I first saw Maria by chance when she was with a previous salon, and I've stuck with her ever since…read more She takes pride in her craftsmanship and truly sees her work as an art. I am always getting compliments on my balayage and it grows out beautifully, which means less maintenance if you choose to go that route. Going to Maria is an investment. Maria is very no-nonsense and will never BS you--if something isn't going to work for your hair she is straight-up about it. But don't let that scare you away! She's bold and confident because she has the talent and skill to back it up. Maria is really one of the best stylists out there!

I found Maria a few years ago desperately looking for someone to save my hair after a couple bad…read morebleached jobs. Maria knows what she's doing I definitely would recommend her to my family... she saved my hair without having to go dark and doing a big chop.

Cynthia is perfect! She is such a nice/lovely woman- that really is an artist. I love the way my…read morebalayage & cut turned out- which is all thanks to her patience. If you are in Chicago- you should really give her a shout!

Cynthia is absolutely the best hair stylist I've ever had! She has such a talent for…read morecolor/highlights and is so incredibly sweet and personable. For being in the heart of downtown right off Michigan Ave it is always easy to book with her as she's responsive on text/calls and flexible with times that work best with me. Would go out of my way to recommend her to ANYONE and everyone in the city. Before her I was always hopping around different salons because nobody could get the highlight just right, after I found her about 2 years ago I've been coming ever since. She does a phenomenal job every time and consistently perfects the color without doubt. Additionally she'll always be giving little take-home gifts to me such as a leave-in conditioner, curl gel, etc as a gift which goes a long way. She's absolutely the best.

Anne is amazing. My hair can be tough because it is so thick and dark, but I've been impressed by…read morehow knowledgeable Anne is. She listens well and has matched what I was hoping for each time. She has great deals and pricing. Plus, she is pleasant to talk with and very accommodating, beyond what I'd expect. It's obvious she loves what she does, and she does it so well! She cut and colored my hair before my wedding, and I have received so many compliments and questions about who the stylist was! Tip-- she will ask if you can share pictures or what you want, and it's really helpful if you include at least one from her Instagram portfolio.

Been going to Ann for years, very talented with balayage/foilyage, perfect curtain bangs, & always…read morelearn something new every visit. Never an issue parking in the garage and easy to set up appointments.

I'll start as many people have began before me, I have had some terrible hair experiences. I'd call…read moremyself a quite awkward and passive customer. I often fall trap to what the stylist wants to do with my hair, without putting up much of a fight about it. I try to act pleased with the end result because I feel like I'm going to hurt the stylist's feelings. So I have left many salons with Jennifer Aniston from Friends era outdated layers or Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice bangs or the Kate Plus Eight tucked under bob. None of which really reflect my own personal style. After epically failing at communication with hair stylists, I gave up of doing anything hair related with another human. I stuck to dying my own hair and trimming myself, only to end up frustrated because, let's be real - I have no skill in that department at all. This is....until I met Annie. My friend recommended her services to me and I was totally interested. Her hair always looked so fly and I was happy to finally know her epic secret. When I first entered the salon- everything about the atmosphere was so welcoming and relaxing. They always have amazing music playlists that feel like they are plucked from my music library. I'm always offered many styles of drinks (including wine and beer) to get started. There's something about Annie that is extremely unique. Not only is she client centered and is really willing to meet you where you are at, she has undeniably wonderful social skills. She immediately knows how to make you feel at ease and is genuinely interested in your life. She's not just a hair stylist- but a savvy business woman who acknowledges the importance of building relationships with her clients. Along with her wonderful personality, Annie is a fantastic stylist and colorist! She custom creates all her own colors and knows her way around of pair of scissors. She understands the vision of beautiful, natural looking hair and is willing to work with you towards that goal. If the color or cut isn't right the first time, she creates an easy atmosphere to come back a week later to correct something without an extra charge. Annie and Gold & Braid salon in general has changed my view on hair salons. I would highly recommend her services to anyone!

