4.9 out of 5 stars and 139 reviews
4.9
(139)Best of Weddings (7x).Chicago, Chicago Suburbs, NW Indiana, Wisconsin, Lake Geneva
About this vendor
Lux onsite services for weddings & special events!
Rare Bird Beauties is a wedding beauty company based in Chicago, IL. Choosing a beauty team for your wedding day is definitely one of the more important decisions you will make during your wedding planning process! At Rare Bird Beauties, we use our extensive product knowledge, high quality kits and customized techniques to assure that every single bride looks and feels like the best version of themselves in person and in pictures. Our work stands out because we listen to what our brides and clients want and make the entire experience all about the them. It is our pride and joy to make each and every client and bride (and her bridal party) look and feel radiant and amazingly beautiful with hair and makeup that emphasizes their natural beauty and unique personality; it is our job to create the look you've always wanted for your big day.
Details
Beauty
- Hair Stylists
- Hair Trials Available
- Makeup
- Airbrushed Makeup
- Makeup Artists
- Makeup Trials Available
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Awards and Affiliations
Pricing
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Reviews
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4.9
out of 5.0139 reviews
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Rare Bird Beauties was AMAZING to work with - their professionalism and talent blows everyone else out of the water. Mei Moy (my MUA) and Laura S. (hair) made me feel absolutely GORGEOUS 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!!
Working with Rare Bird Beauties was a professional and seamless experience. Rebecca styled my hair; she perfectly cultivated my vision and it looked incredible. I got so many compliments 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.
I worked with Kristin for make-up and Francesca for hair. They were both very talented and professional. They created beautiful looks for everyone in our party including myself (bride), 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.
Any questions?
Rare Bird Beauties was such a pleasure to work with, so glad I chose them!!
We had Jules for makeup & Angelica for hair. Both were so meticulous & took their time to understood what 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!!
Konstantine was my makeup artist for my wedding day, and I can't tell you how amazing he was to work with. From the moment I met Konstantine at my makeup trial, I was immediately at 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!!
We loved working with Rare Bird Beauties for our wedding! They matched us up with a makeup artist who fit our style and energy and Jules was fantastic. The team was communicative, professional, punctual, and a fun time! All the girls in our party were content with their makeup and looked great for our big day.
I have nothing but amazing things to say about Rare Bird Beauties. We were lucky enough to be connected with Ioana and Jen and I highly recommend them both. They really listened at 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.
Hair and Make up was the one thing I knew I wanted to splurge on and have the best of the best. RBB is hands down the GOAT. Working with them throughout was completely painless and 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!
I found finding the right HMU company difficult as it’s hard to imagine how exactly it will all look but I could not be more thankful for having Rare Bird Beauty recommended to me 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.
I hired Jules and Jen for makeup and hair for me, my bridal party and the moms and they were excellent! My trials were great and they really listened to what I liked/didn’t like. On 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.
Rare birds did an awesome job for our wedding, we had two brides, two mothers, and 5 bridesmaids all with different tastes. They did an amazing job on everyone’s hair and make and were so fun to work with! I would highly recommend them!
I used Rare Bird for my hair service for my wedding and they were AMAZING! So easy to work with for the booking up front. Trial was great and super helpful. Anthony was our main stylist 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!
I worked with Jules (makeup) and Angelica (hair) and they were FANTASTIC. Jules did my makeup for my engagement photos, trial, and wedding day. I had a very easy experience with scheduling everything, communication of day of events, and everyone was stunning!
If I could give 10 stars for Jules and Francesca I would! Also natalie was insanely helpful throughout the whole process. I am so glad I went with rare bird beauties! They did such 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!
Francesca was wonderful to work with! She did my HMU for rehearsal and my hair for the wedding (we’d already hired make up separately when I found RBR) and we had such a good experience 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.
It was such a pleasure working with Rare Bird Beauties! We worked with Julieta, Stefanie, Francesca, and Paige day-of and everyone was so pleased with how their makeup and hair turned 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!
Jen and Ioana from Rarebird Beauties did an absolutely incredible job glamming us. My bridal party and myself were so happy with the way their makeup and hair turned out. Jen and Ioana make you feel comfortable and go the extra mile to make sure you are getting the service you envisioned.
Rare Bird Beauties is amazing! I was fortunate enough to be able to book with Jen (hair) and Ioana (make up) but have seen amazing work done by many others at RBB. My hair and makeup 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!
After seeing the results of one friend using RBB for her wedding trial I immediately booked them and it was the best and easiest decision I made! At my trial they spent so much time 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!
Rare Bird Beauties was great! The artists were attentive and kind and made me and the women in my family feel so beautiful. The planning process was easy and the service was outstanding. My hair and makeup were perfect. I felt like a princess.
The Rare Bird Beauties team was fabulous from the beginning. They were able to accommodate on-site services for a small wedding party and they were able to accommodate a trial to 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.
Rare Bird was the best to work with for my wedding! I did my hair and makeup trials as well through them. Sara was in charge of makeup and she absolutely killed it. Viktoriia did 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!
Jen and Courtney were a dream to work with! They were so personable and did an amazing job on everyone’s hair and makeup. Every curl stayed in place and through many emotions makeup looked perfect! I couldn’t have asked for a better team to do my hair and makeup on my wedding day!
