Elaine Chou

Elaine did my hair for my TTD photo session, which was on July 23, the day of our wedding anniversary. She was really nice and did a wonderful job. I came in with a picture of what I wanted and she did an awesome job. My husband really liked my hair a lot and it was perfect for our TTD session at the beach.

she's not very honest!! i talked to her over the phone and she tells me the bridal package is $300 and then when she emails me, she raises it up to $500. ridiculous!! her excuse for raising up the price is cuz she claims that she thought i was going to do my makeup at her studio, not on location. why didn't she state that in the first place when i talked to her on the phone? i think my reason is that perhaps maybe she saw i was really in need of a makeup artist, she decided to raise up the price. hmmmm.....i'll just go elsewhere!

Elaine is very professional and honest! I'm so glad that I chose her. My wedding date was May 18, 2008. When i searched online, I found out Elaine does the best work on Asian brides. After talking to her on the phone and in person, I confirmed my thoughts that she's the one I need. I brought her pictures I want. She said she can do exactly what I want. Even though i did not do trial run with her, her profolio makes me very confident about her work. AND THE FACT IS - I AM RIGHT! ELAINE DID A FABULOUS WORK ON MY WEDDING DAY!!!

She did not only my hair and make-up perfect and exactly what I pictured myself, but also provided me the most stunning necklace and earrings, as well as veil and make-up kit. She provided a whole set of set of services that makes things so easy for any busy bride.

I'm very grateful that I had Elaine on my wedding day! She made my dream come true!

I strongly recommand Elaine to you girls!!!

I am using Elaine for my wedding day. She is truly amazing. I decided to go to her for my hair and make up trial the same day I took my engagment pictures. I felt gorgeous the entire day. And everywhere I went random people were stopping me to tell me how gorgeous my hair and make up looked and asked me who did my hair and make up. I would highly recommend Elaine. Website

I had a makeup trial with Elaine back in Feb 2008 and had my e-session taken the same day in Pasadena, CA. The makeup was great. I wear a moderate amount of makeup everyday but she helped define many of my features. I work in the hospital and had to work an overnight shift that same day. I kept my makeup on (but took off the false lashes) and the makeup lasted through my entire 10 hours shift in the ER!!! :)
On Memorial day weekend, she had 4 weddings on my day!! My best friend who is a stylist did my hair in the morning. We showed up to Elaine's studio and she did my makeup and my MIL. Then, her associates did my bridesmaids' hair and makeup. She spent a lot of time on my eyebrows, which I loved and she did a great job on my lashes. I apply my own lashes when I go out, but Elaine is great with the lashes. I asked for dramatic eyes and she darkened my eyeshadow just enough and applied two sets of lashes. My wedding was an evening one and we finished the session at 1pm. WE took pictures in the afternoon and the wedding ceremony was at 5pm. Quite honestly, the only thing I touched up all day was my lipstick. I didn't even have to re-apply powder on my face!!

Elaine and her staff are punctual, efficient, with quality work for reasonable rates. A friend used her last year and loved her work also.

I had a trial run with Elaine and I was very disappointed. She did a great job on the hair, but the makeup was so plain, I could have easily done it myself. She spent 15 minutes lining my eyebrows and about 5 minutes on the eyeshadows (I really think it should be the other way around.)
Another thing is, I am very oblivious to my own shape/skin/style. I needed someone who's had lots of experience to show me what kind of hair or makeup can make me pretty. Elaine had a lot of experience, but she definitely wasn't helping with the ideas...
I'm a shopper who looks for a balance between the cost and the quality. From the trial I could easily see the cost outweigh the quality. This is why I didn't book her.

I just got married and had Elaine do my make up and hair. She brought two other people to work on my bridesmaids as well. She came earlier than the time we set, which was perfect because we were in a hurry! She made me look amazing and everyone kept telling me how beautiful I looked.

Everything from my trial to the actual day was perfect. Elaine listened to everything I wanted and was always easy to get a hold of, whether by phone or email.

Someone actually posted one of my trial pictures onto this page!

If you want professional make up and hair by someone who is truly talented, give Elaine a call!

