In terms of service, Maxine is as good as it gets. I haven't been in a salon lately, maybe ever, that is as friendly as Maxine. This came as a complete and total shock to me as it is located on Rush in the Gold Coast. I was expecting at least someone to be a bit cold and aloof, but not the case! Seriously, everyone is helpful, calm, professional, and genuinely nice to you from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you leave. Amazing. Next, I have had my hair highlighted twice by Stacie Dybala. She's done the Balayage process on my hair, and the results were exactly what I was looking for: a bit of a lift in color without it being really that noticeable at all. I wanted natural, sunkissed highlights, and that is what I got. The second time I saw her, she layered in a blonde and caramel highlight to accentuate my naturally red-brown hair, and she did a great job. Plus, she is just a down-to-earth and genuinely nice girl. I also had my hair cut once by Hans. I am growing out my bangs, and he did an amazing job blending them and gave me a great layered haircut. As many other reviewers have mentioned, he does a great blow-out. My husband was very enthusiastic with the results, so much so that he told me that he REALLY meant it this time when he complimented my new cut. Hilarious. I think Hans has that talent to cut and style a woman's hair in a way that makes it irresistable to men. I will be remembering this when I attend the upcoming Madonna concert. I mean, who is more worth impressing than her royal Madgesty??? Again, TMI...sorry Yelpers. Just think of Hans for that special occasion in your life. Alright, so if Maxine is in your budget ($150 for a partial Balayage and $80 for a cut with Hans), I would recommend that you start cheating on your current stylist...now!!! You will be welcomed with open and loving arms! read more

I am so happy with the cut and color that i get at Maxine's, that I am willing to travel a 4 hour round trip every six weeks to keep my hair fresh and happy! By nature, I do not trust people with either my cut or color without me giving very specific directions. Yet, in the very capable hands of Josie and Diana, I give them total control of my hair and my style, knowing that they will pick what is best for me. From the convenience of the valet parking (which is priced very attractively for the area!) and the friendly but capable reception staff, to the top notch services, I don't think I will ever have a need to try anywhere else...finally, after trying most everyplace in Northern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin, I have found my home. read more

Jaime is an expert at waxing, and made me feel really comfortable even though it's been ages since my last wax. She was incredibly knowledgeable, and gave me the least painful wax I've ever had. Jaime came highly recommended to me by someone who sees her for Brazilian waxes, and now I can say I believe the hype! Extra bonus: if you like the food scene, Jaime has great tips-- she knew tons and was eager to share. She's funny, friendly, and easy to talk to. So glad I found her and definitely planning to see her again. read more

I was new to Chicago and had left my colorist of a few years. I Went to Maxine based on a friends hair that I liked. She had beautiful blonde highlights just the way I like them. She highly recommended Diana. I went and she was great. When I got home and hair dried, the color wasn't as light as I was hoping for. Diana told me to come back no charge because she wanted me to Love my color and be completely happy. The second time I brought a picture and she nailed it. She was amazing and I love my color. I highly recommended her for blonde highlights. Not only is she very talented but easy to talk to and creates a great experience. I will definitely be back read more

Nicole Tabloff has been coloring my hair for over a year now. I asked her to work with me on letting me be a bit gray but not look old. It's a complicated ask given I want highlights and lowlights and stay as natural looking as possible. She's done a fantastic job. Not only do I love it so do a lot of others - I get compliments all the time! read more

A Short-haired Girl Found Her Match - Aaron David If you want a fantastic short cut with edge and style, Aaron is the man. He cuts with finesse and verve - and is a true perfectionist. People stop me on the street all the time to compliment my hair. Aaron can make angles and lines feminine and sexy - which is a real achievement. read more

After reading all the great press, good reviews on Yelp and being stuck in a hair rut with my current stylist, I decided to give Maxine's a try. Sure, it's not conveniently located for a suburban girl like me but I will drive far and wide to get a good cut and color on my fine lifeless blonde hair. I saw Leslie for Balyage and she immediately identified a solution for my too blonde all over color and got to work on adding dimension and movement to my hair. After my color, I went downstairs to get my haircut with Bob. I had read the reviews and heard all the praise about Bob but was skeptical at first. Well, I am now a believer! Bob gave me the layers I needed to give my thin hair volumet without removing the length (even though I said I could go much shorter). He gave me great blow dry styling advice, recommended a product but wasn't pushy about getting me to purchase it (although I did - I'm a sucker for hair products). I Ieft with a spring in my step and more bounce in my newly balyage'ed 'do. Yes it's a bit pricey, but totally worth it. For a high end salon, everyone there was very down to earth, not at all pretentious and VERY welcoming. Thanks for a great experience! I will defintely be back!!! read more

