The Best Makeup Artists
We graded 30 companies on seven things customers actually report: satisfaction, reliability, workmanship, value, momentum, track record and how owners handle complaints.
From 3,198 Google reviews of 30 top-rated makeup artists nationwide. Updated October 25, 2026.
Find the right company for your job
Pick the job — we re-rank companies by how customers rated that exact job.
Best makeup artists for hair highlighting
Clear ✕Job match = this company’s ★ on reviews Google tagged “Hair highlighting” (shrunk toward the category average when there are few), how many such jobs it has done, and its overall Experts Score.
What customers said about hair highlighting
AJ did my hair yesterday and I can’t love it enough! She is very talented and takes great pride in her work. Would highly recommend her!!!
Amanda did a great job with my hair! She took the inspiration photo and recreated it perfectly! I’m obsessed! Highly recommend
Sarah is absolutely amazing!! She’s been my stylist consistently for 7+years. The only reason she’s not now is because I moved 😞 I love her so much though that I will probably still schedule with her when I’m in CA, ha! She’s awesome at her craft and I trust her work wholeheartedly. She’s thoughtful and her studio…
Minnie nails my hair every.single.time! I went in and we talked and I showed her photos of what I was looking for and she made it happen seamlessly. She is the best!
JoEllen and Chloe were magicians with my hair! I gave a pretty vague photo to let them work with and I have never had a better blonde IN MY LIFE!! I was so happy that I teared up with how beautiful my hair looked. Phenomenal work and team, thank you!
I have been going to Melissa for over 3 years and she has repaired my hair unbelievably.!! She is wonderful as far as asking what you want, how you want it done. Cut and Color is exceptional. And heathy!! The Head Spa is amazing. I will go nowhere else!
Overall ratings
Experts Score 0–100 and a letter grade per factor (A = top 20% of makeup artists).
| # | Company | Grade | Satis · Relia · Craft · Value · Momen · Track · Accou | ★ | Typical bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A 82 | AA––CDC | 5.00 | $140 | |
| 2 | A 81 | AACBBAA | 4.96 | — | |
| 3 | B 77 | AA––BDC | 4.99 | — | |
| 4 | B 74 | AA––DCC | 4.99 | — | |
| 5 | B 68 | BBACBAF | 4.97 | — | |
| 6 | B 68 | AA––CFC | 5.00 | $126 | |
| 7 | B 65 | BCACCBC | 5.00 | — | |
| 8 | B 62 | BB––CFC | 5.00 | — | |
| 9 | B 62 | AADDCCC | 5.00 | — | |
| 10 | B 61 | BB––CDC | 5.00 | — | |
| 11 | B 60 | BB–FCDC | 5.00 | — | |
| 12 | C 52 | CC––FCA | 4.96 | — |
What jobs cost
What customers paid, from the price Google asks reviewers to report.
| Job | Low | Typical | High | Fair |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hairstyling | $130 | $170 | $282 | 0% |
| Haircut | $41 | $61 | $76 | 0% |
Was the price fair?
All price verdicts left with reviews.
Price verdicts by year
Share calling it great / reasonable / overpriced.
How we grade
Satisfaction (35%) — Recency-weighted star average (2-year half-life), shrunk toward the category mean by review volume.
Reliability (15%) — How rarely jobs go badly: share of 1–2★ reviews in the last 24 months (fewer = better).
Craft & service (20%) — Google review highlights: Quality, Professionalism, Responsiveness, Punctuality — net praise per review.
Value (10%) — Customers’ own price verdicts (Great / Reasonable vs Overpriced) and Value highlights.
Momentum (8%) — Last 12 months vs lifetime average — improving or slipping.
Track record (7%) — Review volume and years with reviews.
Accountability (5%) — Owner replies to 1–3★ reviews.