Just don't even look any further. Book RBB for your event! Everyone was AMAZING to work with and the work they do is unmatched. Cannot say enough positive things! Thank you RBB!
Rare Bird Beauties did an amazing job for me and my bridal party of 9 for my wedding a few weeks ago. Everyone's hair and make up turned out perfect. We had 4 different providers there to help get it all done within our timeline and they worked fast (but with perfection) to get us all in. Jules did my bridal make up and Francesca did my hair and I loved both so much! I wanted to look like me on my wedding day but feel like my hair and make up were just a bit elevated than normal. They both nailed it. I got so many compliments the entire night and everything stayed perfect throughout the night of dancing. The RBB team is top notch with how they plan and coordinate the logistics of your trial and the event day. After my trial they proactively reached out for feedback so they could make note of any changes for the wedding day. The day of the wedding my providers came prepared with the game plan! Wish I could have them do my hair and make up every day!
Rare Bird Beauties did such a wonderful job for my wedding! Brittany and Drew were perfect professionals, everything was done right on time (if not a little early), and I couldn't have been happier with the final look, which I'd call "natural glam."
If you are looking for your wedding hair & makeup (or for any special event)- STOP LOOKING NOW AND BOOK RARE BIRD BEAUTIES. From solely a customer service standpoint, they were absolutely incredible to work with and responded to any questions or concerns prior to the event/trial. During my trail hair/makeup, I really felt that they listened to everything I said and genuinely wanted me to feel and look beautiful. I even decided after that I wanted to make some edits, and they offered to call me to chat through the edits and ensure I was comfortable with everything before the wedding day.
Aside from them just being a pleasure to work with- the results are STUNNING. I have been in many weddings and I always fear the first reveal of a smokey eye and a red lip at 8am, when I said "natural". Rare Birds made every single one girl in the bridal party look SO STUNNING- like natural and radiant, but as a Victoria Secret model. My maid of honor even asked Jenn while doing her hair is she could cut bangs so she could pull off a hairstyle she found, and without batting an eye she whipped out her scissor and created a masterpiece
I could go on and on about how amazing this team is, but that could go on for days. You will make the best decision of you wedding planning by booking this team!
I absolutely loved booking my makeup / hairstylists through RBB. They were amazing. I was referred to them by a previous bride who had used them and they did not disappoint. It was an amazing experience working with Constance and Francesca. They were amazing. They were personable and nice. Definitely would recommend them.
Rare Bird was amazing to work with. Natalie is super responsive and made it one of the easiest vendors to communicate with. We had hair with Rebecca and make up with Courtney. Both are so professional and amazing artists! The preview session was a great way to test out my look and we made a few changes for the wedding day that turned out amazing. I am so happy that I went with Rare bird!!
I was lucky enough to book with owners Ioana (makeup) & Jen (hair) for my wedding. They are truly the best in the business and such a dream to work with. They made us all feel absolutely beautiful. The compliments from guests just kept coming all night for every single one of us. Ioana and Jen are so beyond talented and truly give you the look you're going for, but BETTER! Natalie deserves a shoutout too! She is who I corresponded with most on their team. She made the booking process seamless. The entire Rare Bird Beauty team is absolutely amazing and truly go above and beyond for their clients. I will absolutely use them in the future any time I need hair & makeup done. BOOK THEM NOW!! You won't regret it.
My wife and I used Rare Bird Beauties for our November 2022 wedding and am so happy we did! I booked RBB a little later in the planning process and Natalie did an amazing job matching us with the perfect artists and getting our previews scheduled, even with a shorter timeline than normal. Drew (make-up) and Anastasia (hair) were amazing! Drew was able to work with my wife (who doesn’t typically wear make up but wanted to look photo-ready) on different non-traditional bridal options (and Natalie/RBB adjusted pricing since it wasn't full on bridal make-up). My wife was SO happy with her natural look, and she looked amazing in the photos. I did traditional bridal hair and make-up and was OBSESSED with how both turned out! Some of my favorite photos are the the ones my photographer took from behind me because my hair looked so amazing. I did a half up/half down look with curls - which was a pretty big ask considering I have thinner hair - and Anastasia worked some kind of magic as it looked amazing all night long! Everyone in our nontraditional bridal party (including our moms, MOHs, and my younger niece and nephew) were super happy with the services they received from RBB. Drew and Anastasia were both very chill and easy going when everyone was getting ready. We had a great experience and can’t thank them enough!
We had Steph as our makeup artist from the Rare Bird team and she was amazing. She was so nice, worked very quickly and did an amazing job with all of our makeup. The entire process working with the team was so easy and they even added on another artist last minute. The entire experience was great!
So great to work with! Not only was Rare Bird Beauties responsive and helpful with planning, but their hair and makeup artists were fantastic. Everyone looked amazing!