I have been going to Maxine's for the past two years and absolutely LOVE it! I have nothing but nice things to say about the entire staff. I work on the weekends and have the same schedule as my colorist. Diana is the best, somehow she always seems to fit me in! I followed her from another salon and refuse to go to anyone else. I have been dark brown, blonde and somewhere in between and I am always happy with the final outcome!!!! I highly recommend Diana for color, she is the best. read more

SUMMARY: The salon itself is nice, but for the price, I would expect better services (in terms of both the hair services and friendliness of staff). I came to Maxine Salon twice to get my color done. At first I was happy with it, but I ended up deciding to go elsewhere and am happy I did. I'm on a budget as a grad student, but I'm willing to pay to get my color done at a nice salon, and I tip 20%+ (I preface my review with this info for a reason). Given my budget, I like to wait 2.5-3 months to get my color done, and this has never been a big issue for me because I have curly hair and a natural color that hides my roots well. The first time I came to Maxine, the color was great-- no complaints. The next time, however, I felt like my stylist gave me some sort of subtle attitude/snark when she asked, "You haven't gotten it done since I last saw you...?" Fine-- I ignored it. BUT she then colored my hair a darker shade of blonde than the previous visit (I asked for the same color), AND she then either didn't apply it close enough to my root, or had the assistant wash it out too early. I'm not sure which was the issue, but my roots were still clearly visible, especially in the back. I didn't notice until I got home because I left with my hair wet, but then I didn't feel comfortable going back to complain or get it fixed because I didn't feel like a valued customer. Lastly, the salon has no good products for people with curly hair. The ones that were recommended to me by the staff members did nothing to control frizz/fluff or shape my curls. Anyways, I switched to Salon 9nb and am much happier with the price, experience, and services. read more

I didn't get the result i paid for. She gave me literally straight cut hair with bangs which was not what I had asked for. You expect if you go by the recommendation of the salon and pay the highest amount they at least give you the courtesy of listening to what you want. Never coming back here again. read more

Staff and quality of services here are superb. Highly recommend Evan for cuts, especially long hair, and Lauren for color, especially balayage. The only negative experience I have had is that a color service does not include having your hair dried. Customers are expected to dry their own hair after paying a minimum of $80 + tip for a color service. And then to make it worse, there are not even curling irons/flat irons available to style your own hair after you have dried it yourself. And my colorist said there were none she could bring me. Seriously?! This is a 3-story salon and there's not one available appliance for me to fix my own hair before I go to dinner after getting my hair "done"?! Honestly, I find this insulting. Does the colorist not want to see how the color looks after it is dried and styled? Does this salon not care if I walk out with my hair looking worse than it did when I walked in because it isn't styled and looks like a frizzy mess? Luckily my colorist was nice enough to finish drying my hair and help make it look presentable since I told her I was not pleased with this and was headed to a dinner, but this is not typically the case. I have had my hair done in numerous salons in various cities, and none of them have had this policy, whether or not they have separate stylists/colorists. It's not ok. A color service should include at least basic drying/styling so that the customer and the colorist can see the finished product. read more

I had a bad cut from Sanda Petrut. She did not listen, debated my instructions, and started the cut too high. There was no angle to the A-line. The cut was straight across the neck with no tapering. The cut also lacked body and had no stacking or layering, like I asked. I brought in a picture and offered plenty of length to work with. I am surprised this salon charges as much as they do given that the quality is marginal and varies greatly. I saw Sandra once prior to the disaster, and the cut was average. I thought I would give her a second chance, but she did not listen, and the second cut was bad enough that it had to grow out. I now know to fear dogmatic stylists who think they know more than you do about your own hair. Luckily the salon refunded the cut with an apology. The refund is the reason for two stars instead of one. read more

