Makeup by Karen Lee

I cannot say enough good things about Karen Lee. I was impressed by the quality of her work along with her reasonable prices. She did hair and makeup for myself plus five bridesmaids, and everyone looked amazing. At the trial, we experimented with a couple of different hairstyles and I instantly loved my makeup. She put me at ease and was so fun to talk to. She drove to downtown L.A. bright and early from Azusa and was a total pro. I would hire her again without a second thought. Thank you Karen for helping make my wedding day amazing!

I was planning my wedding while out of state and found Karen online. I decided on her b/​c her before/​after photos looked good — the girls looked beautiful but still looked like themselves. Also b/​c her prices were good compared them to other artists in the area. She’s very patient and listened to my requests for hair and makeup. Quick to respond to e-​mails. She’s also very friendly. Her and her assistant were at the venue early and were very organized. She did several of my bridesmaids and my MIL in addition to myself. Everyone was very happy with their results. My makeup and hair lasted the entire day with minor lipstick touchups and just oil blotting. The result was also beautiful in photos! I would totally go to her again if needed for photo sessions or other special occasions. Maybe I’ll put up a photo when I get them!

I cannot say enough nice things about Karen and her other artist Pennie! I had been e-​mailing Karen for a few months before my wedding. She was always very kind and prompt with her responses. I had originally given her the time that I wanted to be ready for and then had to change it and she quickly gave me a new timeline of when everyone would be getting their makeup and hair done.
The morning of the wedding Karen and Pennie showed up early to set up and immediately got started. They were both very friendly and did a wonderful job of staying on schedule. Having them there made everything so smooth and so much easier then having to drive around from place to place. They did a total of 6 people for hair and makeup and a almost 5 year old flower girl (who had a hard time sitting still, but Pennie was so gentle). Karen personally did my makeup and she did awesome! I had been stressing out and because of this had multiple break outs. Yet when she was done my skin looked flawless! Everyone looked amazing thanks to them.
I would recommend Karen to anyone who asked… and maybe even those who didn’t!

I’ve had my makeup and hair done twice by Karen and her team: once as a bridesmaid and the other as a bride. Karen and her team are friendly and professional. They did a great job with everyone! Her pricing is fair and I was able to get a discount on my makeup trial and also for the 7 other ladies getting their makeup and hair done for my wedding. I intend on using her for future events.

Karen did my make up for both my engagement and wedding and I was 100% happy with the results. As you can see from her blog and many photos posted here, she makes you a better you — natural and yet glamorous (just what you need for pictures). She also did all of my bridesmaid’s makeup and they were all very happy with their look.
Karen also took the time to do my hair 3 different styles and times until I was happy with my look. I was completely lost in how I wanted to look, and Karen was happy to give me various looks to try out. I was very indecisive about my eyelashes and karen gave me 4 or 5 different lengths and thickness to try. She is just very accommodating, kind, and patient!
She is super responsive via email, phone, text. I even emailed her about random stuff up to the week of the wedding and texted her phone numbers the night before. She follows up with you instantly! So refreshing!
She’s been in the business for many years and knows what she is doing. For my wedding she came super prepared with anything and everything — even stuff we forgot to bring. She was just a life saver and a pleasure to be around. One of my favorite wedding vendors. Thank you so much Karen!

I never post reviews on anything but I just had to this time because of Karen’s work. I was VERY happy with her professionalism and of course how she did my hair and make up. She was very flexible with our time schedule especially since I had a set of 7 bridesmaids in my wedding party. Karen was at the hotel on time and helped get everyone ready on time. I would definitely recommend her to other brides!

Karen and her team provided their make-​up and hair services for my wedding and I could not be any happier with the results! They had an EARLY morning call and began around 5am because I had a traditional Chinese tea ceremony that started at 9am. They were prompt and were really in great spirits despite the early morning start. While Karen worked on my mother and I, her team worked on my bridal party and not only did the girls love their looks, they received a ton of compliments that day. And better yet, we looked fantastic in our wedding photos, which is EXTREMELY important because those are the everlasting memories that I’ll get to keep. I highly recommend Karen to anyone who is looking for a sweet, professional, and great MUA!

