I've wanted to write a review for a while now, but kept forgetting after I left the salon. (I think that's a good sign that I wasn't thinking about my hair more than I should be) If you are a blonde, or think you should be, Tara is honestly the best colorist I've ever had. I've lived in Chicago, Barcelona, I went to college in Indiana, but I swear by Tara in Madison, WI. My hair is naturally dark blonde to light brown. In the summer, I go nearly platinum with a bit of my natural color to add depth and make it look more natural. In the winter, I go medium blonde, again with more low lights. Recently, in an effort to save money as I expected my first baby, I tried other less expensive people, and even at-home products, and ultimately, I gave up because nothing compared to Tara's work. I OK-ed the expense with my husband because I'm not a big shopper, and I don't go out too often, but I said, my hair is the one splurge that I award myself, and I refuse to give it up. He was more than happy to oblige. When I finally went back to Tara, it was like a huge nasty wig had been surgically removed from my head. The smile returned to my face, and I admired my hair for like a week straight as I walked by windows on the street. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because it truly is a bit pricey, anywhere between $100 and $200 depending on how many colors, whether it's a partial or full highlight, whether I include a cut and then of course, tip, but to me, it's worth it. read more

Not bad as full service salons/spas go. I only use their waxing services and they make it relatively painless. You can get an amazing amount waxed in just 15 minutes. PROS: really easy to get an appointment time, they take walk-ins (for waxing at least), offer pretty much every salon/spa service you can think of, and easy parking. CONS: no hard wax -- they supposedly offer it, but whenever I ask for it specifically my aesthetician always convinces me otherwise, they push product like crazy, and it's a little pricey. Overall, fast, convenient, and nice facilities. Just wish they would use hard wax upon request. read more

I've gone to ANiU before and had great service every time, but today left me stunned. Grew my hair out on a whim. Never thought I would be told by a stylist that because I grew my hair out she wasn't comfortable/qualified to cut my hair. It's a two because I appreciate that she was honest with me. If she doesn't feel qualified to return me to the short hair cut I've had for the last 10+ years, please put the scissors down, and walk away from the head. Had even had my hair trimmed by the same stylist and had brought up that I was only growing it out on a whim and that I wasn't to eventually go back to short hair. Just stunned and so disappointed. I was so ready and excited to part with my ponytail. read more

I have been going to aniu for quite a few years and always trust the advice, knowledge and experience that my stylist ( Lily) gives me. It's always been a great experience and totally worth every penny to not have to worry about what I will look like when I leave. As I do tend to try different things with my hair. She always helps me look fun but professional. Lily is fabulous! read more

Had my second facial with Barb today. She does an amazing job. I am 60 and went for the age management facial and it was probably one of the best facials I've ever had. She takes the time to give great arm, hand head and neck massge. She didn't scrimp at all on the massage which to me is the best part and the products she used are fresh and delightful. I'll be back! read more

I have always had trouble finding a stylist that I could stick with because whenever I go into salons the stylist would get a little too scissor-happy seeing my long hair and for some reason could never understand what I wanted. SO I heard about ANiU and scheduled my first appointment with Winona (Level 1 at the time). The moment I walked in I was warmly greeted and immediately felt at ease. I was offered something to drink and had my coat taken. The salon itself is so beautiful and I love that they have huge windows that let in a ton of natural lighting. When I met with Winona, she was so nice and listened to exactly what I was asking for. She cut my hair perfectly, styled it wonderfully and even talked me into buying a few products that I now consider to be some of my "holy-grail" hair care items. A-M-A-Z-ing! I now exclusively go to Winona to cut my hair and will continue to do so, even if she goes up to level 10. The only thing that somewhat annoyed me was that when Winona moved up to being a Level 2 stylist, which also meant that her rate went up as well, no one informed me of this until after I had my hair cut and was paying. But nonetheless, I will continue to go back to ANiU for my monthly haircuts because it really is worth the price and I think the occasional luxurious pampering is what every women needs, and this is the place to go! read more

