Ehhh, can I give it a 3.5??? But if I had to round up or down, had to round down to 3 stars for overall experience. I visited lip lab on a Saturday evening. The reservation was easy to make online. I walk past this place often headed to Ramen San and decided to give it a go after hearing another friend was planning a visit. Overall the staff was super accommodating to shifting our appointment time as needed. The lady helping us was kind and introduced herself. Idk I guess I expected to be a pinch more hands on and feel like I was in a lab myself (Bio major here). I wanted to squeeze and stir but none of that occurred. Our host just asked what we wanted. She didn't go through options with us or show all the products. So we both just said gloss. Being inquisitive I asked what the other two tubes were next to the pink gloss and learned it was shimmer. But this woman gave very little without being prompted. She was kind and polite. Just not very detailed. We were shown a printed color sheet of colors separated by bright, neutrals, deep etc to gage what color family you wanted . We were given a sugar scrub to get our lips ready. Once we picked a starting color she mixed it up. And gave it to us to try out. I felt like she was patient and kind but we were rushed the entire time. I thought it was just me and then my friend said the same thing when our host stepped away and went to have our tubes engraved. More on that later. But lots of room for tube customization. You get to pick your top, tube, and engraving. You also get to pick the scent of your gloss. I was very shocked that my one tube was $55 before tax or tip. I get they have to pay for materials, labor and overhead of the building but goodnesssss. My Dior lip gloss was less than this. Back on being rushed. Do you know at a restaurant when a server checks in every 5 minutes because they want to turn the table? That's how I felt here but THERE WERE OPEN SEATS. It's not like they had a long wait to sit down and get started. We were in and out. The wildest part was after paying, by the time we put our cards up and coats on, the host had her coat on as was WALKING OUT WITH US. Actually before us. That sealed the deal. I feel like she had somewhere to be and kind of ensured we were out in a timely fashion for her schedule. I get it we all have lives and responsibilities but I wish she would have handed us off to a host with more availability (if my assumption is correct). Even with the little card we got to keep. It looks like my formula is written down at the bottom for if I ever wanted to recreate it. Who knew?! She didn't explain anything extra to us. My friend asked if they made blush. Who knows... she didn't even show us the lipsticks or what all was an option to buy. Do they sell the lip scrub? Like I have no clue what my options truly were. I could def see this being fun for a big event. But for a just because night...idk. I personally won't return just because. Yet I'd come back for a birthday party or celebration if asked. read more

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I am not particularly familiar with makeup nor doing, what I perceive as, very 'girly' things but truly enjoyed my experience! I came on a Sunday, thinking it'll be a slow day but I was completely wrong lol. I'm not sure the flow of the business but it's very popular and you can customize your experiences to what you want to create. I opted for making my own matte new lipstick and bought a lip liner to go with it. My friend designed her own lip gloss and both processes was fun, they walked you through all your choices and help you find the right shade. I took six attempts to find my shade and they were patient each time. The only downside is the cost but you do get what you pay for. You don't have to get every service or item but it's not the cheapest. This would be great for a girls day out, sister/mother and daughter adventure, bridal party, those who like makeup or those who want their own design color! Treat yourself read more

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10/10 would recommend coming here with a friend for a cute activity. I am so happy we tried this out! Tips: -make an appointment online (super easy) -know generally what you are looking for ahead of time - the amount of choices can be overwhelming! (Gloss, lip stick, balm, fragrance) -come on time!!!! (They do get packed especially on weekends and you really don't want to feel rushed) Highlights: -the lip balm was SO rich, pigmented, and felt really easy to apply -our color specialist was truly the nicest person ever and was so helpful! All I said was "I'm a deep winter" and she ran with it! Truly a gem! -you can have them recreate your exact color with the slip of paper they pack with you on the way out so you can always order more :) read more