I loved Karen’s work so much that I’m posting a review for her here and on
. Karen was recommended to me by a friend who got married last year — and I’m so glad she did! Karen was very professional and responsive in her communications, and was flexible in trying to work with my schedule when I booked my trial session with her. Since I was planning my Southern California wedding from NY, I especially appreciated when vendors were flexible with scheduling in-​person meetings with me for the couple of times I was in town before the wedding. I also researched and considered other makeup and hair artists, but I liked that Karen understood the «natural, but enhanced» look I was going for during my trial, so I decided to book her for my wedding day. Karen’s prices are also competitive with other makeup and hair artists in the area, and she even offered a little bit of a discount for booking my bridal party’s hair and makeup with her.
On my wedding day, Karen and her assistant Lyly showed up on-​time and were very professional and friendly as they did our hair and make-​up. I barely slept the night before and also had a bit of a cold, so I was a little worried about looking very tired. But Karen did a phenomenal job in transforming me from tired to gorgeous for my wedding day! Karen and Lyly also did the makeup and hair for my three bridesmaids and my mom — and they all looked GREAT as well! My groom also loved my hair and makeup. He typically doesn’t like it when I look like I’m wearing a lot of makeup, but Karen did such a great job that I didn’t look like I was wearing a ton of makeup at all, but I still looked good in pictures. Karen gave me a touch-​up kit before she left, which was useful for that time between the ceremony and reception when I wanted to freshen up a bit (though, Karen did such a great job that I didn’t really need much touching up). My makeup and hair lasted for the entire day (about 12 – 13 hours) — and my makeup was still flawless at the end of the evening. Absolutely one of my favorite vendors for my big day!

Karen is an amazing make-​up artist! She’s been doing my makeup for years and she hasn’t given me a reason to turn to another artist. She’ll make you feel beautiful for any occasion, especially your special day. She pays attention to detail and carries herself very professionally. Her prices are reasonable and she’s very responsive and flexible. I always recommend my friends to her for hair and makeup services and she always exceeds their expectations. :)

I loved my makeup and hair. I was getting compliments all night. I have been in many wedding recently and many makeup artists have a hard time doing my eyes since I have moon shaped eyes when I smile. Karen and her crew were able to make my eyes pop and my face glow. I didn’t really have a clear idea of how I wanted my hair to be, but she was able to find a style that really matched my face and all the dresses that I wore. Love, Love, Love. I would highly recommend Karen and her team!

Wedding hair and makeup is one of the most important vendors to hire. I understand that even the trial may be expensive as well as the packages, but this is a must unless you are a professional hair and makeup artist already or know a friend or family member, then you save big =]
Let’s begin with my hair and makeup trial. Karen started with the hair and she took her time curling it… it was a hair spray frenzy. Not a big fan, but I understand for long-​lasting hold. My first hairstyle was an updo and this made me look older than I was, so that was a fail. Moving on to the second hairstyle, which was a half up and half down. This one looked ok, but it was my fault to not have bangs during that time, so she told me to cut it and I did eventually (two months before my wedding). I’ll be honest, Karen doesn’t do great hairstyles, but it is still ok and that is why it is called «Makeup by Karen Lee.»
During my trial, Karen made sure that she could hide every little detail that I was insecure about and imperfections that needed to be hidden, which by the way, did an awesome job! Even if I didn’t like something she would fix it and especially it was my first time wearing fake lashes, so ladies… be prepared if it is your first time, it feels like an eye visor.
Skipping to my wedding on December 28, 2013, we purchased about eight of us including myself… Yes, brides are the most expensive because they take about two hours, but the rest of your wedding party would be around one hour. (More than 5 women, you get a 10% discount). Karen had to bring her team that morning, Penny and Cathy, since we had eight women to do hair and makeup. Karen took care of my mom first and made sure that I liked it before she starts on me. My mom’s hair was a bit flat, but her makeup looked gorgeous. Then, it was my turn, man was I nervous that day, so I was shaking the whole time so sorry Karen! But she jumped into doing my hair and made sure that everything was perfect before she starts on my makeup. Let’s just say it was hectic as I wanted it to have more volume and my hair was slanted. Ek! I guess my hair and the hair spray was not working very well that day. Eventually a couple of minutes before my Chinese ceremony began, my hair went flat in about an hour into my ceremony… I was not happy because it is the biggest day, so I had to recurl it… but due to the hair spray… it wouldn’t curl as well, so I had to bite my tongue the whole day. But again, the makeup was excellent and I only changed the eyebrow, that is about it. Karen did give me an emergency kit with all the makeup that is necessary to last the whole day. Part of my eyelashes came off during my reception, so thankfully there was glue. Thank you Karen!
Karen’s team was interesting, Penny was definitely a favorite with my wedding party. She made sure everyone was happy with their hair and makeup and man does she know how to do it! My maid of honor looked so beautiful and she knows how to contour the face which made her look like a supermodel. My maid of honor’s hair and makeup was the only one who lasted the whole day. Penny is definitely talented in hair and makeup! I would give her five stars! =]
On the other hand, Cathy… I do not know where to start… I was not happy with her at all and I don’t know why I didn’t ask her to leave. I’m sorry to say this, but I would not allow anyone to hire such a rude and impatient person. My bridesmaid hair was not what I wanted and I asked my bridesmaid to ask Cathy to have more volume as I was curling my friends hair during that time. She had to go back at least three times… the makeup was good, but again her hairstyle techniques was mediocre. When I was done with my friends hair, that is when Karen was with me. My wedding party was asking me if the hair and makeup was ok, and I said no, what needs to be fixed and I was very polite and respectful as I am a bubbly and positive person, but I knew when I asked Cathy to change a couple of things, she rolled her eyes at me. When she was doing my in-​laws hair and makeup, I was about to say something, because of her attitude. She spoke to them in such disrespect and I really wanted to fire her at that point. Luckily, my photographers and videographers came in, because I would have definitely asked her in private and escort her out. I would give her negative stars if I could… it was sad because my in-​laws wanted to say something to Cathy, but they respected me as it was my wedding day… so I had to ask Karen to do my in-​laws hair instead.
Overall, Karen may not be the best in hair, but her makeup is definitely well worth it. Her personality is very easy going, patient, and she is very honest, which I love so much, because I do not like sugar coating. Penny is great as stated by my wedding party and I definitely would recommend her for hair and makeup. Cathy… just save yourself from stress and frustration, do not hire.

