kelli and did not believe the offer made up for the amount of money wasted. Unfortunately, this comes down to our own failure for signing a contract before we were 100% committed. I guess we expected more flexibility from Kelli considering every other vendor was extremely understanding and flexible with their contracts during a pandemic that has impacted everyone. We understand covid-19 lockdowns have caused a huge deficit for many small businesses, but Kelli communicated (whether intentionally or not) that despite the unprecedented and unpredictable times, the customer must take the financial brunt of a circumstance outside of everyone’s control. I will not be recommending Kelli to any other brides considering that a flexible vendor is one of the best assets during the current times. I am sure she would have done a lovely job on our hair and makeup, but she did not make an extremely stressful time easier with the amount of miscommunication and unwillingness to negotiate.

Where do I even start on my experience working with Kelli? I was an elopement bride from the east coast and found Kelli through social media. She was such a pleasure to work with from afar (and patient while I worked out scheduling specifics with my photographer), that I felt I was working with a friend before we’d ever met face to face. She arrived early morning (6:15am to be exact) and on time. She has cheerful, upbeat energy. She was a doll toward our dog that we brought along for our special day, she reviewed my preferences or “vision” while setting up, she was immaculately clean and sterile (thanks, COVID), and she absolutely NAILED my bridal makeup. I’m very particular, but it was perfection. I felt beautiful and confident and my groom loved that I look like a perfected, natural version of myself (He was actually concerned when he learned I was hiring a professional MUA). Kelli finished right on time and was packed up and outta there in a flash to keep the morning moving quickly so we could get to our venue. Even my photographer (@adventureinstead) loved Kelli’s work and demeanor so much they said they’d be adding her to their Portland vendor recommendations. My only disappointment is that I don’t live close enough to use Kelli’s esthetician services to maintain my skin.

I have had to reschedule my wedding, so I have only had my bridal trial yet with Kelli and Emily, but they were both so fun to work with and truly made me feel like a bride already! Kelli has been super accommodating during the new date selection process. I feel so lucky that I will get to have Kelli and Emily by my side for the newly scheduled big day!

Kelli and her team did my wedding party’s hair and makeup for my wedding. In the beginning there was a mix up and we realized the week of my wedding that they were scheduled for the wrong day (omg panic mode, I know). Kelli and her team rescheduled everything they had booked on the day of my wedding so that they could be there. They are also phenomenal at makeup and hair and you feel good about what is going on your skin as her products are primarily (if not all) clean beauty. Kelli is amazing at working with your natural features (I have a lot of redness and she worked with it instead of trying to mask it. Not to mention every one of my bridesmaids mentioned how good the team made them feel about themselves. I cannot recommend them enough!

We loved all the vendors we worked with on our wedding but Kelli and her team were some of the most relentlessly positive and accommodating people we had the pleasure of working with. Kelli is incredibly capable and I’ll get to that later, but for me, the most important thing she brought to our wedding day was her positivity. She made me and my bridesmaids feel amazing and super comfortable, even though none of us wear a lot of make-up normally. I was really happy with the way we all looked. Kelli was great about making sure she understood what I was aiming for and getting us on the same page. I also appreciated that she pushed me outside my comfort zone because she knows what photographs best. My biggest piece of advice for booking hair and make-up is that, more than your other vendors, you will spend a lot of time with them, especially if you have a big wedding party. Make sure you choose somebody who will get you feeling good about yourself and create the getting-ready experience that you’re looking for. Kelli definitely does that and I can’t recommend her enough.

Kelli is amazing! She is patient and kind. She pays attention to details. She listens to your requests and offers great options and selections when it came to make-up styles. I was very happy with the outcome :) She was perfect from the beginning to end and I feel I made a friend while working with her. Family and friends involved in the wedding really liked her and she is so easy to get along with. She is highly recommended! :)

I have extra sensitive skin and spent a long time searching for a MUA who wouldn’t put a bunch of products on my face that would make me break out. Enter Kelli, and she was more than I ever could have asked for! Well worth spending a little extra money to not feel like my face was caked on and on fire!

