Rare Bird Brides | Bridal Hair & Makeup

d it all looked perfect by the end of the night! As someone who doesn't wear makeup every day, my biggest request was to still look like myself, and Kristen definitely delivered on that! We had such a great experience with Kristen!

ook with my daughter’s makeup but she did such an amazing job that even my husband was speechless.

compared to other companies in the San Diego Area. I stalked their Instagram and really loved all photos of the past Brides. I ended up doing my Hair and Makeup trail with Chelsea. She listened to everything I wanted, my concerns and hope I wanted to look as a Bride. I have never gotten professional make up done before so I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was very happy with how the trail turned out. Kristin made payments very easy and sent reminders that were very helpful with all the wedding planning craziness. I had a total of 10 people including the 6 Bridesmaids, 3 Moms and myself. My team of Chelsea and Melissa worked so well together and really stuck to the timeline Kristin had put together prior to the Wedding Day. They listened well to what my Bridesmaids wanted and what would work well with their dresses. The Moms loved the airbrush makeup and they all looked 10 year younger. I was really excited how my Bridal look was exactly how Chelsea had done at my Hair and Makeup trail. The Makeup lasted all night, even though all the sweating on the dance floor. I would highly recommend using Rare Bird Brides for your Hair and Make Up on your wedding day!

exible. She has a great attention to detail and made sure we were on schedule and on time for the wedding day. I appreciated Kristen's sense of calm that morning and her high level or organization! Highly recommend Kristen-- her work is awesome!

't have asked for more!

my makeup and she was able to make sure that I had the look I wanted and that it would last all night long and look fabulous in pictures!! Initially, I thought that I wanted my hair to be down but after my hair trial, Kristen helped me to realize that having my hair up might be the better option because of my type of hair. She was nice enough to do ANOTHER hair trial and try my hair up and I am so happy that we did because it was a game changer. I had a bad experience with an updo and was nervous but Kristen's work is very elegant and creative. She hit it out of the park for both my hair and my makeup! She also did my makeup for my boudoir photo shoot that I did. She has the ability to do any look that you want and make you feel comfortable throughout the entire process. Her work is versatile and I really think that she can do whatever a bride wants with no hesitation. The other thing that I was really worried about was my mom's makeup. She is VERY natural and almost never wears any makeup. She was super nervous about wearing any makeup but Kristen's assistant Chelsea made her feel comfortable immedietly. My mom looked so beautiful and I know that she felt beautiful as well. It was very important to me that my mom had a good experience and liked her makeup and that was easily accomplished by the Rare Bird Brides team. You will not regret hiring Kristen and her amazing talent! Thank you Rare Bird Brides!!

he is very talented and professional. My make-up and hair lasted all night long. I highly recommend Rare Bird Brides!

table! Kristen was such a kind, fun, and super talented and informative about everything she was using! If I could hire her to do my hair and makeup for the rest of my life, I would! Thank you so so so much for making my wedding perfect! Not only did she make my wedding day perfect, she was amazing to communicate and plan out the details months and days before the wedding! I would recommend her to any and all friends and family! Thank you, Kristen!!!

ing, and she exceeded all my expectations. I felt so beautiful on my special day. My hair and makeup look amazing in ALL my pictures. She is so reasonably priced. I would recommend her to anyone in need of getting their hair and makeup done! My little sister even reached out to me and asked me for Kristen's information to see if she was available to do her hair and makeup for prom. Make sure you book her, but do it quick because she books up fast- because she is THAT great!

risten is an absolute professional. She made me feel comfortable at my trial and she nailed the hairstyle I wanted on the first try. She was very responsive through email and phone calls. My mom was very concerned with her short hair and had tons of questions about her look. She called Kristen the week of and thankfully Kristen was able to put my mom at ease. She arrived promptly on the day of and even cut my bangs since I didn't get a chance to get a trim. I appreciate that she would check on how I was feeling and made me feel amazing on my big day. I highly recommend Kristen and her team, thank you so much!

re very informative. At the trial Kristen was professional and was able to give me the bridal look I have always envisioned. The morning of the wedding the crew of 3 were on time and stuck to their schedule. I was in awe of how well the makeup and hair turned out! They did 7 bridesmaids, MOB, and 2 squirmy flower girls and myself. Thank you for taking the look I had in mind and making it a reality! If you are looking for someone to take all of the stress away and give you a beautiful look, Kristen is your person!