Let me tell you - I looked the most beautiful I ever have/will/want to be thanks to Angie and Konstantine! I'm so in love with the hair style and makeup looks they created. Angie actually made my evil hair cooperate and Konstantine's skills are so instinctive he makes it look easy. I absolutely loved my look and both of them. They were also SO relaxing to talk to the day of and just made the process fun! They plus Laura, our other hair wizard, were super on time (even early I think but I didn't have my watch on!) and even finished early. All the ladies raved about their hair and makeup. My bridesmaids who worked with Laura also LOVED their hair and raved about how great she was to talk to. Everything was just perfect. I told Angie and Konstantine that as soon as I win the lottery I'm hiring them to do my hair and makeup every day. My experience booking and with my trial were also so smooth and easy. Natalie knew who would be best for me right off the bat and was super easy to work with. I went with RBB because I wanted to look like the best version of myself on my wedding day without looking too done up and they achieved that and more. Love love love. Now go book them!!!!
This is a must book vendor for hair and makeup. I came to rare bird after a very unfortunate trial experience with another vendor I had previously booked and cut the contract with. Rare bird understood exactly what I was feeling only 11 weeks out from my wedding and unsure of what my HMU team was doing to be. They DELIVERED. My trial experience with Sarah and Francesca blew me away and I left feeling confident and ecstatic that my first poor experience led me to them. They were kind, fun, and felt like my friends excited to hear about my life and our big day. They took my thoughts and we tested out a few looks to guide me to where I wanted to be. On the day of, I was even more impressed. Sarah and Francesca brought an amazing energy to my morning with my friends and family and we edited a few things from the trial to make me feel even better on the day. I was in love with what they did for myself and my wedding party. I will absolutely go to them again 🤍
Jen and Konstantine were AMAZING for my wedding day beauty. They made me and my bridal party feel so beautiful and special, everyone looked glamorous but still natural and like themselves. They were very prompt and kept everyone moving through appointments quickly, we even finished early!! Absolutely recommend Rare Bird Beauties for any wedding day beauty, they truly are the best!
I hired RBB for makeup on my wedding day and just wow! Everyone looked absolutely stunning. I was a little apprehensive going into it because I really prefer to do my own makeup. Even after my trial, I don't think I was completely sold but I took that trial and figured out how to communicate my own style choices with Lisa, my MUA. On the day of my wedding, I could tell she understood all of my notes and really was deliberate and attentive when applying my makeup. I was absolutely blown away by the final product. She captured everything so perfectly and I would not hesitate to book them again for a special event. Natalie was also so attentive and answered all of my emails so promptly!
I’m obsessed with Rare Bird! I never wear my hair up and knew I wanted to wear it down for the wedding but had a hard time finding a vendor with a great “down-do” portfolio — but when I saw Rare Bird’s instagram, I knew they were the one.
They’re the perfect pick for any hair style (especially hair down!) and a soft glam makeup look. I was so happy with how everything turned out. They also arrived on time and finished early — so easy to work with!
Hired Rare Bird Beauties for wedding hair for myself (bride) and bridesmaids. We had Rita and Brittany. Rita did my hair. Both girls were fabulous! Everyone’s hair styles were gorgeous and they were fun hype girls to have there with us too while getting ready. Very communicative during the planning process and with coordinating the trial. Would definitely recommend!
The RBB team - Iona, Jen, Jade, and Francesca - were the glam squad for my June 2022 wedding, and WOW! The entire bridal party crew, including mothers of the bride & groom, not only looked beautiful, but felt their best. In my past experiences as a bridesmaid, inevitably, there is always someone who is unhappy with their hair or make-up. However, I can assure you this was NOT the case with RBB! The whole team was so professional, clearly talented, and made sure everyone felt beautiful & comfortable with their looks. They also were a ton of fun to work with, naturally fitting into the day as if they were part of the family/friend group!
While their prices might be a bit on the higher-end, I think you absolutely get what you pay for. RBB is extremely talented and can accommodate a wide spectrum of hair & make-up needs/preferences - whether you are looking for a natural look, something more high-glam, or anything in-between. They also take a disciplined & realistic approach to their planning & timelines, scheduling ample time & hands to ensure no one felt rushed.
Lastly, I also appreciated their "all-in" pricing approach, which is inclusive of faux lashes & airbrush foundation if you choose (versus other businesses that upcharge for those services).
Do yourself a favor and partner with RBB; you won't regret it!
We had an amazing experience with Rare Bird Beauties! We did hair and makeup with them for our wedding last weekend for six people and it was great. Drew and Anjelica really listened to everyone's styles - everyone in our crew has more of a natural vibe and it totally worked. I don't wear makeup often and I felt totally at-ease in my style for my wedding! The Rare Bird Beauties storefront on Western is also beautiful - the bridal preview was a great chance to meet both stylists before the wedding and confirm the look. Natalie, who coordinates logistics, was also a breeze to work with - so thankful to their team!
Rare Bird Beauties are angels on earth and truly masters of hair and makeup!! I wish I could give 1000 stars! Ioana and Jen made me feel like an absolute beauty queen inside and out for both rehearsal and wedding day! I had a couple trials and they were so patient as I finalized what I wanted for the big day. They are both so easy going, fun and amazing to work with. Run, don't walk, to book these amazing women for your big day and all the events along the way!!!
Courtney and Viktoriia were both so talented and fun to work with! They made what could potentially be a very stressful morning easy and care-free, I absolutely loved my hair and make-up as well as the hair and make-up of my entire bridal party. Can't thank them enough!!
Iona and Jen were phenomenal to work with! I loved my hair and makeup for my wedding - they stayed in place all day, even with August heat and humidity. 10/10 recommend!
