FAQs – Bay Area Makeup & Hairstyle Artist

I have a Diploma in Makeup Artistry which is a full time 18 months program from the world renowned and accredited Institute of Makeup Artistry. I am professionally trained in following aspects of makeup –

• · Basics of face, eyebrows, lips and eyes for diverse human facial features
• · Bridal makeup & hairstyle
• · Glamor makeup for photography
• · High fashion makeup
• · Makeup for film & TV
• · Theater makeup & hairstyle
• · Special-effects & character makeup including simple prosthetics
• · Wigs & artificial facial hair

When you work with me, you are not just hiring a hobbyist who just happens to love makeup. You are also hiring an experienced makeup professional who is going to give you same consultation, skin prep and application that popular makeup & hairstyle artists give to the celebrities and clients they work with.

That is also a reason you will see me take my time in getting you ready in a very unrushed manner with lot of room for working on small details that will bring your natural beauty to life unlike you have ever seen before.

You don't have to take my word for it. You can read several five star Google Reviews of my customers here: g.page/r/CQ48JhJYGklHEBQ — and you can see that big smile on their faces after I show them their face post the makeup application on my Instagram profile.

And on top of it, I have a state of the art makeup studio in San Ramon — a beautifully designed, spacious space with an amazing lounge area where you can relax before and after your appointment.

If you are ready to book an appointment with me or if you have more questions, please send me a message or give me a call. I am looking forward to collaborating with you.

If you love makeup too, I would love to work with you. That's it. It does not matter what life event / occasion it is that you are trying to get ready for, I want to work with you.

However, if you are not excited by the idea of makeup and you just need some to patch you up for something you need to attend, you would probably be better off working with someone else. Some of my best friends are like that. So I am not judging here whatsoever. Please note that.

Also, you probably do not need to spend what I charge for my appointments since you can easily get what you need through an appointment at Ulta or Sephora.

I also do not visit anyone's home. Simply because I have hundreds of items and equipment on my makeup table which I just can't bring to someone's home for makeup application. I also need lighting and privacy with my client to focus and deliver the final look. I bring my own family members, friends and neighbors to my studio when I need to do makeup & hairstyle for them. So if it's critical for you to get someone come to your home, you are better off working with someone else.

The only thing I travel for is when I am doing makeup for a bride or wedding guests since wedding venues have dedicated working spaces for makeup & hairstyle artists with proper arrangements for lighting and other makeup application requirements.

Lastly, I only do makeup & hairstyle. I do not do saree draping (but I am happy to arrange someone who will come to my studio during your appointment to help you with saree draping for $50–$75 depending on the kind of saree/style), hair cutting or coloring, or any kind of permanent makeup. I also do not do any kind of partial application — for example, just eyes instead of full makeup or just a braid or partial curls instead of full hairstyle.

With all that said, I do encourage you to give me a call once before you decide. I will give you the best advice even if it means you taking your business to someone else. My goal will always be to help you look the best you can, no matter what.

No, I do not. I get this question a lot. But I am not a generalist who knows a little bit of everything. I am a specialist who knows (or aspires to know 🙂) everything there is to know about makeup & hairstyle. For example, I create my own shades for foundation, eye shadow and lipstick by blending and combining multiple shades and colors to achieve the exact tone and color scheme I need based on my customer's dress, event location & light settings of the event.

So for everything else such as hair cutting & coloring or saree draping or other similar things that you may need, I will refer you to others that are specialists in those areas — and I know some very good ones.

List of all services and prices are published on the Pricing page. I charge $600 for bridal makeup & hairstyle. And $400 for the trial that I recommend to everyone which would be at my studio in San Ramon, CA. If flower girls are around 10 or younger, I will be happy to style them without any charge.

For everyone else, for weddings or any other events / occasions, I charge $300 for makeup & hairstyle. If they only want to get one of the services done, I will charge $150 for each service.

I may be able to offer you discounts depending on the size of your party and the time of the year. This will be discussed as part of the bridal makeup contract.

If you are an existing client and would like to keep getting a discount, or if you are a new client who wants to get bigger discounts, the only way I can afford to give you that is if you book 3 or more appointments for yourself or if you are booking an appointment for 3 or more people. So please contact me to discuss that.

Otherwise, I am not able to give you more discounts. Thank you for understanding.

