I had the best experience with Rare Bird for my July (HOT) wedding!! I felt just beyond beautiful -…read moreand I am so grateful. Hector and Laura did an incredible job - I felt like myself, and I felt incredible, and my bridesmaids and moms echoed my feelings. Moms, in particular, can be tough, and both Hector and Laura listened to both my mom and mother-in-law, let them make changes and let them feel heard - it was amazing.  Not only did we all feel beautiful, but Laura and Hector had such joyful, calming energy and we had a blast getting ready with them in the room. Couldn't recommend more. My hair and make up lasted all night (admittedly I did not take my makeup off before crashing and honestly it looked perfect in the morning) - and my extensions were PERFECTLY matched by the Rare Bird team, Laura cut them perfectly day of and I'm so grateful I now have them in my rotation for special occasions. It was amazing, truly, couldn't recommend more!

The wedding day hairstyle suffered from unusual curl shape, severe curl frizz, and excessive volume…read moreat the crown. The crown height was so high it created an overwhelming look super reminiscent of a pageant style. Fixing that required immediate intervention from my bridesmaids who could see my side profile looked so bad as well and asked the stylist to smooth DOWN the volume and balance it. We were assured that her flattening of it with hairspray would keep it lowered but it literally raised back up an hour later. This cost me tons having to pay for extra editing on the photos, unfortunately, because I couldn't look at my hair :(

Ghita is the most fabulous hair professional I've ever had - and I've had some great ones. I've…read morealso had some scary ones... which is what makes Ghita even more of a find. She works out of an apartment building, but it is clean and fully outfitted with a salon dryer, vanity, hair washing sink, etc. Here are my top 4 reasons why I won't ever go to anyone else in Chicago. 1 - She listens to what you want, and works with you to figure out what will be best. We've all had those professionals who either have no opinion, or don't care about yours. Ghita is wonderfully balanced in this area. 2 - She doesn't get offended if you have a question about something. For example, I thought my bangs were a little long (I didn't want to have to come trim them every couple weeks), and she slowly trimmed them until they were as short as I could stand it. 3 - She is spectacularly affordable. Her prices vary depending on what you want, but it's always appropriate. Things that other salons routinely charged me $75-$85 for, she charges $40. 4 - She doesn't mind if you bring a bottle of wine. It might be worth asking on your first visit just to be sure you don't look like a total boozer, but I've definitely enjoyed a couple glasses while a friend waited for me (also indulging). I've had color, trims, and full-on haircuts (over 10-inches) from her. I have some male friends who have gotten highlights/cuts from her as well. Everyone loves what they come home with. One thing - I believe she is cash only. On the website there is a PayPal option, but if you plan to pay at the place of business I think you have to have cash.

I LOVE Ghita!! I met…read moreGhita back in 2007 at Sak's Fifth Avenue and I have followed her ever since and now that she has her private studio, I like it even more. It's a relaxing setting, you don't have all that noise you have to deal with at a busy salon. You can schedule appointments via text, which is so convinient and she is very accomodating around a busy schedule. She takes evening appointments which is perfect for someone with my schedule. As for technique, there is none I can compare with. I am fairly picky when it comes to hair, as she can attest too, and I have honestly not allowed a single person to touch me hair since 2007. After we had first met, I was in a crunch to get my hair done, and I tried someone else, and I called begging her to fix it before my trip home to Michigan, which she did. Learned my lesson right then and there. She's also applied color multiple times, and I have love it every time!! Strongly recommend anyone to go in and see her, you won't go anywhere else again! -William

Antonette was recommended to me by a friend. I'm so glad that we decided to book with Antonette…read moreand her team. They really made the whole makeup/ hair process go so smoothly and took the time to make my vision come to life. Antonette listened and made great recommendations to me. I LOVED my hair and makeup and felt so beautiful on my wedding day. The bridesmaids also enjoyed theirs! I would definitely recommend Antonette and her team to anyone getting married ! I would like to add as well that I had doubts about my hair and makeup lasting until the end of the night because my hair is course, long and very frizzy. The day of our wedding it was also EXTREMELY WINDY but to my surprise it held itself very nicely. I included two pics from the morning and the last one of the end of night . I'm beyond IMPRESSED with everything Antonette and her team did for us!