I can not say enough great things about Rare Bird Beauties! From the booking process, hair and makeup trial, & wedding day, the team was so organized and professional. At my hair and makeup trial, I showed Jen and Jules inspiration pictures of what I wanted and they went above and beyond what I was expecting. I left my trial so happy and excited for my wedding day. Jen, Jules (and Jenny) were a dream to work with on the day of my wedding. I had a larger bridal party, but they kept us on schedule and were so friendly and easy to talk to. I have never felt more beautiful than I did on my wedding day, and my bridesmaids could not stop raving about their hair and make up as well. I didn’t have to touch up my makeup once, and my hair still looked perfect by the end of the night (even after pictures outside and hours of dancing). I received so many compliments from guests too! I highly recommend Rare Bird Beauties for your wedding day!
All I have to say is "JEN IS AMAZING!!!" She is so good with hair - a true artist. My hair has never looked so chic. I used Rare Bird's line of extensions - great quality and I can use them again in the future. Jen showed up early, worked quickly and had such a calming vibe about her. I loved working with her! I will certainly use her again to do my hair for events if she isn't slammed with other weddings!
I had Courtney for make-up and Angie for hair on my wedding day for me and my bridesmaids. These ladies were great at doing such a wide range of make-up and hair styles to fit each person's style. Courtney really listened to me at my trial as I don't wear heavy make-up often and I couldn't be happier with the outcome! She is so personable and we even talked after my trial to find me the perfect lip color before the big day. I made adjustments to my bridal hair since my trial on the day of and Angie was great in delivering what I wanted! Both my hair and make-up stayed truly all night! Same for my wedding party. They were so fun with my girls for getting ready too and made the morning a blast, we even were ahead of schedule!
Drew and Angie did an absolutely amazing job with my bridal hair and makeup! I felt like a queen all day in my fabulous Hollywood waves, soft makeup, and Drew's go-to magic lashes that feel so natural (seriously, ask her about them if you don't typically wear lashes). Getting extensions was also an easy process - Natalie helped me book an appointment with Jen who matched the color to my hair and then Angie brought them with her the day of. The extensions were a perfect match for my hair color and looked beautiful all night. I've had my hair done professionally before and Angie's skills were truly above and beyond. And my bridesmaids couldn't stop talking about how much they loved their looks. A couple of my bridesmaids opted out of hair and I think they low-key regretted it. Drew and Angie also did a great job managing the varying skin tones and hair textures in my bridal party.
The customer service from Natalie and others in the managing team was also great. The team worked super hard to schedule the hair and makeup trials around my crazy work and travel schedule in the months leading up to the wedding. Everything came together great!
Finally, budget - RBB isn't the least expensive option you will find but the price/value point is perfect. I looked around A LOT and if you want luxury quality hair and makeup at a reasonable price, they're the ones for you.
I loved having RBB as my hair and makeup team for my wedding! Courtney, Daniela, Amelia, and Lisa were fantastic to work with! They were punctual, professional, and so sweet to have the morning of my wedding! All my bridesmaids loved how their hair and makeup turned out. I (the bride) received so many compliments on my INCREDIBLE fishtail braid hairstyle. Not to mention- we started getting ready at 7:45am, and my hair & makeup still looked amazing at 11:30pm. RBB was so easy to communicate with and answered all my emails in a timely manner (even with the madness that is 2021/2022 wedding season). I would highly recommend!
Lisa, Brittany, and Angelica were amazing to work with!! They were all so kind. As an Asian American woman, it is hard to find companies that understand our facial structure and skin tone, but Lisa and Brittany did a flawless job. All my bridesmaids, my mother, and mother in law loved their final look.
Thank you to Jen, Ioana, and team for helping me, our moms, and my bridesmaids, looking and feeling out best on my wedding day! You were really great at listening to what I was looking for and envisioning. We worked together to figure out the perfect look for my wedding day, even adjusting for my feedback when I had it, and it was everything I could've imagined and more. All of my bridesmaids (and mom and mother-in-law) loved how they looked, and felt so comfortable throughout the whole day. You have been so wonderful and kind throughout the whole process. I would highly recommend you to any of my friends!
I am the Mother of the Bride/and a retired hairdresser. My daughter wanted nothing more than for me to relax and enjoy being pampered during the getting ready process and not taking care of others, so she thought hiring this company would do just that. As a wedding that was planned and executed with so much fun and excitement, there was only ONE HUGE THORN in the side of this process and that was Jennifer Beyers(The Owner of Rare Bird Beauty). My daughter and I were unfortunately not happy with our first trial at all, it neither looked as we had hoped and also within only a few hours it had not held up at all. I contacted the company right away and spoke to one of the staff and was told we would be taken care of and could come back at No Cost and to please tip the hairdresser for the second trial(which of course I would). I was later contacted that Jennifer may not have agreed with what I had been told and would be contacting me directly. When she did she was on the offense from word one. She proceeded to yell, scream and threaten to hang up on me. It wasn’t until I pointed out that she was the only one screaming and therefore I could not understand why it is that she would be hanging up on me that she remained on the line. I did everything I could to keep my composure, because as we know the wedding isn’t about making me happy, but to assure that the Bride remains happy. The makeup artist was who my daughter really, really wanted and to give her that, I stood by as the woman screamed and berated me. 40 years in the beauty industry working in some of the top salons in Chicago, I have NEVER seen or heard anyone treating a client this way!! I guess standing behind your work is simply asking too much. I shortly after this experience went through the contract only to find that if you do your trial at their advised timing, you are already contractually obligated to pay in full and I did. I brought in my own hairdresser to take care of my daughter and I that day, and waited patiently till this event was over to write this review and I do so in order to save others the same fate.
