CEO BEAUTY NYC — Local services in New York

I discovered CEOBeauty's cofounder, Tatiana Li, on Instagram and immediately became fond of her work. Despite so, I didn't quite love the quote that she gave me. She was among the pricier HMU artists that I reached out to, but I still ended up booking her because I knew she would be worth the investment. Indeed, she was.

Tatiana came across as an extremely professional, straightforward, and no-frills type of gal in our emails. But I was in for a pleasant surprise when we met up for my HMU trial and she displayed such wonderful humor, banter, and warmth. It blended perfectly with the upbeat music playing from her phone in her bright and clean studio in KTown.

I liked that she frequently asked if I was liking what she was doing rather than waiting until she was done with everything. She was very receptive to feedback and whenever she had a better idea, she relayed it gently. She made the right call using cluster lashes on me so they're a lot more comfortable than the usual falsies. When I got home from the trial, she went the extra mile to ask for additional feedback via email. After some back and forth, we agreed to change the style of my bangs, which I thought would suit my face shape more, and make the updo higher. I wasn't sure what to expect on the day of the wedding but the changes turned out great!

Tatiana and her partner arrived early at my hotel even though it was already an early start. So I wouldn't worry about her punctuality. She is also very kind - fixing my bridal robe for me when I took pictures and even starring in some of the photos for the pretend getting ready shots. It was nice how even after 12 hours, my makeup was pretty intact, but a piece of hair did get loose. It wasn't a big deal though.

The only "problematic" area was my mom and SIL didn't like their hairstyles done by Tatian's partner that much. However, I think it would've been a different case if they listened and showed up with inspo pictures.

All in all, I'd highly recommend Tatiana...

If you are a bride looking for natural, clean, timeless hair and makeup for your big day–run, do not walk, to hire Alena and her team. They are outstanding at what they do.

From the moment I found Alena's portfolio and contacted her, I knew I was in good hands. She is not simply professional, organized, and talented. She becomes a genuine friend to you, who you are happy to spend hours of your big day with, and that is invaluable.

Alena and I did a trial a few months prior, and in truth, I was not pleased with my hair leaving the appointment. This was not at all at the fault of Alena. I had no idea what I actually wanted to do with my hair, so I was confused and unhappy with myself. Alena and I workshopped some ideas together afterwards, and she invited me back in for a complimentary hair trial so we could get it right and make sure we were both confident before the big day. THAT is the level of service you can anticipate when booking Alena. An incredible amount of kindness, care, and thoughtfulness. She NAILED a new vision at that second trial and recreated it identically on my wedding day.

I looked and felt so beautiful, from the inside out, on my wedding day because of Alena. Flawless makeup that truly made me feel like the best version of myself, and stunning hair that was not only perfect upon finishing, but stayed perfect throughout the entire day. All of my bridesmaids and mom/MIL also looked and felt absolutely fantastic, which is no small feat. I could not recommend Alena & her team's services more to...

I had the pleasure of working with Tatiana and Alena for my wedding in May, and they were the absolute best. I was initially hesitant to book them because of the price point but they're worth every penny! I had a trial with an independent HMU artist at first and didn't love their execution of my vision so I immediately booked a trial with Tatiana and felt so much more comfortable in her hands. Even though Tatiana was already booked for an early morning wedding on my wedding day, she was super flexible and still made herself available to me -- which I was so grateful for!

I ultimately decided on a different makeup look for my wedding day and Tatiana seamlessly adjusted and delivered a more glamorous version of my everyday style. My makeup stayed flawless throughout the entire day and slightly faded to a more natural look as the night went on (which I loved!). Alena also deserves a shoutout, my friends loved their looks and said it was the best they've had at any wedding they've been a part of. In addition to their incredible talent, Tatiana and Alena were friendly, punctual, and professional. I couldn't have asked for a better team to help me prepare for the big day, thank you...