Jessica Sent on 10/26/2009

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When I started looking for a hair and make-up vendor, I was very discouraged. I didn't think I would be able to afford a professional for the day of my wedding. I did two make-up trails for make-up and neither of them were up to my standards. The other issue was my budget. Some vendors were charging CRAZY amounts, even for a trial.

Thank GOD for PW becuse I never would have found Giao!! Prismis and SfbridefromLA posted their trail pics, and I really liked them, so I contacted Giao..and her prices were just right! Once I talked to her on the phone, I was sold! But..I was afraid of being disappointed again. I live in Fairfield, and...

When I started looking for a hair and make-up vendor, I was very discouraged. I didn't think I would be able to afford a professional for the day of my wedding. I did two make-up trails for make-up and neither of them were up to my standards. The other issue was my budget. Some vendors were charging CRAZY amounts, even for a trial.

Thank GOD for PW becuse I never would have found Giao!! Prismis and SfbridefromLA posted their trail pics, and I really liked them, so I contacted Giao..and her prices were just right! Once I talked to her on the phone, I was sold! But..I was afraid of being disappointed again. I live in Fairfield, and was dreading having to drive to San Jose, so Giao offered to meet me at her salon on her day off in Fremont. This was a HUGE plus for me.

I got to the salon a bit too early and got to watch Giao finish the trial of another PW girl...this made me even more excited! Giao was very honest with me, when I asked her about extentions, she laughed at me and said no. lol. (check my bio and you'll understand why). I felt very comfortable with her, and for the first time in this wedding process, I decided not to micro manage! lol

There came a time in my trial where I almost crapped my pants lol. Giao brushed my eyebrows and gave me a wierd look. She told me we need to do something with them. Not only did they need to be trimmed, but they also needed to be shapped. They dont match! lol. (I knew this) but, I had two wax ladies royally F up my eyebrowns. So, naturally I was freaking out when Giao said she was going to take a "wee bit" off. I closed my eyes and prayed. When I opened my eyes, my eyebrows looked amazing!!

Giao was also VERy patient with me when I wasn't patient enough to keep my eyes closed long enough for the glue on my lashes to dry! haha. She is always very responsive with my emails, and I cant wait for her to be there on my wedding day!

Take a look at my trail and decide for yourself: http://www.projectwedding.com/post/list/pic-hair-and-make-up-trial

*UPDATE*
Giao arrived right on time to the hotel, put my hair in curlers then got started on the girls. My HOM was a little skeptacule, shes a picky girl, she gets her makeup done at MAC all the time, and does her make-up flawlessless...even she was pleased! The girl's hair looked flawless and beatuiful, as did their makeup. I was so anxious to have my turn for make-up, i could hardly contain myself. but once I got in the "hot seat" time flew by! My hair was great and we even did a few changes the day of, to give me "side swoop bangs".

there is oNE thing though, Giao waxed my eyebrows and lip the morning of. I had some blistering on my upper lip the morning after the wedding (thank GAWD it didnt show the day of!) Now, it turns out I was allergic to the wax, just my upper lip though. I told Giao I wasn't allergic, (i use to get my lip waxed all the time) so I must have developed an allergy. Ladies, if you want Giao to wax you the day of the wedding, have her wax you before your trial too!!! This could have bneded very badly for me!

I will recommend Giao to everyone!!

Nida Sent on 07/09/2012

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Giao is such an amazing person, not only as a makeup/hair artist, but as an individual person and mother. I found Giao via WeddingWire and then soon realized that she also worked on my friend’s wedding. I contacted my friend regarding her services and received nothing but positive remarks. I decided to contact Giao and request for availability and pricing. With her availability on my wedding day and fair pricing, I decided to arrange for a trial hair and makeup to be done on the same day I scheduled an engagement shoot. If you’re gonna spend that money for a trial, might as well look good for something.

After my first trial and engagement session, I went back...

Giao is such an amazing person, not only as a makeup/hair artist, but as an individual person and mother. I found Giao via WeddingWire and then soon realized that she also worked on my friend’s wedding. I contacted my friend regarding her services and received nothing but positive remarks. I decided to contact Giao and request for availability and pricing. With her availability on my wedding day and fair pricing, I decided to arrange for a trial hair and makeup to be done on the same day I scheduled an engagement shoot. If you’re gonna spend that money for a trial, might as well look good for something.

After my first trial and engagement session, I went back to hang out at a friend’s house and everyone complimented on my hair and makeup. They all suggested I book Giao for my wedding day and not to bother doing any other trials. So I did. During my first trial, I had planned to have my hair down with loose curls for the entire wedding, but then changed my mind and wanted an updo for the ceremony and then have it down for the reception. Giao was very accommodating and had also suggested that it would be a good idea so that I don’t have the same hairstyle as guests. Giao had me come in for a second trial to see how I would like the updo, since I was afraid how I would look since I have a narrow and long face structure.