Antonette and her team are outstanding!! I can't get over how wonderful this team is. They were…read moreincredibly professional, kind, and talented!! This was actually my second experience with Antonette- my best friend had used her for her wedding day and they did my makeup as a bridesmaid! I loved the way I looked and loved how amazing they made my friend look, so it was an easy decision to choose Antonette for my wedding day! I would highly recommend them!

Krista was not only amazing on my Wedding Day but also leading up to my wedding. At my bridal…read moretrial, she really listened to me and also offered her knowledge on what would work best with my hair. She was patient, kind, professional, and I am so grateful I was referred to her. She was able to do various updos for my bridesmaids, mom, and now mother-in-law. My mom can be tough in general but of course loved her hair and was impressed with Krista. You can tell Krista is passionate about what she does and am looking forward to future hair appointments with K Marie Hair Studio :) Also, Krista gives the best blowouts hands down

I've been coming to Krista for years and have followed her through 2 other locations. She is very…read morethoughtful and always makes my hair look great. She's even spent extra time with me showing me how to style my hair up since I started working at a hospital and can no longer wear it down how I usually do. I also love Krista's new salon. It is a very cozy clean space and it's awesome that there's only one client at a time so you don't have to listen to other people's weird conversations. She uses an online scheduling service so it's super easy to make or change an appointment without having to call anyone. Thanks Krista!!

As a loyal and happy customer at Reverie Salon, I knew there was no other company I was going to…read moretrust and want to be part of my wedding team other than Kaizen Bridal. I am still glowing from how they made me feel 2 weeks ago as a bride. Anca is a ROCKSTAR--she truly listens to what you want and executes your vision FLAWLESSLY. I am not a person who wears a lot of make-up but wanted to go for an old Hollywood look for our black-tie wedding. This can be little tricky but Anca took notes as well as asked me for feedback as she created voluminous waves for my hair and a clean look with a bold lip. She was so patient with me as we took pictures to ask how I felt with my appearance on camera. Additionally, she went above and beyond to buy additional make-up for her kit that she knew would complement my vision for our wedding day. Being a COVID bride and needing to reschedule our wedding a few times-I asked if we could do a 2nd hair and make-up trial since it was over a year since my first one. Anca without hesitation said yes, let's do it! I truly felt like a polished version of myself that day and it stemmed from Anca being committed to making sure you love and feel your best as a bride. She answered my emails and texts about random questions quickly and enthusiastically: showing her excitement to work with us and provide us with her expert feedback Also, the wonderful perk is that she becomes a friend through this entire process, and you are at ease on your wedding day as you sit and chat with your bridal party and it doesn't feel like there is a stranger in the room. Now let's talk about the other key player of our H&MU team- Cici! Cici was our 2nd artist who did half of the bridal party as well as MOB's hair and make-up. All the ladies all raved about how Cici was able to see a few pictures of what they wanted and made sure they were 100% happy before getting up from the chair. Cici and Anca are the best duo, both are personable and fun which instills a sense of calm to the start of a whirlwind day. Can't thank them enough for how they made me and all the important women in my life feel! You will NOT regret having them as key players for your wedding dream team.

I am so happy I discovered Kaizen Bridal for my wedding. It was a very stressful decision for me…read morewhen considering a hair and make up vendor for my wedding. I had done a few trials with other vendors and wasn't thrilled with the results... until my trial with Kaizen. I worked with Kerra and she was nothing but professional and easy to work with. After my first hair and makeup trial (I did a trial prior to booking) I was so happy and Kerra nailed it. For my wedding hair trial Kerra did a wonderful job making sure I was happy with the results and ensuring it was everything I visioned for the big day. On the actual wedding day I had 3 stylist (Kerra, Sydney, and Grace) for the bridal party and moms of the groom/bride. Everyone showed up on time and were professional and friendly. My makeup and hair were exactly what I wanted and it lasted the entire night. Kaizen offers the option to keep stylist on additional hours and I chose to pay for Kerra to stay until I walked down the aisle. She came to our photos and made sure everyone was looking good including my husband. In addition, she retouched everyone's lipstick and even helped me with my dress at one point. This team did such a wonderful job and I am so happy I chose Kaizen Bridal for hair and make up on my wedding day. They knocked it out of the park!