I've already been to Elaine twice, once for my engagement photos and once for my makeup/hair trial. She is, in a word, AWESOME! For those of you, like me, who doesn't usually wear tons of makeup, Elaine will make you look gorgeous and natural at the same time. Her prices are reasonable and she's incredibly nice. She works mostly out of her home, but will travel if needed. I highly HIGHLY recommend her and completely trust her to make me look FABULOUS on my wedding day. :D

Elaine was very easy to work with and she listens to what you need done for your hair and make-up. I had a make-up trial with Elaine the same day I took my e-pics. After the trial was done, I decided to book Elaine on the spot for my wedding. She knows how to make you look beautiful and the make-up looks fresh and natural. Elaine brought two of her associates to work on my mom and sister for the wedding. They arrived on time at the hotel and started as soon as they got there. Her associates also did an awesome job on my mom and sister! My make-up lasted through the evening as well as my hairdo. I am very happy I selected Elaine! As an added bonus, her prices are reasonable!

Elaine and her team are great! Very puctual and work fast! My maid of honor and I used Elaine for my October 08 wedding and we loved our hair and make-up. I only had a make-up trial and booked her that day for my wedding. I also booked her without a hair trial. I knew that she would do a great job. I sent her pictures of styles that I liked and make-up styles that I liked. She did an amazing job that day and my hair and make-up was flawless all day. My maid of honor ended up using her for another wedding a month later. Elaine even offers to loan you hair extentions, wedding jewelry and hair accessories at no additional cost. She is very affordable and worth every penny! Thank You Elaine for giving me the exact look I wanted for my wedding.;)

Every year, the female board members of our local chamber of commerce are sponsored to be "raffle ladies" and we always engage Elaine's team to do our makeup. it was a no-brainer to have elaine do my wedding day, and to sum it up she made me stunning beyond my own imagination. I’d also note 1) elaine's professionalism and punctuality, 2) the high quality and cleanliness of her products, 3) her general creativity which comes from her years of experience. at the trial session she gave me "stern" tips on the foods to eat & the skincare regimen until the wedding, ie. lots of water & fruit/vegs, and also cleansing & exfoliating my skin properly, etc.. i followed religiously & was most grateful b/c the improvement from the trial day to the wedding day was UNDENIABLE. Friends have since called up asking about Elaine’s work & wanting her contact info. I tell them, "No, she's not good... She's excellent!" Thanks so much Elaine, for being so instrumental to my beautiful wedding!

My wedding was May 17th 2008. Elaine and her team were wonderful. They created beautiful hair styles for all the ladies on my wedding day. Elaine and associates arrived exactly on time at my church location. They took care of hair and makeup for all the ladies in my wedding. We had a large church wedding. Bride, Mother of Bride, Four Bridesmaids, and Two Flower Girls. All of us have long hair and they did a fabulous job in just a few hours. I rarely wear any make-up at all and I was so nervous to look like I had too much make-up, and not look like me, but Elaine did an excellent job. I got the best compliments from family and friends who loved my hair and make-up. I would recommend Elaine Chou and associates to any Bride. Thank you so much. Mrs. Amy Sinclair

I booked Elaine last minute without doing a trial. After reading all the reviews and by recommendation from my DOC, I somehow felt very comfortable booking her for my wedding without even doing a trial - I guess it was just a bridal instinct. I did have a few trials with other m/u artists and was not very pleased. I can say I was very happy with Elaine. Even though I didn't do a trial, she had me come in for a brief meeting session just to discuss my styles and to lend me her jewelry and veil. I had previously shopped around so much for jewelry and made two veils for myself..if I had known Elaine offered all this for FREE, i wouldn't have had to waste so much time.

My wedding day hair/make-up was great. Got so many compliments from people. I would definitely recommend Elaine. Her prices are listed outright on her website, so no questions there.