During my entire wedding process with Giao, she was quick to respond to my numerous emails. She helped me with recommendations for accessories as well as hair styles for my bridesmaids. In all honesty, I would have booked Giao for my bridal party as well, but I wanted to keep her all to myself. My one day to be selfish =)

Giao was more than just a vendor, she became a good acquaintance/friend. I enjoyed talking to her about life, family, or even wedding every time we communicated via email or in person. She is very professional, sweet, outgoing and talented. So talented that she even created a custom bridal hair piece for me. Giao is very fair priced. You get your money’s worth. Thanks Giao for turning me into a beautiful bride! I still get compliments from people on how well my hair and makeup turned out. I am definitely spreading your name around the wedding world.

Christina Sent on 12/17/2011

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I first met Giao back in August, 2009 when she did my good friend's hair and makeup for her wedding. Giao made my friend look absolutely stunning! I booked Giao to do hair and makeup for my wedding shortly after that, along with her husband Thai as our photographer. This decision came almost two whole years before my actual wedding, but I am sure glad I did. Giao did an amazing job for my trial, e-session, and wedding day. I am not the type of girl who wears makeup everyday, so I was very pleased with Giao's work. She skillfully enhanced my features, but did not make me look over-done at all as I had experienced in several other...

I first met Giao back in August, 2009 when she did my good friend's hair and makeup for her wedding. Giao made my friend look absolutely stunning! I booked Giao to do hair and makeup for my wedding shortly after that, along with her husband Thai as our photographer. This decision came almost two whole years before my actual wedding, but I am sure glad I did. Giao did an amazing job for my trial, e-session, and wedding day. I am not the type of girl who wears makeup everyday, so I was very pleased with Giao's work. She skillfully enhanced my features, but did not make me look over-done at all as I had experienced in several other makeup trials. I received numerous compliments from my friends and relatives on how beautiful I looked on my wedding day. All thanks to Giao! Giao also knows very well how to do Asian makeup, which is not easy to find. My husband even commented at the e-session, "Hey, you look more Japanese!" He was also very impressed with how I looked at the wedding. He said that Giao made me look more beautiful than I have ever looked before. Some of my relatives also commented that at first they didn't recognize me and that I looked like a model. As for may hair, I did not really have a very specific vision for what I wanted, but Giao was great in helping me find a look that was absolutely perfect! It was clean, elegant, and held throughout the whole day. Giao also skillfully placed a crystal headband I had and helped position my veil nicely. Giao was also there the whole day to touch up my makeup and hair as needed which was so helpful and kept me looking fresh. Giao also served as another photographer with her husband Thai which was awesome. Giao and Thai are definitely a great team. I recommend Giao highly for anyone who is looking for a sweet, friendly, and amazingly talented hair and makeup artist. You will be thrilled with her work. Thanks for everything Giao!!!

Lee Sent on 10/04/2011

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Giao is the best! Seriously the best! For a few reasons.
1. She is super resonsive to emails and calls
2. She is AMAZINGLY talented!
3. She is fair with her pricing
4. She listens and does what you want but better
5. She is a kind, nice, wonderful person

I am seriously so so happy that I had the opportunity to work with Giao for my weddings. She treated me like royalty! She provided hair and makeup services for my bridesmaids, sisters in law, flower girls, and mothers. She came on time (actually earlier than me) and went right to work with her assistance to ensure we would all be ready on time.

We...

Giao is the best! Seriously the best! For a few reasons.
1. She is super resonsive to emails and calls
2. She is AMAZINGLY talented!
3. She is fair with her pricing
4. She listens and does what you want but better
5. She is a kind, nice, wonderful person

I am seriously so so happy that I had the opportunity to work with Giao for my weddings. She treated me like royalty! She provided hair and makeup services for my bridesmaids, sisters in law, flower girls, and mothers. She came on time (actually earlier than me) and went right to work with her assistance to ensure we would all be ready on time.

We had so much fun the day of the wedding, she listened to what everyone wanted and did just that! Everyone looked so amazing that all of my guests wanted to know who the makeup/hair artist was.

As for me, she made me look AMAZING! I had done a trial with her and it was so fun and then the day of the wedding I just looked gorgeous. She also knows how to do makeup for photos so the photos came out great too.

She also created a custom hair piece for me that she gifted me! So sweet of her!

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend her and I hope I have the chance to work with her again!

