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Kelli Thomsen Beauty

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the conscious blog

Wedding Beauty and Skin Prep | Kelli Thomsen Beauty – Portland, Oregon

Skin Care, Wedding Prep

Your Wedding Day Glow Starts With How You Feel

Your wedding day is one of the sweetest, most sacred days of your life. It’s a celebration of love, connection, and all the beautiful moments that brought you here. In the midst of choosing flowers, tasting cake, and planning every detail, there’s something equally important to tend to: how you want to feel when you step into that day.

What I’ve learned after 25+ years and over 750 weddings is this: the most radiant couples aren’t the ones who followed rigid skincare protocols. They’re the ones who learned to care for their skin terrain while also caring for themselves. The ones who built in moments of rest, nourishment, and presence during the planning process.

Your skin is telling a story about what’s happening inside your body. Sleep, hydration, joy, the way you’re moving through… it all shows up on your face. This is why my approach to wedding beauty isn’t just about products and treatments. It’s about helping you understand your unique skin terrain and creating practices that support both your complexion and your capacity to feel calm, grounded, and present for this incredible celebration.

“Flawless skin translates beauty in photos better than any makeup application, and that radiance comes from regulation, not just routine.”
Kelli Thomsen

What Makes Our Team Different

When you work our team of beauty artists here at Kelli Thomsen Beauty, you’re not just getting wedding hair and makeup services. You’re working with licensed artists who understand that beauty work is nervous system co-regulation. We hold space for you to land in your body, to feel safe, to be seen. We create an environment where you can exhale, because that’s when true beauty emerges.

We practice Elemental Beauty: enhancing what’s already there rather than covering or transforming. We use cruelty-free, botanical formulations because what you put on your skin matters. And we approach your wedding day from a natural ethos. Not just a timeline to execute, but an experience that deserves reverence and care.

Every artist on the team brings their own gifts, and together we’ve created a collective approach that honors you as a whole person. We see you. We hold space for the emotions, the excitement, the joy, the tender moments. And we help you and your wedding party feel grounded and radiant through it all.

Your wedding morning includes those most important to you. We’re here for your mothers, your bridesmaids, your flower girls, your partner and the entire wedding party. We understand the dynamics of getting a whole group ready together. The laughter, the tears, the anticipation, the pure joy. We create a space where everyone feels cared for, beautiful, and confident. Where your mom feels like herself but elevated. Where your best friends feel gorgeous without feeling like they’re wearing a mask. We bring the same intentional, regulated energy to every single person in the room.

The Two Components of Wedding Day Radiance

1. TERRAIN-BASED DAILY SKINCARE

Your skin is an ecosystem, not a problem to fix. I help you understand your unique terrain whether you’re dealing with sensitivity, congestion, dehydration, or inflammation. Together we create a simple, consistent ritual using cruelty-free, botanical-based skincare products.

Consistency is the foundation, but it’s not about perfection. It’s about:

  • Hydration from the inside out through water, mineral-rich foods, and herbal teas like spearmint for gentle detox
  • Regulation by prioritizing sleep, nervous system practices, and moments of rest
  • Nourishment with products that feed your skin’s microbiome rather than strip it

I’ll customize your daily skincare routine based on your skin type, lifestyle, and what your body is telling us it needs.

2. PROFESSIONAL SKINCARE TREATMENTS (Personalized Timeline)

Think of these as intentional touch points in the months before your wedding. Not just for your skin, but for your nervous system. Each session is a space to regulate, receive care, and reset.

Deep Cleansing Facials // $150
Monthly sessions, ideally a series of 3, to support detoxification and clarity. These aren’t aggressive treatments. They’re nourishing, nervous system-aware sessions that leave you glowing. Many brides choose our Wedding Skincare Packages for a complete preparation timeline.

Chemical Peels // $175
Every 4 to 6 weeks, best in a series of 3, for texture refinement and that lit-from-within glow. We use gentle, botanical-based formulations that respect your skin’s barrier.

