Cristina’s personalized approach ensures every bride steps into their wedding day feeling supported, pampered and glowing.
(Photo courtesy of Cristina Ashley Beauty)
Cristina Ashley has always had two great loves: teaching and makeup. After graduating with a teaching degree, she struggled to find a full‑time position. So, she decided to lean into her longtime passion for makeup artistry, something she’d practiced for friends and family throughout high school and college. She went back to school, earned her certification and built a career that blended creativity with connection.
Today, while balancing life with two young children and teaching pre‑K, Cristina is also pouring her heart into her own business, Cristina Ashley Beauty, LLC, a BOLI Preferred Vendor, dedicated to helping brides look and feel their most beautiful on their wedding day.
From Corporate to Entrepreneur
Upon completing her certification, Cristina had big dreams of working for MAC. “I wanted to work in their biggest, best flagship store in Times Square,” said Cristina. She began as a freelancer and quickly moved up, earning additional certifications through MAC’s program and mastering a wide range of techniques and makeup styles.
Her experience eventually led her to Shiseido, where she worked as a training executive on both the corporate and retail sides of the industry. “I worked at several other big‑name companies for about seven years after that, and I loved it,” Cristina shared. But when COVID hit, she felt called to slow down, spend more time on Long Island with her newborn and focus fully on her growing side business.
Cristina eventually returned to her first love — teaching pre‑K on Long Island — while continuing to grow her beauty business, which officially became an LLC in 2025. “And now, I’m so grateful to be part of Brides of Long Island,” said Cristina. “This community is incredible, and I’m truly excited for the future.”
(Photo courtesy of Cristina Ashley Beauty)
A Tailored Natural Soft Glam Look
Cristina’s signature style is natural, soft glam, “a look that enhances each bride’s features without ever masking who they are,” she says. Every application is completely individualized, never cookie‑cutter and begins with a detailed trial where she pinpoints the exact elements a bride wants on her wedding day. Her goal is simple: to make sure each bride looks like herself, just elevated with glowing confidence.
That personalized approach carries through to her techniques and products, from offering both traditional and airbrush makeup to hand‑building custom lashes for every client. “My favorite moment is when brides see themselves in the mirror for the first time,” said Cristina. “It is a true ‘wow’ moment. Not because they look different, but because they feel amazing.” She added that the makeup is lightweight, never heavy or caked, allowing each bride to feel beautiful from the inside out.
(Photo courtesy of Cristina Ashley Beauty)
More Than Just Makeup
For Cristina, bridal beauty is about so much more than makeup. As a Shiseido‑certified artist, she offers Japanese facial massage, oxygen treatments and under‑eye therapies to help brides achieve that healthy, wedding‑day glow from the inside out. “It’s the whole picture of getting ready,” she explained. “I want the skin fortified, nourished and glowing before we even start makeup.” Cristina, who speaks Spanish, travels throughout the tri‑state area and customizes every experience — whether a bride wants full glam, a morning‑of skin ritual or touch‑ups throughout the day.
The values she brings to each client relationship are as essential as her services. Cristina builds her business on integrity, honesty and communication — qualities she believes every bride deserves. “You get full transparency with me,” she said. “This is who I am, this is what I do, and these are the three things I exemplify when working with a bride.” Whether she’s caring for the bride, bridesmaids or mothers, Cristina leads with trust, clarity and genuine connection, creating a seamless and supportive beauty experience.
(Photo courtesy of Cristina Ashley Beauty)
Live in the Moment
Cristina has had many unforgettable brides, but two stand out as reminders of why she loves what she does. One was the sister of her childhood best friend — a bride navigating the deep emotions of getting married without her father, who had passed two years earlier. Cristina not only did her makeup but wrote her a heartfelt card filled with memories of her dad. “She told me it touched her heart and made her day,” Cristina recalled. “In moments like that, you’re not just a makeup artist. You wear many different hats, and sometimes you’re the comfort someone needs.”
Another moment that stays with her came from a bride who switched artists just one week before the wedding, choosing Cristina out of nearly 40 options because she wanted someone who would truly focus on her. After the trial and the wedding‑day glam, the bride saw herself in the mirror and burst into grateful tears. She later wrote Cristina a handwritten note, explaining, “You listened. You understood the assignment. You captured exactly what I wanted.” For Cristina, that reaction, and the connection behind it, is everything.
And when it comes to advice for brides, she keeps it simple: “Enjoy the day and enjoy the process. Life goes fast, the wedding goes fast — so live in the moment.”
(Photo courtesy of Cristina Ashley Beauty)