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We came to Lip Lap for a bridal experience and it was such a unique, fun activity! The process is so creative -- you start by choosing your finish (satin, sheer, or matte), then a scent (sugar cookie, mango, rose, etc.), and finally the shades you're drawn to. From there, the team swatches and tweaks until it's exactly what you want. I loved being able to try the colors on, give feedback, and end up with a custom lipstick shade that felt so me. Once you've got your perfect match, you get to name your lipstick, pick a case, and even choose the font. It made the whole experience feel super personal and memorable. I'd definitely come back to make bundles or gifts -- such a cool idea for friends or events. We were about 10 minutes late, and since they're super busy, the staff rushed us along and reminded us a few times about timing. It came off a little rude in the moment -- but the experience overall was still fantastic. Highly recommend! read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were very excited to try out Lip Lab for my bachelorette party. We had a group of 6 people. I decided to go big because it was my bachelorette party and do 2 lipsticks. Our mixologist, Dean was overall great. But, the leader our 2 other groups had were not great. Didn't explain anything, and were very non-enthusiastic. They stated they only knew what was going on because they listened in on Dean telling us what to do. When it came to the engraving part, Dean took the information and went back to engrave. While she was gone, another team member came up and started asking me information about what I wanted for engraving - which was weird because I already gave Dean that information. Dean came up and said "oh I've already got that." They did their prep work behind the scenes and handed me my bag with my 2 lipsticks inside. Which, for the record are insanely overpriced (I ended up paying $125 - $140 with tip) This is where I should have done my due diligence and checked the lipsticks before I left, but they were packaged up so nicely in the bag, I figured all was good. I got back to our Airbnb outside the city and was excited to try my new lipsticks. I open the first case... empty. I open the second case..... empty. No lipsticks to be found, just the cases with nothing in them. I immediately call the lab and they say "Oh this is soooo funny. After your party left, we saw 2 extra lipsticks and were confused by that." Okay, 1. Not really funny - that ruined the experience and makes us have to travel an hour back into the city to pick it up. 2. You didn't think to call and tell us there were 2 lipsticks left behind???? You don't just make extra lipsticks. They said "we can have it ready for you to pickup tomorrow" - didn't offer to ship to me for their mistake. So we had to travel back into the city to pick them up. I set one of my bridesmaids in because I was pretty annoyed. And they just handed her the bag with ZERO apologies or anything. My bridesmaid is a firecracker and said "what are you going to offer us for this mix up" and they said "let me talk to my manager, maybe we can throw in a lip mask" which they did. BUT, overall, terrible customer experience. To send someone away without their lipsticks they just paid $140 for .. and to not even call to check and make sure no one was missing theirs? It was just not a good experience and we will not be returning. read more

Fun place to go with a friend to treat yourself to a customized lip color session! Allow an hour to try different finishes, shades, fragrances, colors and coverage options. The lipstick uses cruelty-free ingredients and you can choose a name for your personalized lipstick, which is engraved on each tube. Street parking is available and walk-ins are welcome; however, make an appointment so you don't have to wait. A little pricey, but worth it for the experience! read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - Lip color and fragrance - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had the best fun time here! Employees were super nice and knowledgeable. I gave her purple nude brown as my inspo and somehow gave me exactly what i imagined in my head on the first try it was 5 of us and the employees were super patient and helped us adjust colors to make it perfect with what we envisioned. we all did the lipstick lipgloss combo and there were alot of options to choose from for the scents and packaging. engraving was fun too! quality of the lipstick and lipgloss is also good, nothing crazy but decent quality for the price and experience. read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I waited way too long to visit Lip Lab -- partly because it's hard to snag a reservation for more than three people. I finally made it happen for my birthday with my best friends, and it was everything I hoped it would be. We had the best time experimenting with shades, smelling and trying different formulas, and creating our own personalized lip products. I ended up with a chapstick, a lipstick, two liners, and a primer (and would've bought more if they had a bigger product range!). Our technician was amazing -- super knowledgeable, fun, and genuinely engaging. She took time to connect with each of us, and by the end, it felt like we were all friends. The highlight was customizing our products and labeling one item each with a special name -- something symbolic we can recreate next time as a tradition. My only suggestion? Serve rosé! It's the perfect finishing touch for such a fun, feminine experience. read more

