This is an incredibly difficult review to write as I genuinely liked Sara but her services are another story. My wedding was 9/9/16. I contacted Sara of ST Makeup Artistry along with numerous other makeup/hair vendors in March. Sara was quick to respond and easy to work with. She was willing to negotiate a fair price for myself as well as 7 bridesmaids and a mother in law. I chose Sara not only for the pricing (as there was a competing vendor who I was also considering) but I chose Sara because I really like her style of makeup application and her friendly demeanor. I have never gotten professional hair and makeup done and I am VERY big on doing my own hair and makeup as I am very knowledgeable and good with style and application myself. But for my big wedding day, I decided to let myself rest and let a pro take over. Bad idea. I also wanted my girls to look amazing and feel amazing and with the hot, sticky weather of Playa del Carmen in September, the airbrush makeup seemed a must and I made it a gift to them. The resort was not offering airbrush makeup so this seemed to be the answer. She also had her own studio so in case I couldn’t work something out with the resort to allow an outside vendor, we could go to her studio. I liked this.

Anyways, we kept communication up heavily until the wedding with me sending photos and pinterest ideas and developing a solid time line for the wedding day. We arranged a trial makeup and hair session the day before the wedding. I had a ceremony rehearsal and welcome dinner at 6:15pm and 7pm respectively and she assured me 4:45pm pickup from the resort to do hair and makeup trial at her studio would be enough time to have me back by that time. Wrong. Her studio is 20 min from the resort in playa del Carmen. It took over an hour for her and another girl to do hair and makeup and still weren’t done when my mother and I rushed them to be done and for us to leave as we didn’t make it back to the resort until 6:45. Essentially missing our ceremony rehearsal and needing to reschedule for the morning of the wedding… and was late to start the welcome dinner. I should have taken this as a sign of things to come and go wrong but didn’t.

Day of the wedding, Sara assured me that starting at 12 noon would give us plenty of time to complete 9 hair and makeup applications before 4pm with ceremony at 5pm. WRONG. There was 4 girls including Sara. 2 doing hair and 2 doing makeup. They spent unequal amounts of time of different people to complete makeup and hair. Some girls they spent 1.5 hours on makeup and hair and others they spent half hour on. 3/9 people had professional hairstyles, the rest were left down and straight or a simple braid was placed. Not worth paying the “professional” price for. My hair was nice at first but quickly fell during ceremony. When I curl my hair, it stays all night. They curled it “with the best products especially for the humid weather” it fell fast and looked like beach waves instead of what I wanted. The makeup…not good. As I said, they spent forever on some girls and barely any time on others. They were taking photos on their phones of the makeup on the girls they spent forever on…probably for a portfolio at my expense. I went in the middle as planned at 2pm as again I was assured that going then would be enough time to complete hair and makeup by 4pm when I had my first look photos scheduled. Nope. Missed that completely. They didn’t have me done until 5pm…3 hours to do hair and makeup?????!!

On top of missing my first look photos, I was 25 minutes late to my ceremony as I still had my jewelry, headband, veil, shoes and corseted dress to all put on. So stressful and upsetting. Yes, my makeup looked nice but I had to do a lot of directing to Sara even though I sent her so many photos of what I wanted. I wanted purple smokey eyes and at my trial she did brown…my lips at the trial were way too fushia bright colored…so on the wedding day I had to keep showing her photos of the eye makeup and lips I wanted. I also did my own eyebrows because during the trial she made them VERY close together and long on the outer edges and I looked very Mexican. The lips I had to keep having her correct because she wasn’t getting an even application to my lip line. One of my girls half updo was already falling down and out before she even left the getting ready room. Most of the girls were not happy with their makeup except 4 of them. None the less, the airbrush was nice for the humidity and sweating but knowing what I know now, I wish I never hired anyone for hair and makeup. I would have gotten my hair and makeup done SO much faster and better and could have even done all my girls’ hair and makeup quicker and better by myself or let them do their own. I also could have saved a lot of money that now seems like a waste. And I would have not missed my first look photos, not been late to my ceremony, and not missed a crap ton of other wedding photos due to the lateness if I didn’t hire makeup and hair girls.

As I said, super hard to write this as they were very sweet girls but I would not call them professionals and they should have known better with the time frame and the amount of work to be done to ensure it didn’t mess up everything else for our wedding. Maybe with a few more years and more experience, they will be better, but for now, at my expense on different levels, my wedding missed out on a lot because of their poor time management.