Grace Sent on 08/24/2011

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Giao is an incredibly sweet and talented woman. My husband and I along with our bridal party all enjoyed working with her. On special occasions, I hope to go back to Giao for more hair and makeup sessions!

Trial: As a cost saving measure, Giao suggested I schedule my engagement photo session on the same day. I was pleased she made the suggestion rather than waiting for me to request it. I requested a soft and romantic chignon, which required curling all my hair and then lots of pinning/tucking. I have very soft, fine, and straight Asian hair that I do not color, perm, or blow dry. Such hair does not hold curls well but Giao is extremely...

Giao is an incredibly sweet and talented woman. My husband and I along with our bridal party all enjoyed working with her. On special occasions, I hope to go back to Giao for more hair and makeup sessions!

Trial: As a cost saving measure, Giao suggested I schedule my engagement photo session on the same day. I was pleased she made the suggestion rather than waiting for me to request it. I requested a soft and romantic chignon, which required curling all my hair and then lots of pinning/tucking. I have very soft, fine, and straight Asian hair that I do not color, perm, or blow dry. Such hair does not hold curls well but Giao is extremely skilled and managed to get it to behave.
I wanted some loosely curled strands in the front but did not have any bangs for this look. Giao volunteered to cut my hair and upon my acceptance, she took out the chignon, straightened all my hair, and gave me bangs. She also took care to add layers to the side-front so that the bangs integrated in with the rest of my long hair. My new haircut looked amazing and based on the fluidity of Giao’s movements during the haircut, it was clear she was skilled in cutting hair as well. (At work, everyone complemented me on my new hairstyle, guys included)
When doing my makeup, Giao also shaped my eyebrows. I spent approximately 3 hours with her that day. This is NOT because she is slow. Rather, she had done a lot of beautification on me (curled, styled, straightened, cut my hair and then did makeup). She really went beyond the services included in a hair and makeup trial!

Wedding Day: I had gone with heavier makeup for the engagement photo session and requested a lighter look for the wedding day since I would be interacting with guests. Giao was able to accommodate my request with no problem. She airbrushed my shoulders and upper back as I had a few pimple scars and tan lines. She also let me substitute false lash strips with individual false lashes to achieve a more natural look. Hair and makeup took about 2 hours and 15 minutes (very efficient considering the time it takes to glue individual false lashes).
I had Giao do hair and makeup for my bridesmaids. She did eyebrow shaping for both of them. One BM had straight, thick, slightly above shoulder length hair, but Giao had no problem pulling it up into a lovely updo. Each BM took about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Giao also lightly airbrushed my then fiancée to give him an even skin tone. It looked natural and he had no problems with it despite having oily skin.
Total prep time for 1 Bride + 2 Bridesmaids + 1 Fiancée was around 4.5 hours. Giao’s efficiency was very important to me as I had a very packed day. In addition, considering I could not really sleep the night before, the later I had to wake up, the better!

Touchup: On the trial day, my makeup lasted more than ten hours with no problems. As a result, I did not request Giao to stick around for touchups. After the wedding, everyone’s makeup and hair was intact. This is impressive as we had an outdoor wedding in the August heat! My bridesmaids and I were all dancing (lots of jumping up and down) but none of us had a hair crisis.

Jin Sent on 07/15/2011

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Working with and getting to know Giao was one of the best experiences during my wedding preparation process, not to mention the actual day of the wedding. Although it took a little time for her to respond to my initial inquiry for availability and pricing (I later found out she was technically on maternity leave so VERY justified), she was very quick to respond to all of my Emails thereafter.

She is very detail oriented and really listens to the bride's needs and desires. She makes every effort to fulfill every bride's dream... she truly made me look and feel like a princess on my wedding day.

She's so accommodating and truly has the bride's best interest...

Working with and getting to know Giao was one of the best experiences during my wedding preparation process, not to mention the actual day of the wedding. Although it took a little time for her to respond to my initial inquiry for availability and pricing (I later found out she was technically on maternity leave so VERY justified), she was very quick to respond to all of my Emails thereafter.

She is very detail oriented and really listens to the bride's needs and desires. She makes every effort to fulfill every bride's dream... she truly made me look and feel like a princess on my wedding day.

She's so accommodating and truly has the bride's best interest in mind. For example, on the date of my trial, we started by discussing my ideas and then she took pictures of me. She then started curling my hair and when she was about half way done, the topic of E-sessions came up and I asked for her opinion about getting hair and makeup done for it. She honestly answered that she usually recommends they schedule the shoot on the same day of the hair/makeup trial. I expressed a little disappointment since if I had known that earlier, I would have done that also... but, without a moment of hesitation, she said, "well, that's no problem, all I did was curl your hair so far so we can just reschedule the trial for when you have you E-session." I honestly was shocked that she was willing to do that for me, especially because, she again was still technically on maternity leave. To take it a step further, she even finished curling my hair so I didn't have to go home and fix it myself. Now, if that doesn't exemplify professionalism and accommodation, I don't know what does.