I have been coming here for the last +5 years and the salon is very professional and I always have a great experience. My colorist John Blue is the best, most amazing colorist I have ever experienced. I have blonde hair, and he is truly an artist with my blonde highlights! The color is perfect every time and I get so many compliments on it. My stylist is Shelly Aguirre, and she has surpassed any other stylist I have ever been too...she is well experienced with hair extensions, and will turn my limp, fine hair into something so lush, beautiful, and natural...I am so amazed and thankful every time!! I would highly recommend them both!! They are masters in their field. read more

I have been to Malice several times and recently decided to cut a significant amount of my hair (+10 inches)and donate it to Beautiful Lengths. I went to Malese and she did an incredible job. I went home feeling and looking like a new woman. Fantastic! She is friendly and very precise. I have straight hair and she made sure that the layering was perfect . She even took time to show me how to style it so that I would be able to make it look great. I love her talent so much, I had her do my up-do for my wedding. If you need a blow out, a cut or a fantastic up-do, you should definately make an appointment with Malese. read more

I spent what seems a life time searching for the best colorist and stylist in Chicago. Well, I am here to tell you they are at Maxine - Diana Mildice and Teresa Tufte. My fist visit was today and as you can see by my rating Diana and Teresa exceeded my expectations. They are the savants of hair. They are creative artists, fairy godmothers and magicians who can turn your hair into exactly what you desire. They listened to everything I had to say about my hair and were patient as I showed them lots of pictures of hair styles and color. My final words before their work on me began was "it would really be nice if once someone said to me your hair is stunning". Well, I am here to tell you my wish came true. As I was walking through my condo lobby to catch an elevator a couple stopped me and complimented me on my hair. They actually said "your hair looks stunning". Awesome! I already have my next appointments scheduled with Diana and Teresa and can hardly wait. P.S. The service is great and everyone is very nice and friendly. No attitudes or divas and the salon is located in a very classy, high rent district. The cost is $$$$ but for me it is worth the price. I received a great return on my investment. read more

Blue is the best, bar none! I've been a devoted fan of Blue's for years, and just recently followed him to his new home, Maxine's. As most wizards wave wands, Blue's magic comes from his color brush! Blue has taken me from golden copper, to chestnut brown to my newly favorite deep copper auburn. He's laced me with baliaged highlights and has created natural dimension without hard lines or severe faux-looking streaks. I've seen so many colorists before this, and nobody seemed to get it right--until Blue. I've recently had my best friend see him as well, and she's never had so many compliments on her shiny, baby-blonde hair. People are constantly asking us who and where we get our hair done, and we love it! The salon is gorgeous and and I am totally impressed by the level of service from the front desk staff. Not only do they have my favorite Kerastase products, but they also serve champagne and wine while you process. If you want a stellar experience, see Blue for color at Maxine's! read more

See Leslie Shores as a color specialist!!! I scheduled an appointment at Maxine with Leslie to try the ombré hair-painting process she specializes is (the name of it is slipping my mind at the moment). I was excited for the service, although it was pricey ($180). When Leslie saw my hair, she was compeletly honest with me in that because I have previously colored my hair so much, her work would not show up as I had hoped for and could even possibly be damaging to my hair. I opted not to do the service, and apologized for taking up one of her scheduled time slots (as they appeared to be quite busy). Every business should have such classy people with integrity! read more

I've been getting my hair cut by Aaron for four years now and I have never been disappointed. I followed him to Maxine's and love the salon. It is very modern and clean, everyone there is always very helpful and friendly. Aaron is so great at cutting my short hair. It's always feminine and cute. I had to start carrying his card to give out to people who would ask me where I got my hair cut. I pretty much sit down in the chair and tell him to do what he wants to my hair and I am always so pleased with the results. read more

I wanted to update my review on Maxines, since I have been going here for about two years now and feel like I have gotten more of an overall experience. I have tried four different stylists and been very pleased with every one of them, I have never left unhappy which I think says a lot about the caliber of talent they have here. However, Hans gives the best hair cuts ever. I would recommend him to anyone and everyone except I don't want everyone to know how good he is in fear that I won't be able to get in. He is so precise when cutting your hair, and gives the most amazing blow out. He has a great genuine personality and is so incredibly humble I'm not sure if even he knows how good he is. It isn't very often that a stylist in Chicago greets you with a hug and sends you off with the best hair day you've had in a month, so for that reason I will keep returning to him. read more

