Makeup artists in Bengaluru: what makeup and hair cost for a party

Most of these are starting prices, each for one person's look. The look in the photo you liked may cost more than the "from" figure, so ask for the price of that look.

A salon is the cheapest paid way, and you go to it. An artist who comes home saves you the trip in a draped saree, and one home artist here charges no visit fee in Bengaluru.

GST is the line most price lists skip. Beauty services carry 5% GST since 22 September 2025. An artist earning under ₹20 lakh a year doesn't have to register, so a small freelancer may charge none. Of the six lists we read, only one says whether GST is in its price.

Travel. One studio's is free within 10 km, and past that ₹40 a km on the round trip (a 2020 page). Another studio comes to you free within 8 to 10 km (a 2021 page). One home artist charges no visit fee in Bengaluru. The others say "extra" or "at actual cost" without a number, so ask for it in rupees.

Flowers, pins and accessories are usually yours. One home artist doesn't provide fresh flowers, and a studio charges extra for them and for accessories. Hair extensions are extra at those two. Another artist puts them in her ₹8,000 look.

Be ready when she arrives. One studio charges ₹2,000 for each half hour she waits (a 2020 page), and another charges for waiting between outfit changes.

What the extra pays for, from their own pages. The ₹12,000 artist names her products as luxury international ones, puts GST in the price, and says she handles every party booking herself and passes none to a junior. She also confirms a party booking only in the last 10 days, since her brides come first. The ₹6,000 artist names no brands for her party look and doesn't say who does the face.

Ask the ₹6,000 artist to confirm lashes and travel in writing, since her page says both. If she charges 5% GST, her price is ₹6,300 (our sum). Ask each what you get for the price: whose products, and who does the face. Neither page explains the rest of the gap.

The ₹6,000 artist's party look and her "Basic HD" are the same price, and another's ₹8,000 party look is HD. One studio charges for it: its ₹6,000 basic look is ₹12,000 as an HD look in the studio and ₹15,000 at your venue, on a 2020 page.

Airbrush. Two artists and a salon chain name it. None prices it for a party, and one says it's on request. Treat it as a bridal extra.

For a maternity shoot, Little Boss Photography told our team its basic makeup comes free on three of its studio packages. At your home or outdoors, makeup of any kind is a flat ₹5,000 added to the price of the shoot.

For a brand, portfolio or headshot shoot, ask how many looks are in the price, whether she stays for touch-ups and hair changes, and whether her assistant is paid separately. One studio prices fashion and photoshoot work by the event.

Three of the simpler looks come to ₹12,000 plus travel, against ₹18,000 for three of her party looks (our sums). Ask whether she brings a second artist if three faces won't fit before you leave.

Early functions mean very early starts. One family who wrote to us needed to be ready by 4 am for a housewarming. Ask whether a start before sunrise costs more. And be ready when it's your turn: one studio charges ₹2,000 for each half hour it waits (a 2020 page).

What to look for in her posts. Party and guest looks, since a bride's look is longer and heavier. Faces with your skin tone and age. Videos and photos in daylight or a hall, because ring-light photos flatter every face. And read the captions: a post sometimes credits someone else for the hair or the makeup.

Who does your face. Ask her by name, and get it in writing. One busy home artist says she does every party booking herself and passes none to a junior. Another says she never takes two bookings for the same time.

A trial. One studio charges ₹4,000 for a trial in its studio and doesn't take it off your bill (its page is dated 2020). Another charges for one and takes it off once you book (its page is dated 2021).

Dusky skin. Say "my own shade, no lighter" when you book, and check her posts for faces your tone. If a parlour has left you looking grey before, tell her that.

Acne, scars, open pores. Makeup softens them and can't hide them fully. A good artist works with your skin as it is, so there's no need to apologise for it.

Older. Ask for a light base and soft colour, and say if you don't want lashes. If you wear glasses, tell her, so the eye makeup suits them.

Pregnant. Ask for breaks, a chair you can sit back in, and products without a strong smell.

A man, or a teenager. Ask for a light, matte look that doesn't show in photos. For a 14-year-old, keep it young: skin, a little kajal and lip colour.

If your skin reacts, ask which lash glue she uses too. If you've reacted badly before, a patch test with a dermatologist is the safe way to know.

Wedding season runs from October to February, when artists book up with brides. The artist who confirms only 10 days out tells you if she's taken, and doesn't confirm you and send someone else.

The advance. None of the artists we read says how much it is. One studio's 2020 page says its advance is never refunded or moved, and if you cancel one of several bookings you still pay for that one in full. Ask before you pay, and keep the answer in a message.