This was my first time at this salon/spa. I received a mani and pedi. It has been very difficult for me to find a good salon where the nail techs can do real nails and not just fake nails. Upon entering the salon it is very clean and staff is friendly. I was offered a complimentary beverage, which I enjoyed. The wait was not long at all for my nail tech to come out and get me. Zoe was my nail tech for both my hands and toes. I came with another person and I was very pleased that Zoe moved stations to accommodate my friend and I so we could be together. She did an excellent French tip even with me wanting my nails cut very short. The one thing I was no pleased about was I noticed a buffed one of my nails and she did not offer to fix it - I felt uncomfortable asking. The mani was no doubt great though, I enjoyed the hot towels and massage. My pedicure was excellent. I wish they would've had more comfortable chairs though. They more like benches, and I'm used to having individual chairs with massaging backs. She did a very good job with the pedi all around! They used one time files that they tossed away at the end, which helps keep things more sanitary. Overall I really enjoyed my experience here. Prices were pretty decent for the services I received. Would recommend to others, and will be returning. read more

I recently purchased a Groupon for a cut and color at AniU. I have been going to the same stylist for a few years and thought I could use a change of pace so it was a win-win with the Groupon. I really enjoyed the stylist Adam. He did great with my cut and color. That's the positive. The negative is this is a salon that's trying too hard to be an upscale salon and it's not working. The "color room" is a room with row's of chairs and stylists doing colors. It's cold and un-personal. After the color you are lead to rows of sinks for the washing station. Again, cold and un-personal. Finally, the cut and style are done in, you guessed it, rows of chairs. If it was a more intimate setting, I would love this place but the cattle line I didn't like. I don't think I will be back. read more

I was looking forward to this cut as the salon and stylist were both highly recommended by a co-worker. I don't like to style my hair, just wash it every few days and let it air dry. My hair is really thick and has a lot of wave to it and with a good cut my hands off approach works. I went in with quite long hair and was open to getting a lot chopped off because it grows fast. I told Margret that I was really open and wanted something easy but somewhat edgy. She was really sweet and a good conversationalist (I wonder if she was too focused on chatting though), but the cut she gave me did nothing for my hair or my face. Even though I said multiple times that I was okay losing a lot of the length, she only cut layers into the bottom few inches of my hair. I left the salon with areas of hair that still had split ends in them. Then she put a ton of product in my hair and dried it with a diffuser. The diffuser made my hair curly and poufy. Because it was so poufy, I could not see the haircut. It was just a frizz ball. I did not say anything because I wanted to leave and I was hopeful that after I washed it I would have a good haircut underneath. (I did not - it was flat from the top of my head to my chin, then flipped out at the ends with Ricki Lake style layers.) Very disappointing considering the price and the fact that I get my hair cut every 5 months or so. Total bummer! read more

Had a haircut with Barb (Level 2) and it was awful. I've traditionally had great experiences here and the service is always wonderful, but I have thick, straight hair and it looked like a child had hacked at it with a razor blade. I had to get it re-cut immediately. This is my second re-cut in 8 months, so I'd beware of new stylists. Ask a friend for a recommendation as there are some truly great stylists, but steer clear of Barb. read more

Wanted Balayage hairstyle, instagramed It and found Harlow. She was truly wonderful and listened to everything that I was saying. My hair not only is incredibly soft but exactly what I wanted. Oh and when you get your hair washed you get a foot rest, you don't think it matters but believe me it's nice. I would recommend Harlow to anyone. read more

This is a great place. I had a facial with Teagan who was amazing! It was my first time there and I'm glad to have found her. My face has been glowing and I got a ton of compliments! My husband also had a massage done by Shawn and she was fantastic. This will be our new go to spa in Madison! read more

