Hair & Makeup by Yisell Santos Reviews
Reviews
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![Ali]()
Ali Sent on 01/10/2026Made My Wedding Day Look Perfect
I first met Yisell when she did my hair and makeup for my best friend’s wedding. I immediately loved not only her work but also how comfortable and confident she made me feel. When it came time for my own wedding, I knew without a doubt that she was the one I wanted for my special day.
From my hair and makeup trial through the wedding day itself, she was incredibly professional, attentive, and talented. She made me feel absolutely beautiful and ensured my look was exactly what I had envisioned. On the wedding day, her assistants were just as amazing, doing a fantastic job with the bridesmaids, my mom, and the mother of the groom. They were also so patient and kind while styling the young flower girl's hair, which we truly appreciated. The entire team was wonderful to work with.
I couldn’t recommend Yisell more highly to any bride looking for a hair and makeup artist who is both skilled and genuinely caring. -
![Christina]()
Christina Sent on 01/09/2024So happy Yisell was my HMU artist!!
Yisell is amazing. Yisell is so knowledgeable about makeup and hairstyles and is exceptional at her craft. I absolutely loved the way I looked on my wedding day and she made that happen! I also extended the time that she was there at the venue to do a 2nd hairstyle during cocktail hour. It was SOOO worth it! My wedding on December 10, ended up being rainy, 90% humidity and in the 50’s-60’s. My hair was not having it, so having her there for longer to touch up my hair and makeup a little between my first look and the ceremony made me feel confident and comfortable with my hair and makeup. Having her there to do a 2nd hairstyle (from down to a low pony) felt so good after dealing with the humidity and just being warm from being in a huge wedding dress. -
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![Morgan]()
Morgan Sent on 05/24/2023Amazing H&MU!!
Yisell was incredible. She took excellent care of me, my bridesmaids, and the moms. She was so fun and did such a great job!! Her assistants were no less excellent, everyone was so pleased with how they looked and everyone's hair and make up held up through a long night of dancing. I know at least one of my bridesmaids will be calling Yisell when it's her turn. Thank you Yisell! Rock on! -
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![Caroline]()
Caroline Sent on 08/30/2022The first vendor I knew I had to book
Right after the venue was set, Yisell was the first wedding vendor I booked. She has a bold and confident vibe that I felt I could only dream of having on a day that I’d be having my photo taken tons of times, so I knew I had to book her. I can honestly say now that it was the best decision. Not only does she bring expert-level skill to the art of making you look gorgeous, but she is also so easy to talk to and fun to hang out with. By the time your hair and makeup are done, you don’t just look good but you feel good and comfortable and happy and beautiful–exactly what you need to be confident for all those photos. She’s easy to discuss look ideas with and makes great recommendations; I barely knew what I wanted and she guided me in the right direction, helping me to try new things (like two full packs of extensions) without losing my authentic self. She’s also super professional and communicative, so you can relax knowing that your beauty timelines will be right on schedule the day of. Plus, my bridesmaids loved her and the second stylist she brought along (big shout out to Kristin, she also rocks). We had a great time getting all made up, in no small part because they made it fun. I also spent a large portion of my trial session with her puppy in my lap, so as if this was not already a rave review, it certainly is now. -
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![Dezirae]()
Dezirae Sent on 12/09/2021Out of this world
Yisell! I can’t say enough about you! From the very beginning I new your style of hair and make up was everything I wanted. I’ve done boudoir shoots, engagements shoots, milk bath shoots and just recently my wedding with you and each one couldn’t have gone more perfect thanks to you. I’ve trusted you from the beginning and I will continue to trust you for all my future hair and make up needs. Yisell was my first vendor I seen on my wedding day, she was the calm voice I needed to start such an early and busy morning. To say her style and expertise is out of this world is an understatement because she delivers nothing short of perfection. I planned my entire wedding around a date she was available for not once but THREE times ( thanks covid ). Thanks for being simply you, someone to laugh with, someone to cheers with and someone to enjoy each day with.
