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Kelli Thomsen Beauty

Kelli Thomsen Beauty

Portland, Oregon l Makeup & Hair Team specializing in clean beauty.

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the conscious blog

Find your best complexion for those exquisite wedding day photos

Wedding Beauty Team, Wedding Inspiration, Wedding Prep

Winter Minimalist Oregon Bride

Finding your best complexion that translates into exquisite wedding day photos will be one of the most important reasons to hire a professional makeup artist for your elopement or wedding day.

When planning how you want to feel, it’s important to understand there are some critical differences between every day makeup and photo ready makeup. If you’re someone who wears no makeup daily or you enjoy a full face of makeup, I will guide you and help you tailor your choices to your unique essence bringing together a look that captures who you truly are.


The key to feeling healthy and looking our most vibrant can be a combination of many things and is different for everyone. Consistent at-home skin care can set the stage for smoother and softer skin. Many times doing something consistently before the wedding day, like wearing sunscreen or getting regular facials with LED light therapy can make all the difference when it comes to how we feel and photograph. Skin texture affects how makeup sits on the skin and how light is captured off of it in camera. Just like our bodies need water or they become dehydrated, our skin needs consistent nourishment as well.

My top skin step suggestion is to start using a plant packed facial oil to revitalize and soften the skin. Dry or textured skin will typically lack natural radiance and if any makeup is used, it will end up enhancing dryness. It’s crucial to find a wedding beauty artist that understands skin in this way and makes it a priority to understand how you want to feel for your wedding experience. This is the beauty of what I do and it’s such a blessing, because caring for our skin is a huge aspect of our confidence.


My team of makeup and hair artists are blessed to be surrounded by the most talented and trusted wedding vendors. We make it a priority to treat skin first and aim to bring out natural beauty for those unforgettable and exquisite wedding day photos. It’s our goal to create a stress-free and fun getting ready experience, one that feels luxurious and exceeds your expectations. Our wedding season is filling up fast and we’re already booking into 2026, so please contact us right away if you want to work with us. We would be honored to connect with you to make sure we’re the right fit! Please check to make sure we are available for your date here.

Bridal portrait with tips for wedding day makeup

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4751 SW Seymour Ct. Portland, OR 97221
kellithomsen.com/ | 503-890-5355

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There’s something about a Hood River wedding that There’s something about a Hood River wedding that asks you to trust the elements, and Kathleen did just that.

Golden hour light spilling across The Gorge. Soft winds that honored her delicate veil instead of fighting it. A bridal party that moved through the day with the kind of ease that only comes when everyone feels genuinely cared for.

For Kathleen’s makeup, we let her natural freckles show through because why would we cover what makes her uniquely beautiful? Warm taupes and neutral tones that enhanced rather than masked. Soft and natural individual lashes. A rosewood lip chosen specifically to complement her natural skin tone, not fight against it.

This is what happens when you choose a beauty approach that works with your skin, your features, your natural coloring. Kathleen’s makeup held beautifully through riverside portraits, emotional vows, and dancing under the twilight because it was designed for her skin, this climate, these conditions.

This is the Pacific Northwest wedding beauty we’ve spent 25+ years perfecting. Weather-tested, botanically-driven, designed to let you be fully present instead of worried about how you look.

Thank you to this exceptional vendor team who understands that true luxury is in the details, the care, and the experience!

Venue: @thegriffinhouse
Planning/Design: @amandajeanpdxevents
Photography: @megangallagherphoto
Florals: @trellis_flowers
Hair: @styledbymattie
Skin & Makeup: @kellithomsen
Catering: @bellyfulcatering
Band/DJ: @bluewaveband
Rentals: @riverhoodrentals
At 50, I’m not winding down, I’m finally warmed up At 50, I’m not winding down, I’m finally warmed up! What I’m tending now? 

It’s been growing all along. After years of trial & error, I finally learned how to be still enough to enjoy it bloom - the garden, the work, the space and balance of energy. Everything around me is finally aligned. There’s this flow now where nothing is forced and everything feels organic, exactly how I approach the work I do, exactly how life is meant to feel. 

RECAP of the most important things I’ve learned: 

-you don’t need a master plan, just keep showing up for what feels true.

-build your life like a garden, one intentional choice at a time.

-some people are seasonal, others are perennial, the storms show you which is which.

-your body’s wisdom is smarter than your mind’s logic, listen to it.

-you can’t show up for others unless you’re showing up for yourself first.

-boundaries aren’t walls, they’re how you protect the energy for what truly matters.

-healing changes your taste… in people, in habits, in dreams.

-trust what lights you up, because your excitement is real data.

-you don’t have to choose between the wild & intentional, be both!

#Turning50 #CultivatingBeauty #ComeSitInMyGarden #CleanBeauty #SlowingDown #TendingToMySanctuary #Enhancement #IntentionaLliving
If you’re the couple who: •Cringes at ‘bridal gla If you’re the couple who:
	•Cringes at ‘bridal glam’
	•Wants to look elevated, not transformed
	•Likes your face & doesn’t want to cover it
	•Cares what ingredients are going on your skin
	•Wants makeup that breathes
	•Needs someone who calms you
…we should connect soon.

Because the most beautiful version of you isn’t a trend or a technique. It’s you, on a day you’re fully present for - glowing because you’re hydrated, rested, and genuinely full of excited energy.

Imagine makeup that enhances everything already extraordinary about your face. Hair polished or framing your radiant complexion. That’s what we do. That’s what we created for Annika for her backyard wedding in McMinnville, Oregon above. 

We align with couples who want this too. Reach out to connect for your 2026/2027 elopement or wedding day date so we can help you start planning your dream look!