I watched the videos on the site and was interested. How many lipsticks do I own that just aren't quite what I want?! Way too many. So I decided to quit doing that and go. I saw the prices but how much more money am I going to waste in what I don't like?! I made an appt and was greeted when I walked in. Forgive me for not remembering the young woman's name but she was great. I knew I wanted a gloss and a lipstick and maybe something else. They have packages or you can make yours up which I wound up doing for my 3 products. She patiently went through each created item and didn't get flustered when something did not appeal to me. I had a general idea what color I wanted and we kept going til the color was what looked good. You may be surprised what looks good vs what you like! I asked what kind of training she had to do this. There are cosmetologists and those that majored in color theory who work there. Who knew such a thing existed but it I was all about it. The cylinders are good quality with magnet closures and colors to choose from. I had mine engraved with names I made up on the spot. You can watch the machine do its magic. They bottled my gloss and encased my color choices. I can reorder anytime as my profile is saved. No more guesswork and I am grateful. I can't wait to go back in the spring for the lighter colors! I will be bringing my friends who are from out of town as they were jealous of my experience and they don't live near one. read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - My haul - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I wanted to plan something unique yet enjoyable for my mother's 57th birthday, and this experience exceeded my expectations. We had a wonderful time creating and customizing a lipstick and lip gloss bundle for her. Although she typically avoids bold colors, we were able to find a beautiful and subtle shade that suited her perfectly. She also enjoyed selecting custom details for her items, which added a charming personal touch. I will certainly return, next time with a group of friends for a girls' outing--it was truly delightful. read more

I made reservations for my mom and I on the hottest day of the summer. We receipt multiple calls and messages to ensure we were still coming. We arrived a few minutes early, but were able to get prepped until our specialist was with us. There were other parties too, and we are all in the same general area but working with different specialists. The entire process took about an hour, deciding what finish we wanted, colors, scent, packaging, and final touches. It was really fun and they store your info so you can reorder the same color once it finishes. Over all very fun experience! read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - Inside - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I am so disappointed. We were treated so rudely by the staff- dismissed. We had a difficult time making a res so when we went our res was not there. We said we'd like to wait- there is a 10 minute grace period, the other reservation did not show up at 14 minutes. They would not seat us. My daughter left in tears. Awful business practice! Very disappointed!!!! read more

I needed to change my appointment and they were able to accommodate easily. Evelyn helped me and she was super helpful in explaining the options and picking the color. Loved the personalized experience and the products I got. read more

This is a fun time for a group of ladies or just a couple of friends. The whole ideology of selecting the shade scent and packaging for your own lipstick is phenomenal. The two times that I've been here I thoroughly enjoyed myself. However, they lack the ability to make you feel welcomed when you walk in the door. You walk in and 9 times out of 10 you're not greeted at all. Also, for two lipsticks I paid $115. You have to figure out whether it's worth it!...I thought it was!!! read more

This was so much fun! My girlfriend treated my twin and me to this experience. We had our own custom lipsticks made. You can get matte, satin or like a glossy sheer lipstick. They also have glosses and balms. It was very cool to see how the colors come together and try them out. Our color expert, Michelle, was so patient and informative. I would highly recommend this experience for anyone who likes makeup and wants to experiment. I feel like I have my signature shade now! read more

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Terrible customer service. They canceled one of our two appointments with no explanation and then refused to accommodate the party. We literally had two girls sit in chairs at the counter and the staff refused service to prove a point. Dumb move Lip Lab, way to throw away sales. On top of the rude management, they don't actually help with color selection at all. In fact, they seemed put out by having to take us through the options. My group made the outing fun but I would not recommend. read more

Visited today Sunday afternoon, Social media made it look like such a fun experience. It was cute but not really interactive, I was thinking it was more of a hands-on experience,the store team members do all of the mixing. The service was good and very personable. There were a variety of color combos and scents available, but at this price point, I could purchase a few lip colors at a beauty store. Also ladies be advised there is no bathroom inside for customer usage. You can use the hotel bathroom across the street. read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was so excited to go with my husband for my birthday. We waited over 20 min. No sign to start our appointment. The place smelled horrible. It wasn't clean. No one cared you were there. Save yourself the frustration. read more