*Note that this review is for manicure/ pedicure services only. I've had two manicures here, about three years apart, and both were pretty lousy. I don't remember many details about the previous service as it was the weekend of my brother's wedding, so mostly a blur. I do remember that the manicure didn't last long and I already had chips by the end of the weekend. This manicure was, unfortunately, the same. I got it at 2pm on Saturday. By mid-morning on Sunday, one of my nails and chipped and most the polish was starting to wear, exposing the tips of my nails. My nails are VERY short right now as many have broken, so it's not even like I have long nails that are getting in the way. I'm not super rough on my hands, but I did wash them a lot on Sunday. By mid-morning on Monday, at the time of writing this review, 5 of my nails are chipped and not just at the tips. In addition to the chipping polish, my cuticles are still really ragged and messy. The pedicure was great - relaxing and thorough. I liked the massage chair, the leg "mask" and scrub. I would definitely go back for another pedicure, but I won't get another manicure here. It's definitely not worth the money. read more

I live on the other side of the country; yet every time I'm home, I make an effort to have Courtney cut my hair. No one compares.

I normally love this place as you can actually get a nice cut & style from their lowest tier stylist for a reasonable price (I swore it use to be $35, but my last one in July '14 cost me $45). However, watch out for their up-sells for "treatments" - umm hello, $25 for a couple of spritz of something in wet hair that did NOTHING? I was assuming a mask or oil infusion treatment. Nope, just made my layers frizz as soon as I washed my hair again :/ read more

This salon is in a great location, right off Hwy 12/Beltline in Middleton. Great facility, very large and many stations of all kinds. Maria gave me my facial. Excellent personality and very professional. Cannot wait to feel so relaxed again! Thank you and keep up the great services! read more

I love my hairstylist Jordyn. She is top notch, great personality, always gives great recommendations and is just a good person all in all. I trust her with my hair and that's huge because it takes me FOREVER to find someone I love and trust my hair with. The only thing is it's a bit pricey but she is very much worth every dollar! read more

A little pricey, but I love the color. The hairstylists are great and knowledgeable. Pretty place.

I had a massage there and it was okay, nothing special. I see that a lot of people complained of no music and a poor atmosphere and I didn't experience that. It was pricey though. One awful thing that I did experience is the therapist using very strong pressure on my jaw. I went in telling her that I had jaw pain and a lot of tension in that area. She worked on it and it left me feeling sore that night. I didn't think much much of it. The next day, I had to alternate heat and ice on my jaw because of how much pain I was in. The following day, two days after the massage, I woke up with bruising over the area. It was extremely painful. So much so that my doctor had me using prescription gel on it to get the swelling to go down. The therapist was very nice and did provide me relief in my neck and calves - the place would have gotten a higher rating but I have never experienced such a terrible pain from a massage before. read more

The salon is very large and well-maintained. I've been there several times and it's always been clean (as clean as a salon can be anyway!) Every staff member I've interacted with has been very pleasant and helpful. You are offered a complimentary beverage while you wait, which is a nice perk. That being said, it isn't perfect. When I got an eyebrow wax, I asked if the stylist could wipe my skin off with some alcohol or toner after. I have sensitive skin which tends to break out from waxing. She said that wasn't necessary, something about the wax being gentle and wouldn't clog my pores. Starting the next day, I started to break out in that area. I have had my hair cut twice by a mid-level (four, I think) stylist and she was very nice and efficient. She didn't push product or extras on me, and when I left my hair looked great. However, after styling it myself I would discover areas that were heavy and not layered correctly, or did not lay the way they should have, and my bangs were not straight and very blunt and heavy. (I wear them straight on my forehead, but like them layered and not extremely heavy.) All in all, it's an okay place, and I know I am very picky about my hair, but I probably won't be returning. read more

Extremely overpriced - I had my hair cut and colored - which took 3 hours on a Thursday night. The color was 1 inch away from my scalp in several areas. When I got home I called and talked with the manager - who then had the stylist come to the phone. She was extremely defensive - I didn't need to justify myself - I needed it fixed. I returned the next day and spent 4 hours getting it to look normal. Having 2 color treatments in 2 days did a lot of damage to my hair - which was a disaster as it was a few months before my wedding! No one I've ever talked to about ANiU has had a positive experience - I have no idea why they are rated in the "Best of Madison" listing - it must be because they keep recommending themselves. read more