ts on her work. I would definitely work with her in the future and recommend her!

ir stylist for the right price. I contacted her on a Friday night, she immediately called me back and sent me the contract before our wedding date was taken. Kristen went out of her way for me and I'm forever grateful. She literally made my bridesmaids, mother of the groom, mother of the bride and myself feel absolutely stunning. I have melasma and was very concerned about how I would look on my wedding day. The airbrush makeup looked and felt so natural. I look back at pictures and think I looked absolutely beautiful- thanks to Kristen! She was such a professional and listened to everything I had to say. I would highly recommend her!!

away. I had a trial with Kristen and she listened to my vision and made subtle changes until I was totally confident with the look. I told Kristen I wanted a natural look and wanted to feel like myself. She helped me do just that! I love that Kristen does both hair and makeup. On my wedding day, Kristen was prompt, arriving early in fact. Kristen does trials from her home studio in Carlsbad, but travels to you for the day-of. Kristen was professional but friendly and lovely to talk to while she did her work. It was raining and my wedding was outdoors. Kristen was in high spirits and very sweet reassuring me the forecast would clear up for the ceremony. (And it did!) My bridesmaid who was recently married and got ready in my suite while Kristen was at work, regretted not booking Kristen for her wedding! In the end, I loved my wedding day hair and makeup. I felt gorgeous and confident. I have very straight hair and the curls held up through the entire reception (though they did relax some as expected). And the makeup photographed beautifully! I would highly recommend Kristen!

understood what I wanted to look like on my big day. The trial with Kristen was amazing. I just brought some photos on my phone and she nailed it on the 1st try. On my wedding day she made me feel extremely beautiful, and has a calming personality that is so wonderful when there's so much going on around you! The weather on the big day was a bit humid, so we debated doing it up instead of down - but ultimately she said she wanted me to be 100% happy with the look. I decided to keep it down, and though some curls came out, I was amazed how well it held up through the event and dancing! I would highly recommend Kristen to any brides-to-be looking for a hair and makeup artist. Her prices are competitive, she's extremely professional, and above all wildly talented.

p for myself and my wedding party. Everyone was so happy with their hair/makeup and it looked so gorgeous all day long. She does airbrush which will make you look amazing the whole day without having to worry about re-applying makeup. She really listens to what you want and does such an amazing job. She is such a sweet person and was so flexible in working around some scheduling conflicts for my family members. She is awesome - definitely recommend hiring her for your next event!

e were a few small things I wanted to adjust and she was so great about honoring my feedback and coming prepared on my wedding day to make sure I was satisfied in every way. Not only did she do my make-up flawlessly (I got complements ALL night) but I had 8 others get makeup services as well and all looks stunning. She was great at communicating the schedule prior to the wedding and being proactive about making sure she and her assistant had enough time to give each girl the attention they needed. The airbrush make-up was a great decision for the wedding day. Even after sweating in the sun for pictures and dancing up a storm at the reception my make-up stayed looking fresh. I would highly recommend using her talent.

ndor and was very easy to discuss ideas or concerns with. Her work, and the work of her assistant, on the day of was flawless. We all looked gorgeous, the hair and make-up lasted through the night and they were fast and efficient. I could not have asked for a better hair and make up team! :)

edding day. Kristen was incredibly patient with me and even did two trials to make sure we were on the same page for the wedding. She is so calm and sweet and just has a great energy to be around- I felt comfortable immediately with her! It also helped that she plays super chill music and is fun and interesting to chat with. She's just the type of person you immediately want to become friends with, which makes sitting in her chair for a few hours painless! On the day of my wedding she nailed the "natural" look. I felt beautiful, and more importantly felt like I looked like myself. My mother and now husband who are super-critical of too much makeup were even very complimentary of her work! She also did my hair which was a bit covered by my floral crown, but everything held up for the entire day and night and I was thrilled. I would recommend her in a heartbeat. She also did hair and makeup for about 7 women from my bridal party (including my mom and aunt) and they were very pleased and they looked great (unfortunately I don't have any great pics to share). Her timing for everything was impeccable on the day of, especially considering she did it all herself and even squeezed in some extra makeup for my aunt! Thank you Kristen! I finally got our wedding pictures back so that I could post a review and some pics :)

ake-up to look, and really listened to what I wanted in a trial. We repeated that look very quickly the day of. We did airbrush make-up and I wore flowers in my hair. My hair (and flowers) and make-up made it through a few rounds of tears, a thunderstorm, and lively dancing! We also really liked her assistant. The bridesmaids and moms looked beautiful as well. She also has very reasonable prices.