I do not have any add-on or hidden fees. I like to keep things simple.

So if I am using false lashes (which are very high-quality) or applying hair extensions or accessories (that you would need to bring yourself), there will be no extra charges.

Once you are at appointment and are sitting in my makeup chair, I only want to focus on the makeup with the singular goal of making you look the best version of yourself — and not on the transaction.

So it does not matter if your hair is long or short, if you want a bold makeup or natural soft glam or if you are going to walk on a ramp at a fashion show or attending a religious event. You will be in safe hands with me when it comes to your makeup and hairstyle and you will not need to worry about add-on charges based on what I had to do / use during our appointment.

Once we have agreed on the date, services, party size and price, please make sure to give me your email address. I will send you an invite from my calendar with the address of my studio. This is the best way for me to make sure that I am not double booked. So, let's get it on the calendar.

If you booked an appointment just for yourself, you don't need to pay me in advance. I'd trust you to show up on time and notify me at least 24 hours (48 hours preferred) in advance if anything is changing.

If you are booking appointments for 3 or more people or if you are booking me for a wedding, I require 30% advance payment to confirm your appointment. If you cancel after making advance payment, I may need to keep some or all of it depending on when and under what circumstances the cancellation is happening. I have refunded full advance payment with ample notice periods in the past.

You can pay me via Zelle, Venmo or PayPal. I do not take credit cards or checks. I prefer not taking cash.

For weddings, I can travel anywhere in the world as long as I am available and booked in advance. I charge $250 traveling allowance per day on top of airfare, accommodations and meals for myself and one team member that I need to bring along to manage my logistics and tools (note that this is on top of anything I'd charge for makeup & hairstyle). I would like to invite you to my studio in San Ramon, CA for a wedding trial if it's logistically feasible. I can do makeup trials at wedding location if I am traveling there in advance and if wedding ceremonies are spread across multiple days.

For all events other than weddings, I do not travel. I would like you to come to my makeup studio in San Ramon — a beautifully designed, spacious space with an amazing lounge area.

I do not visit anyone's home as it's not convenient to me both logistically and personally.

The only other possible option I have exercised, in case of appointments with multiple people that are really far away from my studio in San Ramon, is booking a conference room at WeWork (or similar co-working spaces) where I can spread all my makeup tools and equipment on a conference room table and do makeup & hairstyle for each client one after the other. I book WeWork myself and invoice it to the clients as part of the total cost.

Before the appointment, you should let me know the details about your wedding / event including its time, if it is indoor or outdoor, and the kind of lighting you anticipate there. I would also like to know the kind and colors of the dress you plan to wear for the wedding / event.

I would love to know who your photographer is and I will talk to them ahead of your event as well to get an idea of their vision for you and your event — and make sure that the makeup is going to be in line with that to ensure you get the best results.

On the day of the appointment, if possible, I'd like you to come wearing the dress and jewelry / accessories that you plan to wear. It'd really give me an opportunity to be inspired by those details and create an overall look that blends together well. And that way when you are done, you'd be ready!

Also, I need you to make sure that your face is clean and your hair is washed and either air-dried or blow-dried before the appointment. Please do not put anything on your face or in your hair. I will take care of it as part of my skin and hair prep segment during your appointment.

That's it. Then I invite you to just sit back and relax listening to some nice instrumental music in my studio while I get you ready to look your absolute best!

Yes, I do offer them. However, I strongly recommend scheduling them only 3–4 weeks in advance of your wedding. Simply because a lot can change by then and I would prefer that the look we'd achieve during the trial stays fresh in your mind as you approach your big day.

If you simply want to see / experience the quality of my work first hand before booking me for your wedding, I just suggest that you book a regular appointment with me for an event that you might be attending. However, I do not consider that as a wedding preview / trial because during the trial, I will create your wedding look and on your wedding day I will create the exact replica of it without any change — to avoid causing any stress on the day of your wedding.

I use the best quality makeup. That, combined with my skin prep and makeup application techniques, ensures that the makeup lasts all day. I have had customers who get the makeup done with me in late morning and send me pictures at 4AM the next day to show that my makeup was still as good as it was in the morning.

I will be happy to give you a tiny to-go pack of lipstick that I would have custom-created for you during your appointment, so you can touch up after dinner.