Brow Shaping // Every 4 to 6 weeks
Your final brow appointment should be 5 to 7 days before your wedding for polished, natural definition that frames your face beautifully.

LED Light Therapy // $30 add-on
Blue light targets inflammation and breakouts, while red light promotes anti-aging and radiance. A series of 3 sessions in the month leading up to your wedding makes a noticeable difference in skin clarity and texture.

What This Means For You

When you prioritize your skin terrain and your nervous system in the months before your wedding, you’re creating a foundation of care that allows you to be fully present for one of the sweetest days of your life.

You’ll step into your wedding day feeling like you. Just the most rested, radiant, regulated version. That’s what comes through in photos. That’s what people remember. Not the makeup. You. Your joy. Your presence. Your glow.

Choose Your Path to Radiance

Wedding Day Hair & Makeup for You & Your People
Our talented team of licensed artists serves weddings throughout the Pacific Northwest, from Bend to wine country and the Oregon coast. We get the entire wedding party ready with the same care, attention, and Elemental Beauty approach. From the couple to mothers to bridesmaids, everyone receives our full presence and artistry. If your wedding date is available, we’d love to be part of your day. [Check our Wedding Availability]

Wedding Skincare Packages
Whether or not we’re available for your wedding day, I offer comprehensive skincare preparation packages that combine professional treatments with personalized guidance. These packages ensure you have the radiant, healthy skin you want for your photos and beyond. [Book Wedding Skincare Packages]

DIY Makeup Lessons
If you’re planning to do your own makeup or your wedding date is already booked, I offer one-on-one makeup lessons where I teach you techniques specifically for your face, your skill level, and your wedding day vision. You’ll leave confident and equipped with everything you need. [Book a DIY Wedding Makeup Lesson]

Skincare Treatments & Facials
Even if we can’t be there on your wedding day, I’m here to support your skin journey. Monthly facials, chemical peels, brow shaping, and LED therapy are all available to help you achieve that nervous system regulated glow. [Book Single Session Skincare Services]

No matter which path feels right for you, our commitment is the same: holding space for you and everyone you love, honoring your unique terrain, and helping you feel as beautiful as you look.

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

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2025 was full of flashy 12 step skin care routines 2025 was full of flashy 12 step skin care routines! Here’s what no one tells you about these rituals: not only can they wreak havoc on your microbiome, but they have to flex with your life or you’ll abandon them completely.

After 25+ years of working with real people through real life - weddings, grief, moves, breakups, illnesses - I know that rigid doesn’t work. What does work? Learning what your skin is actually telling you. Dryness isn’t always about hydration. Breakouts aren’t always about oil. Redness isn’t always about sensitivity. Your skin speaks a very specific language, and once you understand it, everything changes.

That’s where modalities like LED light become powerful - not as a daily must-do, but as a strategic tool that serves your skin’s current needs. Different wavelengths address different concerns, and together we can customize your treatments to work with your life, not against it.

Consistency at home + strategic in-studio support = your healthiest skin. Let’s make 2026 about intentional, true to YOU steps with #cleanbeauty ingredients that support your optimal health.
To our future couples: We don’t transform. We elev To our future couples: We don’t transform. We elevate. We reveal. We honor what’s already beautiful in you. The moment I live for is when a bride looks in the mirror during her design session and says ‘I look like me - elevated’ - with relief in her voice.

Somewhere along the way, we were conditioned to think that wedding beauty means looking different. More done. More trend-forward. More… something.

But the people I work with? They’re the ones who want to look at their wedding photos in 30 years and recognize themselves naturally beautiful.

Radiant. Vibrant. Timeless.

Not 2025. Not Instagram. Not anyone else.

