Vanity Pham
Category: Beauty and Spas Makeup Artists Makeup Artists [Edit]
San Francisco, CA 94115(415) 351-8239
- Hours:
Fri-Sun 6 am - 12 am
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Price Range:
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$$$
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Vanity Pham
25 reviews in English
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Review from Wendy C.
Oakland, CA
2/1/2012
Van did hair and makeup for my friend's wedding, which is how I heard of her. My friend was the most stunning bride I ever did see, and I knew I wanted to have Van work her magic on me for my engagement session. I did not even research any other make up artists. She was the one and only artist I contacted and I am so glad I did!
Van is detail oriented and extremely talented It's obvious from the moment she starts working that is she is naturally talented. Hair/make up were flawless and stayed on all day and night with no touch ups needed. She will even give make up tips and advice! Also, she will not be offended at all if you want her to do more or less or do something differently.
She is really easy (and fun!) to work with, organized and flexible. She has a calendar on her website so you can see what days she is available months and months in advance. Also, we had to reschedule our shoot at the very last minute due to weather and Van was super cool about it. She doesn't charge a fee for reasonable last minute changes unlike so many other vendors.
My fiance and I are having a destination wedding, but if we were getting married closer to home I would use Van in a heartbeat. I wish I could pack her and take her with us! -
Review from Tabitha I.
Daly City, CA
1/31/2012
I worked with Van 2 years ago for my rehearsal dinner and wedding day, and 3 weeks ago for my 30th birthday. All for hair and makeup, and in all 3 times, Van has made me look Ah-MAZING. She is completely professional and does beautiful work.
For my wedding, she used airbrush foundation and comfortable fake lashes. She gave me a Vanessa-Hudgens-like-long-curls-look for my rehearsal dinner, and a romantic lose curls up-do for my wedding day. I loved both finished products. She and her team came to my hotel and made up me and my 6 bridesmaids, arriving promptly and being efficient.
For my 30th birthday, Van did my makeup complete with the fake lashes and a big-curls-side-ponytail look. Again, her work is beautiful. I received complements the whole night.
If I can ever find another excuse to get full hair and makeup, I would go to Van for sure. -
Review from Christine Y.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011
I highly recommend Van for bridal party hair and makeup. First of all, she is incredibly talented and keeps up-to-date with the latest products and techniques. Aside from all the compliments I got on the day-of (which are taken with a grain of salt since everybody always gushes about the bride being beautiful), my MOM gave Van two thumps up. To give you some context, my mom is the most critical (but honest!) person I've ever known.
Secondly, she maintains a VERY high standard of professionalism. She promptly returned my emails/ phone calls/ etc., and made sure that I was happy with the end product. Another thing that really impressed me was how she handled the payment on the day-of. I had a spreadsheet to track vendor payments and deposits, and mixed up the amount due to Van with the payment for another vendor. I ended up writing her a check for $200 more than was due to her. After I handed her the payment, she told me that I had overpaid her and gave me an itemized breakdown of her services. I was a bit embarrassed over my careless-ness, but SUPER impressed with her honesty and professionalism.
All in all, I think Van is fantastic! -
Review from Olivia L.
10/27/2011
I got really lucky with Van. I called her frantically about 3 weeks before my wedding and she was able to squeeze in both a trial (on a weekend day) and makeup for me, my sis, and my mom on my wedding day (I had an afternoon wedding, so she showed up at noon, after her morning wedding). She says that people normally book her 18 months out for summer weddings, so get on the horn, ladies!
I normally never wear makeup, but read all the mags, so I know what products are out there (even if I don't use them). Van carries the full line for six different foundations, including one for airbrush. That means that she has everything from yellow undertone for Asians, and color with the appropriate undertone for African-Americans too. Awesome.
Van is a real professional. On the day of the wedding, Van was 30 minutes early (despite having another engagement elsewhere earlier in the morning). She and her assistant were an oasis of calm. If i needed to get up to do something, I just go up, then sat down again and she resumed working on my face or hair.
p.s. -- I do recommend that after the trial, you wear your face for the full day. For example, for me, I realized that powder to touch up was the wrong strategy for me. Once the makeup was set, I just needed to use oil blotting sheets to keep everything matte -- more powder just looked cakey after a while. I told Van on the day of the wedding, and we went powderless. -
Review from Vanessa N.
San Jose, CA
10/19/2011
Van did an excellent job with my hair and makeup for the wedding. She's very professional, which I found was rare for artistic types based on my wedding vendor search. She's very responsive before and after booking. She's flexible with different styles and preferences. Don't be afraid to ask her for things you want or don't want so she can edit her work as she goes along. It's your big day, it's not the time to be shy and Van makes you feel very comfortable. She does so much in so little time and the look is long lasting, light weight, and durable. She'll even give you a touch up kit with lipstick (even a different color if you want to change it up).
You can read more and see pictures here:
http://sanjoselove.blo... -
Review from Becca W.