Blue and Anna - finally together at the same amazing salon - my life is complete! Blue is the best colorist I have ever seen. Nowadays I need some work getting my grey covered up, so I see him about every five weeks. I always leave looking natural and rejuvenated. I've been every color under the sun at some point with him, and he is always careful to make it look flawless. When I get highlights he uses a method called balayage - which basically gives my hair a fresh, sun-kissed look. It's also much faster than traditional highlighting, and I feel like it keeps my hair healthier as well. I've been seeing Anna since she was first in Minnesota, then at another salon here in Chicago and now here. Words cannot describe how happy I am that these two are finally together at the same place! Anna is a perfectionist when it comes to the precision haircut, and gives me a masterful 'do every time. There are times when I go to her and say "just do what you want" and she nails it every time. I wouldn't dream of letting anyone else touch my hair. She also does the most beautiful extensions - and no one will know you have them. Anna and Blue are the best color/cut combo in the city. You won't regret it. read more

If you're looking for a rockstar colorist - go to Maxine and see Diana Mildice - she's the BEST! I can't tell you the number of compliments that I receive on my color - and I can't take any credit for that - it's all because of Diana. I have long, thick, textured hair which is a challenge in itself but Diana always knows just what to do whether we have to put in high's, low's to come up with the best balance - she seriously rocks! And Maxine is a great space - it's located in the heart of the Mag Mile right there on Rush so one may be intimidated - but no need. The salon staff are always nice and extremely professional. I give my highest recommendation to both Diana and Maxine - keep rocking ladies! read more

I want to begin by saying I have been to just about every salon on the north shore. I live in downtown Evanston, and have hit all the places north to Highland Park down to Michigan Ave, but Aaron (David) is by far the best there is! I got lucky with really great hair. It does exactly what you want it to do. However, I have A LOT of hair and it grows really fast. It also gets very heavy and bulky. Not only does Aaron understand my hair and how it grows . . . it's the cut that stops people on the street asking me where I get my hair cut. Aaron takes his time and is meticulous in every way. More importantly he knows hair - what will work and what won't. The best thing about my hair is that I don't have to fight with it after 10 days of leaving the salon. It grows out perfectly so that my hair always looks great whether it's its 2 weeks into the cut or 7 weeks later .. . . he hits it right every time! Make an appointment with Aaron, and I promise, you will love your hair everyday! I can't think of going anywhere else. read more

I am a curlie; course, shoulder-length, 3yr no-chemical treatment curlie girl. Naturally I was drawn to schedule an appointment with Michelle. I'd heard good things about her work with curlies, [as well as non-curlies]. I would recommend Michelle. Upon meeting her she was very welcoming, friendly, funny, and had an overall nice demeanor about her. When I first sat in the chair we of course went over what I wanted done, I sought her recommendations based on some of my goals. While she worked on my hair, she often checked on me. She explained some of the products she used on my hair, and their intended purpose. One of the products smelled really good, and I'm going to have to go back to the salon to indulge on that product. I was really happy with the cut I got; upon my next visit I would probably revisit styling options. Other staff members were funny, polite, and offered/served me tea and water. The overall atmosphere is really nice, and definitely coming in from outside, it was like a nice treat for myself. Some may not be prepared for the fee schedule though its a salon on Rush St, with really good customer service, really good products that they use on your hair, and many of the stylists are welcoming/funny. The fees you pay for service are worth the quality you get in return. The fees are listed on their website, so you can check them out there. I intend to go back [even after I buy that smell-good mystery product] for another appointment. read more

I have had my hair done in Moscow, Paris, & Berlin. This is the first time I can actually rate a 5/5 for a particular colorist. I had the pleasure of working with Rex who understood exactly what I wanted and delivered flawlessly. I was also ecstatic about the haircut I received from Jenna, whom Rex referred, who also works at Maxine. Rex was able to highlight my hair in a way that compliments my face. He used the balayage technique that makes the hair coloring look natural. I'm surprised to see this level of talent in Chicago. This man belongs in Paris! The salon is great as well. The interior design and quality of products/service are all impressively done. I was referred to this shop and proud to say that the Maxine Salon is a hidden gem in the Gold Coast of Chicago! read more

