Catherine Elizabeth Hair, Makeup & Lash Artist

I booked for my bridal make up with Catherine in December 2020 for my wedding in May 2022. I booked a trial with Catherine, which she confirmed, at her house in York, a 90minute drive from where I live. I had booked a day off work as had my mum to attend the trial but when we arrived Catherine was not there. I tried calling but there was no answer. Eventually her son managed to get hold of her on his phone and Catherine said that she had double booked and was in Manchester, there was no apology but she did say she would be in touch to rearrange my trial. I waited a week but never heard back from Catherine so I started sending emails and calling - I never got an answer. By now I didnt trust Catherine to show up on my wedding day so I asked for her to refund my deposit, I tried contacting her via email, phone (even tried calling from different numbers), Facebook and Instagram. I didnt hear back from Catherine until the day before my wedding when she sent me an email to say that she had had covid but if I sent my bank details she would refund the 75 I had already paid for my trial which I never received. I had previously sent my bank details but I sent them again, it is now nearly 4 weeks since this email and I have still not received a refund. When speaking to other professionals in the industry about my experience they mentioned that they had heard similar stories about Catherine letting people down. I hate writing negative reviews, in fact this is the first Ive ever had to write but feel that other brides need warning. Dealing with Catherine was a very stressful experience and in the end I had to do my own wedding make up as I couldnt afford to pay for another trial. I only wish I had read the other negative reviews on google before booking.
Jun 24th, 2022

Cat does our team hair and makeup each year for our annual Christmas Party and awards. She is absolutely amazing! The transformations are so impressive and she makes you feel a million dollars not only with her great products but her great personality too!
Apr 10th, 2020

I booked Catherine in December 2020 to do hair and make-up for myself and bridesmaids for my wedding at the end of August (28th) 2021. I hadn't heard from her, so emailed in early June. I didn't get a reply so emailed again in July (twice), and also phoned and left a voicemail. Eventually I got an email from her saying she had to cancel, and that she had emailed me letting me know - this was two weeks before my wedding and I had received no communication whatsoever, so this is clearly a lie, and she had ignored my own (multiple) emails. She said she would return my deposit. I emailed back with my bank details but heard nothing, so emailed again a few days later asking if she needed more information. I emailed a few more times, all with my bank details, but heard nothing. I eventually got one email, again professing to have had no emails from me - it is 2021 and emails get to where they are sent so this is clearly a lie. It is strange she didn't have any problems in December when I was giving her my money. I sent my bank details through the booking form on her website and via message on her Instagram, but have heard nothing back and am still 75 out. It is worrying that I can see a very similar thing happened to someone else - her review is also on this Google page - and it makes me wonder how many people she has done this to. I found out she was cancelling on August 9th, and she has had nearly a month to return the deposit. It seems if you book Catherine you run the risk of being lied to, your money stolen and being cancelled on at the last minute. Not a risk I would take again.
Feb 15th, 2022

Made me feel amazing on my special day We had the pleasure of Catherine Elizabeth to work her magic on our beautiful bridal party back in March. Having seen this ladys amazing work time and time again, I knew she would be able to create exactly what I wanted for my special day. Catherine Elizabeth was so professional, even with our early start nothing was too much for her. Seeing my bridesmaids one by one coming out of the chair, each one with stunning hair and make up, was such a wonderful start to our special day. Then it came to me, I have never felt so comfortable and confident! My hair and make up was everything and more and she was even on hand to touch up my make up for the later photos, not that it really needed it as the make up still going until I stopped the celebrations into the early hours! Could not recommend Catherine Elizabeth enough! I've since been back in Catherine Elizabeth's chair for her to create beautiful up do's for other special occasions and always been complimented on her work.
Mar 24th, 2020

TL;DR: Cancelled the wedding, only told me when I chased her for something else, didn't organise a replacement, lied about the whole thing, then only gave me my deposit back once I started legal action. In March I booked Catherine Elizabeth for my wedding in September. After having a trial and handing over my money, she got very busy and said she would have to reply to emails clarifying details later. Several months later (and only a few weeks before my wedding) I chased her again for these details to be told that she was unable to do my wedding as she was going to someone else's. She then claims to have been trying to contact me several times to let me know - despite the fact that I have had no emails, calls, texts, post etc, so this is an obvious and provable lie. She then claims not to have cancelled, but to have 'replaced' herself with someone else - something she still claims whilst refusing to address or even acknowledge that: a) The phone number she gave me for the replacement was not a valid phone number b) No replies were received to date from the emails I sent them c) No-one ever contacted me d) No-one turned up on the day except a different artist that I employed myself She later claimed that she had organised a replacement but that they cancelled once she heard I had told someone else that I had been left without a replacement - despite the fact that I only said this once I had established that the contact details I'd been given were partly fake and no one was replying to the others, and they never contacted me. I then asked her for a refund. She ignored 4 emails sent over a period of 3 weeks (she later claimed that she had been having problems with her emails, but this was downgraded from a technical problem to a 'backlog' once legal processes were started). The lovely make up artist who did my wedding makeup offered to let Catherine know that I had been trying to contact her to get my money back as she knew her - still nothing. Eventually in desperation I started legal proceedings against Catherine Elizabeth. Immediately all technical problems were resolved and Catherine was able to contact me to offer me my deposit back, but as she refused to return the trial money (despite the fact that in her own agreement it says she is obligated to prove a replacement which she didn't do and therefore has broken) and I cannot take the time off work to continue legal action, I am 115 down for a trial for an event that never happened and a contract that seems to mean FA. I have been very careful to only include things which are provable from our correspondence above, but my personal opinion on what happened is that she probably simply forgot she was supposed to be doing the wedding, double booked herself, and when I reminded her she panicked and lied to cover it up. If I hadn't chased her for other details she had been supposed to provide I imagine I'd have found out that she'd 'replaced' herself with someone who also wasn't coming on the day itself... so in some ways I guess I'm lucky.
Mar 20th, 2020