San Diego, CA
10/12/2011
I am so glad I found Van on Yelp. She did my make up for my engagement session & wedding and I couldn't be happier! Van got the look that I had in mind on the first try (AMAZING), and my hair and make up stayed on all through the night! I honestly did not want to take off the make up and undo my hair at the end LOL.
Van is very detail oriented and she listens to all your concerns and feedback. She will work with you and provide solutions to make sure you are satisfied with your final look. She is also very understanding and accommodating on schedule changes.
I can't say enough good things about Van (book her and find out for yourself!). With her bubbly personality and mad skills she will definitely be doing big things!! -
Review from Natalie S.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
This is the second time I've had Van and her girls do my hair and makeup for a wedding. Both times I have been super impressed. I think she does an especially great job for Asian features and the makeup really lasts all day.
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Review from nicole k.
Oakland, CA
10/18/2011
Van really did an amazing job with my bf's makeup. Mine wasn't as great, but it was the bf's day and that's all that really matters. She was able to get picture perfect hair and the makeup looked flawless and lasted the full day. I'm so glad she provided a little bit of extra lip gloss though so that we could do a bit of touch ups.
The trial wasn't nearly as good as the day of, but again...it's the day of that really counts! -
Review from A S.
Oakland, CA
10/6/2011
Oh my gosh! Van is amazing. She and her team made my bridal party and me look amazing. She is a genius!
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Review from Nha T.
San Jose, CA
8/21/2011
Van was the make-up artist and hairstylist for my wedding. Since I'm not used to wearing makeup, it was a bit difficult for me to tell her what I wanted in "make-up terms". All I know was "natural looking" lol. Van was very patient with me. She tried different things to see which one I like most. After my first trial, I went back for another trial and she was more than happy to accommodate. Her rates are reasonable. I LOVE how she's very conscious about keeping her products clean and sanitized. She's very professional, sweet and friendly all at the same time! My makeup turned out to be what I wanted and everybody loved my hairstyle!
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Review from J L.
Palo Alto, CA
4/29/2010
Love, love, love!
I was a bridesmaid recently and Van made me and a fellow bridesmaid picture perfect. She listened to my concerns (I have very oily skin) and desires (up-do with lots of texture and volume) and made everything happen. She did such an amazing job. To top it all off, she is friendly and professional and patiently answered my never ending questions about makeup.
The best part: she airbrushed my foundation. My skin looked flawless =)
At 3am, when I finally went to shower, I was so shocked to see that my makeup still looked quite fresh and my hair was still in place after all that dancing. How terrific is that? -
Review from Chau T.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2011
You will not regret choosing Van as your makeup artist. I was looking for fresh and long lasting makeup for my wedding. I did a trial run with her and I knew she was the right choice. I had other trials with a few other makeup artists and it was a disaster. Too heavy makeup and it didn't even look like me. You have to be excited and pleased about your hair and makeup for your weddding, right? I received so many compliments from EVERYONE about how pretty and natural my makeup looked. Everyone is still talking about Van and maybe booking her for their future weddings. I was a very happy bride! Van, you made me picture perfect. You rock!
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Review from Veronica S.
Fremont, CA
4/11/2009
Van amazes me with her talent as she is a young make-up artist. She brings refreshing and professional make-up for any occasion.
I have seen her work her wonders for the Miss Chinatown USA & Miss Asian America pageants, and the girls come out looking like superstars.
Van also, however, specializes in makeup for bridal events, special occasions, and even fashion shows. She will deliver high profile makeup for an affordable price =) -
Review from lorin y.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 10/11/2010
Van, thank you for making me look like a rock star for the wedding. I felt just like a princess. The make up lasted longer than I did after my 6th glass of champagne.
Listed in: Farm Wedding with an Indie…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/10/2010
Asian make-up magician. No, Asian make-up Goddess!
Being Taiwanese, I looked high and low for a… Read more »
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Review from Jenny P.
San Francisco, CA
3/27/2011
Like! Like! Love!!
I am VERY pleased with your work VAN! I can't wait for you to open your own studio!
I found Van on http://yelp.com and with all her positive reviews I knew I could trust her! I used Van to do my hair and make up for my engagement session and she made me look so natural that my fiance was so impressed! She was very accommodating to my time that I needed my hair and make up to be done by 8am! She made me look amazing!! She used airbrush foundation on me and I looked flawless =) I didn't feel or look like I had a lot of make up on.. that was the best part!
I would recommend her to anyone!! Thanks Van!! -
Review from Paj Ntsa V.
San Jose, CA
1/6/2010
Vanity Pham is not your typical makeup artist/company. Van does her homework and knows exactly what style of makeup will suit the occasion. I first saw her work in 2008-2009 at the Miss Hmong California Pageant where her creativity exuded luminosity. And again in 2009-2010, at the same pageant, her keen eye for quality makeup continued to impress me.