Response from the Vendor on 06/28/2022
Hey there, this is Jen, co-owner of Rare Bird Beauties. May you be a past bride or a newly engaged bride-to-be or someone helping a friend or family member book the right team... if you are spending your valuable wedding planning time reading ...
this review, we want to apologize as what you are witnessing is clearly a public bullying and defamation of character attempt. We are working with TheKnot on getting this pulled down as it is full of false accusations and lies but I'll quickly address this.
I absolutely did not and would never yell, scream or berate. Nor would Ioana or Natalie. We are committed to respectful and clear communication, even when there may be a disagreement to discuss.
Please know, if any client were to have a preview where the artist did not provide what was requested, or did not provide quality service, we would not hesitate to provide a complimentary re-trial. This simply was not the case for this client. Their hair stylist did a great job on them (she provided photos of their requests and photos of her work. She did a beautiful job) she provided what they asked for, spent a lot of time with them making sure to make adjustments they requested and they left their preview expressing to their hair artist that they were very happy. When Terri (Mother of the Bride) called Natalie wanting more previews for free, i called to compromise at providing a discount.
We also wanted this Bride to remain happy and taken care of which is why we did not terminate the contract after her Mother berated me for 40 minutes on this call. It was when she asked me why I didnt call her on my family vacation that I told her I would need to end the call if she was going to continue to communicate this way.
If you are still reading, again, I apologize that your time was spent on this.
If you have any reservations due to this clients review, please do not hesitate to email me at jennifer@rarebirdbeauties.com and we can plan to chat.
Happy planning to you!
-Jen
I truly believe I could not have worked with two better human beings the morning of our wedding than Konstantine and Angelica from Rare Bird Beauties. (For reference getting ready included myself, two girlfriends, MOB & MOG)
Konstantine does such beautiful work that it blew me away and my girlfriends. I’ve seen them with professional makeup done before and it has never looked quite as good as it did on our wedding day. Personally, you guys know from our email exchanges, I’m not very well educated on makeup or wear it often and you guys paired me with the perfect person. Konstantine is so amazing at his job that it took no direction from me other than simply saying I wanted to look natural and he went ABOVE & BEYOND that! My makeup was flawless yet so light but photographed beautifully in just the previews we’ve gotten. I promise to send the professionals when we get the full album! I danced nonstop from 8pm to midnight and my makeup never budged! We took a picture when we got back to the hotel and it was as if I had just had my makeup done! I could speak praises to his artistic work all day but it’s not just that, he’s also one of the best humans! He’s so funny and kind, instantly makes everyone in his chair feel comfortable. I feel so lucky that he was there with me on our wedding day, he made that whole morning so fun!
Angelica is simply one of the sweetest people I have ever met! She came prepped with all these goodies specifically for me which was the loveliest surprise! The pearl pin she put in my hair for our wedding, I wore all throughout our honeymoon and each time it made me smile. She is an amazing artist who is delivery and so so proud of her craft that she takes time to make sure it’s the absolute best work. Everyone’s hair looked so beautiful and even my girlfriend with loose waves had her hair stay in place till the very end after all the dancing! You guys know the beautiful work Angelica does so I don’t have to go on about it but it’s her spirit and personality that truly touched me. She is really just the kindest soul and while I was emotional with all wedding day jitters, she made me feel at ease.
I am beyond grateful for the both Angelica & Konstantine and for RBB! We had the absolute best wedding day and I don’t think we could’ve done that without the wonderful humans we worked with!
RBB was so easy to work with and their HMU artists (specifically, Christy, Danielle, and Jade) did an incredible job on my bridal look! The bridesmaids loved how they looked, and the moms and grandmas who got ready with us were impressed as well. We had so much fun hanging out with them all morning, chit chatting and everything, and they even finished everyone's hair and makeup early! One of the best decisions we made for the wedding. Loved them!!
The team I had with Rare Bird Beauties was truly so wonderful and I am so glad I had them for my wedding day! I worked with Konstantine for make-up and Rebecca for hair and they were amazing. They took my very basic ideas and applied them to the idea I was hoping for. I don't wear a lot of make-up and the style really made me feel comfortable and like myself. Since my trial was a few months before my wedding, I had changed my mind on some things for make-up which I was able to communicate with Konstantine, who was amazing and adjusted based on what he knew I wanted from our past conversations. Coordinating with Natalie was really easy. She was communicative and answered all my questions leading up to the big day. I paid ahead of time, including tip, which was nice to not to worry about the day of. RBB was amazing to work with, I am so happy to have had them on my wedding day!
Natalie did a great job with correspondence and Jules delivered everything we asked for! Book her ASAP!
