kathryn founder + Lead hair + makeup specialist
Kathryn is a naturally gifted artist and licensed cosmetologist who has been creating visually stunning hair and makeup since 2015. Her specialties include intricate formal styles and flawless airbrush makeup. Kathryn's early passion for painting led her to study visual arts at DePaul University, from which she graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Visual Art Education. Today, she continues to paint and express herself through a variety of media, including acrylic paintings, jewelry, custom fondant cakes, and handmade one of a kind bridal hair accessories.
Soon after graduating from DePaul University, Kathryn began working among the country's top beauty professionals at the highly-rated Dahlia Rose Salon in Chicago's North Shore. She quickly realized that cosmetology would provide the ideal opportunity to combine her love of helping people with her exceptional aesthetic talents. While working at the salon, Kathryn pursued her formal education as a cosmetologist, completing the rigorous Illinois licensing requirements in 2013. Her cosmetology training is frequently refreshed with continuing education from top industry leaders on the latest styles and methods. Some of these teachers include hairdressing world icon, Nicholas French and highly respected Christopher Benson.
Kathryn's classical training continues to influence her formal hair and makeup in a way that few other professionals can match. Her passion for art is evident from her attention to detail and the subtle complexity that makes her work so exceptional. She takes time to get to know each and every client, so that she can best enhance and celebrate their unique inner beauty.
MAGGIE MAKEUP ARTIST
Maggie Sajdak is a professional makeup artist with over 10 years of experience in the beauty industry. Her passion for artistry started at an early age with her love of painting and drawing, which naturally transferred to her love of beauty and makeup. Maggie started her career working for a local makeup brand in Glen Ellyn, IL. She trained under the guidance of makeup artist, Michael Perich of PERICH Skincare and Makeup. From there, her natural talent for makeup artistry skyrocketed. She began her freelance work with brides, short film and special FX makeup. Her journey led her to eventually work for the world renowned brand, MAC Cosmetics. There, she was able to hone in and perfect her technique, skills and precision. Her understanding of working with various skin tones, skin types and ages continues to make her a sought-after makeup artist. She is certified with the brand in their highest "Advanced 2 level" makeup certification.
As an artist, Maggie prides herself on understanding and listening to what each client wants and creates a look that is truly unique and special just for them. She works in a joint collaborative effort, to ensure that the final result is tailored to each individual.
Maggie aims to make you look and feel your most beautiful, fresh and confident self for your special day.
Gabriela makeup artist
Gabriela Aldana is a professional makeup artist with over 17 years of experience under her brush belt. Her love for art and fashion led Gabriela to the makeup industry in 2003, working at various locations on Chicago's Michigan Avenue. With a career spanning over 14 years with MAC Cosmetics, Gabriela developed a complete comprehension and capability of working on all skin tones, ages and sexes.
Gabriela has had exciting freelance opportunities such as working with the Chicago LuvaBulls, American Beauty Show, runway, short films and various industry events between Chicago and Vegas.
When asked what makeup she's most passionate about doing her response is: "Brides! I love the collaborative effort that goes into it and being able to make a bride feel beautiful and confident on her memorable day!"
Gabriela's number one goal is your happiness with her makeup services, which she provides for all occasions. Her expectation is never to make you conform to "her style" but rather to flawlessly execute YOUR vision!
nICOLE hAIR + mAKEUP ARTIST
Nicole Buscemi has been in the beauty industry for 7+ years. She originally found her passion for hair and makeup while she began assisting in the salon. Not only does she love bridal styling and makeup, she is also a balayage and blonding specialist!
When asked what her favorite formal hair style is, Nicole replies "braided styles! They create intricate texture and can be styled endlessly creating both formal or casual, messy looks." Having an art background, Nicole has a natural eye for composition. She loves taking her client's ideas and making their idea come to life. Giving clients what they desire means everything to her.
When Nicole isn't doing hair she can be found reading or expressing her creativity through her art.