I contacted Karen to inquire about wedding makeup and hair services. She was quoting me different prices from those on her website. Also she is very slow at responding and sometimes even unresponsive. I had to follow up on my emails and the last email she never even responded to.
She may be a good makeup/​hair stylist but I’d rather find someone who responds promptly to emails and shows she really wants your business.

I would give Karen 10 stars if I can.
She makes me look and feel so beautiful! Karen is very flexible. She is so professional.
You can really feel that she loves what she does.
She is very good with both hair and make up that I want to learn makeup lesson from her.
And the touch up kit is amazing.

I hired Karen to do my hair & makeup for my wedding based on these Unilocal reviews. She & her team were awesome! I looked like me, just a photo-​shopped amazing, 100x better version of me! :)
A few things I was a little concerned going into the whole thing:
She wasn’t super responsive to my emails & I was a teensy bit worried (I think part of the time leading up to my wedding she was on maternity leave) — but she showed up on the day of on time & ready to rock & roll (& the whole ordeal took less time than expected, which I very much appreciated). When I had asked for a certain hairstyle & it didn’t look as good on me as I thought it would, she was patient & super nice & redid it until I was happy (same went for my bridesmaids & fam members).
Also, her website shows mostly asian girls– I’m not asian, my hair is curly, my skin is a mess & my eyes & nose are gigantic. I was a little worried that her magical makeover powers wouldn’t work on me– but thankfully, my worries were misplaced & she made me look amazing.
One of the reasons I hired her was because a lot of bridesmaids she worked on had good reviews– a lot of times I feel like the bride looks amazing but the bridesmaids don’t look much better than if they had done their own makeup– what a waste of time & money. She did my mom’s makeup & she & the 2 other makeup artists she brought a long did my bridesmaids that wanted their hair/​makeup done, my mother, my mother in law, & my 2 sisters in law. I really felt that each person looked more amazing than the next (if you are one of those brides that doesn’t want your bridesmaids to look good, watch out, all mine looked gorgeous!!! ;-p).
My mom keeps saying that the wedding was the best she’s ever looked & even asked me today for Karen’s info because she wants to ask her for a makeup tutorial.
She also gave me a little pouch of touch up stuff– which I mostly didn’t even end up using because my makeup stayed perfect throughout the night (even though the dancing, crying & sweating).
On price, a little higher than I wanted to spend for me, but somehow a little less for the other girls– so it evened out. Def cheaper & better than a lot of the makeup artists that I looked into. Her prices are on her site & are very straight forward which I came to appreciate very much during the whole wedding planning thing.
I just wished she lived closer to where I do in LA– I’d go to her for other events as well. :)

I had done a trial with Penny a few months back in preparation for my wedding. She is a super friendly and talented makeup and hair artist. Even though I decided to go with another makeup/​hair artist, I thought she was very professional and would definitely recommend her for any other bride-​to-​be.