Bought this as a gift for a friend and it was such a fun experience! We chose to make custom satin lipsticks. You start out with a base color then determine if you want to go lighter, darker, more pink, more red, etc and continue with that process until you're satisfied with the color. Everything is precisely measured so they can make the full lipstick with the exact color formula you picked. You also get to choose a lip case and laser print a name onto it if you prefer. Would definitely recommended lip lab for a fun experience and a great product! read more

If your a lippie (into lipsticks and gloss) this place is for you! Bring a friend, bring the kids or come by yourself, either way you'll enjoy. Plenty of colors to chose from. They will blend them until you find the color that fits you. I did a matte lipstick and a lip gloss. You can pick from satin finishes as well. You get to chose a scent (I went with pomegranate) and the container. I love that you can add a name and the engraving is free. So pick a cool name for your lipstick or gloss and you can go to any location in the states for a refill! It's $65 plus taxes! We were able to find parking out front. It's the Fulton Market area therefore, parking can be scares at times. I know I'll go back. read more

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No restroom for a group and a two hour appointment? Is that even legal? Didn't receive an explanation, had to eavesdrop on others in our large group. Didn't know what was going on or what next steps were. Deposit DOES NOT go towards purchase. Went with a bachelorette party, advise: do something else. read more

I had invited some friends out to celebrate my birthday and we were UNDERWHELMED. They do not have a restroom, you have to go across the street (WTF). For the prices this establishment charges there NEEDS to be a restroom, I would have loved to wash my hands at some point. The lady servicing us was nice but needs more training and or awareness, seems like she was ready to end her shift. I more than likely would never come here again. read more

The good part is they are on time for your appointment. I wasn't pleased with the color or the formula if the gloss I purchased. I wanted a pink and for some reason she added too much brown. I told her that it looked browner on my lips as she said it was my lips. The formula is drying, not worth the money. And they should not get tops but I felt obligated to give one. I'm disappointed in the color. read more

Jaden helped us make beautiful lip glosses that match each of our vibes! :) super fun and I would definitely recommend it for a girls night out read more

Took a friend here for her birthday. Had tons of the fun or color associate was super nice I forgot her name though. The only thing i wish i could mix it by myself without the lip associate she did all the work and i just told her what i wanted. But overall great experience read more

Made a reservation over a week ago knowing I was coming to Chicago for only 48 hours. Wanted it to be apart of the experience. Missed a call from Lip Lab during another tour of the city. Called back in immediately after. No answer. Left a message twice so that they wouldn't cancel. Received a message an hour later saying my reservation was cancelled! Called back the next day about reservation being cancelled. Rep offered to rebook for a later time that day. I confirmed. Arrived 15 mins before appointment time at 2:30PM. Stepped in. Waited at the door. No greeting. No one even acknowledged that we were there. Took a seat and at 2:30 once another lady got in with her daughter, was finally greeted and asked what time was the appt. Another employee walked up and begin telling the 3 other parties not including us that they were behind and it would be another hour. At this point, there were about 6 seats open so I was wondering why an hour! Another group of 4 walked in with a lady arguing that her reservation had been cancelled and they were not answering her calls. One of the workers quickly becked from behind the employee talking to her for them to come and sit down and she would serve them. At this point I was pissed bc it was now 2:52! I kindly asked for her to cancel our appt and left. Had a better time down the street at Jack Frost Christmas Pop-up at Fulton Market! read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great experience! The workers could've made it better by being more welcoming. Lipgloss is worth the money, it lasts on the lips a long time. read more

