The 5 best places to get your makeup done in Charlotte

When I’m in the mood to look extra glam, I get my makeup done by a professional. Sure, I can throw on some mascara myself but when it comes to contouring and blending, I’m lost. (Although I am very good at blending milkshakes.) 

So where are the best places in Charlotte to get your makeup done? 

Funny you should ask. Here’s the top five:

(1) Re Salon

Makeup brand: Depends on the artist, but usually Bobbi Brown or MAC

Price: Starting at $75

Appointment? Required

Other offerings: Hair salon and med spa

My first experience with Re Salon was as a hair salon. But this updated firehouse is also home to makeup artists and even teeth whitening professionals. They’re open until 9 p.m. most weeknights and until 6 p.m. on Fridays, so they’re a great choice if you have evening plans and want to get your makeup done after work. 

Pro Tip: The parking at Re is a disaster. Because of this, they have a valet so be sure to have a few dollar bills on hand for a tip. I once had to give the poor guy a handful of dimes and it was not my finest moment. 

(2) LALA Girl

Makeup brand: Gorgeous Cosmetics, The Balm, Veil Cosmetics and Dinair  

Price: $35

Appointment? Walk-ins welcome 

Other offerings: Blowouts and tattoo cover-up

LALA Girl offers the cheapest makeup application on this list. But there’s a catch: you have to select one of their six signature looks. But for people like me who sit down in the makeup chair and say, “I have no idea what I want, just make me pretty.” this isn’t a big deal. Just don’t do “The Melrose.” It legit looks like they put no makeup on you and that’s no fun.

Pro Tip: LALA Girl allows walk-ins but they do recommend making an appointment on weekends. But if you really need an appointment after hours, they told me that you can call them and they will try their best to make it happen. 

(3) Woo Skincare & Cosmetics

Makeup brand: Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown

Price: $50

Appointment? Required

Other offerings: Waxing and facials

If you’re looking for a quick and easy makeup appointment, go to Woo Skincare & Cosmetics. It only took about 20 minutes for my makeup artist to finish my face, which is impressive because it was covered in a lovely outbreak of hormonal acne. 

Woo also offers eyes-only makeup for $25. This is perfect for people who have no idea how to apply eye shadow without looking like Mimi from “The Drew Carey Show.”

(4) Be Pretty

Makeup brand: A little bit of everything: MAC, Make Up For Ever, Tarte, Smashbox and NARS

Price: $125 (includes makeup, hair and lashes)

Appointment? Required

Other offerings: Hair and wardrobe styling 

Lindsey Regan Thorne of Be Pretty is basically the Mercedes Benz of makeup artists. She’s costly but talented; she even did Emily Maynard’s makeup for her wedding. Part of that cost is due to the fact that her and her staff will come to you to do your makeup. So if you’re interested in Be Pretty, you’ll need to start saving. Oh, and clean your room.

(5) Charlotte Sugaring

Makeup brand: Dev (Kristen’s own paraben-free, non-comedogenic makeup brand)

Price: $55

Appointment? Required

Other offerings: Organic spray tan and sugaring

Remember when I wrote that article about my werewolf hands and how I went to Charlotte Sugaring and it was amazing? Well Kristen Brown also does makeup. And the cool part? Her makeup is good for your skin so you won’t break out like a teenage boy the next day. You can even get a two-hour makeup lesson from her for $125 so you can learn how to do it yourself.

Pro Tip: If you look up Kristen’s studio, you’ll see that it’s located in a dentist’s office. This might seem weird at first, but she has her own non-dental spa room so there’s no risk of getting an accidental root canal while you wait. 

So, Charlotte ladies, have fun getting pampered, pretty and possibly even outshining the bride.