Rare Bird Beauties

ch a fun and relaxing getting-ready experience. Despite having a large group, everything ran seamlessly and we were even ahead of schedule the entire morning. After my hair and makeup trial, I went into the wedding day feeling completely confident, and I truly couldn’t have loved my final look more. My hair and makeup held up perfectly all day and night—even after taking photos outside in the cold on New Year’s Eve at Union Station and spending the rest of the night on the dance floor. My hair still looked amazing by the end of the night. I’m so grateful to have worked with Rare Bird Beauties. They made my wedding morning even more special, fun, and stress-free than I could have imagined.

el executed my hair and makeup vision perfectly and listened to any notes I had. My hair and makeup stayed on flawlessly the whole day and night. I also love that Rare Bird offers custom made extensions matching your hair color and length. That was a huge deal for my mom and I who have auburn red hair that is very hard to match. My bridesmaids all felt like their hair and makeup were very personalized to their skin, eye color, and hair texture. Nothing was a one size fits all approach. Highly recommend!

nd into the next night as well! I even accidentally bought extensions that didn't match my hair color and Rita was able to make it work perfectly. She was so calm, cool and collected and talked me through it and reassured me that we'd make it work and it would be perfect and it was. She's a true professional. Administratively I found the Rare Bird portal a bit cumbersome and didn't have the time to do both a hair trial and a separate appointment for the extension color match so I just ended up buying extensions online (see above lol). But none of that impacted the experience day of.

up was exactly as I pictured it. They are true artists! Thank you for making our day extra special.

all the way through the end of the night. We brought inspiration pictures and they were able to seamlessly bring our vision to life. Everyone felt confident and comfortable, and the team created a calm, positive environment while getting ready. We received so many compliments, and we couldn’t recommend them more.

their own hair extension business too. It helped me so much that I was able to go and get color matched and they handled everything else!! My makeup trial day was SO fun! The salon is full of other beautiful brides and it was a great time.  On my actual wedding day I chose Francesca for hair. I wanted an updo and it was so beautiful and perfect!! She is such a kind person and I loved how honest she was if something didn’t look perfect to her she needed to fix it! I chose Konstantine for my makeup and he was amazing!! He made sure I knew how beautiful I was and made me feel so important in Chanel makeup haha. I laughed and had the best morning with them!! All my bridesmaids had terrific experiences as well!! 

ir and makeup looked flawless all day and photographed beautifully. They were professional, calm under pressure, and such a joy to have around on the morning of the wedding. I highly recommend them to any bride looking for people who are talented and reliable!

r photoshoots! The owner and I hit it off after the first call and I knew this would be my glam team! Samantha, Nicki and Nastassia exceeded all of our expectations with hair and makeup for over 8 ladies! They were prompt, courteous and highly skilled! They were great in listening to what we wanted and open to any feedback to make it 100% perfect! I can't wait to use them again for other important life milestones!

kind, and incredibly talented. Jen created the perfect hairstyle that stayed flawless all day and night, even through dancing and happy tears. Iona made me feel so confident and radiant with the most beautiful, glowing makeup. They offer both airbrush and traditional makeup options, which was perfect for my bridal party and family. Everyone felt comfortable and absolutely stunning. My mom and sisters still talk about how much they loved them. Jen and Iona truly go above and beyond to make you feel like the best version of yourself. If you have the chance to book them, do it. You will be obsessed!

h were amazing! They captured my vision perfectly and made me feel so beautiful. My hair and makeup were everything I dreamed of and lasted all night long. Truly worth every penny!

Ioana was so friendly and helpful — scheduling my trials was super easy, and the quality of their work was top-notch! On the wedding day, the team was amazing! We had 13 girls to get ready, and they finished ahead of schedule without ever making us feel rushed. I worked with Courtney Sade for makeup and Laura Syrjanen for hair, and everything turned out like a dream. I even completely changed my style after my trial, and they both adjusted seamlessly — the results were perfect! My makeup lasted all night (even through plenty of happy tears!), and my hair stayed flawless too. I honestly couldn’t recommend Rare Bird Beauties enough — they’re talented, kind, and make you feel absolutely beautiful on your big day! 💕