Excellent hair cut and service Pat Flynn

I just have to say I felt like royalty while at the salon yesterday. I can't stop checking out my hair in the mirror. The service waswonderful. Tina was so awesome with my color...she really is GREAT...and Evan gave me a new cut that everyone loves! I know I will be back! read more

I had my hair color done by Marshall and a cut and style by Shelly. I love my results!!!! I will be a returning client and recommending them to everyone. Thanks for making my day special. Karen read more

I was in a bind and needed to get a haircut on short notice, and found Maxine's here on Yelp. I am so thrilled I did!! Since January I have been going to Hans and I could not be happier. He makes you feel like every single strand of hair on your head is tremendously important and intelligently decides on how to make your hair work best for you. I chemically straightened my hair for nearly 6 years, because the stylists I have seen in the past, weren't able to work with my naturally curly/wavey hair. All that changed after seeing Hans. He has completely revived my hairstyle, making me look the best I have in almost a decade. I don't know where I would be if it weren't for Maxine's and especially Hans. Anyone looking for a great haircut and superior service need not to look any further! read more

I really love love love this salon. I started going here not too long ago when I did a Google search and found good reviews about this salon. I went to see Rex for a balayage because he was highly reccommended, and rightly so. He does an awesome job with my hair color! I've gone in twice already and done two different looks and he did amazing both times! He will never promise what he can't deliver which is awesome because I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed with my color at other salons. He cares about the integrity of your hair and wont push it past its limit! I highly reccommend him for balayage! I also have to rave about my awesome cut/blowdry! The first time I went I hadn't looked into their stylists so they placed me at random with Ramona and I am so so glad they did! She is fantastic! She really listens to what you want and takes all factors in to account when cutting your hair. She asks lots of questions so she can really get a feel for your style and what youre looking for, and to me that is huge because sometimes i have a hard time getting across what look i want to achieve! Shes really great and super sweet too! The entire staff at Maxine is really great and friendly and I swear I dont think there was a single person I encountered who didn't ask me if I needed anything (water, tea, etc.) everyone is so accomodating! They make you feel very comfortable! Highly reccommend! =) read more

Earlier this week, I called Maxine's to book a hair color appointment as a first time client. I live in Northwest Indiana, and thought it would be nice to treat myself to an afternoon in the city, and picked Maxine's after being impressed with the reviews and information on their website. I told the woman booking the appointment I was a first time client with a long bob length hair, one color, who wanted to go lighter in color. I also asked about where pricing starts, and she gave me a fairly good idea, but did not know what the stylist need to do to achieve my request for lighter hair. Still, I was satisfied with the information and went ahead with booking. Based on my schedule, she was able to accommodate me on a Friday with Rex. When I called on late Tuesday afternoon, Rex's schedule was "very open" with appointments available pretty much all day. I choose an 11:00AM appointment. I got a babysitter and drove to the city. I do not live that far away from downtown, but nonetheless, i had a 5 hour chunk of my day dedicated to this salon. I arrived at the salon at 11:04, I know this because I texted a friend as I arrived. I was taken upstairs to wait for Rex. My first impression was that this place was busier than a Hair Cuttery on back to school weekend! It was so crowded I was literally bumped into a few times by employees. I was greeted by Rex and taken to a station in what appeared to be the hair coloring area, only to find myself seated extremely close in proximity to two other clients; very uncomfortable! I discussed with Rex my wanting to go lighter, and gave him photos of what I liked. My hair is a medium brown color- He insisted this photos were "photoshopped", okay, so someone with ash tone brown hair with balayage is bogus? He explained the basic principles of hair coloring 101 (color can't lift color, you might pull warm, etc etc- ), but continued to fail to tell me what he could do for me; keep in mind, my hair has been colored twice (gray coverage) since January with all over color very close to my natural color and prior to that, wasn't colored at all becauseI was growing out a long pixie. I kept asking him what he suggests for getting my hair lighter and continued to tell me what he couldnt do, he even asked if I "was understanding him", like I was an idiot! Finally he said he could do a full head balayage to get me lighter , but he also followed with, "but unfortunately, I don't have time for this today, you are only booked for a 45 minute single process!" Seriously? And then went on to say, "not only that, but you started the appointment late" Yes, 11:04 is not 11:00, but I had to wait another 10 minutes on top of that just to speak with him, and another 30 minutes discussing what he "couldn't do, and how I would have to COME BACK another day!". I have never met a more complacent employee in all my life. I said this was not okay, and he went to see if another stylist was available. There was, but not to do what I needed, so once again, "Maybe you should come back", was Rex's response. I couldnt believe all I had as a first time client with a colorist was 45 minutes, more than half of which was the consultation. Finally, as I was about to leave, and after speaking with the manager, he came back to tell me with a sigh, "They can rearrange my day so I can do your hair". I felt very embarrassed but decided this wasn't my fault and decided to sit down again in his chair. I even asked him to please not be MAD AT ME! He then went over pricing in a way that seemed like he was trying to discourage me for continuing. I was so uncomfortable, I got up, told him I was uncomfortable and left. It is obvious whomever took the call did not schedule my appointment properly. Rex was not friendly, obviously very complacent, and made me feel like embarrassed and extremely uncomfortable. Finally, do not discuss pricing as if your client cannot afford it; I have had my hair styled at Julien Farel in New York and Sally Hershberger in LA while on vacation. Price is never an issue, but being treated so poorly was clearly the case in this situation. I am disappointed I did not get to see how great the quality of this salon is- never going back! The only reason I gave it one star was because of the woman who was the manager on duty. She did call to apologize but it was too late. read more