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![Elise]()
Elise Sent on 10/25/2021Amazing and more
I love Yisell! She is professional, mega talented, and just plain cool. Her and her team did an outstanding job on my entire bridal party. They took the time to hear the desired looks and then created magic. Yisell was able to create the perfect hair and makeup look for me even with little guidance since I was completely clueless. I am so thankful to have found her! -
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Kim W. Sent on 10/17/2021
Couldn't be happier
Yisell was absolutely a dream to work with, from preview to day-of execution. I hired her for both hair and make up services and I was so, so happy with her work. We worked together from reference images and I had a few tweaks on the actual day once I saw the fresh floral comb the florist made. She totally nailed the adjustments to my hair and make up. She also did my MIL's make up and her assistant (who was also wonderful) did my mom and aunts' make up and everyone was super happy with their results. Don't hesitate, Yisell's amazing! -
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Bianca Sent on 07/12/2021
A Fancier Version of Myself!
Yisell was an absolute joy and pleasure to work with during all of my key wedding events. Her approach to beauty really resonated with me, and I love how she used my natural beauty, skin tone, and features, to create a more fancier version of myself! I left each appointment feeling stunning and gorgeous, yet still myself, which was very important to me.
As a prospective client, all you have to do is take a quick glance at Yisell’s portfolio, and her talent jumps off the page! Truly beautiful work in every single photo. In addition to being a wonderful hair & make-up artist, however, I think there a few special traits that set Yisell apart from others in her industry, of which (1) her professionalism, (2) welcoming, congenial personality and (3) genuine care for her clients, are just a few.
- Professionalism: Yisell is extremely timely and organized. Every time we worked together she was on time, and we were never rushed with any of the services. In fact, on the wedding day we were about an hour ahead of schedule, which was wonderful. Also, as I went back and forth on which services to purchase for my wedding day, she was very accommodating with all of the changes, did not pressure me in one direction over the other, and was very prompt with ensuring everything was captured in our updated contract. A huge help for any bride trying to stay on top of contracts and finances!
- Positive Personality and Energy: Yisell has this ability to connect with, and make whomever she’s working with, instantly feel at home and comfortable. I was always genuinely excited before each of our beauty appointments because she’s just an absolutely lovely person to be around! On the morning of my wedding she brought the perfect amount of excitement and positivity, which is exactly what a bride wants as they prepare for the big day!
- Care for Clients: I had a few special requests for my wedding day, (i.e., including my young nieces in the getting ready process), and Yisell very graciously and willingly accommodated them without any hesitations or concerns. She understood that having the girls there was important to me, and truly went above and beyond to make them feel extra special and included during the big day. Each of them independently shared that getting ready was one of their favorite parts of the wedding, and Yisell was a key part in shaping those memories for them.
Yisell loves her brides and will go the extra mile to make your day extra special. I would highly recommend her to any bride, and hope to work with her again soon in the future for all the special occasions yet to come! Thank you again, Yisell, for making my day so special!
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![Ana]()
Ana L. Sent on 07/08/2021Just as expected
We had such a great day with Yisell and her colleague. I hired Yisell before COVID and she was extremely helpful and flexible with all of the postponements. My wedding was on hot day in June and Yisell was very flexible with making changes to reassure we all looked great for the big day. -
![Nmpivonka]()
Norly Sent on 03/04/2021This lady is amazing!
Yisell was absolutely amazing and very talented. I loved working with her. She did my bridal hair and she nailed it! She is professional yet super fun! She was punctual and responsive to all my questions - she even helped me pick my hair extensions! I highly recommend her and you should hire her! DO IT! -
Kayla Sent on 09/02/2020
Wonderful!
