Almost missed it. It's tucked away. I went in with high expectations from seeing all the TikTok videos and reviews and stuff and I was really disappointed. The female sales associate was less than friendly. Didn't seem excited or cared that I saw their business on social media and drove 4 hours to see it. The other guy was helpful though. I was expecting ALL travel sizes though, not regular sizes too. That's fine. It was fun to look at. I felt obligated to purchase something. I felt like it was really overpriced though. A travel sized bottle of Kérastase for $20.99? No thanks! I'll buy the full size from the company and get that for free. Also, the store is very, very, small. It was nice to see it, but I highly doubt I'd ever go back. read more

Bravco Beauty - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you've ever been inside a beauty supply store, you'll find this to be a poor imitation. For example, they have an extremely narrow selection items of like clips, bobby pins, brushes, combs, scissors, and curlers/curling rods. And they're so overpriced. Moreover, I saw few, if any, wigs, makeup, styling tools, and hair dryers, or they were not prominently placed. The dye section consists of small shelf in the back with 1 or 2 brands, all permanent. Also the travel beauty supplies that they advertise on social media were nothing special. There were a lot of drugstore brands. Beauty supply stores are generally known for their variety and lower prices. Sally's and Target, you pretty much have all the same brands at a better price. Also nobody greeted or acknowledged me, except for a tight smile from a woman standing near the front. I was the only customer at the time. Another employee was trying to stock items in the back of the store where the travel beauty supplies are. It was awkward having someone work around you in such a narrow space, but not really acknowledging you, and they seemed kind of annoyed. read more

Cute small shop that's very unassuming but has like everything you need in terms of hair, beauty and body products. It even has harder to find hair products like Milani!!! I found all of my Milani products and at better prices too. They have a whole travel size section too that has a wider variety than expected. Highly recommend! read more

I want to be mad that tik tok/instagram blew up this spot but honestly they deserve it. It's an unassuming location, but they literally have every product you could think of here, in both full size and travel. Across price points high and low, you can assemble almost your entire routine here except for specialized skincare. This store feels like being a kid in a candy store and I always leave with more than what was on my list but its all essential I promise!! read more

OMG, do you know how difficult it is to find travel size shampoo +c ond??? No, not any, but quality shampoo + cond. It's VERY hard. I went to Bloomingdales and they didn't have it. I checked a few hair salons close by, they didn't have it. I was pretty much SOL. I had totally forgot to pack mine and really needed to wash my hair and refuse to use any shampoo because I had just got my hair done and colored. You have to treat your hair right! I was at Lululemon and out of desperation asked the cashier if he knew of anyplace that sells travel size Oribe or R+co. The other employee heard and she was my savior....she told me about Bravco and that I will find everything that I need. She was not lying. Bravco doesn't look like much from the outside, you might even question it before entering because it's located under a staircase and looks more like a convenience store than anything else. I walked in, right away was greeted by a warm fireplace and the man up front. I was immediately taken aback by all the products I'm familiar with and went straight to looking for the travel stuff. Located in the very back of the store, you see a wall with the banner "Small world" - there, neatly lined up on the shelves, you can find brands from Oribe to R+Co, Living Proof, WOW and more. This totally made my day and saved me. Thank you Lululemon employee for telling me about this place!!! If you ever forger your shampoo and cond when traveling to Chicago, don't panic, just come to Bravco! read more

Wonderful store filled with lots of beauty options. I went in for travel sized products, of which there were many great options, and walked out with lots of travel and regular sized products. The owner is super helpful too. read more

The most helpful and attentive staff, not to mention their OUTSTANDING hair and skin care product selection. LOVE this place

Workers were extremely helpful with recommendations & they also have so much variety. I also love that they carry minis of products to try and travel with read more

Small but mighty store selling haircare and beauty products, nail supplies, tools as well as other miscellaneous goodies that one could need. The space is small, although every inch seems to be maximized. I had no problem finding my preferred Olaplex bond strengthener hair smoothing cream. The bonus is that I could support a small, family run business and not have to resort to going to Sephora or ordering online and tracking and waiting for a package to arrive. I will definitely be back to this charming, quirky emporium of all things beauty. read more