d the plan that we had and wanted to do an Old Hollywood themed hairstyle with finger waves, and she was totally on board and made me look amazing. I would recommend her!!

aty dancing and cake smashing. She was professional, on-time, understanding toward my concerns (I was afraid I was going to cry my makeup off...) and efficient. She spent a lot of time making sure that I was perfect for my big day. She couldn't have done anything better. I will recommend her to family, friends or anyone with a special occasion. Thank you Kristen!

one. I'm SO glad that I didn't do that and that I went with Kristen of Rare Bird Brides. I went with her after thinking about the logistics of driving some place to get my hair done, (and what if I did my make-up and it didn't turn out right)...when I found out that Kristen was able to come to me AND had airbrush make-up for a really good price compared to other places I researched, I was sold. On top of that she had really great reviews. I did the hair and make-up trial (another thing I thought initially that wasn't necessary) I'm SOOO glad I did. Kristen worked with me to get the look perfect and did it EXACTLY the same on my wedding day so I knew what I'd look like and didnt have to worry. and the hair and make-up stayed perfect the entire day and into the evening! (that's not something that even department store make-up can withstand) Think about the money you spend on photographs...what if your hair and make-up look bad? Not only will you not like you pictures but more importantly you are going to walk down the isle self-conscious and thinking about how your hair/make-up went wrong. You do not want to have a bad-hair day on the most important day of your life. I knew I was in good hands with Kristen and was able to focus on my future husband as I walked down the isle- and was so happy and confident that it just showed in all of the wedding pictures. Thank you for making me look and feel beautiful! (My husband thanks you too! - I left his speechless on the alter!)

flower girl was so adorable. I highly recommend Kristen

ything to be perfect. I work in marketing for a well known cosmetics company so when it came time for me to find someone to do my hair and makeup for my wedding, the search was on. I met with several different artists and searched websites high and low. I can tell you that Kristen is SO GOOD at what she does. Coming from a picky bride—you will not go wrong choosing her. She has so much integrity in her work and was one of the most professional vendors my husband and I had as part of our team. She is a good listener, offers up suggestions and feedback and is such a doll. She is very easy going, and trust me, you want someone like that by your side on your big day. Kristen is so good at what she does, and she is now my primary hair dresser and colors my hair on the regular. Her prices are also extremely fair and are perfect for someone who doesn’t want to pay an arm and a leg. I should also note that Kristen did my mother’s hair and makeup, my husband’s mother’s, and also my bridesmaid. Each radiated so much confidence and beauty that day—Kristen listened to what each one wanted and delivered. My mom, who is not a girly girl, and who was extremely hesitant about even wearing mascara, ended up going with the full hair and makeup and it was so touching to hear her say how beautiful she felt. Kristen made sure to address my mom’s makeup concerns with her. If you’re on the fence or if you don’t know much about hair and makeup—I encourage you to give Kristen a call and just talk through your concerns. Also, if you are on the fence about whether to have a professional due your H/MU—don’t be. You will have these pictures for a lifetime and you want to feel like a queen on yoru big day. Make sure to do it right and have it professionally done. You wouldn’t leave photography to a novice, and you certainly do not want to leave your H/MU to one either!

