We added Blossom & Beauty to our list of best makeup artists in Portland mostly because of their flexibility. 

This is because when we interviewed several of their previous clients, a lot of them mentioned that the makeup artist easily agreed to the changes on the day of the event. 

We find that not a lot of makeup artists do this. They’ve already thought about the makeup and techniques that they will be using on the look, so they typically dislike changing those plans. 

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It seems that the artists here are quick to think on their feet. In addition to that, we also think that they’re experienced enough to be able to change the look on the spot. 

This is because they don’t need time to think about how to achieve the client’s new request. 

To test it out for ourselves, we tried booking them with specific style requests, then changed those requests on the day of the appointment. As expected, they dealt with the changes graciously.

That got them points in our assessment, especially added to the fact that Blossom & Beauty is responsive and quick to pair clients with a stylist. 

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They specialize in simple makeup looks, which we find a lot of brides look for, so we added this to the list of pros. 

If there’s one thing we think they should improve on, it’s their hair styling. Several of the clients we talked to had complaints about how their hair was done. 

Some said it didn’t stay in place, while some had complaints about its sloppiness. 

If you’re hiring Blossom & Beauty just for their makeup services, we don’t see why you can’t consider them. However, if you’re also planning on booking them for their hair styling, you might want to give it a second thought. 

Pros

• Makeup lasts a good while
• Also an aesthetician

Cons

• Needs to work on communication skills

A lot of the people who had experience with Kelli Thomsen Beauty reported their makeup lasted fairly long. While this is not unheard of these days, especially with numerous makeup products aimed at longevity, it’s still worth noting because a lot of clients are looking exactly for this. 

Additionally, there are a lot of people who mentioned it, so Kelli seems to be consistent in using long-lasting makeup products. 

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But what if you have sensitive skin or are just worried that your skin could have an adverse reaction to makeup? Even then, we think you can trust that Kelli knows what’s best for your skin.

This is because she’s been an aesthetician for 20+ years. You can usually see from makeup artists that they already know a lot about technique, but it’s not often you come across someone who’s also a skin expert. 

A lot of the clients with sensitive skin said that the makeup products Kelli used didn’t harm their skin at all. It seems that Kelli selects makeup products with care for each client, and even provides advice on skincare during sessions.

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We love the idea that Kelli will not only make your skin look more radiant and fresh for a day, but will also help you achieve this daily. 

Aside from makeup services, she also does makeup lessons, skin treatments, brow & lashes, and event hair. 

It’s safe to say that there are a lot of advantages when it comes to booking Kelli for your events. 

However, a lot of clients think that she needs to work on her communication skills. This is because there were some misunderstandings with a few clients that could have been avoided with good communication. 

Pros

• Great attention to detail
• A lot of clients love her attitude
• Incredible credentials

Cons

• A pricier option

If you’re looking for someone with more variety in terms of style, Cristina, the person behind CRUBEAUTY, can do glam, soft glam, maternity shoots, bridal, senior shoots, and photo shoots. 

A makeup artist must know how to do makeup in different settings because the demand for each one is different. For example, in bridal events, it’s usually soft and natural-looking. 

Meanwhile, in photo shoots, it needs to be heavier for it to appear in photos because of the harsh lighting. Moreover, it also needs to look flawless because imperfection could be seen in photos, especially if you zoom in. 

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After interviewing a lot of CRUBEAUTY’s previous clients, we found that they mostly like their experience with Cristina because of her attitude. 

It seems that she can get along with different kinds of people well. This is quite important when doing this job. 

When you’re sitting in the makeup chair for hours, it’s normal to converse with your makeup artist. It can be pretty boring or uncomfortable, so a makeup artist’s attitude can make a big difference.

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Anyway, a lot of clients have also been saying that this makeup artist has great attention to detail because everything appears perfect even if you do a close-up photo of them. 

This goes back to how well-versed Cristina is in doing makeup for different kinds of shoots. 

If there’s something worth considering before deciding to avail of Cristina’s services, it might be the cost of her services. 

She’s not exactly the cheapest option out of all the makeup artists in the city. If you’re a little tight on money, some makeup artists charge less while being able to do a decent job. 

Pros

• Great at making clients comfortable
• Punctual
• Incredible communication skills

Cons

• Expensive

Numerous clients we interviewed praised Beauty And The Brush for their great communication skills. It seems that Mariam, the person behind this service, knows how to adjust according to the client’s needs. 

Do you want a bright, red lip that pops? She can do that for you. 

Do you want a blush that looks natural and lasts long? Mariam also knows her way around this too.

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While it should be a common practice among makeup artists to see to their clients’ needs, we found that not everyone does this. Sometimes, makeup artists don’t get what their clients ask for so the latter are left feeling unsatisfied. 

We’re glad that’s not the case when it comes to Mariam based on a lot of remarks we received. 

Moreover, she’s also great at making clients comfortable. This is because of her upbeat personality, which we think is a great icebreaker in itself. 

We found this to be quite true based on how quickly we were able to warm up to her. Our staffers honestly felt a bit of awkwardness at first, but she was able to dispel that feeling because of how easy it was to make conversation with her. 

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If you’re hiring her for events, you’ll be glad to know that she’s punctual no matter how early the call time is. 

She had several clients who asked for her to be in the venue at around 4 a.m. and she was there right on the dot. This shows her professionalism because she was able to show up right when the clients needed her. 

If there’s something that may make you reconsider her, it’s that her services are a lot more expensive compared to others in the city. 

If you’re looking for something different, Emily Mercer Beauty is not your ordinary makeup artist. She does permanent cosmetic makeup, which is one of the reasons people go to her. 

We found that permanent makeup made a lot of her clients feel more confident. They also love its convenience because they don’t have to apply makeup as part of their daily routine. 

Although they still go to Emily for their touch-ups it’s not as often as applying makeup.

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Aside from permanent makeup, she also does brows. From waxing and shaping to bleaching or tinting, she can help you get your desired look. 

Moreover, she also does cosmetic and skincare product consultation, makeup lessons, hair styling, wedding makeup, and more. 

She does a lot of different kinds of makeup styles like creative/costume makeup, bridal makeup, “no makeup” makeup, etc. 

If you’d like to work with someone that knows a lot of different techniques and different cosmetic-related backgrounds, Emily might just be the person for you. 

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A lot of clients we talked to also praised Emily for how well she communicates with her clients. This is not only in terms of how fast she responds but also in how she explains the whole process to clients, especially when it comes to the permanent makeup service. 

This made clients immediately feel at ease and trust her, which is important for procedures like these. We found that this is one of the reasons clients come out feeling quite satisfied with their experience. 

Anyway, if there’s something to consider before pushing through with her services, it’s that her portfolio doesn’t have a lot of variety and she really does focus on her permanent makeup work. 

She’s still good at other (read: “impermanent”) makeup types, but her emphasis on permanent makeup services may lead a lot of people into choosing her only for the latter and other artists for the former.