It was enjoyable working with Shannon during the bridal hair trial and on my wedding day. During the wedding trial, she was truthful on what worked best for my hair type and my dress style. I came in with a few photos, and she immediately picked up on what I was looking for. While I did not do a makeup trial, she was kind enough to take the time to talk through a makeup look for the day of. I felt confident going into my wedding day knowing that Shannon was going to exceed my expectations.
Scheduling appointments and communicating with RBB was seamless. Everything was thoroughly explained leading up to the services, and especially the wedding day. Shannon was prompt in her arrival and had a clear schedule for the Bride and Mother of the Bride hair and makeup. She helped in making my wedding morning stress-free!
These ladies are so incredibly talented! They brought my entire wedding beauty vision to life and did so with such eased! My bridesmaids all felt amazing as well.
I'm so happy with my choice to hire Rare Bird Beauties for my wedding date. I coordinated with Jen, who was wonderful, but my makeup artist was Stef and my hair artist was Shannon. I don't have enough great things to say about both of them! They listened to exactly what I had hoped to look like on my wedding day and always checked in to make sure I liked the way everything was going along the way. My trial went great and I only made a couple small adjustments for the day of and each one was executed perfectly. Not only did I love the way they did my hair and makeup, but all my bridesmaids looked so beautiful as well. Additionally, they were both so lovely to talk to and both made me feel stunning. I would hire them again in a heartbeat! Thank you Stef and Shannon for being the absolute best artists!
The stylists at Rare Bird are not only talented but that are so sweet and personable. They took such good care during my trial and were such a delight on my wedding day.
Absolutely amazing! I absolutely loved my hair and makeup! It was so easy to work with Ioana from the beginning to the end (including a postponement). It was easy to communicate with Ioana anytime I needed to ask a question, she answered quickly! I did my makeup and hair trial for my engagement photos, and knew from the moment I began my trial that Rare Bird Beauties was the right decision! For the day of, they worked very well with our schedule. Our wedding ceremony was at 2PM and we needed our hair and makeup done by 12PM. We started at 8AM and had everyone done with hair and makeup before noon! I've been in other weddings where it is typical for hair and makeup to run late, and we never came close with Ioana and Amanda (and Brittany and Christy). We had 11 people total get hair AND makeup done and everything went so smoothly and I loved how every single person looked! My hair and makeup lasted all day from 8AM to 1AM the next morning, it still looked flawless!
I last minute booked a make up artist with Rare Bird Beauties. I was thrilled my wedding date was opened and scheduled a trail right away with Karen. She was wonderful! Karen was professional, kind and my make up looked amazing! The day of the wedding she did mine and my moms make up. My make up lasted the whole day, even through crying! Im so glad I reached out to Rare Bird Beauties and got to work with Karen!
FABULOUS! Cindy made getting ready on the wedding day so spectacular and fun as she was flexible with any hiccups. I really can’t say enough about how great she was. It was so easy and convenient working with Rare bird Beauties!!
I am writing this on behalf of my daughter, the bride. Fantastic! Rare Bird was recommended to my daughter after being blown off by her previously scheduled make-up person (Embrace Your Face). Turns out being blown off was the best thing that could have happened. My daughter had had trials from a few vendors, and Rare Birds far exceeded in expertise any of them. First, they do their trials differently. Instead of doing the entire face, then showing the end result, they continually show the client what they look like after each step. When my daughter came by to show me their work it was honestly the first time I was wowed by a make-up artist's work. It was so natural & beautiful looking. Also, what is nice about Rare Birds is that you don't have to have a minimum of "faces" to have done at your wedding. They will just do the bride which was perfect for us. At no extra cost Cynthia, our artist, did my daughter's soon-to-be 6 year old step daughter's "make-up" for the wedding which had been prearranged
Juliette & Danielle at Rare Birds Beauty were the absolute best! They made me and my girls feel so beautiful, and ready to go for the big day.
Rare Birds as a company were incredible easy to work with and made the process for me veery easy. I appreciated the quick response and kindness they showed me, even when it was such a busy time for their company. Thank you, Rare Birds!
I can't say enough good things about Rare Bird Beauties! I booked them for hair for myself and my bridal party for my June 2021 wedding and they did not disappoint! Entire bridal party looked absolutely beautiful. Jen and Ioana made the planning process seamless, even through a covid postponement the ladies were super understanding and compassionate.
Co-owner, Jen, was my stylist and trusted advisor that made my day of wedding hair perfection! We discussed the vision at my trial and decided that extensions would be the best option. I purchased RBB's custom extensions and I can't tell you how happy I was with them!!! If you are on the fence about extensions- DO IT!!! Not one person could tell I had extensions in at any point of the day (even after a night full of dancing!) they were so seamless and blended into my hair perfectly. Best part is you get to keep them to use for yourself in the future.
Rebecca did the the remainder of the bridal party and was also amazing! All of my bridesmaids loved their hair!
I worked with Rare Bird Beauties for our June 2021 wedding. Jen and Ioana were great to work with to make sure we had everything scheduled for the day of and were great with communicating with us efficiently. I used Konstantine for our makeup and Danielle for our hair and could not have asked for a better duo to get me, my bridesmaids, and mothers/grandmas looking their best. When we had some potential schedule changes the night before the wedding, they were more than understanding and willing to accommodate us any way they could and still assure we would be done with ample time for touch ups. They did an amazing job and having myself and my girls be just amplified versions of ourselves.