So happy we booked Blush Events to do hair/makeup for our wedding in July 2017! Prior to booking, I…read moretalked with Ben over email. He was very responsive, professional, and helpful. The booking process was very easy. In the beginning, I was unsure of some details - how many people, locations, etc - but Ben was very flexible with this. I was also pleased with how affordable Blush was compared to other hair/makeup services in Chicago. Raina did my hair/makeup trial a month or so before at Bleach and I was so impressed! On the day of, Raina and Jackie came to our hotel room to do hair/makeup for myself as well as my three bridesmaids. They did such an amazing job on all of us! Very talented and all of our hair/makeup stayed for the whole day/night. Would definitely recommend Blush Events to others!

I am so glad I booked Ben and his team for my wedding. All my bridesmaids loved their hair and…read moremakeup and everyone at the wedding commented on how impressed they were by how well the hair and makeup withstood the crazy wind and rain we experienced on my wedding day. My hair stayed up so well that I was able to wear it to our good-bye brunch the next morning! Finally, Ben's team was just enjoyable to be around. We loved spending the morning of the wedding with them, everyone was comfortable and able to relax. I cannot recommend Ben and Blush Events enough. I now go to Ben's salon, Bleach on Lincoln Ave., for my cut and color.

I reached out to Kaylan, the owner of Golden Era Hair Salon, after having a bit of a hair crisis…read moreearlier this week. My previous stylist had taken me much blonder than I was expecting, perhaps due to a miscommunication, and while the work itself was beautiful, I just didn't feel like myself. I am truly a brunette at heart and really just wanted to feel like me again, with a little dimension! Kaylan was able to get me in SUPER last minute with Jackie, who I now owe everything to. From the second I sat in her chair, Jackie took the time to consult with me, really listened to exactly what I wanted, and somehow made absolute magic happen. I may have only been blonde for about 36 hours, but I genuinely didn't feel confident or like myself during that time. Jackie immediately brought that confidence back. I am BEYOND obsessed with my hair. It is everything I dreamed of, if not better, and I finally feel like myself again. Thank you doesn't even feel strong enough for Jackie, Kaylan, and the entire Golden Era team. I will be recommending them to absolutely everyone -- and bonus points that they're right in my neighborhood! I officially found my salon.

I got my haircut by Kaylan 2 weeks ago and I already received two compliments. My hair looks…read moreamazing. She really took the time to understand what I wanted and didn't want. She is a true master. I will continue to go back to her. I will recommend anyone to book with her.

Jenny fixed my hair color! I found a picture of her work on…read moreVAGARO and thought I'd take a chance. So happy I did. She has amazing listening and understanding powers that match her skill. She also fixed my haircut (from another salon) and we discussed a plan for my future hair style. I am relieved to finally find MY hair stylist A+

Jennifer has been my amazing hair artist/stylist for 2 years. I have long, fine hair and a lot of…read moreit, am also very low maintenance. By that I mean that I use shampoo, conditioner, and dry my hair with my hands and a blower dryer - not a ton of styling. Jennifer seems to somehow know what I want each time, even when I truly don't, and it always looks amazing. She helps me try new styles, and I would honestly trust her with anything she recommends. While I haven't been to the new space, I didn't second guess my answer when she asked if I would consider changing location. My partner will be seeing her soon, too, and she is more than willing to make the experience accessible (aka earplugs, not much convo,, low sensory, etc). You cannot go wrong with Jennifer, and I can't recommend her enough. I saw my previous person for 20 years, and Jennifer has not disappointed! Update: I visited Jennifer's new digs at Salon Molecule and it did not disappoint! Love the plants, super bright sunny space, and location. It's very close to the Montrose brown line and plenty of parking available. My hair feels as good as always thanks to Jennifer!