rbrush makeup for me; my mom; my aunt; and one of my bridesmaids, as well as hair for two more of my bridesmaids. They all looked beautiful and raved about quickly she was able to do such a great job. I found her through reviews, and I am so happy I listened to those comments. She is so reliable and very talented. During my consultation, Kristen really listened to my visions and took her time to make sure I was more than happy with my look. I initially wanted to wear my hair down, but after attempting the style, I realized it was not what I was looking for. I asked Kristen for her opinion and told her to just do what she thinks would look best on my hair. She created a beautiful, soft updo in minutes and convinced me she was the girl I needed to hire. I put a deposit down that day. She is very easy to communicate with and responds to emails, phone calls and texts very quickly. I found myself talking to her like an old friend rather than someone I had just found through reviews. On my wedding day, Kristen showed up at the hotel we were getting ready at early and set herself up quickly. She finished all the girls by the time set in the timeline and even made accommodations for touch ups. I had my one year old daughter there and had to keep taking breaks to be a mommy, and Kristen was very sweet about the whole thing. She still was able to finish me on time. I absolutely loved my makeup and hair, and I got so many compliments throughout the night. I cannot recommend Kristen enough and would hire her again and again. She is very reasonably priced compared to her competition and worth every penny. Your wedding day is the one day you want to feel beautiful and perfect. Kristen will make sure you feel that way.

air and make up? I get it. I was the same way. But watching the extra YouTube make up tutorials will not do you justice, let's be honest with ourselves. Do you want to wake up on the day of your wedding worried about someone who does not know what they are doing? No. The questions and hesitation stops here. Kristen at Rare Bird Brides is your answer and solution. I CANNOT praise Kristen enough. I asked Kristen if she would provide services to myself, sister, mother, and bridesmaid. She promptly sent me a quote and answered my nervous bride questions every time I sent her an inquiry. I was astounded by the beauty of her work in her portfolio. She was there every step of the way before my wedding day! My wedding was at 11am and I had to be done at 9:30am. Kristen showed up to my hotel at 4:45am to set up and started at 5:00am. That is some dedication right there! Kristen could not have been more professional, friendly, and talented. She listened to each individual person about how they wanted to look and went right into it. Everyone looked flawless. Then when she did my hair and make up she listened to every request I had and delivered!! Kristen also uses airbrush make up which I HIGHLY recommend. Ladies, it stuck on my face like it was no ones business. It stayed through out the whole day. I did not have to worry about if I was sweating, make up was smearing, etc. I felt like a Disney princess, okay? Who doesn't want that?! Bottom line, email Kristen and feel like a million dollars. She is the best. So worth it. Thank you Kristen!! Jennifer

ded on a totally different approach which I absolutely loved and was so thrilled with on the day. Kirsten was so easy to work with and talk to, giving me advice on what would really suit me and also what was going to last throughout the day. I LOVED the end look. She also did my mothers hair and make up and I have never seen her look more beautiful. After seeing my second hair trial pics one of my bridesmaids decided to get her hair styled with Kristen and it looked amazing. Very happy!

of putting make up on is slapping some lip gloss and walking out the door...and I only do that for special occasions. I'm actually a little intimidated by makeup and have avoided it completely. My only condition to wearing makeup was that I wanted it to look natural and I wanted people to recognize me. Kristen went above and beyond and made me look like a more put together self. I told my husband (I can say that now!) that I felt glamorous but I also still felt like myself and he loved what she did too. I had a traditional Vietnamese wedding ceremony in the morning that started at 11 am and a reception that began at 5pm so I needed makeup and hair that would last all day! Add the fact that I needed to fit a traditional vietnamese khan dong and switch it later with a feather fascinator I made AND 90 degrees weather. I was a little worried but Kristen reassured me that it would be perfect. At 2 am when I rolled to my hotel room finally after an epic hot day, multiple outfit changes, lots of dancing...my face was still impeccable and looked almost exactly like it did when Kristen walked out of my house at 1030 am. Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting me at ease and making me look like a more fabulous version of myself!

hair and makeup were so flawless! She really listens to what you want and adds a beautiful creative flair to it. I could not have been more pleased with how I looked the day of my wedding! You should absolutely use Kristen for your big day!

