Client Reviews | drake-artistry

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Love Notes

When I was looking for hair/makeup for my wedding, I knew I wanted a team who could do both. I also knew I wanted someone who has extensive experience with my facial features. Crystal Drake did an amazing job for my mom, my bridesmaids, and myself. My trial was 4 months before my wedding, and I was able to schedule it so it was the same day as my engagement photos. Crystal is SO thorough and easy to work with. I was planning this wedding from a completely different time zone, and she was very accommodating/understanding of my schedule. She uses a portal which includes all of your documents/contracts/important information. One thing that really stood out to me about Crystal during my first meeting with her before deciding was she asked me who my photographer was so she could match my makeup to my photographer’s style. This was a detail I didn’t even think about, but made so much sense. She has questionnaires for you to fill out ahead of time so she can get a better sense of what you want. At my trial she asked what specifically I liked about each of the photos so she could help me achieve the look I wanted. I wanted natural looking makeup since I don’t wear makeup often. I wanted a dewy/glowy look with fluffy eyebrows. During the trial she made sure to always ask me what I liked and didn’t like. She was always open to feedback and listened to what I wanted. She would also give feedback regarding certain things that maybe would not work well or achieve the look I wanted, which I really appreciated because I am not a professional. She took notes throughout the whole thing to make sure I would have the perfect look. At the end of my trial, she took test photos with similar lighting/editing as my photographer to make sure my makeup captured correctly. Even after my trial, she followed up to make sure I liked the way my makeup looked in my engagement photos. Crystal sent a day off schedule ahead of time and asked if I needed to make any changes. The week before and the few days before she confirmed time/location/services. Come wedding day, her team was of course incredible! We got ready at my parents’ place. They came right on time, and we finished with 40 minutes to spare. If you are looking for hair/makeup for your big day, Crystal Drake is your go to!

I had such a great experience with Crystal on my wedding day! My hair and makeup held up all night with zero issues. My bridesmaids looked stunning and I couldn’t have been happier. Would 100% recommend Drake Artistry

Crystal Drake Artistry were the best hair team I could possibly imagine working with during our wedding weekend!!! As soon as I met Crystal during our trial and watched her nail all 3 of my looks, I knew she was the perfect fit for me. Throughout the process, she was timely, organized, and so accommodating to all the last minute changes in the timeline. During a chaotic Indian wedding weekend, Crystal had the BEST attitude and brought so much ease when I was sitting in her chair (which was probably close to 5 hours total). She truly goes above and beyond and clearly cares about her brides - for example, giving me ice packs when my knuckles were sore from all the bangle changes :), helping with mid-ceremony outfit changes, etc. Most importantly, Crystal’s skillset is exceptional as she was able to create the perfect South Indian braid that I envisioned. She is well-experienced in all the accessories Indian brides wear and made the day-of process seamless. Her looks for our moms were also spot on! I cannot recommend Crystal enough, especially for any South Asian brides!!!

I am Chinese American and typically don’t wear make up (and have never worn foundation before). I obviously wanted a full face of makeup on my wedding day, but knew that a heavy full face would make me look silly instead of glamourous. I specifically wanted to look at portfolios of MUA that have done make up on asian eye shapes as I have struggled with eyeshadow and eyeliner on my own eyes watching generic YT clips. I was so happy to find Drake Artistry Collective. They have a portfolio showcasing their capabilities doing natural make up on Asian Americans and their capabilities of doing heavier makeup as well. I shared my concerns of not wanting to “feel the heaviness of makeup on my face” and the fact that my hair is extremely thin/fine and gets oily very easily. Crystal listened to these concerned and told me exactly how she would handle it. She was great in her explanation on what she does and how she differs from other vendors. I had reached out to several before finding her and after speaking to her on the phone, I knew to move forward with her. Trial run went perfectly - she even took some pictures in a “professional” setting to show me how the makeup would look like in certain lighting. We touched base after the trial to ensure everything lasted as it should and any tweaks that were needed. On the day of, her and her team arrived on time and were professional the whole time. I had a large bridal party of 8 people as well as my mom and MIL AND the flower girl. And they were great in timing things out and leaving space for any touch ups that were required. They even thought to schedule out each of my girls according to hair thickness and etc. Everything was perfectly planned. I would 100000% recommend them to anyone looking for a MUA.

Crystal is truly outstanding! She is the best of the best. Crystal went above and beyond to make my experience the best that it could possibly be. She is so knowledgable and experienced. Crystal listened to my vision and executed it perfectly. She is an excellent collaborator and helped me come up with a wedding look where I felt beautiful, confident, but still like myself. I could not recommend Crystal and her team enough!

I am overjoyed that Drake Artistry Collective was able to provide the hair and makeup for my wedding last Saturday! Crystal and her team were attentive, learned what look we were trying to achieve and provided this service better than we could have ever imaged. They were so gentle with us from our first meeting and helped us radiate our joy from within needing few touch ups despite tearing up at the alter! Thank you ladies for being so good at your craft!

Crystal Drake was wonderful to work with for our lively Indian wedding festivities! She was flexible and supportive during the trial as we tested out different looks and ideas, came prepared with a water bottle and touch up kit for me to keep during the long wedding day, and made sure I was happy with my look. Crystal helped me nail a fresh, desi, bridal vibe while still feeling like myself. Highly recommend her services!