I love this quirky little store filled top to bottom with everything beauty. I can find what I need - ALWAYS! Located on a small side street filled with high end boutiques and restaurants. There is street parking and restaurant valet services, even if you are not at the restaurants. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Seems like a family owned business. I've been shopping here for 2 decades and it always so much fun to browse all the stuff in there. Beautiful high end hair and skin care products line the shelves. Blow dryers, curling & flat irons and a Dairy Queen case. Yep it's true! You need beauty products of ANY KIND, stop by this fun gem of a store! read more

Bravco Beauty - Tons of stuff! - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love this store for all things hair and nails. I pop in often, but always so after visiting my nearby facialist and eyebrow master. They carry the lines that no other stores, nor most other salons, carry. Leonor Greyl's full line, Phyto's full line, Kerastase, Alterna Caviar, Aveda, etc. HAIR- I buy my shampoos/conditioners, leave-in's, serums, and hair masks... from Alterna (leave-in, shampoo/conditioner... LOVE), Greyl (shampoo/conditioner), Phyto (hair serums and hydration mask), and Kerastase lines (leave-in milks). NAILS- OPI nail polishes, my favorite nail files, foot scrubs, etc. SKIN- They carry a lot of great body lotion brands, fragrantly rich soaps, etc. Convenient store with all the essential bathroom toiletries any woman would need! read more

I've loved this store ever since I started shopping and working in the Chicago Gold Coast. If you need to pick up a quick something for body, hair, and face, this is the place!. The hair products are huge name brands, hair brushes, self tanners and body moisturizing needs, lip gloss, lashes, and, now, brow service needs that I proudly do on Fridays for clients. Just make an appointment! This family owned store is a fantastic group along with staff with Julietta and Vkad that can help you with whatever you're looking for. The family is welcoming and is super hands on with clients!. Come visit this 40 plus year establishment! read more

Love this store so much! They have EVERY beauty product and mini product available. Staff is super dedicated an knowledgeable. They also have DQ blizzards in summer in a freezer to purchase yum! read more

Bravco is a must for anyone serious about their hair and nail products. Personally, the selection of Essie nail polish is enough to keep me coming back. I have never seen so many colors in one place. I could stand there for an hour trying to pick one out. They have a large selection of not so easy to find hair products too. My favorite part is that they have trial (or travel) sizes. It can be hard to find products that you can carry through airport security, but Bravco has lots of options that will work. I can't decide whether it's a drawback or not that they don't take credit cards. On the one hand, I hardly ever carry cash so it's annoying that I can't use my debit card. On the other hand, if I was able to use my debit card I wouldn't have to pay attention to how much I'm spending on nail polish. read more

I've been shopping at Bravco since the beginning of time. I would walk by here in grammar school on my way to and from school every day. I was always curious about the feminine delights that were lurking on the shelves inside and I couldn't wait to be old enough to explore on my own. It's a veritable one-stop shop of all things girly. I can get my Bumble and Bumble South Surf spray for my surfer-girl waves, Cotton Clouds for my face and cuticle oil all in one quick trip. An hour can easilly be spent in this place checking out all the lotions and potions that make me happy I'm a girl who likes to smell good and have soft skin. As others have mentioned, bring cash because they don't take plastic. They do take personal checks however, but who really carries their checkbook anymore? And they watch you like a hawk in there, and it's very obvious. They suddenly have a strong need to reorganize or stock a shelf right next to you. Maybe they have a theft problem, but this is borderline annoying. read more