I highly recommend RBB, especially the co-owner Iona. I reached out to her a couple months before my wedding, knowing that I was already late in the game. I had been putting off finding a MUA for a few reasons – 1) I don't wear much makeup day-to-day and I was nervous about not looking like myself and 2) I couldn't believe one day of makeup would really be worth hundreds of dollars.
Iona changed my mind about all of it! We worked together at my trial to find a look I was comfortable with. I gave her feedback in real time and after the trial about some things I would like to change, which she incorporated into my look for my wedding day. The day of, I felt like an enhanced version of myself and I didn't worry about my makeup all night long!
My hair and makeup got my wedding was perfection, and every single one of my bridesmaids was obsessed with her hair and makeup too, even my mom who is picky with these things! RBB did the best job even under a slight time crunch. Thank you!!
I highly, highly recommend Rare Bird Beauties! We had to reschedule our original wedding date last year due to the pandemic and Ioana was great with communication and coordination. With so many changes and what if situations, RBB was extremely flexible! On the day of our wedding, Val (makeup artist) and Shannon (hairstylist) were both amazing! They made me and my wedding party feel extremely beautiful! Everything was just right. Look no further, because at RBB you've got a great team to make your vision come to life.
Best choice ever to use Rare Bird Beauties. I used them for hair (Danielle) and makeup (Konstantine) for my bridesmaids and myself, and they were terrific. Punctual, professional, excellent, but above all else GREAT energy. I loved that both of them just took the lead with what would look great with each person. A lot of my bridesmaids weren't sure what they were envisioning, so to be able to just say: "Make me beautiful" was a treat! HIGHLY recommend.
Response from the Vendor on 10/08/2020
We are so happy you loved your experience with us! Thank you so much for this amazing review!
OMG - there are no words for this dream team. I worked with Ioana (makeup) and Jen (hair) and it was the absolute best experience. Not only did everyone (including the MOG) love their hair/makeup, but we had the best time with Jen and Ioana. Getting ready with them is like having your friends around the day-of. Couldn't have asked for a better experience and will recommend them to ALL brides.
More details below... :)
We ended up planning the wedding quickly, so we skipped the hair/makeup trial and on they day of, they exceeded my expectations. Both were absolutely unbelievable. My makeup looked SO natural and stayed all day. My hair was down, curled and stayed with volume/held the curl the entire night (even after a few pics out in the rain). They scheduled everything perfectly, everything ran on time, and they had worked in time to do quick touch-ups for everyone. Absolutely amazing experience -- cannot say enough good things about RBR!
RBB is amazing to work with! I've never been one for having my makeup done so was a bit nervous when looking for someone for my wedding day. I found them on a whim and couldn't have been more happy with Stephanie as my makeup artist! I wanted a few changes
from what we did with my trial and she nailed all my little tweaks. My makeup felt so perfect - and it STAYED all day/night. I was shocked, especially because we had a very rainy wedding day! She also glammed up bridesmaids and my Mom (who has never had her makeup done...ever!) and we all felt so beautiful! The group was raving about her ability to work with all skin types and different styles. She even squeezed in a last minute bridesmaid to the line up. THANK YOU RBB and Stephanie! Highly recommend.
May'21 update: I used RBB for my micro-wedding back in Sep’20 and had the BEST experience coordinating/working with Ioana as well as the services I received from my make-up artist, Stefanie, and hair stylist, Amanda – not only are they both extremely talented, but wonderful people. I jumped at the opportunity to use RBB again for my wedding celebration/part 2 with friends & family in May’21 and was so excited to be able to have Amanda and Stefanie again. Consistent with the artists RBB uses, we had a third hair & make-up artist with us in May, Jenny, who was also very talented! My bridesmaids, MIL and Mom were SO pleased with their hair & make-up for the day and what I loved most is everyone felt like themselves. It was such a beautiful day and having RBB part of it (again!) made it that much more memorable. Thank you!!
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Words cannot express how happy I am with the services I received for my micro-wedding in September! My hair & make-up artists, Amanda and Stefanie, were AMAZING and I am so looking forward to seeing them again in May for our big reception. My mom, sister, mother-in-law and sister-in-law looked absolutely beautiful and had nothing but great things to say about Stefanie and Amanda, too. I am so incredibly happy with the way I looked and cannot thank the RBB team enough for making it happen (especially during COVID)!
I chose Rare Bird Beauties to do my hair for my wedding a few weeks ago, Jen did my hair and she was AWESOME! I had a total of three hair trials before I found RBB, didn't like any of them until I did a trial with Jen at RBB. I showed her a picture of what I was envisioning and she was able to do my hair exactly how I wanted! I ordered extensions from RBB and they color matched me perfectly. The day of the wedding Jen and Rebecca did my and my bridesmaids hair and everyone was so happy with how their hair turned out! I would recommend RBB to anyone looking for a hair/makeup artist!
This review is difficult because of the circumstances behind COVID-19 pandemic.
This review is based on our experience and yes, the pandemic makes it difficult for both sides but I feel it is especially important for couples to understand how this company handles it's business practices.