They want to see all their natural beauty brought forward, enhanced, celebrated. That’s the kind of beauty that doesn’t need updating. It’s never about covering or fixing. It’s always about being fully honored, magnified and cared for. 

photography @hollyhursleyphoto
planning @hostedby.co
floral @wildflower_portland 
ceremony venue @csrgpdx
reception venue catering: huntandgathercatering
DJ @dillonbartellmusic
beauty @kellithomsen 
rentals @powerofloverentals
paper goods & signage @kellielynnthayer transportation @shanghaipartybus
ceremony entertainment correabrandonpaul @salemstringquartet 
ceremony bartending @bliss_bar 
rings @malkadiamonds

#cleanbeauty #oregonwedding #weddingbeauty #portlandmakeupartist #weddingmakeup
I got this email from a colleague that completely I got this email from a colleague that completely stopped me in my tracks. It’s exactly what I’ve been feeling as we head into 2026. She asked: “What’s the dream you keep pushing to the side because it feels too big?” I felt that in my whole body.

Here’s what I know after 25+ years in this industry: I see it all the time - you want glowing skin, so you panic and buy seven new products at once, get overwhelmed, and then do nothing. Or you want to finally learn makeup that actually works for your face, but the idea of figuring it all out feels impossible, so you don’t start.

But that’s not how your healthiest skin gets revealed. Real change starts small. Not with the perfect 10-step routine. Not with buying out Sephora. It starts with switching ONE product to something clean. Learning ONE technique that actually flatters your features. Booking ONE skincare session. Creating ONE morning ritual that actually feels good.

One block. Then another. Then another.
And suddenly six months later you look up and realize - holy shit, my skin actually glows now. I know how to do my makeup. This actually works. I can breathe. That’s how I built my small business. That’s how I created my lifestyle and sanctuary. That’s how nervous systems regulate and your healthiest skin reveals itself. 

What’s your one small action for the next 7 days? Maybe it’s:
-Tossing one toxic product and replacing it with something botanical
-Booking that makeup lesson you’ve been putting off
-Actually using that face oil sitting on your shelf
-Spending 60 seconds on a face massage instead of doom-scrolling
-Finally trying that technique I showed you in your last session
Just one thing. That’s your first block.
And if you’re thinking “I don’t even know where to start,” I’ve got something coming that’ll help.

2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, known for unstoppable momentum, fierce independence, and breaking convention. I’m absolutely channeling that energy into what’s coming and I have a surprise coming the week leading up to Chinese New Year (February 12-17)! STAY TUNED. Happy New Year 🎆
Winter Solstice. The longest night. The turning po Winter Solstice. The longest night. The turning point. The exhale. It’s 11 pm on this first day of winter and I’m feeling deeply grateful. This past wedding season was extraordinary! 68+ weddings from Bend to wine country. Incredible couples who trusted me. Vendors who became true collaborators. Brands and companies who actually share my values around clean beauty & intentional work.

And now I get to pause. To reflect. To actually metabolize it all. This is the part people don’t always see, the winter quiet after a season of intense creation. But it’s essential. This is where I integrate everything I learned. Where I ask myself what worked, what didn’t, what I want to carry forward. Where I honor the season that just passed and tend to what wants to emerge.

To every couple who let me be part of your day, thank you for trusting me with your beauty. To the photographers, planners, florists, and venue teams who make this work collaborative magic, you inspire me. To the clean beauty brands doing it right, thank you for making products I believe in.

I’ve been using this solstice energy to appreciate this and to create what’s next. My studio is becoming the sanctuary I always envisioned. I’m developing my first online course and I’m genuinely excited to share what I’ve been building soon. I’m spending time with my true friends making art and setting real intentions for the year ahead.

Our 2026 wedding calendar is almost full and we’re building a waitlist for 2027. But right now, in this moment, I’m not focused on what’s next. I’m honoring what was. I’m sitting in the stillness. I’m letting myself feel how big this season actually was. This is how I prepare for a successful, fruitful year. Not by hustling through winter, but by doing the quiet work that makes everything else possible. By being selective about how I spend my time and who I spend it with. By tending to what matters. 

The goal is as the light is returning, I’ll be rested and ready. ✨

Venue: @thecragrathut
Planner: @silkandsaltevents
Caterer: @ripcitygrill
Hair & Make-up: @kellithomsen
Dress: @waichingstudio
Suit: @indochinoweddings
Jeweler: @withtheseringshandmade
Desserts: @papahaydn
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

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


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