I am finally getting around to writing a review for the BEST makeup artist! I’ve been going to Alison for special events since high school. She did my makeup for all my high school proms as well as for my wedding day in 2012. She is truly the best! Alison is so easy to work with and really makes you feel comfortable. Not only does she make you look gorgeous and transform you into looking like a princess on your wedding day, but she also does incredible things to your hair! She makes sure that your hair stays put and in place all day long! For my wedding day, I had my hair all up for the ceremony and then had it half up/half down for the reception. Alison took the time to show my bridesmaids how to do my hair and made it so it was easy for them to remove some of the bobby pins. I told Alison my vision for my hair and she made it happen!!! And as for my makeup… it stayed put all day too! I cried a lot during the reading of our vows, but I didn’t even need to touch up my face at all after the ceremony. AMAZING! If you are looking for a makeup artist for your big day, then you should definitely go see Alison!
Expert E.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
Alison Hayashi is simply AMAZING! She made me up to look both glamours and natural at the same time. The miracle worker as I am used to using a lot of eye make up because my eyes are so small but she was able to transform my eyes without making it look like a lot of color. And she is so very nice, down to earth and funny… like spending time with a best friend. I HIGHLY recommend Alison for both special occasions and photo shoots!!!
Mai H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
Love Alison Hayashi! She is my number ONE and only choice for hair, makeup, and brows! You only get the BEST service with her!
Kristen K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
Hands down, THEBEST hair/makeup AND brow guru! And she’s super nice – I look forward to every appointment just to catch up and talk story with her. Alison has been a god-send and I am so thankful to be one of her clients. First off, she taught me that brows make a huge difference. We are currently in the process of fixing mine to align with her vision… it’s going very well. I see her about every month and a half. Brow sessions are super quick, 15 min! Her new studio is located on Young Street(same building as the Japanese restaurant Hakkei). Payment: cash or personal check For my wedding, Alison complied to my every request. With makeup, I know what I like and I know what I don’t. She totally understood what I was going for, and I must say – I looked pretty damn good. Which I should! It’s my wedding! Sigh. I wish I could have a personal makeup artist every morning :) and my hair was fabulous. It looked amazing in photos. AND, she and her assistant showed up promptly at my suite at 4:45AM and managed to do hair & makeup for not only me, but my 8 bridesmaids… in under 3 hours since we were on a morning-wedding time crunch. If she’s available for your wedding(or any other opportunities where you want to look smashing in your photos – senior portraits, realtor head shots, maternity shoots, etc) you better book her now. She fills up fast, because she’s the best!
Reiko S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
I got married today and just loved the hair and makeup that Alison did. It was natural and yet made me feel beautiful. Alison is just a wonderful soul and you feel good just being around her. Thank you Alison for contributing to our special day.
Anne D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Seattle, WA
Alison is very professional to work with. She showed up to my wedding early and prepped her tools. She did a great job with my hair and makeup, my hair stayed put the entire day and I didn’t need any touch ups for my makeup besides lipstick. What I especially loved is that she makes the makeup look natural. She’s also entertaining to talk to.
Chelsea K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Mililani, HI
Best place around! Alison is awesome and she is extremely talented and nice! I would recommend this place in a heart beat!
Courtney Y.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
Alison Hayashi. You are an eyebrow wizard! That pretty much sums up the entire experience I had about a month ago, preparing for my sister’s wedding(I had to step up my eyebrow game since I was on her bridal party). The entire time, I will not lie. I was sweating. Why the sweat, you ask? Probably because this was the first time I’ve done waxing for my eyebrows, or the first time for wax coming even remotely close to my face. The wax that she uses looks like it’s on a piece of tape that she cuts down to size. The wax Alison uses is not the kind you usually think of when you think of wax(such as it being ooey or gooey, or hot, or whatever). It’s very sanitary, and after she pulls off your eyebrows hair with one swift pull, she throws the wax piece away, and gets another. I can’t say it was completely painless. It was what I think eyebrow waxing would feel like, it wasn’t too bad after a while. The process was fast, and Alison did a good job of getting me distracted by talking story so I couldn’t anticipate or sweat too much more over what was going on with my eyebrows. Overall, Alison is so friendly. I would love to go again, it was definitely worth it. She shaped my eyebrows like an absolute boss. I’m definitely working on my pain tolerance, so I’ll be ready! Planning on going back soon!!!
Amber K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
Could not be happier! I wish I went to kiss&makeup years ago! I got my hair and makeup done for my sons wedding and loved how Allison made me look! My advice to you is to let her work her magic and not tell her how you want your hair. I went in thinking an up-do would be good, but she gently suggested my hair down would look more youthful. Boy was she right! I felt like a million bucks!
Cynthia N.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
Alison is an amazing makeup artist! I was lucky enough to be able to book her for my wedding day! She was super on time and has this relaxing mood about her that made everything in the room calm. I also did my makeup trial with Alison a couple days before my wedding and it looked amazing and the makeup and hair the day of the wedding was amazing also! :) I have nothing but great compliments for Alison!