Besa hair + makeup artist
Besa Begu completed Paul Mitchell Cosmetology School in 2010. Her 10 years in the beauty industry and knowledge of Paul Mitchell products surpass that of her colleagues. Besa uses extensive product and skill knowledge in everything she does. Her craftsmanship shines through especially in her formal styles.
Besa is very skilled in all hair types and loves working with brides. She also feels comfortable with wig styling. When asked about her wig styling Besa explains, "It takes a lot of knowledge and years of practice to know the right steps in creating a style that looks soft and natural, which is what all clients wearing wigs want."
In addition to wig styling, Besa loves to create classic, elegant and romantic formal hair. "The key is in the curling technique. I use specific irons or wands to achieve different looks!"
On her time away from the styling chair, Besa enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 children. She can also be found attending classes and scouring social media for the most up to date styling techniques and inspirations.
Cynthia hair + makeup artist
Cynthia has been in the beauty industry for over 15 years. From the first year of her career she found a passion for professional wedding hair and makeup on site services. She is certified in both regular as well as airbrush services. She finds joy in the details and is often inspired by vintage and classic formal hair styles and makeup looks.
In addition to styling hair behind the chair at a reputable north-shore salon she also worked as a bi-lingual educator for the world renowned Matrix brand.
Cynthia prides herself in the training she received over the years from top bridal stylists in the hair industry and she continues to aspire and learn new techniques. Her dedication to her work truly shows especially by her dedication to brides on their special day- often staying behind assisting with bridal veils or perfecting those last minute makeup details.
During her free time Cynthia spends her days with her husband, her two little daughters and their families!
zoe formal hair stylist
Formal styling has been a lifelong passion for Zoe. Her interest started at a noticeably young age and grew into the passion she continues to pursue. When the chance for a new chapter in her life presented, Zoe picked up her tools and followed her dreams. Enhancing natural beauty is always her goal and she has a huge appetite for creating. The constants in her life are learning and fine tuning her skills and developing her technique.
When Zoe isn't spending time doing hair she can be found watching the latest inspiration videos and tutorials, spending time with friends and family and working as a dental assistant in Park Ridge.
Many of our clientele love Zoe's constant smile and big personality. She instantly brings life into the room!
uyanga melody hair + makeup artist
Uyanga Melody is a true artist who mastered many skills while attending some of the best schools in the Chicagoland area. Melody started her professional beauty career first as a nail technician. For over 15 years she owned her own nail suite in downtown Chicago. While she enjoyed her clientele and skillset, she chose to expand her knowledge and enrolled at the "Makeup First School." In 2015 she became a certified makeup pro-artist.
Since then Melody's curiosity in the cosmetology field grew stronger and she continued to educate herself - in hair color, hair styling and precision cuts. She graduated from "I M Beauty School of Cosmetology" in Glenview, Illinois as a cosmetologist and certified lash extension artist.
Melody is currently working in the field, improving her skills and has worked at several Asian, European and American salons in the suburbs of Chicago.
Melody enjoys doing hair and makeup outside of the salon and has done many weddings and events. She is proficient in all makeup styles and loves adding a unique "pop of color" to many of her eye makeup applications whenever her clientele is feeling adventurous. When she's not working, Melody loves creating other forms of art such as knitting, crocheting, needling, drawing and crafting with her three kids.
lucyna hair + makeup artist
Lucyna or "Lucy" graduated from Beautiful Image Cosmetology in 2008, Lucyna prides herself on being a fully licensed cosmetologist who is constantly updating her credentials by participating in continual bridal and beauty education.
Her natural passion and ability combined with her artistic eye for detail help Lucyna enhance the natural beauty in each one of her clients.
When Lucyna is not perfecting her skills taking classes or preparing brides for their big day, she can be found participating in all kinds of sporting activities and reading. Lucyna is also proficient in Polish!
yusra hair + makeup artist
Yusra is a naturally born artist. Some joke she was doing hair and makeup from inside the womb! She is a vastly experienced and educated makeup artist. Yusra studied and obtained her makeup license overseas, in Palestine. Since then she continued to study various makeup styles in Jordan and Turkey.