I found Karen through my extensive research for a reasonably priced yet excellent HMU artist, and i’m glad i did my homework! Karen is just amazing! She is extremely professional, very very talented and knowledgeable of what she does. I also love that she is so quick to reply to emails.
Thank you Karen for making me feel beautiful on my most special day. I didn’t even have to retouch anything, the hair and makeup lasted all night! I cannot put into words how happy i am with her services. I know Bridal hair and make up can be ridiculously expensive but with Karen you can be at your most beautiful with a very reasonable amount. She exceeded my expectations and more!
Would definitely recommend her!!! :]

Excellent service by Karen! My sister and I had a hair/​makeup trial with her and it went very well. She does airbrush and she has a very calming personality. She did everything we asked for and I loved the way airbrush seemed very light and airy.
The only bad thing is that she ended up not being able to do my sister’s wedding (for reasons I’m not sure I’m allowed to say on the internet, but let’s just say it’s a really good reason!) so I don’t know if I’m a good reviewer for the actual wedding day.
All I know is that she’s very sweet and accommodating. She doesn’t have a snobby, catty vibe that you can get from most makeup artists. It’s also really nice that she does both hair & makeup. I’m sure she’d be excellent for anyone’s wedding day!

Milestone Birthday! Going all out even down to hair & makeup!
I had tried to make an appointment with another MUA, but she was booked for a wedding on the day of my birthday party. I actually found Karen here on Unilocal!
She was local so I checked out her website and her rates were posted. I went ahead & emailed her to ask about her availability & I received a reply back from her within 24 hours and she was even on vacation! She requires a 50% deposit for locking down a day & time. Booked her a month in advance from the date of my event.
Three days before my event, Karen followed up with me to confirm my appointment. I sent her a couple photos of hair styles I was considering and one photo of eye makeup. On the day of my appointment I went to her home studio. She listened to what I was envisioning and she went with it. The makeup and hair she did on me was exactly what I had in mind. She also supplies with you with a little touch up kit to keep your look appearing fresh throughout the day! Even 8 hours later, my hair & makeup were still looking awesome.
Great job Karen! She is also very easy to talk to. I have plenty of friends/​family who are engaged at the moment, and without a doubt (if they haven’t booked anybody already), I would recommended them to give Karen a call.
UPDATE: I hired Karen again in November 2012 for my sister’s wedding. Karen and Penny arrived at my house on time and did makeup for me, my cousin, my mom, and my aunt. They did a great job and our makeup came out great in the photos.

Professional, easygoing and a mastery at makeup and hair!
Karen took part in doing my makeup and hair as well as 4 of my bridesmaids makeup and hair this past weekend for my wedding. I was very very satisfied with her service overall. She was extremely professional throughout every dealing and delivered as promised. She was always on schedule; made sure I was comfortable and loved my makeup every step of the way, and was extremely flexible in schedule changes when necessary.
I was extremely happy with how everything turned out. Thank you!!!

Check out the website… the before&after magic is FOR REAL! I contacted Karen something like 2 weeks before my ⁶⁄₂₅ wedding, and I was really lucky that she was available at all (turned out that she was fully booked on my ridiculously popular weekend, but two brides changed dates last minute). I met with her at her home studio in Azusa where I showed her some picture ideas of hair/​makeup looks I wanted, she told me not to cut/​trim my hair ’til after the wedding, and I signed the contract. I was seriously only going on her website and the three reviews on Unilocal,but that’s what I get for procrastinating; no regrets though, because I ended up looking amazing.
Throughout the two weeks from first contacting her, to setting up the intro appointment, to deciding on a time for the wedding day, Karen was super responsive to emails, phone calls, and texts. She really treats her work seriously and is really professional about it. At the beginning I tried to get her to give me a discount, but her prices are firm and now I know why — she has tons of experience working with way pricier artists, and her prices are actually pretty low for how good she is. You could save $ 50 – 120 hiring someone without the extensive experience and portfolio, but at the end I just don’t think it’s worth the risk.
On the day of the wedding, Karen showed up early to make sure we had enough time to figure out my options, since I hadn’t gotten a trial done. She spent extra time re-​doing my lips and eyes when I wanted her to tweak the color. I was nervous when she started with a dark brown gel on my light-​ish skin, but she explained that it was for contouring and it did end up looking really flattering and natural. After I got my dress on, she re-​touched everything just to make sure, and stuck around for the «getting ready» pictures with my photographer.
Karen chatted with me during the whole process to make sure I wasn’t too nervous. You can tell she’s generally a more reserved person, but she’s putting herself out there to help you feel comfortable — and that sense of caring and compassion really helped start the day off right.
Karen layered on the makeup pretty thick, which looks cakey up close, but makes for really awesome pictures. Everything stayed put for the day except for the lip gloss and false lashes, but she provides a little touch-​up kit for that. I’d suggest having a bridesmaid bring a much stronger eyelash glue though — my lashes just wouldn’t stay put and fortunately one of my girls had a different kind of eyelash glue that stayed on for the rest of the night.
Overall, hiring Karen was a huge success. She transformed me from a washed-​out nerd on too little sleep into a gorgeous, graceful bride. Totally awesome, and every picture looks great.