The day of the wedding was no exception to the high level of quality care and meticulousness. She arrived promptly at the scheduled time with her assistant (Cindy, who also by the way is great). It did take a little longer then expected to finish all the hair and makeup for myself and my entire bridal party including mothers on both sides, but I prefer that than finishing up on time for less quality.

I highly highly highly recommend Giao with the utmost enthusiasm without reservation. You won't regret working with her!!!

Tina Sent on 06/16/2011

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Giao was great to work with in getting my hair & makeup done for the wedding & engagement session. She is a really sweet person.

I would suggest of bringing pictures of how you would like your hair & makeup done on wedding day. Also, purchase clip-in hair extensions in advance if you would hair to have your hair down.

User552168 Sent on 06/09/2011

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I had found Giao on other wedding websites whom many brides raved about. I was eager to meet her and fell in LOVE on our first trial run. I couldn't have asked more from Giao, she was sincere, personable, and detail oriented. After my first trial, I had changed my mind about my look and Giao gladly let me come in for a second trial! She wanted to make sure that I was happy with my makeup and hair! The day of our wedding, she was punctual and even with all the chaos that was surrounded by us she was calm and collective. Giao had exceeded all my expectations for my makeup and hair artist and made me feel beautiful on my wedding day.

Annie Sent on 10/13/2010

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Giao did a WONDERFUL job on my makeup and hair for an aftershoot for Thai Mai Photography.

I actually got married in Southern California and I wasn't fond of my makeup artist and Giao surpassed all of my expectations.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GIAO FOR BRIDAL HAIR AND MAKEUP!!
1. She will make you look like a movie star. (flawless and beautiful)
2. She is very FAST and efficient (only took 1.5 hrs whereas my wedding day artist took 3 hrs).
3. She is the sweetest person to work with!

Allison Sent on 08/07/2010

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I just wrote a review about Giao's husband, who was also my wedding photographer (Thai Mai Photography), and I've gotta say...these two make an AMAZING team. If you're looking for a photographer and a hair/makeup artist, look no further than Thai and Giao!

But anyway, this review is about Giao. I had my trial and wedding day hair/makeup done by her, and I was soooo pleased with the results! Giao definitely knows what she's doing...I can only describe her work as magic in the making. But not only is her work phenomenal, Giao herself is a wonderful person to work with. She was so friendly and open with me during the trial, and i could tell she really...

I just wrote a review about Giao's husband, who was also my wedding photographer (Thai Mai Photography), and I've gotta say...these two make an AMAZING team. If you're looking for a photographer and a hair/makeup artist, look no further than Thai and Giao!

But anyway, this review is about Giao. I had my trial and wedding day hair/makeup done by her, and I was soooo pleased with the results! Giao definitely knows what she's doing...I can only describe her work as magic in the making. But not only is her work phenomenal, Giao herself is a wonderful person to work with. She was so friendly and open with me during the trial, and i could tell she really loves what she does and genuinely cares about her clients. On the wedding day, Giao came promptly at 5:30am to our hotel, got straight to work on me, and transformed me into a beautiful bride! She was really meticulous and took her time working on me, yet still stayed true to her time estimate (and if you've been in a wedding before, you know how hard it is to stay on schedule!).

I was also totally floored by Giao's attentiveness throughout the rest of the day. She stayed for the reception and all of my dress changes (I think i changed dresses three or four times that day), and did touch ups after each change. Not only that, but she kept reminding me to drink water and stay hydrated, she gave some helpful reminders to my bridesmaids, and even worked with the photographers on getting some portrait shots of me during some down time! Giao really gave 110% of herself to us on our wedding day, i feel like i lucked out tremendously with her. She so sweet and caring, and totally went above and beyond all my expectations...I can't thank her enough!

Sun Sent on 06/10/2010

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Giao was great.I don't know how to express my thanks to her and her work.
For the trial I did bring some pictures with me but I wasn't sure what I liked.So I had two trials and made up my mind the day before my wedding day(May,29,2010).
On my wedding day Giao did a great job.I had big cold sore on my lip but nobody noticed it. And after the wedding everybody said that I was so beautiful.She is really easy going and make you feel comfortable on your big day.Thank you, Giao.

Rachelle Sent on 05/27/2010

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Giao is absolutely amazing and worthy of every great review she receives! I found Giao through the lovely ladies of PW and I'm so glad I did. Giao does great work. She's extremely responsive and professional, and just a lovely person in general.