Yusra feels comfortable working with all skin types and makeup styles- from natural to full glam. She enjoys doing makeup on aging skin and can often times be seen beautifying mothers of the bride and groom.
When Yusra puts down her makeup brushes, she can be found focusing on her family, fitness, cars and loving life to it's fullest.
Ayesha hair + makeup artist
Ayesha's love of makeup is eternal. She started practicing on various skin types and ages at an early age of 11! She is proud to say she did makeup and hair on her first bride at the age of 13. When Ayesha got engaged she knew her passion for makeup would extend onto her own big day. Ayesha did her own bridal makeup and also her bridal party's makeup.
She has 10+ years of experience in the hair and makeup community as a freelance artist. In addition to free lance work, she has also worked at Ulta and Sephora salons. Working there Ayesha learned a lot about product knowledge, especially about product ingredients and which components work best on different skin types or problematic skin.
While Ayesha loves educating all her clients on products and makeup techniques, her favorite clients to work on are her brides and their bridal parties. She enjoys "glamming" brides up on their special day. Her signature look is definitely creating big, bright glam eyes with softer lips to create a perfect balance.
Ayesha spends her free time with her bundle of joy - her 6 month old son. When she's not loving on him Ayesha also loves cooking and spending time with her family.
laura makeup artist
Laura Klauser is a professional makeup artist based in Chicago with over 10 years of experience. She started her career with Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, which allowed her to experience and learn about different clientele.
Laura's passion is bridal makeup, which she pursues all over the Chicagoland area. Laura's main goal is to provide her clients with the best experience possible. She is a super detail oriented artist and takes pride in all makeup styles. Laura enjoys both a natural clean beauty look but won't shy away from a more dramatic, glam look!
darlene hair + makeup artist
In the 80's, Darlene's passion became her reality. Her foundation and knowledge comes from her schooling. She has always gravitated towards working as a stylist as well as focusing on continual education.
After many years in the salon, Darlene decided to become an educator for Paul Mitchell, which was filled with inspiration and new challenges. Her creativity is unleashed from participating in hair shows to in salon training, turning her into the educator she is today.
Here come the brides! Darlene's weekends are filled working at styled bridal shoots, bridal parties, fashion shoots or shows for the past 15 years. She's thrown herself into the happiest days of peoples' lives. Having the knowledge of form and function, styling techniques, tips and tricks, has helped her team up with Chicago's top beauty artists-all creating "Happily Ever Afters."
If Darlene isn't found behind the chair doing hair, weddings or educating, she loves to spend her time traveling to see all of the beauty our world has for us to see. Above all, her greatest mission is to make her guests happy and walk away from their time spent with her with a pep in their step and a sparkle in their eye! There is no greater reward, for Darlene, than giving back.
What a beautiful world we live in and a hair and makeup artist can make it that much more stunning!
sabina hair + makeup artist
Sabina Lesniski has been in the beauty industry for over 15 years. Her passion for hair and make-up started at a very young age. Her dream of being hairstylist began when she started her career in Poland where she obtained her Cosmetology license in 2008.
Sabina is currently a stay-at-home mother with 3 beautiful children. Everyday, she inspires her two daughters with her work ethic and her ability to make others happy by creating amazing hair styles.
Sabina treats her clients with kindness and respect, as she does with her family. She aims to make her clients feel confident and beautiful on their special day. She also takes the time to carefully listen to what her clients want, which allows her to create a beautiful finished product!
Arturo has been styling hair for the last 5 years. His biggest passion is formal styles, especially updos. He is skilled in intricate styles which he incorporates in his styles for events and weddings, which makes him an overall versatile artist.
One of Arturo’s favorite styling classes was the Paula Medina Masterclass and Workshop, which he completed in 2021. During this class, Arturo learned many hair styling techniques, some of which included smooth chignon styles and textured ponytails. Arturo also received formal training on how to properly secure clip-in hair extensions for volume and length, which a lot of clients appreciate as we tend to use clip-in hair extensions for a lot of wedding parties.