The experience started off awkward for us. When we first walked in the employees stared at us but no one said a word. After about an awkward five minutes passed someone finally asked how they could help to which we responded that we had an appointment and all three staff members seemed pretty annoyed. When the service began a girl walked up and never even gave us her name or introduced herself. It was like we had to figure out everything on our own and ask a bunch of questions. She just pouted and seemed frustrated the entire time which is unacceptable in a customer service job. Furthermore what was annoying is that no bathroom is available which I am pretty sure is against some type of codes/laws in the city of Chicago. As far as the experience itself goes I felt disappointed by the lack of flavors available and also the girl making the products informed us that we needed to pick a color and work from that not try all the colors in the rainbow lol. I guess when you spend close to $100.00 that's what you get. We spent over an hour here and we did end up getting a second lip balm in the same color because the first one didn't set right according to the girl who made our products. I also thought this would be more interactive and let the person do some mixing or pouring. I would not return, I can find any shade I want in Sephora or Ulta. read more

Fun but expensive experience. Fav part was the naming and engraving. Whole experience took less than an hour. read more

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Gift for my bestie and we had a great time. Made a day of it with lunch. Artist took her time with us and let us try several mixing attempts until we found our perfect shade. Went with the satin lipstick, flamingo case, rose flavor. Pricey though, lipstick is $65. Shop is small, we went on a Saturday in early December and they were booked solid. Plan about a month out to get day and time you want. read more

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What a fun and unique experience creating my own lipstick. I was looking for a fun activity for my MIL while she was in the city so I booked a 1:00pm Sunday appointment. The whole experience was great! They walked us through the process of creating our own shade of lipstick, picking the scent, finish, case, and engraving. Our lip lab consultant was so patient, ensuring we loved the colors in the finish of our choosing. She mixed about three different shades for both of us. We both left with the perfect shades!! read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Girls trip and the staff was so helpful finding our personal colors!! Thank you and highly recommend

The women were so rude. Do not recommend. The service was unbelievable and they are not customer accommodating.

Took my friend here for her birthday best experience for lip treatment. It's a little pricey but it is totally worth it.

It was a nice experience for my daughters birthday, the colors didn't look quite the same when they gave her the actual lipstick, didn't realize until I got home because you can't use it for 30min after set. Also my lipstick was patchy and damaged. If you're just wanting the experience it's ok, but not for the product, if I'm paying $70 for a lipstick I expect better than a damaged product that goes on patchy read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - Damaged lipstick once it set - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I visited Lip Lab two days ago with a friend and totally enjoyed the experience. I will definitely be back as I need different shades to go with the upcoming summer and spring attire. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. Our technician was very knowledgeable and we had a very nice time. I have been spreading the word about my experience since we left. read more

Lip Lab - Chicago - The finish product - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Well, after seeing the advertisement on Tik Tok, I thought it would be something nice to do with my sister and daughter. So I made a reservation. It would have been nice to have known that as a paying customer, I wouldn't be able to use the restroom. I was told to go across the street and use the restroom in the hotel. I was very upset. I went through with the experience because I didn't want to ruin the outing for my family. So, instead of buying four lipcolors, two for me and two for my daughter, I only purchased one for each of us. I understand not wanting To allow non customers the use of the restroom, but I was a paying customer who drove a long way. This company should be more transparent. read more

I made an appointment for me and my mother for an early Mother's Day gift. We traveled to Chicago and made the appointment 2 weeks prior. They emailed and texted me almost every day to confirm and not be late. We arrived 2 mins before the appt time. Was never greeted by an employee or felt any kind of welcome. One of the employees pointed to chairs in front I guess in the waiting area and said "sit there." We sat there and waited 15 mins without any interaction or conversation from any of the employees and we decided to leave. I will not spend the amount they charge to be treated this way. I do not recommend this place at all! Save yourself some money. read more

I had so much fun here! I love the two products I made, the experience was really cool. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. Only thing I think is odd is there's no bathroom. Otherwise nothing to improve on, will definitely be back read more

went there a few times first time so do second time it was great it's all about the person helping you who can make it a fun time not a cheap thing make it fun and knowledgeable help customer with color choices suggest what looks good what's on trend just my opinion. read more