mised it would be. My hair looked awesome too although it wasn't 100% how I wanted it, it still looked excellent and had so many compliments. My MOH looked fantastic also although her hair wasn't how she wanted it either. We had pics and I had a trial but we still didn't get our hair how we wanted. But no one was the wiser. I was concerned that Kristen tried to change our timeline about 2 weeks out to have less time to get ready (she got another booking). But she assured me that it would be fine. I had first look pics happening at 4pm and it was me who alerted her at 2:55pm what the time was and should we start on me now?? as she was working on my MOH. In the end we were running late for the first look and didn't get as many pics done in that time that we would've like and it all felt rushed getting my hair done which is why I couldn't tell her to re-do the one part that wasn't how I wanted it. If I had my time again, I would be more firm. Kristen kept saying that we can do who ever first and don't worry we have loads of time. When in actual fact we didn't and it affected the running of things. My only advice to her would be to have a time line set and go with it, don't leave it up to the bride etc to dictate it for you. She has enough on her plate with out having to think of that. If it was decided and agreed upon before the day then stay with that. Take control, we needed you to. Apart from all that though, I was totally happy with the make up and my hair did look amazing!! I would use her again for sure :)

She was incredible! She showed up on time and went right to work setting up. When she first got started it was just my MOH and myself, she worked quickly yet still took her time to make sure my MOH looked perfect while she explained how everything worked and just had small talk with her!! When it was my turn to start, my entire family came in the house and it was loud and rambunctious but she kept working and talking to the entire family like we have been friends forever! Once she finished with my makeup, she started on my hair. All I had was a pinterest picture for my hair, she looked it over and got to work! The outcome was WAY MORE then I was expecting!! I wish I could just post the pictures so everyone could see how amazing it looked along with my makeup, I don't mean to brag but I looked Beautiful!!!!!! If I lived in California, I would call Kristen for any and every special occasion that I went to!! If you are a bride and are looking for a very professional and caring Hair and Makeup artist, I HIGHLY recommend Kristen from Rare Bird Brides. She was incredible!!! Thank you again Kristen!!!

e to make my day work though she was already booked for later in the day. I appreciated her flexibility and her ease to work with - I struggled to describe what I wanted for my hair and she took my vague statements and turned it into something I loved!

s very flexible when we had to add a last minute service on to the timeline. All of us loved our hair and makeup and having Kristen come to us! Thank you Kristen for an awesome job!!! Sari Eriksen

me she was no longer able to make it to California for my big day, I thought all hope had been lost. This was until I stumbled upon Rare Bird Brides via TheKnot.com. I knew from the moment I saw photos and reviews that this was the woman who had the talent and passion to produce the stunning vintage look I was dreaming of! Kristen was nothing short of amazing on both my trial and wedding day! It was important to me to have someone who could not only tolerate my polite yet particular opinions, but WANTED to listen and communicate to make sure every detail looked just right for me to feel gorgeous. I walked away from the trial feeling so lovely, and got compliments left and right throughout the rest of the day from perfect strangers. I had to laugh when they'd ask me if I had achieved this look myself. Umm...no way! I should have carried her business cards with me to pass out that day! On the day of my wedding, Kristen arrived early and even offered to help with my bridesmaids' hair when I wasn't quite finished with makeup yet. Because of the time crunch, we had less time for hair than originally planned, but Kristen didn't miss a beat! She was quick and efficient, but with no loss in the style or sturdiness of the updo. It looked literally flawless and lasted through an entire day and night of outdoor fun and dancing! I cannot recommend her enough! She was the perfect addition to our wedding morning "getting ready" session, and has the talent to back her lovely personality! Book her for your day, before someone else snatches her up first!

perfect fit for our group of girls. I highly recommend her!

essential that I found someone who could make me look fabulous for an affordable price. I paid for the trial makeup and hair, and was pleased with the final result. On the day of my wedding, Kristen ensured I was done on time. She happily accommodated my photographer and matron-of-honor in her small studio, and even chatted with them while working on my makeup and hair. I was pretty nervous, so it was nice to have another person to talk to. She quickly made adjustments when I wasn't entirely satisfied with how my eyebrows looked (I had gotten them waxed the day before, so the color was different on the hairless parts of my face). Kristen is as sweet and friendly as she is talented - you won't regret choosing Rare Bird Brides for your special day!

me, and finished us all with plenty of time to spare! She is super flexible, even agreeing to do my mother's hair despite it not being part of the timeline initially (my mother decided to use her at the last minute after seeing how amazing everyone else looked thanks to Kristen!!). We all looked amazing and were beyond happy. Kristen was easy to work with from the beginning. She is patient and accomodating, willing to work with me in my annoying bridal indeciseness (we had two hair trials!). She even made me a custom piece for my hair using lace from my wedding dress (she is super talented at that, too!). It was beyond gorgeous and will be a cherished momento for the rest of my life. In the end, I couldn't have asked for a better person to help me look naturally gorgeous on my wedding day. I have received so many compliments on my hair and makeup and it meant so much to feel so beautiful on that day. By far the best day of my life, and Kristen helped make that happen. I highly recommend using her!