I just had my hair cut, and to be honest totally repaired, by Cheryl. She was a really good listener, had a good recommendation and I love my cut. I have curly hair which is hard to cut and have been suffering from some bad styles recently. I'll be going back to Cheryl for sure. The staff was super friendly too. read more

I have to say I was really disappointed with both my experience here and the way my coloring turned out. I booked here after reading the great reviews but think this salon's rating is inflated. Here's why: 1) Poor Service: After the colorist finished applying the color, he then began to work on another client and didn't check on me or my hair to see how it was taking to the color - NOT EVEN ONCE. When the timer was done, the shampoo attendant took me to wash out the color and I even asked, "Isn't he going to make sure the coloring is right?" and she said "don't worry he'll check on you once I'm done washing it out." This did not seem right to me and in fact the colorist didn't come to see me until I was blow drying my hair. 2) Awful Result: I asked for a balayage -- mind you from a colorist on their website who is touted for being the best at this technique -- and instead ended up with stringy looking highlights that would have resulted from foiling, not at all the sunkissed, beautiful, face-framing highlights that balayage is synonymous with. Not to mention, without even telling me, the colorist added in additional colors to the balayage -- one of which is a hideous brass tone. I didn't ask for that, and I didn't want that. I complained to the colorist and they added in additional toner (mind you after I had already blow dried by hair, because no one checked on my during the coloring process) but the end result is still really unattractive. I believe a good colorist should a) inform you of additional colors they arbitrarily decide to put in your hair and b) more importantly, be able to look at you, your skin coloring, and understand that colors with brassy tones can really look bad on certain skin colors. I'm so upset that I went here for my coloring and have just purchased a home coloring kit to try and fix this disaster on my own. If the service had felt professional and caring I may have given them an extra star. But seriously you can't claim to be an upscale salon with treatment like this. The icing on the cake is that after spending nearly $200 on a sub-par experience and coloring, the blow out isn't even complimentary. Just really tacky. read more