Lalaine G.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Las Vegas, NV
Alison is a true talent. I do not live in Hawaii, but I got married there on Makapu’u Beach. I decided to take a chance and have her do my wedding makeup and hair because of all the reviews I had read on Unilocal. My wedding was a few months ago. I just looked thru our wedding photos and came across some photos that were taken while I was getting my hair and makeup done. I remembered how Alison made me feel at ease, and somehow managed to make me look like myself but a million times better– with that happy bride glow. Even today, people comment on how beautiful I looked on my wedding day. You won’t be disappointed. Book with Alison.
Emily L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Arlington, VA
After Alison did my friend’s wedding makeup, the decision to go with her over Bev or some of the other Hawaii makeup artists was easy. I really liked her style — super natural, but polished and«special» enough to make you look(and feel) great on your wedding day. She’s also awesome at going lighter at first, and making it more dramatic very slightly, so that you always feel comfortable and don’t end up looking way too made up. This was key for me as we got married outside and the rest of our wedding had a pretty casual/natural feel. I got in touch with her via email, and she responded right away with prices and answered the questions I had asked her. She is super nice and friendly, and was really accommodating at the trial — redid my hair a few different times even though it was a lot of work for her to make sure I could see all my options and be really comfortable and confident with my choice. She also shaped my eyebrows during my makeup trial, which really helped! The makeup stayed put ALL day even if it was humid, and my hair stayed too. She and her assistant were exactly on time and set up quickly. They did my makeup, my mom’s, and bridesmaids. Everyone was really happy with how their makeup turned out. Would highly recommend — but she books up fast!
Lauren P.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
Alison is FABULOUS! I just did my practice session with her today. She figured out exactly what I wanted pretty quickly, and whipped out a few different do’s for me to chose from. All of them were really nice making it hard to chose only 1. I’m very happy with the look she created for me, and so glad I decided to book with her. She’s very nice, professional, and quick! I have total confidence in her for my big day!
Nat N.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
If you need hair/make up for a wedding, photo shoot, etc., call/email Alison ASAP and book your session. She’s the best when it comes to hair and make up. She did me and my maid of honor for my wedding 3 years ago, and she was the hair/make up stylist for my brother’s wife’s bridal party this past weekend. She’s personable, sweet, quick, and so talented. She even remembered me from three years ago. She is sometimes hard to get a hold of because she is so busy, so be persistent and beg until she commits. It’s worth the effort!
Lora H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Los Angeles, CA
Love Alison!!! I’ve been going to Alison for years to get my eyebrows waxed! She is not only fantastic, but one of the kindest most genuine people I have ever met! Her scheduling is flexible, her shop in Kapahulu is soooo cute, parking is easy, and honestly, whenever I go, it’s like going to a friend’s house for girl time! I love it! But she doesn’t only do eyebrows… Alison is a make-up genius too! Not only can she accentuate you to make you more beautiful… she even custom blends foundations to perfectly match your skin tone! And she gives make-up lessons! Now, the other perks… Alison always has the cutest little products in her shop too — from make-up, to jewelry, to bags, etc. So much fun — I’ve picked up several gifts for Christmas and birthdays, and myself, while getting myself groomed! One stop shop!!! It’s like the perfect girl oasis!
Mrs. B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
She’s wonderful. She did my hair and makeup for my wedding and we were very pleased. As an added bonus she’s incredibly nice. :)
Criselda W.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Waipahu, HI
I found Alison through Unilocal and I’m so glad I did. I booked a trial make-up and hair session with her, as well as an appointment for hair and make-up for my actual wedding day. Both visits were extremely pleasant. I’m not someone who regularly wears heavy make-up and Alison made note of it. I was glad I did a trial session with her because after that session, I went out to dinner to see how the makeup and hair would hold up after a few hours. I told her how it went and she made the correct adjustments for my actual wedding day. Besides going a little heavier on the makeup, I made a last minute hair change, which Alison was able to accommodate. Considering the whole day lasted lasted 14 hours, the makeup and especially the hair, held up nicely. Besides the wonderful service, Alison is such a sweetheart. Two of my bridesmaids accompanied me during the trial makeup session and we all agreed that she is such a pleasant person to be around. When I arrived on the day of the wedding, I was tired from lack of sleep and stressed, but Alison was very calming and kept the ambiance light. I would definitely recommend her to any bride.
Jennifer H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Los Angeles, CA
Through chance, I met Alison and took a couple of makeup lessons from her. Although Alison sells makeup under her own label, she taught me how to use my own makeup in new ways. The results were truly transformative. Mostly, being in the presence of someone so graceful is what service is all about. It is rare that women teach each other the magic of being female, and this is what Alison does for a living!
Russel M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
Alison just transformed my Honey into an Angel before my eyes, really nice makeup. She is amazing and fast. Then it was time for the Portrait Pictures and WOW! Highly recommended.
Stacey L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
I was a bridesmaid in one of my best friends wedding a few weeks ago at the Hale Koa Hotel. Alison did a fantastic job of doing hair & make-up for all 4 bridesmaids & the bride. She is very professional and a perfectionist. I live here in the mainland and it’s really hard to find a person who can do make-up for Asian faces. Alison made it look so effortless. The make-up lasted all day & I didn’t need to touch up once. She manages her time well & makes sure that everyone gets done in the given time frame. I posted a few shots in the morning of the girls getting ready.