I knew that they’d be amazing on my wedding day for me plus 7 wedding party members/family. I had queer friends in my wedding party and listed pronouns when I sent all our names to Rare Bird, and this was 100% accepted without comment. My male friend in my wedding party received hair and makeup services, and everyone at Rare Bird was completely normal about all of this, which I really appreciated. My friends commented how fun both Courtney and Laura were to hang out with on the wedding day - they were a great team. We all looked amazing; everyone’s services were exactly what they asked for. So many people commented on my hair/makeup especially on the wedding day!! It was perfect. Rare Bird had a small scheduling issue before the wedding and it was handled immediately with no issues. Ioana is amazing to work with - she has an incredible business and team! Ioana was also the artist I worked with for my engagement shoot makeup and she obviously did a flawless job. She recommended I work with Courtney after meeting me for engagement makeup and seeing my skin type/tastes/etc. I’d highly recommend working with Rare Bird - I had absolutely zero stress related to hair/makeup!!

t like I was radiating, inside and out. A special thanks to Samantha and Francesca, who worked their magic on my hair and makeup. My makeup held up flawlessly ALL day and night. Samantha is a true artist and knows how to accentuate your natural features and somehow make them look even better! Francesca made sure to lock in the side clip in my hair, and that thing did not budge all night! Plus, my hair extensions held up so seamlessly and perfectly. At my bridal preview, they even helped provide suggestions so that my hair and makeup matched the vibe of my dress and the look I was going for. The whole RBB team is truly the most talented, professional, and gifted artists out there. These ladies especially were a dream to work with. I would hire them again and again!

start to finish was easy - they were responsive and easy to coordinate with. The talent of the artists was NEXT LEVEL. I have never been in a wedding where every single person’s hair and makeup looked amazing. Truly top notch. Blue dress photos hair was Anastasia, makeup was Hector. Bridal & MOB Makeup was Hector.

akeup looked FLAWLESS all night. They're magic! They made me feel the most beautiful I had ever looked.

the aisle. With the help of Mei and Anthony I felt completely confident, beautiful, glamorous, and still 100% myself. I don’t know what to gush about first: the phenomenal job they did with my hair and makeup, or their amazing presence that put everyone at ease! I don’t know much about hair or makeup, and after my trial Anthony gave me some excellent tips on how to prep my hair for the wedding day, which was super helpful. They were both so open to feedback and making sure my bridal party and I got what we were looking for and felt gorgeous. My MIL and mom said they were going to bring pictures to their hairstylists, because Anthony absolutely nailed what they were requesting, more so than the stylists they have seen for years! Mei’s skills were equally impressive — I was so relieved that I still looked like me, but just a more glamorous, brighter version of myself. She was able to cover a scar on my face in a way I never thought would be possible, so the focus was on my eyes and not the scar or my hereditary dark circles. My makeup was flawless ALL NIGHT, through dancing, the limbo, many mocktails and slices of cake… oh and about 5,000 tears. I felt SO BEAUTIFUL on my wedding day thanks to this incredible team. Something special they brought to the day was how comfortable they made everyone feel. They were able to relate to and satisfy my “too cool” 13-year-old niece and then turn around and crack jokes and glam up women in their 60s and 70s. Their warmth and professionalism made everyone feel so comfortable and excited, and all of us were thrilled with how we looked. I felt so taken care of and I cannot emphasize enough how freaking AMAZING I looked and felt all night. They also were prompt, if not early so they could set up, completely prepared, and were super flexible when we had to move some things around with the schedule when people were running late. I would recommend these two in a heartbeat! Thank you for making me feel so fantastic on the best day of my life!

and Samantha rolled with it and did an awesome job. Francesca also did amazing and even suggested the hair accessory I ended up wearing to me! They were great and so professional. Thank you!

someone else doing their hair and makeup and they made them feel comfortable with the process. I was pleased with how well both the hair and makeup held up throughout the day. Other than a couple of curls framing my face that were soon lost due to the Chicago humidity on a hot summer day, everything else held for the entirety of the event. I was very pleased with the result. One drawback of Rare Bird Beauty was the poor communication and inconsistent service provided by Rare Bird Beauty in terms of scheduling and the contract. It was difficult to schedule a time for my hair and makeup trial, which was even very stressful as an out-of-town bride. They also recommended at one point that I begin my hair and makeup service at 4 AM when I said that I wanted to be ready by 11 AM. This is when I complained about the person handling the logistics for my event and the owner, Ionna, stepped in. As soon as Ionna took over all problems resolving communication and scheduling were resolved and everything went smoothly.