Kelli was awesome. I was specifically looking for someone who does airbrush and she was excellent in this and regular foundation. Kelli did my (bride), four bridesmaids and my mothers makeup and everyone looked beautiful. She adjusted to what people specifically wanted, and during the makeup trial went above and beyond my vague statements of what look I wanted, helping me decide and narrow it down. Would definitely recommend to hire Kelli for any event :)

Such a talented person! I went to Kelli for a DIY Bridal makeup lesson- she was able to immediately see my vision, tailor it to me as an individual, and then teach me and follow up in a way I felt comfortable doing it on my big day (this is coming from a person that wears makeup maybe once a month). However, I would have loved to have splurged to have her do my makeup that day because she is just so talented! Also I love that all of her products are natural, organic, and/or cruelty free. I also did a facial and brows with her, and was not disappointed for a moment. She also is just a fun person to talk to. I can't wait to have another excuse to go see her!

Kelli is one of the most talented aesthetician's and makeup artists I've ever worked with. Not only does she know how to pull off nearly every look you've ever dreamed of, but she also knows how to make you feel beautiful in your own skin and help with the most difficult of skincare issues. I have hired Kelli on multiple occasions, mostly for makeup for weddings, including my own wedding and engagement shoot. She traveled all the way to Canada to do the makeup and hair for two of my bridesmaids and me, and just after speaking with me and reviewing a few photos, she knew exactly how to pull off the look I was looking for. She even had a "save-all" remedy for when I broke out with a few blemishes the day before the wedding! Kelli is absolutely wonderful to work with and really knows how to connect with her clients. I would recommend her to anyone who needs skincare or makeup/hair.

I worked with Kelli for my wedding and she is wonderful! I got married in Hood River and had done a trial with a local makeup artist that just didn't go well. I decided to look in the Portland area, specifically for makeup artists who use natural products, and was lucky enough to stumble upon Kelli's site. I saw she had actually styled a shoot for the designer I bought my dress from and knew it was a perfect fit. We did a trial during the week before and she was very willing to work with my suggestions, and I'm pretty picky so that was much appreciated. On the day of the wedding she did my makeup, as well as that of the MOB and MOH, and we all looked gorgeous but with styles that suited us. I also did a facial with Kelli the week before, which I highly recommend. She focused on hydration and smoothing, and even gave me samples for a face regimen leading up to the big day. My skin looked wonderful!

I was a bit stressed out when it came to selecting a vendor for my wedding makeup. I'm a very natural girl that doesn't typically wear much makeup and I was looking for a vendor that would work with me to develop a look that was glamorous without going over the top. I found Kelli during an extensive online search and found her website informative, inviting and, most importantly, reflective of my own style. I schedule an eyebrow wax appointment with her first, for an opportunity to get to know her feeling like I was "interviewing" her as a potential wedding vendor. As soon as I walked into Kelli's studio and she introduced herself, I felt confident that I was working with a lady that not only knew what she was doing but LOVED her work. Kelli immediately made me feel as if we were long time girlfriends - she's super easy to talk to and I was totally at ease on her table as she got to work shaping my brows. It didn't take me long to decide that I was definitely going to work with Kelli for my big day. I met with her a few more times before the big day for more eyebrow shaping, an updo practice session, and a delightful facial. Each time I left feeling sparkly! For the wedding - Kelli and her team of two assistants did an incredible job making me and the special ladies in my life look and feel like queens. I was absolutely smitten with the look Kelli pulled together for me - a bit vintage, a bit glam, with natural eye makeup and bold, merlot lips. I was thrilled with the products she used on me and have since bought some to use day-to-day. She totally captured my style and accentuated my features gorgeously. Since the big day, I've been back to see Kelli for my eyebrows and I'll continue to see her for a wide range of services. She's easy and fun to work with and I'd recommend her for any brides that seek a natural look made with healthy products.