Visiting from out of town and needed a same-day appointment to get my hair blown out for my engagement photo shoot on a Monday (when a lot of salons are closed). Their scheduler was super nice and accommodating -- she managed to squeeze my appointment in so I'd finish up 30 min prior to our photo shoot to ensure my hair would look fresh and at it's best, which was awesome. The salon itself is really lovely and the reception staff were really friendly when I arrived. I explained to the hair dresser that we were doing our engagement shoot so I wanted a blowout with some loose wind-swept waves throughout my hair & it was important that they held for a few hours till the end of the shoot. She assured me that the high end tools and products she uses would hold my style without being stiff all night. I've had my fair share of blowouts and this one was mediocre at best, even though it was by far the most expensive blowout I've ever had at $65. She put a couple very loose waves in the front, but since she didn't even show me the back of my hair, I didn't realize until after I left was that she had only put one big wave that looked like a ponytail holder bump in the back. I never would have left the salon without that being fixed if she had shown me the back. Luckily our photographer was awesome and quickly pinned the front left part of my hair back loosely so that it didn't look so awkward in the pictures. Even though we weren't doing anything strenuous & the weather was perfect, by 30 minutes into the shoot, the few waves that were there had completely fallen out, leaving my hair looking oddly poofy, so we kept having to stop & try to re-angle or fix my hair every few minutes. Really, really disappointing to say the least. I'm just praying that it doesn't completely ruin our pictures. If I could, I'd give the scheduler, reception staff, and decor 4.5 stars and the style, stylist and pricing 1.5 stars because I paid $65 + tip for a $20 Supercuts quality blowout. Ultimately, if your hair doesn't look good and you don't feel good about it, it's not worth it regardless of cost so I wouldn't recommend this salon for blowouts. read more

I dont know where to start but what I know for sure is I would never step foot in the salon again. Ive been all over the place from New York to LA to do my hair and trust me Ive experienced way better. Being Chicago I would expect more especially being near Michigan Ave. Don't get me wrong the salon itself is beautiful and clean but its the staff that I have a problem with. Im that type of person to research and read reviews before making any decisions and I felt good about Maxine because they specialized in balayage. So I finally made my appointment. It was my treat from my husband for mothers day. I felt like it was pricey but remember you get what you pay for. Im never late for anything, and I expect the same. I walked in the salon about 10 min early. I checked in and the waited, and waited for about 20 minutes before sitting down in the chair. No one asked if I needed anything while I waited or came by to even explain why the heck it was taking so long. My stylist was with Lindsey. She came by me and with no apology started talking. I explained to her that I wanted to try balayage and I wanted it to go a little lighter. She looks at my hair and right away she said she couldnt do it because my hair was dyed too dark. Come on I didnt want to go blonde I just wanted a golden brown. But she insist that it wouldnt work and kept telling me she couldnt do it. She laughs and said maybe you could come back in a few months, are you kidding me!! I understand that they give you advice because they dont want to damage your hair.I was furious because she didnt really give me any other options it was more like she didnt want to do it. So off she goes to her next appointment. So she basically pushed me to another stylist that was willing to try something. I found out after over hearing her talk to her other client that she was running behind and basically she pushed off to someone else so she could attend to her next appointment. I felt at this point like I was a joke to them. So I was at a boiling point and just canceled my color and just got a cut. The only reason I gave it a star was because of the haircut. I did like the cut but seriously thats not enough for me to come back. If youre looking to get pretty long layers I would recommend Hans. Thats the only good thing that came out of my Mothers Day experience at this salon. So much for driving almost 2 hours and wasted a good chunk of my relaxing day. read more

Meh is right. Let me start by saying that it was my 25th birthday and I was in need of a long overdue trim to my luscious locks. I had resisted getting my hair done in Chicago but thought it would be a nice treat to have a beauty day for my big 2-5. Maxine was definitely NOT the place to visit for a special occasion where you want to feel pampered and relaxed. I'm from LA and have gone to some pretty stellar salons - Neil George was my latest - all of which are mostly small and intimate and would NEVER EVER ask you to blow dry your own hair. Celebrities go to these places! Could you imagine Jennifer Aniston being asked to blowdry her own hair? I think not. Maybe I should have known something was amiss when the guy who checked me in had me wander upstairs by myself even though I had never been there and had NO idea where I was going. And what's with all the L'Oreal branding everywhere? It's L'Oreal people! What's the big deal? It didn't really help that my stylist's hair was in shambles, frizzy and didn't look washed for several days. She also wasn't the biggest people person, didn't really seem interested in chatting. I also didn't really appreciate the fact that they only scheduled me for like a 40 minute appointment when I had told them that I have really long curly hair and want it diffused so that I can see that they gave me a good haircut for my curly hair. I HATE IT when stylists try to get me to let them blow out my hair, because god forbid I should like it curly. But see, I'm no fool, I want to make sure that you gave me a good haircut for my type of hair, not for straight hair. Maybe I'm paranoid. Who knows? Funny thing is, in the minimal convo that we did have, I mentioned where I was from and where I used to get my hair cut, so she didn't DARE ask me to blow dry my own hair. Instead, she had me sit under one of those awful and outdated overhead hairdryers, and then not check on me for like 20 mins. WORST SERVICE IN A SALON. EVER. In the long run, it wasn't a very expensive cut, I think I was at the third tier, for something like $80, but the problem is that it wasn't an $80 haircut. Maybe $30? I'd expect more from such a hyped salon. Oh, and btw, I also got a mani-pedi, which I was late for because they scheduled my hair appt. for too short an amount of time. And while the technician was nice, she kept pestering me about being late and hurried through the service, which was just rude. It's not my fault they schedule their appts. too close together! Don't take it out on me! And the nail area is in their unfinished basement; they don't even have massage chairs, just an office chair on wheels and a bowl of water for your feet. Tacky and not what one would expect at such a "top tier" salon. WILL NEVER WASTE MY MONEY HERE AGAIN! read more

