Karis started getting into makeup after she attended a 2008 diploma course by The Make Up Room. Her part-time journey began in 2009 and in February 2013, she went into it full-time. In August 2016, she decided to launch Karis Chiu Makeup to doll ladies up for events!
She does makeup for weddings and family, maternity and newborn photoshoots. Karis keeps herself constantly updated with new bridal trends by experimenting with new techniques. She aims to make all brides happy on their special day and hopes to continually improve her skills ☺️
12 years of makeup experiencePrices include transport
Reduced pre-wedding rates on weekdays
Lash extension services available
Disclaimer: The lash extensions and bridal looks were sponsored by Karis Chiu Makeup. However, this is not a paid review and all opinions are my own.
• Book by 31 December 2021, valid for 2021 and 2022 bookings
• Excludes mothers, bridesmaids and groom makeup services
Karis did lash extensions and makeup and hair for my pre-wedding video shoot on 14 July. Read on as I share my review of Karis Chiu Makeup!
Lash Extensions by Karis Chiu (The Lash Veil)
Before and after
Price: $90 (new set)Style: Wet Look Lash, CC curl, 50 strands
3 days before my pre-wedding shoot (PWS), I went to Karis’s home-based lash studio at Keat Hong Close to get extensions done! The room was private, cosy and felt very relaxing as soothing music was being played. The bed had a disposable cover, which is replaced after every customer to maintain hygiene.
During the session, Karis chatted with me quite a bit. She’s easy to talk to! She also informed me of each step of the process when required (e.g. before washing my lashes). Towards the end, Karis mentioned that she put Super Bonder on my extensions to cure the glue immediately — this means that I won’t have to avoid water for 24 hours!
The entire session took about 2 hours and the lashes really opened up my eyes 😍 Karis did the Wet Look Lash for me with 50 strands of CC curl for each eye. This is priced at $90 for a new set!
New customers get 10% off for their first session!
After the session, she passed me a spoolie brush for my extensions and an eye mask for me to use on the night before my shoot 😊
Communication Prior To Shoot Day
Replies within 1-3 daysClear communication
Provides good advice
I first contacted Karis for her rate card via email. Her replies were quick (within 1-3 days) and she answered my queries well.
Nearing the shoot day, I moved the communication to WhatsApp so that I could send her some inspiration photos of the hairdos that I like. I also updated her about the shoot arrangements via WhatsApp as she’ll be following us for 3 hours 😊
Image credit (left): bygabytan / (right): Karis Chiu Makeup
Initially, I chose 2 different half updo looks for both the formal and casual shoot. But Karis advised that since they’re both half updos, they’ll look similar in photos/videos. So, in the end, I chose a low ponytail for the formal shoot and a side fishtail braid for the casual shoot!
As I’m not familiar with makeup, I let Karis decide what to do with my makeup look. My only criteria was to look natural, which is what she’s good at anyway ☺️
First Pre-wedding Bridal Look
On our shoot day, Karis reached our location 5 minutes before the agreed time (4:10am). She proceeded to set up her work station and started to prep my hair.
She began with putting on some skincare for me, finishing my makeup before styling my hair. To complete the look, she used the preserved flowers provided by my florist, Whimsical Blooms. In total, the styling took about 2h 15min.
It was quite a unique experience as this is my first time being dolled up by a professional makeup artist (MUA)!
Out and about at Botanic Gardens for our video shoot with Marcus from Freya Films. Loving my makeup and hairdo — the makeup concealed my flaws while still looking very natural.
The blue hair and choice of dried flowers added dimension to the low ponytail! It looked very laid back and elegant.
Here’s a side view of the braided low ponytail during the shoot! I feel that it complemented the gown from WeddingCrafters (Sheena) very well 😍
During the shoot, Karis was of great help! When the videographer needed assistance with tossing my train, she was very on-the-ball and was glad to help.
She also assisted to hold our belongings, such as my bouquet whenever I didn’t need it for a shot. Look at her hard at work trying to make my stubborn side hairs stay in shape! 😂
Second Pre-wedding Bridal Look
Back at the hotel, Karis touched up my makeup. Minimal touch up was required even though I cried quite a bit during the vow reading shoot 😅
For the hairdo, she changed it from a low ponytail to a side fishtail braid. The entire style change took about 30min.
An additional thing to note is that our Botanic Gardens shoot actually overran by 1.5 – 2 hours but she willingly stayed on without any complaints 😭 really thankful for her! After the 2nd look, she left.
Some behind the scenes shots taken during our interview shoot!
A side braid was a good choice as only our front view was filmed during the interview. It really added something special to the overall casual look.
Photos above were taken after the entire day of filming and after eating a meal! This was at about 3pm/4pm.
I still had quite a bit of lipstick left, the makeup was still intact and my hair still looks as good as new! I loved the makeup and hairdo so much that I was very hesitant to remove/undo them at the end of the day 😅
Overall Review: My Experience With Karis Chiu Makeup
Rating:Easy to communicate with and talk to
Punctual
Makeup and hairdo lasted throughout shoot
Proactive during shoot
Overall, it was very easy to communicate with Karis! She also seems to be quite open to experimenting with many looks 🙂
She’s great at providing advice and nice to chat with. In fact, during one of our chats, she introduced me to some good salons that are affordable that I can try for my actual day (AD)!
Karis is very patient and proactive and I only have good things to say about her work ethic and bridal looks! I’d highly recommend anyone to engage her if you’re looking for a genuine, gentle and skilled MUA.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 12 years of makeup experience | Only one makeup artist available |
| Prices include transport | |
| Reduced pre-wedding rates on weekdays | |
| Prices are within mid range | |
| Get lash extensions done before your big day to save some time |
Getting Your Bridal Makeup and Hair Done by Karis Chiu Makeup
Other than bridal makeup, Karis also provides makeup and styling services for wedding entourage (mothers, bridesmaids) and grooms! She also does makeup for any kind of photoshoot including maternity, family and newborn.
Address: Keat Hong Close
Email: karischiumakeup@gmail.com
WhatsApp: 9127 6677
• Book by 31 December 2021, valid for 2021 and 2022 bookings
• Excludes mothers, bridesmaids and groom makeup services
| Package | Price |
|---|---|
| Pre-wedding | From $280 per look |
| Solemnisation | |
| Actual day | From $480 per look |
| Mothers and groom styling | From $160 per pax |
| Transportation fee | Inclusive |
Are you a fellow bride-to-be? Follow me on my journey — @stitchmyberns!
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