I thought she did a great job during the trial, but her work on the actual day of the wedding blew me away. I've never felt so pretty. Giao and her assistant did a beautiful job on all the ladies (my MOH, Mom, and 5 bridesmaids) and finished everyone in a timely fashion. We had so much fun getting ready that morning and I can't thank Giao enough for the great job she did.

Ashley Sent on 04/14/2010

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Giao and her assistants are amazing!! Before our wedding, we met with her and her husband Thai to do our engagement session, and we absolutely loved how our pictures turned out. They are one talented couple!

On our wedding day, her and her assistants arrived early and were extremely professional and kind. They brought a ton of makeup and other supplies! I had asked them to do the makeup and hair of all of my bridesmaids, and my mom, an aunt and grandmothers, and they did a beautiful job on everyone. I thought it might be a little chaotic, but they were so calm and sweet and it was actually really just a fun and casual morning. We...

Giao and her assistants are amazing!! Before our wedding, we met with her and her husband Thai to do our engagement session, and we absolutely loved how our pictures turned out. They are one talented couple!

On our wedding day, her and her assistants arrived early and were extremely professional and kind. They brought a ton of makeup and other supplies! I had asked them to do the makeup and hair of all of my bridesmaids, and my mom, an aunt and grandmothers, and they did a beautiful job on everyone. I thought it might be a little chaotic, but they were so calm and sweet and it was actually really just a fun and casual morning. We finished right on schedule, and everyone looked so beautiful! Giao even stayed all day to touch-up my makeup and fix my hair throughout the night. Her and Thai are such a lovely couple, and it was great to spend the day with them!

Giao also made a beautiful headpiece for me, and I got so many compliments on it throughout the evening. She is truly talented and so creative and I couldn't have asked for more. Thanks Giao!

Roxann Sent on 02/27/2010

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Giao does wonderful work. I was extremely pleased with her hair and make-up services. She made me feel so at ease on my Big Day with all the hussle and bussle going on. She's very easy to talk to and her work is just flawless. I would definitely recommend her services.

Stephanie Sent on 11/28/2009

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Giao is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!! I cannot tell you enough how great she was to work with!

I've never been one to wear a lot of makeup. I blame it on my sensitive skin (the real truth - I really don't know how to put on makeup!) So at my trial with Giao, I told her I didn't want anything too dramatic. That I wanted the natural look, I didn't want to cake on the makeup (My husband (we eloped on 8/8/08 and September 26th is our wedding reception celebration) shared the same sentiments). She told me that natural wouldn't show up in pictures. She assured me that she would make me look great without having too much makeup...

Giao is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!! I cannot tell you enough how great she was to work with!

I've never been one to wear a lot of makeup. I blame it on my sensitive skin (the real truth - I really don't know how to put on makeup!) So at my trial with Giao, I told her I didn't want anything too dramatic. That I wanted the natural look, I didn't want to cake on the makeup (My husband (we eloped on 8/8/08 and September 26th is our wedding reception celebration) shared the same sentiments). She told me that natural wouldn't show up in pictures. She assured me that she would make me look great without having too much makeup on...BOY SHE WAS RIGHT!!! And my hair, it was amazing too! I loved it!

Giao is very talented! She's very easy to work with, very sweet, soft spoken, she cracks jokes to make you smile and laugh during the shoot. We had a great time...9 hours of fun. Yes, NINE hours...I'm sure they were exhausted but they wanted us to be happy :-)

Giao is WORTH EVERY PENNY! I can't say enough good things about her! I am 1000% satisfied with my decision :-) The hubby is happy too! I'm a stickler when it comes to service - I can be really anal with regards to my expectations, but i truly cannot think of one negative thing to say about Giao. If i could give 10 stars, I would! I will gladly recommend Giao's services to all of my friends and family.I hope all you brides reading this will give Giao the opportunity to make your big day a special and memorable one.

If any brides would like to contact me with questions, please feel free to do so!

Check out Giao's site: http://www.giaonguyen.com for hair, makeup and custom bridal hair pieces!
Check out Thai Mai's Photography: http://thaimaiphotogra... to see his and Giao's talented work!

Best of luck to all the brides!

Stephanie :-)

UPDATE 10/19/09:

Just had my wedding on 9/26/09...I was a BEAUTIFUL bride! All thanks to the wonderful work and talent of Giao. She made sure I was camera ready ALL day! I loved my makeup and my hair for morning and evening. And I absolutely loved the custom headpieces she had designed for me and my sisters. Thank you Giao for my wonderful gift :-)

Stephanie Sent on 11/24/2009

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Giao did an amazing job with my hair and makeup! (I was the MOH)

Hair:
I have the typical thin Asian hair where it can't hold a curl for the life of me. So I was a little worried that my hair-do wouldn't stay in all day. Giao helped me to decide on a style that would complement the bride and also match the bridesmaids� dresses, half up w/ curls. She did an incredible job giving me volume and also the curls stayed in ALL day! Even through all the jumping (for photos), heat (summer wedding) & wind. :)

Makeup:
I was VERY pleased with Giao's makeup skills. I have old acne scars and...