Beware! Hair ruined! I do not have time for reviews, but I have to warn other potential victims. I had an appointment for hair cut with the top tier stylist. Before this cut I had a full head of hear. Now - the ugly uneven not professional cut makes everyone wonder - "who did it to you?". That was the question I heard from many. Well, hair will grow out eventually, but it will take a very long time since all my hair got chopped off... read more

My visit shows the Chicago Magazine Best ofs are not always right. After declaring that I was "sick of" my chestnut red/brown hair and showing him a picture of a celebrity with chocolate brown hair with caramel highlights, Blue still believed that a balayage would be the right thing for me. Long story short: I now have lightly highlighted chestnut red/brown hair. The gloss Blue recommended did in fact not "counteract the red" as he declared it would. On top of that, he did not take the necessary precautions to protect my very delicate (I have rosacea) facial skin from the coloring solution so that my temples and the backsides of my ears were still burning two days after the service. After alerting his shampoo assistant, who never introduced herself to me, she had the audacity to suggest that I had "scratched myself" which would explain the skin irritation and redness. Blue never even said goodbye. I slipped out down to the first floor to pay my 150$ plus tip. Once my hair was dry (I decided not to use any of the filthy hair brushes that are offered to those clients who decide to blow dry their hair), I knew I would not return. I also knew that for the first time in my entire life I would need to not only give feedback on my experience but also to write a review on yelp. If my hair color service was a lipstick that I bought at an upscale department store, I would return it immediately. read more

I have not had my hair cut in 6 months... what a mess! Especially my bangs, which I had tried to trim myself. A friend recommended Ramona at Maxine's. A bit hesitant since I don't go downtown very often, I finally scheduled an appointment. Man, was I glad. Ramona was great. She took time to learn my hair habits and what I wanted in a style. She made a few suggestions, and she was 100% right! I love my new hair style, especially the long layers...which made my bob style cut really nice. Everyone was so nice. The salon was very chic. I especially appreciated the elevator since I am recovering from a leg injury. Mazine has a ramp plus an elevator. Grand total number of stairs I had to walk was 2. Beautiful hair cut, wonderful stylist, relaxing salon...what more can one ask for? I will definitely go back! read more

This review is strictly based on my experience with Cheryl. My initial impression was less than impressive considering that she was not the most friendly person I've ever met! She is actually the least friendly hairdresser that I have ever experienced! So after an awkward start, I was hopeful that she would "wow" me with her hair dressing skills at least! NOT. She left much to be desired yet again. When she "finished" my hair there was NO STYLE! If I told anyone that I had gotten my hair done professionally they would not believe me! I had to go home and style my hair myself! Which is never acceptable and most certainly unacceptable when you paid someone $90 to style your hair! I went with Cheryl as a shot in the dark and totally missed the mark! Save your money and time and go with a stylist who's work you've seen or who has been highly recommended by a personal referral. The salon atmosphere was nice tho! Street parking was also fairly easy. read more

Josie is the best! She's been cutting my hair for the past 5 years and has helped me grow it out to be as long as it is now. Her blowouts are fabulous -- I usually get my haircut when I have somewhere to go that same night. Space is beautiful, lots of windows and modern white decor. I heard the colorists are great, as well. I'll check them out once I start coloring my hair. read more