vel for weddings. They were so professional and easy to communicate with for scheduling extension appointments and trials - I was so impressed with their work each time. I worked with Lisa as my makeup artist and Rebecca as my hair stylist, and they were both incredible. I showed Rebecca a style that I loved and she replicated it perfectly - it also lasted all day on my wedding day without budging! Lisa was amazing as well - not only did she do my makeup perfectly as the bride, but she also made my sister, mom and mother-in-law so happy with their looks. The makeup looked natural while being super long-lasting throughout the long day. I would highly recommend Rare Bird and specifically Lisa and Rebecca for any bride-to-be!

o doesn’t usually wear a lot of makeup and usually doesn’t do a lot of regular hair styling, I was looking for a look that felt natural while still being special and glam for the occasion. I also really appreciated that their pricing was in my budget – and included both hair & makeup in one. I was paired with Angelica (hair) and Stephanie (MUA) and they were both absolute gems. Stephanie was warm and bubbly and the best confidence booster. She listened to what I was looking for and really made an effort to make sure I was comfortable. For instance, I had never worn fake eyelashes before, and she was super flexible about possibly doing less eyelashes/makeup the day of after testing it out at our trial session. All of my bridesmaids loved her and had so much fun chatting while getting their makeup done the morning of. Also, both moms (of bride and of groom) were initially skeptical of getting their hair and makeup done, and felt so at ease and radiant afterwards. Angelica was simply a magician! I was worried my hair would be too fine/thin for the updo I was envisioning and she made it happen without needing extensions. The day of my wedding the weather was rainy and crazy windy – thanks to Angelica and her trusty hands my hair held up all day despite the weather conditions and looked perfect up until I took the pins out at the end of the night. The trial appointment was super helpful. I highly recommend it as a chance to meet the artists you’ll be paired with and do a test run. It’s so vital to help tweak what you want for the day of, as well as get an idea of what you like/dislike so that your comfortable and happy with the end result. More from my bridesmaids: Hair - “She was phenomenal. She immediately put me at ease and my hair lasted days! Like my hair never holds styling and I don’t know what she used, but I still had those curls at work Monday and people were raving!!” Makeup – “She was AMAZING! She was so easy to work with and my makeup looked very natural and good all day. I loved her.”

and really know their stuff, which was so important for me not only for myself but also for my bridal party. I am so happy with my look and felt like an elevated version of myself.

ORGEOUS on my wedding day. I would recommend them to everyone searching for a hair and makeup team for their wedding. Jules also helped pick out my extensions and chose the absolute perfect color for me. 100% would hire them all again!!

iments and my hair lasted all night! I have a fairly laid back, chill vibe and Rebecaa meshed well with me. Jean did half of my wedding party’s hair and each lady in my group loved their hairstyle. Both Rebecca and Jean were efficient and kind. I highly recommend booking them.

ide), bridesmaids, and moms. They were fun to work with and stuck to the timeline. The trial experience at the RBB studio was great as well. I liked that they coordinated extensions for me without very much extra effort.

at we wanted & were happy to make adjustments as requested. I am not someone who wears a ton of makeup, so when I asked for a toned down version of the makeup trial, Jules very much delivered!!! Angelica wanted to make sure every tress of hair was perfect & also recommended products leading up to the wedding to ensure the best look on the day of. It made a huge difference for my hair, and I'm still using these products months after. Highly Recommend!!

t ease. Not only is Konstantine an extremely talented make up artist, but he was so fun and made the entire makeup process easy and enjoyable! From only a quick photo glance and a few moments of describing my makeup goals, he was able to create exactly what I wanted on my wedding day. Konstantine was able to do makeup for my entire bridal party without question. He was organized, stayed on track with the timeline, and coordinated well with the hair stylist (who he had never worked with)! Konstantine is a no-brainer for your wedding day, or other special event. Thank you Konstantine for making me feel like my best self on my wedding day! You are the best of the best!!

professional, punctual, and a fun time! All the girls in our party were content with their makeup and looked great for our big day.

my original trial and were very flexible throughout the process. I wanted a natural makeup look and I felt like Ioana made that happen. For hair I was indecisive and Jen showed me two looks (similar but different) and gave me to time I needed to make up my mind. They really helped make me, my mom, and my sisters look and feel beautiful! All 5 of us had only great things to say about our own hair and makeup and each others. If you are in search of a great team, I highly recommend going with Rare Bird Beauties.