Giao did an amazing job with my hair and makeup! (I was the MOH)

Hair:
I have the typical thin Asian hair where it can't hold a curl for the life of me. So I was a little worried that my hair-do wouldn't stay in all day. Giao helped me to decide on a style that would complement the bride and also match the bridesmaids� dresses, half up w/ curls. She did an incredible job giving me volume and also the curls stayed in ALL day! Even through all the jumping (for photos), heat (summer wedding) & wind. :)

Makeup:
I was VERY pleased with Giao's makeup skills. I have old acne scars and Giao was able to work her airbrushing magic and made my skin look flawless! She also helped tweeze my eyebrows a bit since they were pretty unruly. :P In the end, I was extremely please with her work, patience and friendliness.

If you want hair that stays in place all day & flawless skin, book Giao for your wedding!

Jennifer Sent on 11/23/2009

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Giao is 5 stars all the way! If I can give her more stars, I would. She was one of the best choices I made for my wedding. Giao is very flexible and patient, especially since I kept making changes up until the day of. I was very pleased with my overall look and how she made over my bridesmaids. I received many compliments and I owe it to her. Not only is she the best at what she does, she offers reasonable rates which is great for a bride on a budget. I recommend Giao to brides looking for someone with experience and knows makeup and hair! Thank you, Giao!

Rebekah Sent on 11/20/2009

5 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

Giao with GQ Designs has been in the business of hair and make-up artistry for more than 10 years. She's well known in the Project Wedding community and I only hope that she continues to receive the outstanding recognition that she already has received.

She has used my photo as one of the 2 on her site...and to her credit, I did not have a hair or make-up trial for my wedding day. I simply showed her a picture of the style of make-up I wanted and told her the idea for my hair, and voile! Did she deliver!

Brides and Bridesmaids, you will not be disappointed with Giao's service, heart for what she does, and her expertise. She's truly amazing.

Barbara Sent on 11/19/2009

5 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

I just got married recently at Ruby Hill Golf Club, and Giao was my hairstylist/makeup artist extraordinare! She was and is amazing. I cannot express how lucky and satisfied w/the quality of her work and her flexibility w/my last minute changes.

Although I had been pretty good at all the wedding planning details, the one thing I completely forgot to buy was a hairpiece. I know that sounds crazy but I simply overlooked that one major detail. Luckily, Giao was kind and flexible enough to make me a beautiful and spectacular hairpiece last minute. Typically she requires her clients to give her ample notice. I told her a 2 weeks prior to the big date, and she was...

I just got married recently at Ruby Hill Golf Club, and Giao was my hairstylist/makeup artist extraordinare! She was and is amazing. I cannot express how lucky and satisfied w/the quality of her work and her flexibility w/my last minute changes.

Although I had been pretty good at all the wedding planning details, the one thing I completely forgot to buy was a hairpiece. I know that sounds crazy but I simply overlooked that one major detail. Luckily, Giao was kind and flexible enough to make me a beautiful and spectacular hairpiece last minute. Typically she requires her clients to give her ample notice. I told her a 2 weeks prior to the big date, and she was still able to create something amazing and elaborate a week prior.

All of my bridesmaids loved her! She made everyone feel comfortable and special. She heard everyone's hair requests and simply listened. These days, vendors don't always listen to their clients and instead, make decisions contrary to a client's needs or wants. Giao is not like that. She hears you completely and gives you what you want---just on a more upscale level :)

She also works extremely well under pressure and never loses her cool. When a girlfriend of mine got married, she used Giao as her hairstylist, and I (as one of the Bridesmaids) used her for my hair as well. I remember another bridesmaid had decided to use a friend to do her hair and to make a long story short, it didn't turn out the way she wanted it. Again, last minute, my friend asked Giao to fix her hair (even though we were running short on time) and she gracefully and skillfully used her hairstyling magic to make a miracle. Her hair turned out beautifully, all b/c of Giao.

I know ppl say this all the time about their vendors, but seriously, Giao is the most approachable, welcoming and thoughtful vendor I have ever worked with. YOU would be silly not to book her right away. She's great at what she does (she created a wonderful low-side chignon and a natural yet stunning makeup look for me, btw)and is such an amazing human being. I was extremely foruntate to find her as quickly as I did. Do not be surprised if she becomes famous one day, for her amazing skills and great personality.