and determination. During my first trial, she must have tried a dozen different hairstyles on me because I couldn't find one that was just right. After Kristen provided her input on what to do, it was like a Eureka moment. I should have asked her professional opinion from the beginning. The makeup was something that took a couple of trials to do. I don't usually wear a lot of makeup, and thought I wanted to go all glam. However, I realized that was the wrong path. On the second trial, Kristen worked with me and the pictures I provided and we got the perfect look down. On the day of the wedding, Kristen came earlier than we had discussed, which I appreciated very, very much! When Kristen did my hair on my wedding day, I didn't think it could look even better than during my trial. Kristen is like a hair wizard. She can really work some magic. With the makeup and lashes, my transformation was complete. I got so many compliments that day. I never felt so special and beautiful ever, and owe many thanks to Kristen! She also did hair and make up for my Maid of Honor, and hair only for my 2 flower girls. Everyone looked beautiful as well, with plenty of time to spare before picture time!

ng and I left thinking that I was in good hands. We discussed the timeline for the day because I was worried about my large group of 6 girls total. She assured me that she could work on all of us and that she could have us ready by 1PM for my 2PM ceremony. I was 30 minutes late to my own wedding because of her horrible service and lack of time management. I asked her twice during the morning if we were doing well in time and she assured me that we were and that I would make it to make 2PM ceremony on time. This did not happen. I was not able to have my moment before walking down the aisle. At one point she had to ask for the ceremony time, even after discussing the timeline with her via email and telling her that I wanted to be ready at 1PM. My up-do was pretty but not what we had agreed on at the trial and of course I did not have the time to even glance at it because we were in such a rush. My makeup was okay but she left the hair by my ears white from the airbrush, so it was not a clean job. The white chunks of hair come out in some pictures. She did not charge me for my hair and makeup because she felt bad about making me so late, I would have paid her double the amount she was charging to have that time I needed back! My bridesmaids were not satisfied with their makeup. She used the same colors and technique on all of them even though they each asked for something different and provided a picture of what they wanted. I was terribly disappointed because I expected much more after reading her perfect reviews unfortunately she did not live up to them.

nd ideas, yet added her own creative spin and extensive experience to deliver the best results. I had no idea what I wanted to do, but she helped me find the hair and makeup look that perfectly exemplified my personality. On our wedding day, Kristen had to do both hair and makeup for 8 bridesmaids and myself; I had no idea how we were going to get everything done! Kristen and Alice were so efficient and we had so much fun; we got everything done so beautifully without ever feeling rushed. My wedding day could not have been perfect without them!

ng to go the extra mile to make you look stunning!

ing job on my 4 bridesmaids as well as my mother. One of my bridesmaids has very long, thick hair and said that my wedding was the first time she has had her hair styled in an up do that didn't result in a horrible headache (and she's been a bridesmaid several times). Kristen was patient with me through my trial and even made day of adjustments to make me feel confident and beautiful. I'm a makeup novice and Kristen helped me go out of my comfort zone to make my makeup look amazing for my pictures without making me look too made up. I will definitely be recommending Kristen and Rare Bird Brides to everyone I know!

with the way their hair turned out. I also had my makeup done, which looked fantastic and stayed looking fresh all night long. I would definitely recommend Kristen and Rare Birds to any bride out there--you will not be disappointed! :)

rides. From the first hair and makeup preview she was very easy going, kind and easy to work with. She listened to what I wanted for my hair and created a look that fit my vision for my wedding. Also during the preview I tried airbrush makeup for the first time and wasn't convinced it was for me and she offered to do it one more time just to be sure--free of charge! She was very concerned with making sure I was confident with my choice for makeup at my wedding and that meant a lot to me. She created and priced a hair and makeup package for my 3 bridesmaids and I that was perfect based on what we wanted. I received many compliments on my hair and makeup and was very happy that I went with Rare Bird Brides.