hair & makeup :: WowPretty

Dana - 07/14/2009 Awesome
i have known jira as a great makeup artist. but i don't know much about her as a hairstylist. one day, i gave it a shot because my stylist happened to be not available on that day and i needed to do it before my trip. and so i contacted jira to do my hair, i.e., hair cut, color and highlight. she's very detailed and perfectionist from choosing the perfect color and highlight for my hair. overall, i'm very satisfied with the result and i would like to get her service again in the future.

Mary - 10/23/2008 Awesome
Everyone,

Wowpretty did my hair and makeup for my wedding and I received compliments on it all night long. She and her assistant also did the two moms and 3 of my bridesmaids. To be honest my mom later tells me she and my Mother in law didn't really like their hair which Jira's assistant did. I thought it looked okay and would probably had been more satisfactory to them had they brought in photos of what they wanted instead of just describing it.

Jira from the beginning has been very professional and very quick to respond to all of my emails/inquiries.

Sasha brook - 10/11/2008 Awesome


She is awesome! She has a great thick Thai accent and she listens well. Her work is awesome! Her price is decent too. Very professional & dependable. She is simply the best!

Rachel7708 - 09/28/2008 Awesome

rachel - 07/07/2008
I want to recommend Jira and the Wowpretty team for any brides who need makeup and hair for their wedding day. She did amazing job for my family and I and I couldn't be more delighted by the results. Jira is not only a true professional, but she also so friendly and fun and made my wedding day more relaxed and run smoother.

I had gotten so many compliments from friends and family and after looking through my photos (again), I had to let everyone know what a fantastic job she did. Not only that, I think she is an incredible value for the services she provides. I would expect the skill and experience she has that she would be charging much more. I suspect that she will be raising her prices soon as I'm sure the word is getting out about how wonderful her and her team are.

Anyways, if you want someone who you can count on for doing the job right, I would check out Jira and the Wowpretty team. I definitely am very happy and grateful to my friend who recommended her to me.

cc t. - 09/19/2008 Awesome
For our June 28, 2008 wedding, I am eternally grateful that I booked WowPretty’s services for my hair and makeup (H&M). Jira T., owner of WowPretty, was the first artist I visited, and I would gladly repeat my choice. Her talent and passion for the work is abundantly evident, and she is professional in every way.

Trials:
My first trial was in Dec 2007, for a cost of $125. I use make-up infrequently, so relied on photos from a recent issue of a Hong Kong wedding magazine to convey the effect I wanted to achieve: a natural, glowing look that is fancier than usual, but not overly dramatic. Jira listened and also gave feedback and pointed out which looks would work better for a “real life” wedding, as opposed to on models in a studio.

I decided to try a few new techniques that I had not previously considered. The first was the air-brush foundation. All I did (and Jira continuously gave clear instructions) was close my eyes and hold my breath while she sprayed liquid foundation all over my face. Just felt like rain mist which dried very quickly into one smooth covering. Highly recommended.

The second technique was false eyelashes. Jira attached them with minimal irritation to my eyes, and when I looked in the mirror, what a difference – they do help to achieve a much “lusher” look, especially in photos. Again, highly recommended.

I felt Jira was very down-to-earth and not pushy at all in trying to “up-sell” her skills and talent. She is decisive and efficient, but was constantly seeking my feedback. She also liked to keep a friendly banter going, although English is not her first language. I booked her within a week by sending her a check for 50% deposit.

In May, I emailed Jira a photo of an up-do that I liked, and she thought it would work very nicely. She did recommend, though, that I get my hair trimmed appropriately before our second trial, so I had her do it at a salon space that she rents in San Mateo for $50. I was quite happy with the result – long layers on both sides, with side bangs.

After reviewing the first trial photos, Jira thought that the first color scheme – lilac/purple– might be a bit too pale. So at my second trial, two weeks before the wedding (another $125), we chose a deeper palette of brown and rose tones for a warmer and richer effect, with touches of lilac to match my sisters/bridesmaids’ gowns and make-up. Jira was also able to replicate the up-do that I requested. After my sisters saw the photos, we knew that we got it.

Wedding Day:
We were running late while Jira had arrived a bit earlier than our 10:30 start. But she just patiently waited outside the suite with all her gear while my sisters made a mad dash over to the hotel. Once everyone was on site, Jira got down to business. My sisters had only arrived from Canada a couple days ago, so never had a trial with Jira, but boy were they astounded! Jira gave them both air-brush foundation and false lashes, and they looked ravishing. My older sister, who had gone through the bridesmaid experience once before in Toronto and came out of that H&M experience feeling everything was too heavy-handed, could not stop telling me how much MORE she liked Jira’s work.

I arrived shortly before 1pm, and Jira did her magic once more. Within an hour, she had recreated the flawless look that lasted me until midnight that day. She also dusted some shimmer powder over my shoulders and collarbone, for the “Hollywood” factor, as she liked to put it!

My fiancé isn’t one to rave about make-up (he usually barely notices its effects, and only points it out on other women / celebrities when it’s obviously badly/too heavily done). That day, though, when he saw me in the hotel room, he could not stop smiling and telling me how pretty I looked. So that’s saying a lot 

Jira’s efforts were noticed all throughout the day by family, friends and total strangers. The flow of compliments just did not stop! Even now, three months later, my relatives all over the world are still referring to the photos they received and telling us how beautiful we looked.

Communication:
Except on certain summer weekends heading into and during peak wedding season, Jira never failed to respond to my emails within 24 hours. She also called me to follow up on additional trial dates and logistics for the final location for wedding day H&M.

Cost:
Wedding day H&M services were $650 for us three girls. Compared to a lot of providers in the Bay area, Jira is affordable – many places charge this sort of price for makeup alone. In an industry that frequently over-promises and under-delivers, and is fraught with ludicrous pricing because the word “wedding” is involved, I believe that Jira’s services are first-class, and her prices quite reasonable.