She's simply amazing.

happily married,
Barbara

Nhu-Y Sent on 11/19/2009

5 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

giao did a fabulous job for my wedding - this included myself, mom, and bridesmaids.

i found giao on another wedding site and was glad i did - finding a stylist/MUA that doesnt break the bank is really hard to find in the bay area. shes super sweet, gives great feedback, and honest.

my first trial with giao went well - i had my eyes set for a particular hair style that i found on her website...i liked it at the time but after reviewing the pictures, i felt that it aged me (and no girl wants to look older!)...so i went back for a second trial (piggy backed with a BM who was getting a trial...

giao did a fabulous job for my wedding - this included myself, mom, and bridesmaids.

i found giao on another wedding site and was glad i did - finding a stylist/MUA that doesnt break the bank is really hard to find in the bay area. shes super sweet, gives great feedback, and honest.

my first trial with giao went well - i had my eyes set for a particular hair style that i found on her website...i liked it at the time but after reviewing the pictures, i felt that it aged me (and no girl wants to look older!)...so i went back for a second trial (piggy backed with a BM who was getting a trial with her) and giao suggested this other look that fit me better and you know what, i loved it even more...got soo many compliments on my hair!

on top of being a great stylist - she was also a lifesaver on the wedding day for a couple of reasons. first off, one of my BMs had a friend do her hair (which looked great when she had a trial) but didnt come out the same that day. so giao comes to the rescue and was able to squeeze her in the lineup to get her hair done as well. secondly, being asain you have a tea ceremony where my traditional outfit comes with a headpiece that you wear. unfortunately for me, combiniation of heat and headpiece, it squeeshed my hair where it looked like i sleeped with something on the top of my head. thank goodness giao was like 3 minutes from where i was and i was able to make a mad dash to her place to before her next appt came -- she was able to fix my hairdo (recurling and pinning) and it looked better than it did that morning (im sure its due to the products that was in there...you know how its better to style with "dirty" hair).

overall, i would definitely recommend giao to any brides/bridal party out there as she works wonders! i will be using her in an upcoming wedding that i will be in later this year. good luck ladies :)

Ruthie Sent on 11/04/2009

5 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

First of all Giao is a wonderful, warm lady. She always made me feel welcome and comfortable. My hair trial was at her house, which could have been uncomfortable but wasn't in the slightest. At my wedding, her and her assistant were friendly and speedy! I was afraid that we would run over time because we added another person to get their hair done, but we were right on time. As an added bonus, Giao gave me a gorgeous hair flower (she sells them on etsy.com) that I was going to order long before I even knew she did hair and makeup.

When I started looking for hair and makeup artists I was in shock at how expensive...

First of all Giao is a wonderful, warm lady. She always made me feel welcome and comfortable. My hair trial was at her house, which could have been uncomfortable but wasn't in the slightest. At my wedding, her and her assistant were friendly and speedy! I was afraid that we would run over time because we added another person to get their hair done, but we were right on time. As an added bonus, Giao gave me a gorgeous hair flower (she sells them on etsy.com) that I was going to order long before I even knew she did hair and makeup.

When I started looking for hair and makeup artists I was in shock at how expensive they were. I was beginning to think I couldn't afford one... then I found Giao. Her on-site pricing is stellar. Yes, she will come to your hotel or venue for prep and for a fair price. She does a great job too. I have never looked or felt more beautiful. A lot of hair stylists/MUA will charge you a fee of $100 or more for a trial but Giao only asked a small fee for materials and a bit of her time.

She showed up on time and ready to go! We got 7 people ready in 4 hours and they all looked wonderful. She made my mother look better than I've ever seen her. One of my bridesmaids is kind of a "diva" and they had to do her hair twice because she didn't like it the first try... they responded very quickly and politely and she turned out gorgeous. My hair and makeup was flawless and stayed on an up the entire day and even through the after party which lasted until 3am.

I would recommend Giao to anyone looking for a skilled hairstylist and/or makeup artist. I'm 100% happy with my decision to use her for my wedding.

J Sent on 07/05/2010

4.9 out of 5 rating

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I was referred to Giao from a co-worker of mine who absolutely raved about her hand-made hairpieces and hair styling abilities.

Giao was extremely friendly when I first met her and gave wonderful advice on what would work for my hair for my wedding. I felt very comfortable with her abilities after my hair trial.

I had a group of 9 that needed their hair done for my wedding. Giao, along with an assistant, was extremely efficient in getting everyone's hair done on time. She started by setting everyone's hair first and then one by one started styling. It was a great strategy which helped keep my bridesmaids hair intact for the remainder of the day. I...