The main reason Rare Bird Beauties is receiving two stars is for the fact that after all is done we ended up losing 500 dollars with no services rendered.
We really want other couples to understand that with this pandemic occuring that this company is not the ideal company to sign a contract with during the pandemic. This is one of the companies that will keep a large sum of the contract even though services cannot be rendered.
We had our wedding planned for Oakbrook Hilton on May 24, 2020. Well as you may already know, Chicago had extended the stay at home order until June 1st, 2020. Because of the governmental order, it was not the option of the customer to postpone and Rare Bird Beauties could not render services even if we still held the wedding. At that point our wedding was officially postponed. As a result we contacted all our vendors about the need to move the date of services needed. LITERALLY every other vendor said no problem what is the new date needed. RARE BIRD BEAUTIES were the only vendor that simply said that was not possible. Instead we received an email stating that:
"Per client request-2020 contract is now void and date has been transferred to 5/30/2021."
"50% of that balance will be credited to the 2021 contract. "
"We will apply the 50% credit towards the new retainer..." (So this indicates that we have to pay an additional 30 percent on top of the 30 percent retainer we already paid them)
Overall after that first inquiry we found ourselves having to pay almost an additional 75 percent of the contract on top of the full amount already paid.
After a couple of emails back and forth the company did give us somewhat of a break with a response of:
"Again, as small business owners, we simply cant afford to refund the retainer but we will not hold you to the 50% clause below.
What we can do is reimburse you for everything except the retainer and the trial services. It comes out to $1039 ( $1815 balance paid minus $516 for the retainer and $260 for the trial).
As for the hair trial itself and the services that were rendered were mixed opinion. I understand that the hair trial is as stated, a trial. But that also implies that the trial is to be as close to what is expected to be at the wedding. Overall the hair met expectations with a couple of small tweaks. The make up was done to have the natural look but was missing the wedding pizzazz most brides are hoping to achieve.
Overall, the trial that was done was nice but definitely needed tweaks for the wedding, which is what the trial is for.
On the other hand, if you are saving and scrimping from a second job for your big day and a loss of savings is not option, then maybe stay away from this company until the pandemic is over. On the other hand, if monetary loss is not an issue this company may be suitable for you.
Response from the Vendor on 08/26/2020
Hello Sophia and Michael,
We were sorry to read this rendition of events regarding your business with us.
Many efforts were made on our part to improve financial circumstances and make allowances for you as a client. To begin, you chose to r...
eschedule the date of your wedding, and here claim other vendors were happy to accommodate and provide their services on the new date but that our company, Rare Bird Beauties, was not. This is simply not true. We were happy to accommodate and provide services on the new date of your wedding, and encouraged you to reschedule rather than cancel.
Originally when you realized you were unable to have your wedding on your chosen date in May of 2020 you did email us with an aim to reschedule for 2021. Before we sent you our protocol, you stated that you would have another year to save for this and were fine with the additional costs. Included in your email was: “... we would reschedule you for May 2021, being fully aware that it would cost more, but we will have another year to save.”
In term of our policy, cancellations within 30days of the wedding would result in 50% of that balance owed. The new date would be secured with a new contract and new 30% retainer. We also let you know that there were options when considering a new date (Brides rescheduling their weddings for a date in 2020 or between January and April of 2021 would not need to pay additional costs for moving the date. Brides that schedule to a Sunday or Friday in 2021 would also not lose the retainer originally made)
Once you officially moved the date of your wedding to May of 2021 you explained you were surprised that a full credit for the 2020 date (for the retainer and services) would not be applied to the new date in 2021. (Our policy states that if you choose to reschedule for a prime date in 2021, May in this case, you would owe 50% of the final invoice for the 2020 date, and a 30% retainer for the new 2021 date.)
After more emails were exchanged, you explained you were having financial difficulties due to the pandemic. Since you were also in an industry affected by the pandemic, we completely understood that the extra cost of moving your date was something you realized you could not afford. We sympathized completely and waived the fees and offered to apply all payment already provided for the date in May of 2020 to the new date for you (this included the FULL retainer and payment for services yet to be rendered the day of the wedding).
Broken down, we offered to transfer ALL payments for your booked 2020 date to the new date in May of 2021. We relayed, “Thanks so much for your honesty and sincerity. We can completely understand. If you cancel completely you'd be losing out 50% of the invoice so it would be best if you were able to reschedule. HOWEVER, we would not be proceeding with the contract I just sent you. What we can do is apply the FULL payment you made to 2021 for day of services and just transfer the date over. We would still be have to charge you 2021 pricing but apply the services you paid for day of the wedding and for your bridesmaids to the new contract.”
We offered to waive all our contractual fees as we understood you were facing hardships you had no control over. We then explained the only additional cost you would be paying would be for a trial with a different hair stylist (as Jen could not work the new date) and the slightly higher 2021 pricing (which all brides rescheduling for wedding dates between May and December of 2021 will incur). We were excited to continue working with you and be a part of your big day and we thought you would be thrilled with this since you said you would be fine if it was just a small additional fee.
After this was offered, you decided to cancel completely, which we did advise against as you would only receive 50% of your total invoice back. We understood and sent payment to you immediately.
After working so closely with you and trying to accommodate you as much as possible, we were disappointed to receive this review of