completely stress free. Their custom extension matching process is absolutely incredible. Ioana and Jen knocked it out of the park (per usual) in both the preview and on the actual day. I knew I was in the best of hands and i really was. My friend group has had 4+ wedding in the past 18 months and at least one person has bitched about not liking something every single time. This was the first wedding where everyone LOVED their hair and make-up. If you want a perfect bridal look and for your bridal party to love their looks/ be complain free, RBB is the answer to your prayers. Incredible work and great people! You won’t regret it!

by a friend. Not only did I love the result of my hair and makeup by Stefanie and Angelica, but my bridesmaids also loved theirs as well which is not always the case. Angelica, Stefanie, Christy, and Jean all came with such a fun and positive vibes.

n the wedding day, they were so professional, patient, and kind. Everyone in my wedding party loved them. They were able to execute exactly what each person wanted and everyone looked fantastic! It took me a while to figure out who to hire for hair/makeup and everyone’s portfolios online start to look very similar but believe me, they will make you look beautiful! My hair was super intricate and there was a specific look I was going for and Jen nailed it! I don’t wear makeup often so I wanted to feel like myself, but more glam, and Jules delivered! If I ever need hair/makeup services again, I’ll definitely be going back to them.

were so fun to work with! I would highly recommend them!

ylist on the wedding day and he was SUCH a great addition to our getting ready experience - so fun and friendly, and extremely patient with 7 indecisive bridesmaids. He also did an amazing job on all of us!

heduling everything, communication of day of events, and everyone was stunning!

a good job on my entire bridal party and they were all so fun and kind. Jules and Francesca nailed my look and I never felt more beautiful!

ience with her. I felt so beautiful both nights and so did my bridal party! I also loved the extensions I got from RBR and would recommend them to any bride.

ned out. Natalie and the team at RBB was so helpful along the way and I was so at ease the day of our wedding knowing I didn't need to worry about hair/makeup. The team at RBB was extremely professional and listened to feedback to make adjustments. I highly recommend Rare Bird Beauties!

Ioana make you feel comfortable and go the extra mile to make sure you are getting the service you envisioned.

up held up through tears, dancing, and Chicago summer for our July 2023 wedding. Both Jen & Ioana did a great job making me feel comfortable, adjusting to my feedback, and listening to the preferences of both MOG/MOB. Run, don't walk, to book!

e checking in and asking preferences to ensure the look was what I wanted the day of, and seeing the results (with the veil on too!) made me so sure and excited for the day of. Jen and Ioana did hair and make up for myself, 4 bridesmaids and both mothers. They were prompt with the early start time, incredibly fun to have with us while getting ready, and spent time working with each individual to ensure everyone had the hair and make up they wanted. The morning was dark and rainy, so Ioana even went out of her way to get extra lighting from their studio to ensure the team had everything they needed for beauty. On top of looking and feeling beautiful all day, everyone’s hair and makeup stayed in perfect condition despite walking through rain and windy outdoor photos before the ceremony. Throughout the entire booking process Natalie was so kind and helpful. Feeling confident and my best was such an important part of my wedding day and RBB made it all possible. I would recommend them to anyone and everyone who asks!

tanding. My hair and makeup were perfect. I felt like a princess.

work with my travel plans (since we live out of state). Natalie was amazing at taking care of everything and answering all of my many questions. Isabel did a fantastic job on the bridal party hair. She was able to help all of us find an amazing style for the day to help us all look amazing! Fiona is a wizard of make-up! We all wanted to take her home as she made all of us look fantastic. Our wedding day definitely wouldn't have been as beautiful without Isabel and Fiona.

my hair and did long beautiful waves which were just gorgeous. I wanted to look and feel like myself, but also wanted to feel more glam on the big day. My bridal party and many others kept complimenting me all night on how natural and stunning I looked. I have gotten my hair and makeup done for many events, and I have never felt as good as I did on my wedding day. It was so amazing not having to worry about it. My bridesmaids, grandma, and moms also got their hair and makeup done and they looked incredible. The team showed up exactly on time, were so professional, and so much fun to work with. I also want to give a huge shoutout to Natalie, their new communication queen. I've been working with Rare Bird for over a year, and I noticed a lovely improvement in communication once she was hired! Natalie is so fun to work with and significantly decreased my stress levels. I would recommend Rare Bird to everyone!

p looked perfect! I couldn’t have asked for a better team to do my hair and makeup on my wedding day!