Elaine and her 2 assistants came to my hotel on my wedding day to do hair & makeup for myself, 3 bridesmaids and 1 MIL. Elaine did a great job on my hair. My makeup was pretty good too, except my eyeshadow was not quite the color I had asked for. But it didn't really matter because she made it all work and look good. Her assistants are also pretty good. My bridesmaids looked super HOT and their hair especially was gorgeous. The makeup and hair lasted all day, except for the lipstick of course. Elaine was also nice enough to lend me one of her hair pins on my wedding day for free. She is very professional and her prices are very reasonable compared to others. I researched a lot of hair & makeup vendors prior to booking Elaine, and I think she is such a good deal. My girls and I got a many nice compliments on our hair & makeup on my wedding day. Elaine is dependable, talented and affordable!

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COMPLIMENTS ON HOW YOU LOOK - BOOK ELAINE
I just got married and used Elaine plus team for my hair and make-up, MOH's hair and make-up, my sister's hair and make-up, and make-up for my 2 other bridesmaids and mom. I'm sure on every bride's wedding day, she gets showered with compliments...but seriously everyone said my hair and make-up was amazing and I looked beautiful etc. I'm not much of a make-up person, so I felt like a drag queen. But have to admit the proofs I've gotten back, wow better than I've ever looked. And so does everyone in my wedding party! I'm a bit of a privacy freak, so there are no pics of my face. But check out my hair in my pics. I was so happy with the results Elaine created!

absolutely love elaine. Had my hair & make up trial, which was great fun. She listened to my preferences, and was able to make me look beautiful. She pointed out trips that I could do for my day-to-day make-up. She was very professional, and her prices are so reasonable.

I ended up using her for hairstyling only, but it was mostly out of sentimental reasons instead of lack of trust of Elaine's make-up abilities. I wanted my sister to do my make-up. Elaine understood my reasons and was not pushy at all. She still showed up on time with her assistant, did my and my girls' hair very quickly and well, and was so pleased to see our delight in her work.

Elaine is wonderful! Elaine spent a lot of time with me on my trial to get the look I wanted. She has been doing hair and makeup for over 12 years now and is very experienced doing bridal work. She also gave me tips on how I should prepare my skin and hair a couple of months before my wedding day. She is definitely very nice and patient. She pays a lot of attention to details. I was very impressed by her positive attitude and her artistic ability. I booked her immediately after she finished my trial!

**Post wedding review**
Elaine came with two assistants at 10 AM and finished before 1 PM. She came on time and worked very efficiently. I had 3 bms and 2 moms. Everyone looked gorgeous for the wedding. I had so many compliments about my hair and makeup. Elaine was patient and sweet and she is definitely commited to making every bride look beautiful on their special day.

I know she is usually busy (she had 2 appointments before mine that day), but I never had to worry about her being late or going over our set time. She is really good about how much time everything takes.

Her quality of work is definitely worth it. I wouldn't go with anyone else!

Elaine and her two associates did makeup and hair for seven of us ladies, including myself (the bride), and finished on time despite being half an hour late. I was thrilled how beautiful, perfect, and amazing we all looked! She has the most magical hands!!! In addition, she takes her time to make sure her work is flawless, something I also noted during the trial run. You want someone who cares about the details.

Although one of the earlier posters complained about Elaine's dishonesty, I found out that Elaine was quite the opposite: very honest, clear, and consistent with her pricing policy. All MUAs will charge extra for travel and Elaine is no exception. Elaine cut me an extremely good deal for the number of services I requested; no other MUA with comparable skill can compete with her and I did my research.

One of the best things about Elaine is for a $100 deposit, she will lend you pearl and/or diamond hair pins of your choosing, hair pieces, veil, and a full touch up kit. She returns the deposit as soon as you return her things. Also, the BM makeup service includes fake eyelashes, something that many other MUAs consider an add-on.

If you want excellent value for truly excellent service, CALL ELAINE.

I did a hair & make-up trial with Elaine and was amazed! She did an awesome job and made it look really natural. I was slightly late to my appointment with Elaine on my wedding day, so she rushed through more than the trial. I thought she did a much better job on the trial than my actual day, but it was still beautiful. The make-up last the entire day as well. Elaine is really nice and great to work with.