I was referred to Giao from a co-worker of mine who absolutely raved about her hand-made hairpieces and hair styling abilities.

Giao was extremely friendly when I first met her and gave wonderful advice on what would work for my hair for my wedding. I felt very comfortable with her abilities after my hair trial.

I had a group of 9 that needed their hair done for my wedding. Giao, along with an assistant, was extremely efficient in getting everyone's hair done on time. She started by setting everyone's hair first and then one by one started styling. It was a great strategy which helped keep my bridesmaids hair intact for the remainder of the day. I was absolutely amazed on how stable my hair was throughout the day. It was practically picture perfect all the way to the very last moments of the reception.

One suggestion I can make is to make sure that Giao is the one that gives the final approval/styling of your girls. Her assistant was extremely helpful but not as talented as her. Giao will be the one to make sure that everyone will look their best.

I also ordered a hair piece from her as well. I gave her an idea of what I wanted and she went with it. It was exactly what I imagined it would be and it went perfectly with my gown.

Giao is very professional and will do her best to make you look like a queen on your special day. I continue to recommend her to all my friends since my wedding.

This review is only based on her hair styling abilities but I am sure she is just as talented in her make-up abilities as well.

Lisa Sent on 03/08/2010

4.9 out of 5 rating

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4.5 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating

Giao is friendly, professional, and great at her job. I'd had my make-up and hair done a number of times before I began searching for a make-up and hair stylist for my own wedding. Although I'm Asian, I have a darker skin tone, and found that this was a problem for most make-up artists. They would either put on too much make-up or not enough. This was not a problem for Giao. She was able to match my skin tone perfectly, and highight my features (especially my eyes), without making me look like a totally different person.

One of the reasons I chose Giao was that she had experience working with women of all different skin tones and...

Giao is friendly, professional, and great at her job. I'd had my make-up and hair done a number of times before I began searching for a make-up and hair stylist for my own wedding. Although I'm Asian, I have a darker skin tone, and found that this was a problem for most make-up artists. They would either put on too much make-up or not enough. This was not a problem for Giao. She was able to match my skin tone perfectly, and highight my features (especially my eyes), without making me look like a totally different person.

One of the reasons I chose Giao was that she had experience working with women of all different skin tones and hair types. This was particularly important to me, since she and her assistant would also be doing hair and make-up for my five bridesmaids, who had different skin tones and different hair lengths. She and her assistant did a fantastic job giving each girl what she requested from finger wave, to loose chignons, to half-dos.

I was particularly impressed with Giao's ability to work with people under stress. Giao and her assistant were doing hair and make-up for eight people (the two moms in addition to me and my bridesmaid). Although we were running short on time, Giao did not rush their work on any of the girls. Moreover, she did a great job of keeping the moms occupied and happy.

Giao is wonderful hair stylist and make-up artist and a wonderful person!

Lily Sent on 08/22/2011

4.8 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

GIAO IS AWESOME!!! SUPER TALENTED AND SUPER SWEET!!

Giao did my make-up and hair for my wedding back in july 2010. I am so glad I found her, because she did an amazing job! She is extremely talented and it shows in her work. Thanks to Giao, I felt so beautiful on my wedding day. She arrived to my suite right on schedule with her two assistants. My six bridesmaids and I were all finished right on time. Everyone looked so perfect and beautiful. She had an excellent team. Giao is a very sweet person and is great at what she does. She will also give you her honest opinion about anything. I felt so confident with her...

GIAO IS AWESOME!!! SUPER TALENTED AND SUPER SWEET!!

Giao did my make-up and hair for my wedding back in july 2010. I am so glad I found her, because she did an amazing job! She is extremely talented and it shows in her work. Thanks to Giao, I felt so beautiful on my wedding day. She arrived to my suite right on schedule with her two assistants. My six bridesmaids and I were all finished right on time. Everyone looked so perfect and beautiful. She had an excellent team. Giao is a very sweet person and is great at what she does. She will also give you her honest opinion about anything. I felt so confident with her by my side the entire day. I will definitely recommend her to everyone I know.

My husband and I hired Thai Mai Photography, Giao's husband, to photograph our wedding as well. He is super talented too. The both of them make such a great team. I love these guys!

User1755607 Sent on 08/09/2014

4.6 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

Giao was very easy to work with and open to ideas. She listened to the style I was looking for and I loved my trial with her. In terms of scheduling, she was flexible and tried to work around my schedule despite her busy schedule as well.

I have to say Giao's rates are quite high now since she's in demand. If you can go a little bit over your budget, she is well worth it!

Giao Nguyen Makeup & Hair Artistry Reviews

Reviews

Giao Nguyen Makeup & Hair Artistry