I give them one single start because of the stock of products they had. I am not sure I would really call this a "beauty supply store" as it's mostly salon brand shampoo/products. There isn't a whole lot else. There is also an abundance of Essie nail color. I wonder how long it has been sitting there? The two employees at the front of the store did not greet me or seem to even notice I was there, let alone ask me for help at any point. No suggestions or anything. They carried on their own conversation. Apparently they don't have color swatches (of hair) for their dyes, or books. I was told, only after I had been wandering around for 5 minutes and MAKING EYE CONTACT and looking kinda confused, and asked where they would be, that "someone walked off with our Wella hair swatches book" and the sales guy kinda left it at that. That's not how you stay in business, especially when the Sally's 5 minutes away on State, is much much much more appealing (in regards to selection of a million things you could think of, and friendly/helpful staff). They don't take credit cards. This place is next to an Armani store. Maybe it should move far away from the strip of upscale shopping it is near. Will not return. read more

Though I absolutely love this store (and could definitely spend HOURS in it), I can only give it four stars because of the fact that it is cash only. I'm telling you, I could have gone buck wild in this place had I only had more than the ten thrashed on, heavily crumpled $1 bills that I keep in my purse, just in case I was to actually need them. Where does one really need cash anymore? I seriously only go to the ATM machine to avoid the mean attitudes of cab drivers who always seem to whine about my not paying with cash (and it's not like my ride is going to be less than $15 as it is - shoot...). Anyhow, that aside, this place is INCREDIBLE. If you are a product freak like me (seriously, it's bad), it will be as if you've died and gone to Heaven. It is everything that Sally's Beauty Supply is but is not, mixed with those rare gems you think you can only find at Sephora or at a salon, but with an incredible variety and inventory like an Ulta. I am so glad that someone hepped me to this place. I am addicted to buying very similar shades of Essie Nail Polish (the very pale pink variety) and I found every shade that I already own (which is a lot) and then some, and then some more - some that I didn't even know existed. It was a lot of fun. This place is awesome. And if they start accepting debit or credit cards, they will definitely get five stars out of me. read more

Bravco or "B-Discount" as we used to call it back in the day, is a Chicago institution. I have been shopping here since high-school and it has always been one of my favorite stores. They have virtually every hair product known to mankind and anytime I see something in a magazine I know I can find it at Bravco. Plus, they have small, trial sizes for most products. They have great dryers, flat irons, brushes, and addition of the 2nd floor for makeup, etc. was fantastic. The prices are reasonable, but, don't go there expecting drug store pricing. They carry high-end products, and while there is a savings over purchasing in the salon, you can't expect to get Kerastase for $5. They only take cash or check (always have), but I always make sure I have my checkbook when I go because I don't want to have to leave anything behind! read more

This just in... Bravco's upper floor is closing and the bottom floor (street level) will contain all of their merchandise. According to their website, something good is going into the 2nd and 3rd floor of the building. Like I need another reason to shop on Oak street... Anyway... Bravco is like crack for me, I'm so addicted! I never take a vacation without stopping at the Bravco first so I can stock up on minis of all my favorite, must-have products for my dop kit. Remember, it must be less than 3 ounces and fit into a 1 quart plastic bad - ARG!!! read more

Amazing. Small space, but amazing. I used to work across the street so I constantly went here for things I obviously didn't need, but seemed important at the time. It's so nice if you are a user of several different brands of hair products because this saves on the running to different places to pick those up, or Sephora which definitely does not have the same selection as Bravco. My only complaint is the same as everyone's: what's with the cash only? Aside from that, definitely worth checking out. read more

I agree with Ali....Bravco is the best place to buy hair products in Chicago. It's not super cheap or anything, but they have anything you could possibly need (flat irons, newest shampoos, straightening balms, etc). They also have all sorts of drug store products as well. Unfortunately, they only take cash or checks...no credit cards accepted! read more

This place has a large selection of beauty products, ranging from super cheap to ultra fancy. You can get a bar of sulfur soap here and some Biosilk shampoo, plus they usually have clearance items in the back on top tier hair salon products and nail polishes. I recommend bringing a list of items when you come here, otherwise you will be tempted to buy way more things! The staff is really friendly and super helpful if you need anything and can't locate it in their tiny store. They do have an ATM, but it would be great if they took credit cards- especially considering that if you come here to purchase a lot of high end products you most likely will not be carrying hundreds of dollars on you. read more