I have been going to Zoey for my hair for a little over a year now and I LOVE her! She has done an awesome job! I never know what I want to do with my hair, but I always want something new and fun...go figure. Zoey has always been patient with me and has helped me to pick out new styles, colors, etc. to compliment my every-changing style. Thanks Zoey! read more

Waaayyyy over priced, and they do not listen very well to what you want. Went in for a root touch up, and was charged $115. The next day, when I complained, they acknowledged that they knew they over charged me (blow dry and style x 2) and didn't do anything until I said something. I used to go here, left years ago disgusted. Why I came back, I'll never know! read more

I have nothing but praise for the work of Taylor and Zach at Aniu for the hair and makeup styling they did for my wedding. They completely got what I was looking for and I felt pampered, beautiful and confident as a result. My wedding photos turned out beautifully and I am so happy I went with Aniu for my special day!! read more

I have seen Elizabeth for over two years and have always been very happy with the cut and color. Compared to other places in the Madison-Middleton area (and I have been to many over the years) Aniu is the best. Friendly staff and bright pretty place. Of course it helps that I always get compliments on my hair. read more

Tried this salon for a color and highlight. Dropped $170 and still had roots and greys. Called and expressed my frustration, so they rescheduled me with someone else. This time I left with yellow hair. Both experiences were ridiculous. read more

This salon has everything and everyone that works there is super friendly. That said, I will not be back for any hair services. I recently had color applied to the roots. Just the roots. No highlights. No all over color. No haircut! Just dye on the roots and they changed me over $140! When I questioned the price, the said they "forgot" to take the haircut off. They did that but it was still over $110 just for dye on the roots. When I asked to see a price list of their services, I got a very vague answer that it "all depended" on what I was having done and some other vague answer. The only price she would quote was the haircut. Bottom line, they charge you whatever they want to charge you. Another very good salon in Madison, has prices posted and no tipping. At least I know what I'm getting there. Buyer beware...... read more

I have been allowing Riley to cut and highlight my hair for the past year. She does an amazing job and is very professional. She listens to your needs and then always delivers! I highly recommend Riley at ANiU! read more

I love the atmosphere here! I have come here for highlights and a massage so far and will definitely keep coming back. To be honest, I took a while to finally end up here after being in the Madison area pretty much my whole life. I always thought it would be very expensive here because it is just so nice! To my surprise it is very reasonably priced in comparison to other salons/spas in the area. I found Morgan's Instagram page and came in to basically have her "fix" my cut & color and she did an amazing job. I'm coming back again this week to go even lighter! I also came in with my sister in law for a massage before her wedding and we both saw Rachel and wow we felt like a million bucks after! She was amazing and definitely helped us relax. Even the next day we both were saying how great our backs felt! This salon & spa is very modern, clean, and really makes you feel pampered when you are there. Really my only 'complaint' is it is somewhat difficult to make hair appointments, especially for after general work hours or weekends. But I've still managed to get appointments in for the times I want without needing to take off of work! Overall, 5 star service all around! read more

Hands down best place to get a facial or a haircut. I've never felt more relaxed in either scenario. The only slightly negative experience I've had here is when they were going through construction -- but hey, it's hard to create a serene environment when the walls are coming down around you. They do push product, but I've found that I love the product they push. Worth every penny! read more

Rebecca is my stylist and I must say... She's the best! I held out stubbornly to get a hair trim or my routine summer bob cut after moving from L.A. And away from my stylist of 10+ years. She did an excellent job at considering what I wanted and the addition to her skills and attention to detail created the perfect experience and cut for me. Service at the salon is excellent and wouldn't ask for me. read more