FYI ...Annie is now at Pixie Salon on Ashland and North. More info at Pixiesalonchicago.com.read more

I don't dye my hair often, nor do I ever do shorter cuts, but I felt really confident going to…read moreJackie to get my hair done and was extremely happy with the results! Firstly, scheduling with her is super easy - I DM'd her on Instagram (where she often posts pictures of her work) and we were able to figure out a time that worked for both of us, esp during the holidays when we were both extremely busy. I sent her a picture of what I wanted and she was upfront about the plausibility of it. Since my hair hasn't been dyed in over 2 years, it's pretty dark and I wasn't going to be able to get it to the ashy color I wanted. That said, she still tried to do something similar style and I love it all the same! She even gave me options once we saw what the lifted color (after foil and all) looked like and made adjustments accordingly, which ended up taking more time. However, she was still happy to spend the time to make it how I wanted it, so I really appreciate that. Lastly, I gave her really little direction on how I wanted my hair cut, but I did know I wanted to shed a fair amount of inches. With such little direction, she did what she thought would look great and it's the best haircut I've gotten in a while. I keep getting compliments on it! I live in LA, but go to Chicago frequently, so all in all, I'm willing to wait for the times I visit to get my hair done by Jackie!

Jackie is great! I'm a platinum blonde and I was on my journey to get the perfect all-over white…read moreblonde when I started going to her, and she really got me there in two sessions! My natural hair color is dark so getting my freshly bleached roots toned to match the rest of my hair is hard and Jackie DID THAT! She also cut my hair once; I wanted a change (but nothing too dramatic) and I loved it! Unfortunately I moved out of Chicago so I don't see her anymore, and it's honestly one of the things I miss most about living there!

Found this salon from an influencer on tik-tok, & I am SO happy I did! Her video led me to stylist,…read moreJess. I got a "90's" inspired haircut/blowout & asked for face framing, layers, lots of bounce, & bangs separated from the layers. It came out exactly how I wanted it! She did such an amazing job! *On a side note the salon owner welcomed me in & was so sweet! The salon was so cute, & I loved the aesthetics! Will definitely be coming back! *pics were after I had already took a nap* -forgot to take a pic of before/after

This place is wonderful! I have curly hair that is tricky to manage and this salon knows how to…read moremanage curly hair. If you have curly hair and live anywhere near the South Loop, you should go here! You won't regret it. Maddie was my stylist and she is soooo good! Really knows how to make curls look good! Well done! Highly recommended!

Chicago girls if you are looking for someone to transform your hair into some seriously luscious &…read moreflowing locks, look no further. Melissa is not only mega sweet, but her talent will blow you away. I found her on Instagram while looking for someone to install NBR extensions and her work made me take the leap and head in for a consultation. (Check out her insta for more pics @hairbymelissalafollette) At my consultation she showed me options, kindly and informatively answered all of my questions and booked me for the following week. (I seriously felt like I was a kid waiting for Christmas morning ) I left her chair with hair that I would NEVER be able to grow on my own and while I type this almost 3 weeks later I'm still just as happy with the result as the day I walked out! Two of my friends already booked their installation appointments and there are more in line to set up their consultations! Thank you x a million, Melissa!

Melissa is such a genuinely kind person! I really enjoyed my appt with her. She took the time to…read morereally listen to what I wanted and also fixed a botched hair cut!! Great hospitality, offering snacks and drinks throughout my time there. Salon also located in a fun area, near different shops and lots of convenient parking!

I've been going to Mariluz for years for cut, color, and Brazilian blowout. She truly cares about…read moreher craft and I would not goto anyone else! She can work with all textures of hair and is truly the best! Look no further book Today!

Mariluz is amazing! She always makes my hair look super clean and fresh every time. On top of that,…read moreshe's one of the nicest people I've ever met -- friendly, kind, and easy to talk to. She's definitely my favorite barber, and I can't recommend her enough!