Kelli Thomsen Beauty, Portland OR

Kelli was incredible knowledgeable, friendly, and skilled. I really enjoyed my makeup consult with her and went home with some really great products and tips. My skin feels amazing now!

I went to Kelli for a lash lift and tint as well as a makeup lesson. What a patient, grounding person to work with. Kelli clearly cares about her clients and works hard to make sure they have a restorative experience. Plus, her studio is lovely and relaxing. I'm looking forward to going back to Kelli soon!

I booked a makeup consultation / lesson with Kelli and was so impressed! She helped me refresh my look, took into consideration my lifestyle and skin concerns and created a beautiful, easy to manage look. So thankful to have found Kelli!

Kelli and her team were amazing to work with and helped us navigate some unique circumstances in feeling completely bridal-ready. Her patience, empathy and openness made her the perfect fit for us. Additionally, her artistry, fantastic eye for color, and knack for subtlety made us feel like perfectly enhanced versions of ourselves - but still very much ourselves, which was so important to us. We love that she uses natural products, and our skin felt so glowy even after the big day! I highly recommend doing a trial with Kelli and her team - it made for a much easier day-of and we went in feeling confident that we would look like goddesses. We opted to use her studio space in downtown Portland for getting ready, which comfortably accommodated our moms and bridal party for the morning. Thanks for your amazing work and emotional support, Kelli! We are so grateful

I hired Kelli and team to do my wedding makeup and hair. I came into her studio a few weeks prior and did a hair and makeup trial. Going into it, I was pretty anxious, I rarely wear makeup and I can be a bit picky with my hair. As soon as I sat down in the chair, my fears slowly melted away. They freaking killed it.worth.every.penny and I could not recommend them enough.

As I was getting my makeup done, whenever I had a thought about adding more color or an eyelash adjustment, Kelli already saw it and was adjusting before I could say a word! Her eye for makeup is impeccable!

And it was the same thing for my hair, Taylor went above and beyond during my trial, allowing me to try two options (I was between a halfup/half down or an organic, romantic low bun) as soon as we tried them it was a no brainer, but I would not have had the peace of mind if we didn't explore both options! She was extremely receptive to tweaks I wanted to make and I never felt more beautiful on my wedding day.

They also did a few members of my wedding party's hair and makeup. My MOH who refuses to get her makeup done decided to give it a shot and was OBSESSED with Kelli's work! She looked gorgeous.

Thank you thank you thank you!

I needed a big upgrade on cosmetics since getting back to in person meetings post-COVID. Had a great targeted session with Kelli and came away with just what I needed for products meetin my needs - easy, natural, healthy looking

I can’t recommend Kelli Thomsen enough! I booked a private makeup lesson with her and learned so many great techniques, skin care routine improvements and product choices. I booked this in preparation for my wedding, but came away with some amazing day-to-day tools that I can already tell are turning my skin game around. I also had a blast working with Kelli who is super knowledgeable. I went from feeling nervous about the appointment to having a really fun time and feeling like my most glamorous and radiant self. Thank you, Kelli!

I hired Kelli for my July 2022 wedding. Ultimately, I found her to be incredibly rigid, hard to work with and unreasonable.

I think she probably sees herself as a stealthy business woman, making sure to look out for her own best interests (which would be something I can appreciate). However, her inability to compromise or even communicate clearly when a resolution is needed are not the qualities of a good small business owner.

What’s really frustrating though, is that after all her shortcomings on the business side of things, she absolutely does not make up for it in the realm of talent. When I initially experienced how cold Kelli can be in her emails, I thought “well, if she communicates this poorly but still has good reviews, she must be REALLY good at what she does. ” No. I will leave it at that—the answer is no.

I thought about writing out all the details of my experience with Kelli, but then this review would be too long. I will just say that by the end of my interactions with her I had given up. Every email she sent left me feeling more upset than the last, and I didn’t want that kind of energy leading up to my wedding. Rather than seeking a fair resolution or any of my money back I chose to just take the services she was willing to give me and then never talk to her again.