This salon is absolutely excellent. I go to Lexi, who's one of their more junior stylists, which makes it totally affordable. She is completely professional and is amazingly good at interpreting my vague and inexperienced descriptions and translating them into beautiful hair. I have super long dirty blonde hair and she has turned it from drab to Taylor Swift cute! She's also great at teaching me how to do different styles on my own, which has elevated my look completely! read more

Before yesterday, my eight month history at Aniu was with Renee. Four weeks ago I saw Renee who had just returned from her honeymoon - she hardly looked nor said two words to me. I asked about her honeymoon and she came back with "it was okay I guess". Instead of a hug good-bye, a face with no emotion and a stiff handshake was shoved into me. It was obvious she did not want me as a client any more. Read below and there are other reasons. The ANIU "phone lady" understood and immediately said "you will love Tonya". (This phone lady helped me before and is so alert and cheerful). I did not want to try another salon. My wonderful experience with Tonya was because she is cheerful, personable, lighthearted, listened, and talked with you not TO you. Unlike my experiences with Renee we talked about my desire to have more low lights and trimmed my hair in a modern bob. Renee kept me as a bright white blond and never listened to me when I wanted a bob. Looking in the mirror was a depression every month with Renee. ANIU needs to shake the tree of those with 10 years if they no longer care. Who wants a mannequin as a stylist? read more

Just had my first visit for a $65 pedicure . . . so not worth it. The lower leg and foot massage were something that my husband could do (and he's not good). The area was not clean either. Ugh. I won't be back. read more

I heard so many great things about this salon, so I was expecting nothing but the best when I arrived. That soon all came to a screeching halt, the customer service I received at this place was awful. I walk in and say I have a massage the girl then says "okay you are checked in." Then she comes back two minutes later and asked who my appointment was with...my mother made this appointment for me so I had no clue, so the girl walks away and I am thinking she is looking into this for me. So I get up to go to the counter and she is helping another customer, with another girl at the desk. So I show the other girl my reservation card with the date and time, that obviously doesn't mean anything to them because they persisted to tell me "somebody called in and cancelled my appointment" so I ask when was it cancelled?, who cancelled it?, how was it cancelled? They couldn't answer any of my questions. They never took the blame or apologized for THEIR mistake! All they had to say was maybe it was two people with your name in our system... that is highly unlikely! So when the masseuse came out she asked if I was a "walk-in" so again I have to go through this with her, "no I made my appointment over two weeks ago" so I didn't feel welcome nor enjoy my massage. For future customers make them repeat your appointment AND tell you who your appointment was with, even though my mom asked if she should know who is doing my massage they told her it didn't matter....obviously IT DOES! This place is beyond overrated! I will never be back nor recommend this place! read more

This place is pricey and is not an every time choice for me. For my engagement photos I went here for a couple things: I got my hair cut and styled, my nails done, eyebrows waxed and makeup applied. Overall I was happy with everything. My only complaint is that they used more hairspray then necessary and I wanted my eyemakeup to be very natural looking and I didn't exactly like the amount of eyeliner that was applied. I am very easy going smiled and left and fixed it quick when I got home with a q-tip before going to my photo session... Not exactly what I wanted to do after my man spent $50 just on makeup but oh well. I am considering using them for my whole wedding party. I guess I'll have to make my needs even clearer. The couples massage they offer sounds to die for as well. read more