Photo: @valphotoco
Floral: @atozflowerfarm
Rental: @ardeneventcollective
Catering : @biscuitandpickles
DJ: @litproductions503
Dessert: @valleyflour
Coordination & Planning: @nkcoordination  Beauty: @kellithomsen / Hair Artist Taylor
Your skin is the canvas and that’s exactly why we Your skin is the canvas and that’s exactly why we created this luminous, no-foundation look for Teal. 

When your complexion is this healthy, why cover it?

The truth about wedding day radiance? It doesn’t start in the makeup chair. It starts three months before your date—with daily hydration that plumps from within, gentle exfoliation that creates glass-smooth texture, and nervous system care that keeps stress from stealing your glow.

Because here’s what prepared skin does: Makeup melts in seamlessly. You photograph like light itself. Your look lasts through every tear, kiss, and dance floor moment without touch-up panic.

This is the difference between makeup that masks and beauty that magnifies what’s already yours.

That’s why our consultation doesn’t start with Pinterest boards—it starts with your current skincare routine. We need to know what your skin is drinking in every morning and night, because that 90-day investment is what makes the difference between makeup sitting on top of your face and a glow that comes from within.

Your wedding day radiance isn’t painted on. It’s earned through intentional care, then elevated by expert hands who know how to let your natural beauty lead. #oregonwedding #weddingbeauty

planning + design: @hostedby.co
florals: @novella_floral
photo: @elissadeline
venue: @rockyhillevents
rentals: @ardeneventcollective
beauty: @kellithomsen
bar: @bliss_bar
catering: @thehivecateringco
dessert: @milkglassmrkt / @laurettajeans
draping: @runestoneevents
photobooth: @stumptownbooth
dj: @rockyvertone
transportation: @columbiawinetours
I can give you a beautiful makeup application, but I can give you a beautiful makeup application, but I can’t give you healthy skin. That partnership starts before your wedding - with hydration, consistency, and a routine that supports your nervous system as much as your microbiome. Because the most elevated beauty? It starts beneath the surface. 

The couples who photograph best aren’t the ones who wear the most makeup - they’re the ones whose skin was ready to receive it. Prepped. Hydrated. Cared for. This is where flawless begins. 

These are some of my favorite products that give incredible results, but they’re just tools - and they’re not right for everyone. What transforms skin is finding YOUR unique habits and showing up for them every single day. 

That’s what we do together in consultation - I read your skin, we talk about your life, and we create a customized routine you feel good maintaining. Consistency is everything, but it has to be built on the right foundation. 

This is how we unlock lasting radiance and find your perfect routine together. My consultations allow you to start your skincare journey with clarity, confidence, and a customized plan.

I can’t wait to share our NEW skin care, makeup & hair styling packages for our 2026 & 2027 couples soon. Imagine intentional & elemental beauty as we help you feel your best and unlock your most radiant and flawless complexion! #weddingbeauty #cleanbeauty #oregonwedding #healthyskinprep #oregonweddingmakeup #oregonmakeupartist #skinprep #skintips #weddinggoals #beauty Florals & Design: @bloomculture_co
Photography: @hvfitzphotos
Coordinators: @haveandholdeventco
Venue: @gorgecrest
Beauty: @kellithomsen
Cake: @venus.cakery
Rentals: @greatjonesnw
Stationary: @covenantcalligraphy
The best part of wedding days? For me it’s not jus The best part of wedding days? For me it’s not just the beauty that surrounds me - it’s the connection. When Gina asked me for a hug today, it was everything. We had so much fun and she’s the epitome of natural beauty. She didn’t want to feel overdone or made up, so we created a look that enhanced her radiance while keeping everything soft & luminous. 

The Skin Prep:
@gloskinbeauty PRO 5 Liquid Exfoliant
@soniarosellibeauty Water Elixir
@belif Aquabomb Moisturizer
@ombeautyoil | Om Beauty Oil pressed on top

The Face:
We bounced in @faceatelier | Face Atelier foundation with a sponge for that seamless, skin-like finish. @fitglowbeauty | Fit Glow Beauty Peach Corrector brightened her under and inner eye darkness, then we added @kosas | Kosas Baked Blush in Dreamland and Heartbeat for a natural flush. My favorite Glo Skin Beauty Cream Bronzer Stick in Warm Glow brought warmth and dimension to complete her glowing complexion.

The Eyes:
Glo Skin Beauty Cream Shadow in Beam created soft definition, with @diorbeauty | Dior highlighter placed in the outer corners and upper cheeks for a lifted, luminous effect. I tightlined with brown liner by @onesize | One Size, then used @danessa_myricks | Danessa Myricks Color Fix to set her individual @eyemimosanfrancisco | Eyemimo lashes (after curling with the @rephr.to | Rephr lash curler first). Prepped the curled lashes with @judydoll_official | Judydoll mascara in black for that perfect lifted, pre-flutter.

The Lips:
Fit Glow Beauty Lip Serum as the base, topped with Glo Skin Beauty lipgloss in Whisper - the perfect understated elegance.

Setting It All:
Danessa Myricks Evolution Powder and One Size Waterproof Setting Spray to ensure everything stayed flawless from ceremony through the entire celebration.

#oregonweddingbeauty #naturalbride #naturalbeauty #oregonmakeupartist #weddingskinprep #cleanbeautybride #naturalweddingbeauty #weddinglook #wedding Vendors: Photography @georgy.shishkin / Makeup @kellithomsen & Hair @hairandmakeupbyshana / Getting ready @woodlark_hotel / Wedding Venue @coopershallpdx

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    4751 SW Seymour Ct.
    PORTLAND, OREGON 97221
    503.890.5355
    KELLI@KELLITHOMSEN.COM


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