Absolutely amazing! I reached out to Yisell not knowing if I was going to be able to have my hair and makeup done for my wedding day due to various reasons and concerns, but Yisell did not hesitate to respond to my inquiries in a timely fashion and take on the job. I sent pictures to give an idea on how I envisioned my hair (I was going to be wearing a veil and hair comb) and makeup for my wedding day and was able to talk to Yisell about what I wanted and asked her if it was possible to get “the look” I wanted. Without a trial prior to my wedding day, Yisell did my hair and makeup the morning of and absolutely delivered on what I had envisioned and more! I felt gorgeous, confident, and my hair and makeup stayed in place all day. Yisell is amazing, kind, listens to what YOU want for YOUR wedding day, offers feedback, and will surely give you the hair and makeup of your dreams. I would absolutely recommend her for anyone wanting their hair and makeup done for any occasion. -
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![Jillian]()
Jillian Sent on 05/04/2020Yisell is the Best!
Yisell made me and my girls feel so beautiful on my wedding day. I still look at the pictures and think, wow this is the best I've ever looked! It was an early start, but Yisell made us feel so comfortable; she is so friendly and sincere, (and hilarious!) I couldn't have imagined a better experience. -
![Alexa]()
Alexa Sent on 10/13/2019Yisell made me feel beautiful and confident!
I would highly recommend Yisell for any hair and makeup needs! I booked her to do my wedding hair and makeup. As soon as I inquired with her, she gave me a call to learn more about what I was look for. I really appreciated that because I got to know her more and feel more at ease. The trial was great in that she listened to what I wanted and made suggestions where I had questions. On my wedding day, I loved that she still made me look like myself, only elevated. Her friendliness and organization on an otherwise hectic day, was also appreciated. My hair and makeup stayed in tact throughout the day (and evening). I cannot thank her enough for the wonderful work!
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![Caroline]()
Caroline Sent on 08/08/2019Beautiful Look!
Yisell and her team did an amazing job on my wedding day! I wanted my look to be as soft as possible since I don't wear too much makeup normally. She made the perfect look to make sure the photos turned out great without the look or feel of too much foundation. My makeup stayed on through the hot sun, happy tears, and lots of dancing. I was extremely impressed and thankful! As an added bonus, she did my mom's makeup too which left the father of the bride speechless. It was definitely a sweet moment to remember! As for the day itself, it was very relaxed and ahead of schedule. It was truly a blessing to feel so calm while we were all getting ready. Overall throughout the whole process with Yisell she was very attentive, professional, and kind. I highly recommend her!! -
![Niyati]()
Niyati Sent on 10/18/2018Definitely Nailed It!
Yisell did an absolutely amazing job with my hair and makeup for my engagement pictures and for two wedding ceremonies. She nailed creating a beautiful and unique look each time! She listens to what you have in mind and delivers that vision. Even more, she is so sweet and genuine and you can tell she really cares about her clients. I truly enjoyed my time sitting in the chair and getting ready. Oh and she is great with moms too! I would definitely recommend Yisell whenever you want to get dolled up! -
![starrEknight]()
Jackie Sent on 06/07/2018I LOVE this woman! Yisell is amazingly talented at bringing your vision into fruition in a way that honors your inspiration and highlights your unique features. I really wish I could clone her and shrink her to have my makeup and hair done by Yisell whenever needed. My photographer referred me to Yisell for hair and makeup services and I'm so grateful for that. Yisell provided hair and make up for both my engagement photos and wedding day. She took the time to ask about my hair texture and well I hold curl so that she could provide me the proper loose curl/wave for my engagement photos. Then for my wedding day I did an up-do and she allowed me to test out my ability to get down on the dance floor in her workspace during my consultation :) On the day of our wedding she secured my hair so well that it did not budge in the strong winds we had or while I got down on the dance floor all night. Yisell's makeup application had me feeling stunning all day and night! My bridemaids and mother loved being pampered by Yisell as well and I can say they looked amazing! She is fantastic with feedback, for instance I wanted a thinner line along my upper last because of my little eyes and she did it perfectly! I highly, HIGHLY recommend Yisell for makeup and hair services to bring your vision to life while also honoring your natural beauty! -
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![Arthi]()
Arthi Sent on 04/22/2018For my makeup trials, Yisell’s expertise was very helpful in guiding me to the final looks I chose for my hair and makeup. She always has a bright smile and has a genuine kindness to her that soothes any concerns a bride might have about her choices for hair and makeup.