I was excited to try this salon as it has been rated the best in Madison and I received recommendations from two trusted friends. I read reviews, indicating they had a friendly staff, ,quality service, reasonable prices and a great facility. What more could you want in a salon. The staff was friendly and I like the Balayage color concept, but It didn't turn out quite as I was hoping. I understand it takes some time to get a new clients hair perfect so I will give them another chance. I will caution you, that I went in expecting to pay $145 and was charged $220 without being informed. As I color my hair often it was damaged, the stylist recommended a conditioning treatment, which she informed me was an extra $25, I agreed, expecting the service to be $170. When I got out, it was, $220, apparently she used a glaze that was an additional $15 and offered a blow dry (not even a style) that was an extra $35. I was in workout clothes and going to the gym, I would have never paid $35 for a blow dry. And I would never pay $35 for a blow dry that wasn't a style. Bottom line, I wasn't informed about an additional $50 in charges and felt somewhat taken advantage of. I did inform the manager of my mis-understanding. In addition, I found the operations and to be dysfunctional, run down and down right dirty. I made a 7:45am appointment, I got a confirmation that my appointment was at 7:30, I rushed to get there only to find out that they system malfunctioned and I had to wait 15 minutes for my appointment to begin. When I walked in, there was blank wall that looked like a water feature, with no water, and scaly calcium deposits on the wall. The white walls were terribly dirty. The website mentioned a relaxation area, I saw one area with dirt stained sofa backs and some magazines. I was left in my chair to process. When I sat in the cut/color chair, there was no place to put my purse/bag except the floor, which had hair on it. And finally, there were construction workers on ladders changing lightbulbs. Again, not a big issue if it was a mom and pop small business that charged reasonable rates but to pay $220 for a hair color, I would like to walk into a beautiful clean facility and walk out with great looking hair. Not just dry hair with and ok color. They did deliver on the friendly staff piece, all the people I interacted with were kind and friendly. I will try them again, in hopes that I just got them on a bad day and hope that they will paint their walls and clean the floors. read more

I had high hopes when I made an appointment for a cut/color to rid the winter blahs! I went in and loved the atmosphere. Got a cut and color paid over $175 (including tip). I had 3 people ask me why my hair was completely two different colors. That night the dye was all over my pillows and on the towels after I washed my hair. I called AniU and they promptly got me in for a color correction. When I arrived the stylist read the "notes" from my 1st visit..I was charged for an extra highlight which I didn't recieved and paid for. I never said anything. She also said she didn't think my color was rinsed properly. She "fixed" my hair and it looked great... for a week.. and faded horribly, leaving me with very damaged hair and what looks like very dark roots and uneven color all over. My hair is breaking off and looks terrible. I'm not sure if it was the brand of color or what. This has never happened to me before and I have colored my hair many times previously. Use caution! My hair looks like a bottle job and I have just over $200 into it! Also, ask what you are getting! And make sure they RINSE out your hair! read more

Have natural curly hair that was just below my ears and wanted a cut that would be easy to do while growing out and needed my roots done. I am visiting from SC and Aniu is the salon my niece uses when home from the Netherlands. She booked my appointment and consultation with Zach. After discussing my hair and needs I elected to go with a warmer color. Zach said the glaze he put on was not even, which was obvious, and after 3 hours (!) he was finished. Did not want to make a fuss so paid the $140 plus niece said I needed to leave a $20 tip. My hair cut is very uneven with both sides obvious and the back was cut high and where the neck was shaved it is uneven. Am washing daily hoping to get the purple out, don't know why he did that or what caused it, and am going tomorrow to another salon to see if they can fix the cut before I go back to SC and start growing it out all over again and hope no one comments on the color, especially new man friend, am 69 and the curly purple hair makes me look like an escapee from Shady Pines. No more Aniu for me when visiting!!! read more

When I was younger I had a traumatizing experience when a stylist gave me a bull cut. Since then I've always kept my hair long and had gotten it cut only by my aunt. My aunt moved and is now only cutting mens hair. Therefore she isn't up to date with all the latest and being that my hair is thick and long I needed someone who could help me cope with it. So on the search for a salon I wanted the best of the best being I had not gone to a salon for 10 years. I was still traumatized from my experience but I needed to do something different. I heard about ANiU from my oldest sister who went their and said she enjoyed her experience. So I made a cut and color appointment with Billy. She was very nice, cool, and not too talkative like most stylist. I showed her pictures and shared my story. She gave me the best head massage when washing my hair and I was thrilled with my cut and color. It was exactly what I wanted! Not too short and not too blonde. I've been their twice and probably will continue going and too me its worth the price! :) read more