This past December, I was privileged enough to have Van as my makeup artist and hairstylist for the Miss Hmong International 2010 Pageant. For six rounds, her stamina, dedication and work inspired and helped me to rank 1st Runner Up to Miss Hmong International and earn the Miss Photogenic Hmong International 2010 award.
Van & Vanity Pham is easy to work with and most definitely the best.
With my deepest gratitude,
Paj Ntsa Vwj,
Miss Hmong International 1st Runner Up 2010
Miss Photogenic Hmong International 2010 -
Review from Lisa W.
San Francisco, CA
6/27/2011
Vanity Pham is a 10-star make-up artist! I used her as my make-up artist and hairstylist for my big day. I was looking for someone who uses quality make-up and still make me feel natural with make-up on. I did pay an arm and leg for my wedding photos...so I better look darn good. I did a trial and thought her work was great. Plus, she can work with anything. 3 days before the big day, I had second thoughts on how I wanted to do my hair and sent her another style on how I wanted it done. She said, no problem, it'll look great. On the day of the wedding, she showed up with her team and they worked hard on all 5 of us. My bridesmaids and I loved our make-up and hair. I received so many compliments! I barely needed a touch-up on my makeup...if any at all. She'll provide you with a touch-up kit for the day of the wedding. Overall, Van and her team are professional, very good with time-management, and very sweet. I highly recommend using Van as your hair and make-up artist for your big day!
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Review from Jo Ann E.
San Francisco, CA
8/25/2009
Van Pham is an up and coming make-up artist. You better watch out for her!
She delivers friendly, professional and amazing services for such an affordable price. She never ceases to amaze me with the make-overs she does.
She does it all: fashion, glam, beauty, natural. Just ask and she will definitely give you what she wants.
Give her a try. You won't be disappointed. Trust. -
Review from Karisa N.
Santa Clara, CA
1/20/2010
Van was the makeup artist that did all the makeup for my bridesmaids plus a bunch of other people (i think 11 people total...lol). she did an AMAZING job with everyone. all my bridesmaids were really happy with their results. in fact we just kept commenting about how good she was even though she's young. wowzers. i would definitely recommend her to all my friends. you can already tell Van's gonna be a rockstar...
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Review from Julia N.
San Ramon, CA
9/14/2010
Van did my makeup for my wedding. I didn't do the trial because I had already heard from others that her work would be perfect. She also hired 2 makeup artists to do my bridemaids and moms makeup. Love her makeup style - beautiful work of art!!! I had constant compliments - very natural make up yet flawless and radiant. It was also the first time I tried airbrush and it feels very natural. Best of all, she and her staffs were very promt, professional and without a doublt friendly and helpful -- always smiling and laughing. Highly recommend her for your special day -- you'll be very happy with your makeup and also have a wonderful time getting it done =)
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Review from MiSa S.
San Francisco, CA
7/23/2010
Van did my makeup for my engagement pictures and wedding. I didn't have to do a long trial b/c she got the look I was going for on the first try! Yay! She uses an airbrush applicator and my makeup stayed on all night long! She made sure I was happy with my look and supplied me with touch up lipstick for the rest of the night. She also did my hair and my curls stayed in place the whole night as well! Van is awesome!
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Review from Maria B.
Santa Clara, CA
1/20/2010
She's awesome. I looked great for a recent pageant I did; she definitely knew what she was talking about and she's very friendly. She'll offer and explain other styles so that you have the option to choose. She's quick, but not sloppy and doesn't waste any time. She's also careful in what she does and will take the time to make sure everything looks right. I'd definitely request her again for the next occasion! =]
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Review from Hey D.
Oakland, CA
4/10/2009
I always go to Van when I need my makeup done for special occasions such as weddings and parties. She's especially good with Asian features and I love how she can style my knee length hair. She's very friendly and her prices are very reasonable for a poor college student like me.
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Review from J P.
Oakland, CA
9/25/2009
Simply... THE BEST... Not only has Van given me many much needed makeovers, Ive had the wonderful opportunity to work with her on lots of events and she is GREAT at what she does. She knows how to adjust her style to different facial features and hair types so you can rest assured that you will come out looking your best when working with Van. Her prices are reasonable and well worth the high quality service she provides. Van is reliable, professional and a great choice for any brides needing hair and makeup services!
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Review from Mary C.
San Jose, CA
11/9/2009
Van Pham recently did my hair and make up for my wedding. She worked on me, but her team as well did a wonderful job with my bridal team. For myself, I don't wear much make up at all. At my trial, she was very patient with me, when we were both figuring out the look I was aiming for. I was surprised at how Van transformed me without making me look like someone else. The make up was very natural and stayed on very well. The hair also stayed on nicely. I had extensions in, but unless you've seen my natural hair, you couldn't tell that they were extensions. Yes, the extensions cost more, but worth every penny when I look at my wedding photos. In addition, she has a cute personality that makes the early morning call very fun. You just have to let her know what you want, and she will make it happen. I've already referred a few upcoming brides to Van to be their make up artist and hair stylist. The best thing is, she is willing to come to you!