I loved working with Crystal! Makeup & Hair was one of the most important things I wanted to get right for my wedding day. From the initial consultation call, Crystal was very knowledgeable about Asian features and able to provide clear answers to my questions. My trial was long but detail oriented, I loved the way Crystal communicated and was able to give productive advice for my makeup and hair. The day of, my hair and makeup turned out better than I could've imagined. My bridesmaids were also really pleased with their hair and makeup as well. During the retention service, Crystal went above and beyond to keep me hydrated, and provided snacks, and touchups to my hair, makeup, and even my dress! All in all, I highly recommend Crystal and her team to be a part of anyone's wedding day!

Crystal and her team are insanely talented at what they do. This is the best bridal makeup I could find in Michigan and it did NOT disappoint! Beyond that, Crystal and her team are LGBTQ+-friendly, provide excellent advice and recommendations regarding hair/makeup choices, etc. At the venue, they made sure we were hydrated and gave us nifty heel protectors which helped with our balance when wearing heels for so many hours in one day. Crystal is very communicative and organized, which makes things far less stressful leading up to, and day of, the wedding.

Being a bride who never wears makeup, Crystal made it feel like I wasn't wearing any. From my trial to the day of, Crystal was extremely patient with me. She knew it wasn't my wheelhouse and made me feel at ease. I had worries and she assured me it would look natural. My bridesmaids and mom looked wonderful too! The groomsmen received grooming and looked great too. I'm so happy that service was offered by her. She made everyone look fantastic and gave guidance on how to ensure our skin would recover well after the night which I had never thought about but was extremely helpful! If you're worried about the makeup aspect like I was, I would highly recommend you hire Crystal!

Crystal and her team did an amazing job! I had an interracial wedding and my bridal party was very diverse. I especially love how Crystal and her team had experience working with people from all kinds of backgrounds. I was very nervous about MUAs having a "one size fits all" approach when it came to doing hair and makeup. I wanted everyone in my bridal party and myself to look and feel beautiful. I did not go wrong with hiring Drake Artistry Collective. Every single one of us, including my mom and MIL, loved our look! I also appreciated how they took cleanliness seriously. Only critique I have is that Crystal is usually very busy, so she might not always respond right away. But she still gets 5 stars from me because it was all worth it!

I only have the best things to say about Crystal and Drake Artistry! Crystal was amazing, starting from the very beginning! I live out of state so I was anxious about booking trials/etc. but Crystal was very flexible in working with me on dates, and her communication/response time was excellent. I loved the professional headshots she does at the trial as it gives you a great idea of what to expect on your wedding day! The day of, my hair was exactly as I envisioned and my makeup held up all day for pictures. Her retaining services were a great addition - she was with me a large portion of the day to fix my lipstick for pictures, provide water/mints, and also ice packs (married in the heat of June.) I was extremely pleased with all the services of Drake Artistry - thank you, Crystal, for making our day so memorable!

Drake Artistry did my wedding makeup and we had a great experience! Crystal was really flexible with me when I had some last minute changes to our schedule and her whole team was great to work with. She was totally prepared for everything, I had her follow us to the ceremony site and she made sure my hair and makeup looked perfect before and after our first look photos and before walking down the aisle. She even had a straw for me so I could drink water without smudging my lipstick. Definitely recommend!

Crystal and her team (I worked with Sarah, Angela, and Maddie) were AMAZING! From the initial inquiry to my wedding day they were so helpful and kind. The trial that they offer is wonderful and Crystal even takes professional quality pictures to send to you so you can look it over and see if you want to change anything about your look. The day of the wedding was perfect. Everyone arrived on time and they were very professional. I booked the retain service in case I needed touch ups before/after the ceremony but my hair and makeup looked great literally all night. I was extremely impressed because typically my hair doesn’t hold curl that well. I am so glad that I had Drake Artistry there for me on my wedding day. They are the highest quality hair and makeup artists that you could ask for!

I had a difficult time finding someone who I felt I could trust with my wedding day makeup. The thing that made my decision easy was Crystal's in-studio, unedited close-ups of her work. Crystal is extremely professional and a good communicator - I always knew what I needed to do to be prepared for my trial and my wedding day. She also takes health and sanitation seriously which was really important to me. I highly recommend her retain service as well - having her on hand during photos and after our ceremony for any touchups was great for my peace of mind.

Crystal Drake and her team did an exceptional job for my bridal H&MU. They arrived promptly and worked around the tricky nuances of the hotel suite and efficiently got all bridesmaid/attendant services done on time in addition to mine. Our H&MU held throughout the day and into the night, even with a slight drizzle and through dancing. She listened to what I asked for and delivered spectacularly! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for wedding services.

Very friendly and professional. They were very focused on not only making sure my hair and make up was exactly what I wanted but also that I was comfortable and having a good day. They made sure to ask what wedding party member might need extra assistance or might be high maintenance to make sure the day could really be about me. my hair and makeup held up really well though the whole night. I highly recommend their retainer service to have someone with you through major photos since some cool photos ideas, like my veil over my head, often can mess up hair and makeup.

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