Bravco is definitely the place to go for beauty products...especially when it comes to hair care. Aveda, Devacurl, Redken, you name it...they've probably got it. I use a product line called Devacurl on my hair and this is one of the two places in Chicago that actually sells the stuff. The only downfalls is that it is a bit claustrophobic in the place and most importantly they only take cash but there is a citibank across the street so on my first visit to Bravco I was able to run across the street and get cash. read more

Yay for Bravco!! They have every haircare product known to man. They also carry a wide variety of cosmetics at Bravco Too (upstairs.) I spent two hours on Sunday wandering around Bravco and I loved every second of it. It is kind of a bummer that you can only pay by cash or check, but well worth it. read more

The product selection here is truly unbelievable. They have all of the bumble & bumble products with are my favorite and many other brands. The nail polish selection is also extensive. I could spend so much time in this store. The customer service is great. The staff is very friendly and helpful, however, they are a little overbearing. I'm sure the theft rate could be very high in a store like this but they always happen to be reorganizing the products next to you. So just be prepared for that. As most others have mentioned, I took off a star for the cash only policy. read more

Hallelujah! Bravco now takes cards. Get them sky miles and charge with wild abandon. Er, I mean, spend within your limits. Yeah, that. My mother owns a similar business in Florida, and one day I will get her to see the error of her ways. Why would I carry around enough nasty, dirty, smelly cash to buy all the hair products I really need? Oh that's right, I wouldn't. read more

The first time I walked into this place, I was in awe. They have such a huge selection of professional and hard to find hair/beauty products. The prices on most of the stuff I buy at my salon are cheaper here, but I have noticed a couple of products where Bravco's price is actually higher. The employees are nice, but they do kind of follow you around. It was a little weird at first, but now I just ignore them. It doesn't bother me since I'm not trying to steal stuff! :) It's definitely a negative that they do not accept credit cards. Even though they generally sell the products at lower prices, the products themselves are still a little pricey. If you're buying a few items on one trip, the total can be kinda high. I usually don't carry that kind of cash with me every day. Whatevs. Not accepting credit cards also helps to keep the prices low. read more

A great find in Chicago. An emporium of hair products - hard to find, international, as well as the salon brands - great prices. If I lived in Chicago, this would definitely become my "go-to" place for hair. Unfortunately, time didn't allow me to explore the nail section.. I noticed they do not accept credit cards or checks. read more

I have a lot of hair so I go though hair products like water. It great to find a shop that sells the same stuff as the salon but just a little bit cheaper. As another reviewer has said, this place is not the cheapest place in the world but the selection is great and it is cheaper than buying the same product at the salon. Be sure to walk on to the second floor as that there are products up there as well. No, they don't take credit/atm cards. Star off for that because I don't like to carry around cash. read more

If you have high maintenance hair, this is the place to go for products. It's like a supply store for salon professionals. I once had a high-maintenance color, and this was the only place I could find the right shampoo to make the color last longer. read more

Bravco Beauty - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I used to live across the street from here and this place is awesome! The upstairs portion has all your makeup and whatnot while downstairs is all your shampoo, soaps and medicine stuff. This is the ONLY place I have found in years to carry Cepostat losenges - not to be confused with the FAR inferior Cepacol losenges for sore throats. The only down side to living across the street? Having all your friends ask you to pick their shampoos up for them and then lugging the many heavy containers by "El" to them. Highly recommend shopping here! read more

How could you not like this store? they have every beauty product you can possibly think of! I think I go in this store once a month (if not more)...ugh! It is an overload if you love beauty products, but they have an amazing selection. they also have every nailpolish color by Essie (the best nailpolish out there!) they don't take credit card-so bring cash or check read more