My mom and 5 other bridesmaids had their hair & make-up done by her assistants, but they don't do half as good of a job as Elaine does. I would recommend Elaine to anyone :)

Elaine is the best!! She was incredibly professional, punctual and I loved her work. She really listens to what kind of style you are looking for and gives you just that (for me, it was a more natural, not too made-up look). She is also very flexible. When my mother decided at the last minute that she too wanted her hair done the morning of the wedding, Elaine said "no problem" and squeezed her in.

The trial with Elaine was also really helpful in deciding to go with her. She spends the same amount of time as the day of the wedding during the trial and takes numerous digital photos at the end with a professional camera, a back drop and in indoor and outdoor lighting to you can really see if you like the make-up. She has a great selection of tiaras and veils that you can borrow with a deposit (returned when you return tiara/veil), which is a great way to save money.

I couldn't disagree more with tc14377's review. I booked Elaine ~3 weeks before my wedding and even told her how desperate I was, as my make-up artist backed out at the last minute. Elaine not only quoted me the same prices in person as in her e-mails, she even gave me a discount because my wedding was on a Friday (also the reason I was able to book her at the last minute as her weekends are usually completely booked months in advance). In sum, go with Elaine and book early! You won't regret it.

Elaine is very patient and calm. I communicated with her entirely through email and she was very good about responding quickly. I didn't do a makeup trial with her which was a bit of a concern, but on the day of, she did a fantastic job. She takes pride in her work and she takes her time. The makeup was very natural. I didn't like the lip gloss color she used on me, so I ended up using my own. My eye makeup did kinda come off under my eyes though so I had to keep covering it with concealer. But overall, I am very pleased with her work. I would rate her assistants as only okay. They did a good job on some of my bridesmaids and not so good on others. After shopping around to so many makeup artists who's prices are astronomical, I found Elaine's prices to be very reasonable, even including the $100 travel fee.

Elaine is very professional.
She and her team came right on time on my wedding day.
She's very detail oriented and did wonderful on my hair and makeup.
I would recommend Elaine to anyone who need a makeup artist.

Elaine is the best!! She is professional and patience with me. On contrast to the previous review, I found that Elaine is very honest, pleasant to work with and not pushy at all. I can quote 2 incidents that showed her honest personality. The first one is that I was about to buy her mask product, but she told me to wait till I finished the current mask and should think more to decide if I want her product or not. Another incident is that when I wanted to paid her in full during the make up trial, she declined and insisted that I should pay only part of the deposit and then the remaining amount on my wedding day. In addition, she really puts in her heart to do the make up trial that she entails my hair style a few times to ensure the est look. I was so busy on my wedding preparation that I just called her a day b4 my wedding to change my location and she accomodated my request without much complain. She arrived before the scheduled time ( 5:30am in Fullerton) and was well prepared. She bought her own lamp to make sure that the light was bright enough. I will definately recommend Elain to all of my friends.

My wedding is just two months ago. I hired Elaine Chou as my makeup artist. She is so nice and very professional on the job she do. I highly recommemended her to whoever has a wedding in the upcoming month or years. On my trail day, we discuss on how I want my makeup and hair is done. She is so patient and very professional on our discussion. After the trail, she provide grown, accessory and took a professional pictures and I have a lot of fun with her. On my wedding day, the whole family and bridemate is very satisfy with Elaine teams. Elaine cell (626)215-8116
Terri

I had my wedding earlier this year and Elaine was my hair & make up artist. I know it had to be her from the day I went into the studio for my engagement photo shoot. She was very friendly that I never feel awkward when working w/ her. She even give me few tips on how to improve my skin to get me really, not only for the wedding day but for lifetime. The engagement photo turned out great and all my family, friends and co-workers like my hair and make up on every photo that I shown them. On the wedding day, she did make up for both of my bridesmaids, my mother, mother-in-law and myself. Everyone loved to work with her and were very pleased with how the make up came out. She also did my hair on the wedding day. I had extremely long hair that took her a while to do my up dos, but she didn't complain at all but just trying her best to prepare me for the wedding. Over all, I loved her work, her personality and best of all - THE PRICE!!!

Thank you, Elaine!!!! :D