During planning, we had to make some adjustments to our day-of schedule and Yisell was great about working with us to adjust her schedule to fit our needs.
The day of, Yisell (and her assistant) did not disappoint. They came to our getting ready location on time and made my bridal party and my mother look absolutely beautiful.
For my own hair and makeup, Yisell made it look flawless and it lasted all night long.
Yisell has a great sense of what the right shades of makeup for different skin tones are. My family has a dark tan complexion and my bridal party and husband (to whom she also applied makeup to, in order to reduce his under-eye circles and give him some color, so he didn’t look as washed out in photographs) all have pale and olive complexions.
And, on the day of, my father had a terrible cold sore come up and her (unscheduled) makeup application to it made it look like he had nothing there at all.
I am so glad that I found Yisell to do my wedding day look, I recommend her to brides in the DMV and I look forward to using her services in the future!
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![Sweet Andi]()
Andrea Sent on 03/30/2018Yisell is such a darling to work with! She is very kind, thoughtful, and a general down to earth rock star. Her assistant was wonderful as well. She did so much more than just hair and makeup for the wedding. She gave wonderful advice on skin care leading up to the wedding and even helped me pick out extensions that I could use on my special day. She gave us a emergency makeup care kit for the rest of the evening and waited until the photographer was in full swing until making sure everyone had final touch ups before she left. Would definitely recommend for any event! -
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Christine Sent on 11/11/2017Yisell was such a delight to work with. Not only is she super easy to talk to, which made the whole time fun, but she listened to what I wanted, what I would be the most comfortable with, and also took into consideration what would make photographs turn out the best. She knew the photographer and his style, which was great. All of the ladies who had their hair and make-up done came out looking wonderful! I would highly recommend Yisell (and make sure to do a trial in advance!)
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![ZeldaBride]()
Courtney Sent on 05/10/2017It was a serendipitous accident that I met Yisell through our shared fitness studio. After looking over her website (which is super user friendly) and comparing her prices to other makeup artists in the Northern Virginia area, I noticed that she didn't set her prices crazy high like a couple studios I found, making her budget friendly. While she wasn't the most inexpensively priced artist I researched, the quality of her work as shown in her portfolio made up the difference and then some. For my trial, I took some inspiration pictures to her, let her know what I was thinking of, and she made some recommendations that I'm so glad I took - instead of doing just plain, natural looking makeup, we went with a bolder eye shadow and lip color. It was so beautiful, I didn't have to ask for any changes! On the day of, she was able to replicate the same look exactly, plus she also brought me a small emergency kit for touch ups, which included extra lipstick and gloss, q-tips, makeup remover for that night. and under-eye cooling pads for the next day's recovery!
I definitely consider Yisell to be one of, if not *the* best vendor I booked for the day, and I 100% plan to book her services again for makeup shopping and instruction! -
![Kristin]()
Kristin Sent on 08/29/2016Yisell, was FABULOUS!!!! She was always on time and courteous from our initial consultation, to the trial, to day of. Her prices are reasonable and the results will last well into the end of your wedding day. She did my make up, the make up for my matron of honor, and hair for my mother and four bridesmaids all in about 4 hours. She listens to exactly what you want and works with you to make sure she gets it right. I was worried that from the heat of the day and from crying that my make up would be ruined but she assured me that I would not melt hahaha. She was right, her make up stood up too many tears and 90+ degree weather. I also loved Yisell and recommend her because she is able to do makeup and hair for various skin colors and hair textures. My main concern being an African American woman with a wedding party of various ethnicities was finding someone in what is honestly a very Caucasian centered wedding community in Northern, VA. She assuaged all my worries with her portfolio and years of experience. If you are looking for the best go with Yisell you will not be sorry.
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