To you, Kelli: I get that you deal with a lot of weddings and contracts all the time. But for me, this was my wedding. It was a very special day for me. And I wanted to be able to talk to you, as a real person and as the artist that you claim to be. Instead, I got a cold robot who quoted the contract at me every time I tried to have an open conversation about what I needed. It made me feel like we were at odds instead of being on the same team. There is a difference between being direct and being abrasive. You can be direct and still be friendly. In the end, when I told you I was upset and why, the attempt you made at having a warm, positive tone came across as insincere and condescending. Also, the fact that you didn’t even check your own contract before mis-quoting it at me repeatedly added a whole new layer of confusion to our already frustrating communications.

Update: A day or two after I posted this review Kelli emailed me reminding me of a clause in my contract regarding reviews and asking me to take this review down. (Everything else that was said in her long email just solidly reinforced my previous experience of her.) I was aware of the clause and am not in breach of it, so will not be removing my review. It makes you wonder though, if there have been other poor reviews that went unposted due to that clause.

Another update, after reading Kelli’s response to my review: This lady is so out of touch. Good luck everybody, you have been warned.

I love Kelli Thomsen and her team! I have incredibly sensitive skin and allergies and Kelli is the best esthetician I have ever worked with. The wax and skin care products she uses are clean and barely cause any irritation. I am so sad that I no longer live in Portland and can't see her! I recommend her to everyone! For our wedding, Taylor (hair) and Laura (make up/esthetician) were incredible for doing my hair and makeup. They made me, a person that rarely wears makeup, feel incredibly comfortable and beautiful for my wedding day. They are also lovely, easy to work with and so so amazingly talented. Wish I could give more stars to these ladies. They are SO SO talented.

Kelli was so amazing! I had a lot of trouble trying to figure out what exactly I wanted. She was patient, flexible and generous with me throughout the entire process. Not only did my wedding day makeup look AMAZING, but she also encouraged me to love my skin/body/self throughout the process. I didn't realize how much I needed that leading up to the big day. It was such holistic experience. I cannot recommend her enough!

Kelli is a wonderful, knowledgeable professional who I can’t stop raving about. She is the first person to ever provide facial services that didn’t leave me red and broken out and she started me on a new line of products that have transformed my skin - I felt so good and confident that I completely stopped using any foundation and have had a cleaner, more natural complexion since my first visit with her.

Beyond the services she offers, she is an absolute pleasure to know as a person and a friend. She is so kind, caring and down to earth and as soon as I met her I completely trusted her. After I witnessed how incredible her bridal services were and saw how she pampers and loves her brides and I couldn’t wait to be client.

During quarantine she has sent product refills and samples, she’s always quick to answer my questions and she even let me text her all my products so she could help me identify the clean, natural ones and which to ditch. The last two months I have thought about her DAILY and how the first thing I want to do is go see her for a treatment and hug.

Keep being you, Kelli!

Kelli is such a gem! When I was looking to book a wedding makeup artist it was important that they were not only a makeup pro but also a skincare pro. Kelli is both of those, and on top of that she has such a warm and genuine spirit! I immediately felt as ease when I met her. I only know makeup basics and I never style my hair beyond a quick blow dry.so it was important that I still look like myself but elevated. During my trial run she executed my vision (which I struggled to put into words!) absolutely beautifully! All of my communication with her has been prompt, caring and professional. Plus, I’m using skincare lines she recommends and my skin is so much happier because of it! (If I lived locally in Portland I would definitely be scheduling skincare services from her at her studio!)
On top of all of that, my wedding had to be rescheduled (covidbride) and she quickly communicated with me on backup date availability for 2020, no extra fees for the changed date, and promptly created an updated contract. Ultimately, I’m so thankful I have Kelli on my wedding team. I’m excited to spend time with her again on my wedding morning as she works her magic!