I have been shopping here for over 30 years. They have all the very best brands and they're less expensive than at a salon. Phyto, Olaplex, B&b, Furterer, Kerastase, etc. You never need to worry that you're buying counterfeit items or old stock. If they don't have something you're looking for, they can often times order it for you. It like Sally's for people with very deep pockets. I hope they stay in business forever, or at least until I lose my hair! read more

I rated this 5 stars bc of two things: selection and customer service. I stumbled upon this little gem while I was shopping on Oak Street. It's a small store, very old school and quaint. This store has every product imaginable...Kerastase, Terax, Aveda...I would bet that if you can't find it there you can't find it anywhere! The staff was so friendly, happy and helpful. Also, I didn't know that it was cash only. The owner (i'm guessing,he's the owner) told me I could send him a check!!!! I almost passed out... I did find some cash, but I just thought that was such a touching gesture. They have my business from here on out!! You have to check out this store. read more

This place is a secret place for all of us beauty lotion and potion junkies. LOVE IT. read more

I'm still a fan after my initial review almost 10 years ago. It's still my go-to for my travel size favorites and the occasional "do I really need this?" miscellaneous stuff. They now accept cards in addition to cash, so that's something kind of noteworthy. Otherwise, same ol' same ol'. read more

ZOMG. This beauty junkie is definently in loove!! This little shop has it all. Almost. But who cares cuz if you need any makeup, MAC is across the street. Upon first walking in, I thought it was going to be a low budget Sally's beauty supply store but nuh uh. It's so much more. They carry the good stuff here. Bed Head? It's here. Dermalogica? Yep..! Bumble and Bumble. Present! Aveda? Yeeaa!! The list goes on... And they even have a wide selection of it all in travel sizes. How cool is that? Then while I was mindlessly wandering the store while waiting on a friend, I saw that they carry St. Tropez products. Jackpot. This product you guys, is the most realistic fake n bake potion you will ever use. (you're welcome.) Don't go bathing in that stuff now. It is not okay to abuse self tanners! Use sparingly if your native people are just naturally pale and especially if your motherland does not contain a desert and or a rain forest. The man that works here looks grouchy but he's actually really nice. aww. Walgreen's? Puhleeeze. Cash or checks only. They frown upon these new things called credit cards. Such burdens, these plastic cards. Slowing us all down. how dare you.. read more

I went to Oak Street JUST to visit Bravco. Came out with some Keratase shampoo/conditioner, some Aveda Shampure and a Marilyn brush. The Marilyn brush is AWESOME... it was recommended by my stylist and now I swear by it. As a beauty junkie, I definitely give this place my stamp of approval. The guys who work here don't look like they would ever work in a beauty store (maybe they are family owned?), but they are very nice and so helpful. I lost my voice and could not get a single word out (retail therapy helps... trust me), and these guys helped me find everything I needed. I'm not sure the prices are better than salons, but it's definitely a one stop shop with a great selection of all things bath related. Oh, and check out their travel sized items of salon quality products. read more

Walking into Bravco. I felt like Alice in Wonderland must have felt! I am a beauty junkie, and this store has absolutely every product out there! I did not know about this store until fellow yelpers clued me in, so when I was down on Oak street yesterday, I made a quick stop before my spa appointment. I'm quite disappointed because I had just stocked up on hair stuff at Ulta the week before - I will definitely make the trip into the city from now on. As compared to regular prices at Ulta, I found several products that were regularly priced at Bravco way below Ulta's prices. For example, Alterna hairspray, which is about $22 at Ulta and I typically only buy when I have a discount coupon, is regularly priced at Bravco at $16! I checked out shampoo and found it to be about the same. They do not accept credit cards or checks though, so make sure to run to the nearest ATM beforehand! read more

I think this place would have been much cooler when it was 3 stories high. In its current TINY space, it seems to be lacking. Also, as many have noted, the cash only thing SUCKS. However, this is the best selection of hair products I've ever seen. The prices are amazing, and for the first time I can pick up my Aveda and Bumble & bumble prodcuts in the same stop.. that's awesome! I wouldn't come here for anything but hair products, the makeup seems to be seriously lacking. read more