Arturo feels comfortable taking on large bridal parties and enjoys conversing with his clients while creating his works of art. In addition to the weddings, Arturo has also done many Quinceanera and other event formal hair. On his spare time Arturo can be found working on his mannequins, perfecting his skills or working out. He is very sociable and is always up for a great conversation.
Arturo hair stylist
Jenna is a true artist. Her clients say she literally paints their face as if it was a portrait. She has been in the beauty industry for over 25 years.
Working for MAC Cosmetics for 13 years and 7 with Giorgio Armani Beauty, she is very knowledgeable in all genres of makeup and is very comfortable working with all skin tones and ages. She listens to her client's needs and achieves their looks.
Jenna is very personable and makes everyone feel comfortable in her chair. The most rewarding thing to her is the happy reaction she receives from her clients.
Jenna makeup artist
amy makeup artist
Amy is a seasoned makeup artist of 26 years, who has worked for dozens of cosmetic lines, celebrities, high end salons, TV, makeup/bridal agencies, esthetic services, fantasy/theatrical jobs, and takes on personal clients. Founded in 2018, AMD Beauty llc. began immediately after her 18+ year tenure with MAC Cosmetics, the last 4 years of which she worked at Chicago's original MAC PRO store. Amy is seasoned and knowledgeable in all genres of makeup. She really listens and looks "into" a makeup and her client's needs, rather than just "at" makeup and her client! She listens to your needs and executes accordingly. She is efficient, reliable, and personable.
"I believe communication is key. I have learned that it is the most important part in executing makeup, the dialogue I have with my client about a specific result sheds light on expectation vs. reality, especially when looking into a specific tear, or filtered image."
"I also feel it is so important to make a connection and of course enjoy the experience! Getting Beyond Skin Deep is what it's about. The delicate dance between learning something and leaving something is how I work. Then there's the glow and beauty that comes from within when makeup is finished and a person loves how they feel and what they see...lovely!"
"The ability Amy has to dissect and replicate a look shows true talent, she explained to me how she looks into an image in layers of content, lighting, color, texture, and how they all manipulate each other, rather than looking "at" the image, and it blew my mind." -BDD
pam formal hair stylist
From an early age, Pam has had a love for hair styling. After many years in the healthcare industry, she decided to pursue her passion and start a career in cosmetology. Shortly after graduating from Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, she decided to open her own business doing hair color and cuts, but bridal styling still remains her first true love. She also specializes in balayage, lived in color, curly hair cuts, and fashion color and teaches braiding classes to the community.
She is very dedicated to her craft and believes in perfecting the details. Pam loves making people feel beautiful. Her favorite style is the boho bridal style and Pam in general loves to create any intricate braids.
In her spare time, you can find her doing anything creative. She loves fashion, crafting, wig painting, art, gardening and cooking. She is a foodie that is constantly trying new restaurants and creating her own new recipes. She also has been doing aerial arts and contortion training for the past decade. And, of course, is consistently taking bridal styling classes and training with some of the best artists in the industry to keep up with the trends to constantly improve on her skills.
eva makeup artist
Eva has always been artistic, from oil painting at a young age, to makeup artistry now. She has always had a desire to express her creativity. In 2014, she received her makeup certificate and began offering services professionally.
Eva specializes in natural, soft glam and airbrush, however, she also loves being able to create bold, full glam looks. She is not afraid of colorful makeup as she has had formal training in color theory. Eva says the more colors the better!
She strives to make all her clients look and feel their best as makeup artistry is more than just a job or a hobby- it is an expression of who she is!
lorraina makeup artist
Lorraina has 9 plus years of experience in the beauty industry. She is a certified artist, advanced in airbrushing and custom, on-site spray tanning. She has honed her skills in all aspects of the makeup industry, from bridal, special events to fashion and editorial looks.
Lorriana's passion for enhancing natural beauty and creating stunning transformations has driven her even more towards helping women.
Lorriana is also an educator for personal and for a nonprofit in helping women learn makeup skills and posing for headshots within their workspace.
She is a dedicated mom of two! She understands the importance of balancing creativity with practicality. Lorraina always ensures her clients leave feeling confident and radiant for any occasion.