I love how my partial highlight and cut turned out! But... with the pricing of $210 for partial and cut for long hair, which is very similar to the fancier hair salon I was using before I am not sure I would choose this experience again. Getting your hair done is a pretty intimate experience, and I think everyone has different preferences. I worked with the owner Vivita who I chatted with throughout my almost 4 hour visit. She seems very nice, and I always have respect for people who build their own business. I had made an appointment for 4pm. I got there 10 minutes early and she was finishing up a client, cool cool, so I was directed to one of the work stations. But then there was another person waiting. Around 4pm she had him sit down as well, asked me to choose my highlight color out of the book and went to do his hair. It was quite frusterating to have her working on somone else at my appointment time. If there had been some communication around what was going, like "this will only take 10 minutes, I am sorry I am a little behind" , I totally woulnd have understood but unfortunatley there wasn't and I honeslty felt like just leaving at that point. I have been getting my hair highlighted for 20 years, and often at training schools and I can say this was one of the oddest experiences I had. First, there wasn't really a consultation on the color, she just expected me to pick out of the book. Which was off putting and confusing to me. The highlights took quite some time to complete, and things didn't seem to really be prepped, like I would expect you could have the foils ready before I get there, you know I am coming. Since the highlights took so long to do she took the foils out of the crest of my hair while she was still working on other parts, this made me so nervous, I have never had anyone not take the foils out in the wash bowl. She also cut my hair after drying, which was just very different that I am used to. I was very plesantly surprised with how the highlights turned out color wise and she offered to do some on the bottom for when my hair is up, which was thoughtful. But, some of the highliths on the sides by my ear are a little far from the roots and have a very stark line which is not ideal. She did seem to take a lot of time and care with my cut which was appreciated. Now that I have been through the experience, I would maybe go back since it is so close to me, and because I know more what to expect, but for the price point, I may still keep looking for my perfect fit. I do think for mens haircuts the experienc is different, the two male clients I saw in there seemd to have a great experience. She accepts Cash, Venmo and Cashapp, no cc's. read more

Booked an appointment and was the only one in the salon, which was great. Vivita took great care in discussing what style I was looking for and for the first time in a long time I got the exact cut I asked for. Other salons never want to cut my hair the way I ask because they are concerned I won't like it since I don't have super thick hair like all the models that I find who have the style I like. She also cut my hair along my natural side part instead of down the center, like so many other stylists have done in the past. I am super happy with the results. Highly recommended! read more

Wave Of Lake - No product or styling, just my natural wave with a good cut. - Hair Salons Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I just had my hair dyed by Vivita. Now I haven't had my hair dyed by a new salon in 5 years however, I was pressed for time, read the healthy reviews and took a chance. As she began to apply the Chestnut Brown color on my hair, I noticed she didn't add a thin layer of petroleum jelly to protect my skin from staining. She applied a hefty amount on my skin- I asked her to please wipe it as I would hate for the color to stain my skin. She stated, and I quote "it will not stain your skin, the color is too light". 30 minutes later- my skin is stained! She essentially lied to me. When I pointed it out to her, she laughed in my face because she realized I was upset. I imagine this must be her type of defense mechanism when she screws up. I demanded she give a discount and she strongly opposed at first pouting over and over that she didn't lie. finally she decided to agree to my requested $25 discount for staining my skin & lying to me. She wished me good luck and hoped that she never saw me again. I kindly said it's unfair for you to say that to me. Mind you- This woman is the business owner and behaved unprofessionally as well as like a child with no manners. read more

Wave Of Lake - Hair Salons Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great place to get your hair cut or hair styled. Vivita is skilled and has great experience. It's great to see small businesses like hers still open after the pandemic. I recommend it to everyone. She also has a great Mascot named Donna. read more

Wave Of Lake - Hair Salons Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good spot and easy to book! Reasonable prices! The owner is nice but short staffed so there may be some times where you may need to book ahead of time vs same day. read more

I've been going to Wave of Lake for 8 yrs. I have always trusted Vavita's professionalism and excellent skill for my haircut. Vavita's wonderful personality and attention to detail is outstanding. Her pricing is very affordable, especially when compared to high end salons, for this quality of service. I am very particular about who will cut my hair, and Vavita's Wave of Lake is by far the only place I trust to do the job right. Thank you Vavita for years of great hair care. read more

Thanks to pregnancy my hair grew pretty long. I wanted to keep the length but get a trim to make it look more polished. My former stylist moved to the suburbs so I wanted to find someone/ someplace local that didn't charge ridiculous prices. My search led me to Wave of Lake. Less than half a mile away from my house, only one $, and had overall good reviews. I was even able to make an appointment online! So I booked an appointment with Christina for the following morning. I was expecting to pay maybe $30 at most for the trim but Christina said she needed to shampoo, condition, and blowdry my hair, too so the total was going to be $45. I agreed to the price and off to the sink I went. I swear that hair and scalp massage is the best part of getting my hair done! :) After the cleaning she blow dried my hair and then started trimming. She even styled it after using a straight iron and brush. A little over an hour later I was left with silky smooth and well trimmed hair. I love the look and the professionalism while getting it done. I will definitely be back for maybe some highlights?! read more

Wave Of Lake - BEFORE my trim. Edges were uneven. - Hair Salons Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Today is my daughter's high school graduation and her regular hairdresser is not open early enough to give my daughter a blowout before graduation. Vivita was rude from the minute we walked in. My daughter said she manhandled her the entire time (I had to go home to get payment). When I returned, she commented on, what she described as, my daughter's horrible haircut (she had it cut last week prior to prom). Who tells a young woman, on one of the most important days in her young life, that she has a bad haircut? Just no. She charged us $60 for a wash and blow dry. She indicated she did not have time for anything else. $60 is RIDICULOUS for this service, especially when the stylist was not friendly at all. My takeaway: She bills you for what she thinks you will pay! I will NEVER go here again or recommend this salon to anyone else. read more

WARNING! All of their photos on Yelp were STOLEN from the internet! Because of their photos and rave reviews, I went to Wave of Lake for a quick, simple trim. Nothing could go wrong, right? Nope, my hair turned out awful. Hideous. I am not the one to leave negative reviews but they deserve one. I had a medium textured bob. I wanted to keep the style but shorten the length a little bit. After the first appointment, I had blunt ends. I was very clear that I wanted my ends texturized and thinned. She tried her best but I wasn't happy with the result. I messaged the owner/manager for a fix. I told her specifically that I've always had the same hair style and I wanted to keep it. There was some miscommunication because the back of my hair ended up choppy, sloppy and shorter. Worst of all, she insisted several times that I wanted a *different* haircut and that my hair would look better after a wash/blow dry... ... except my hair was already washed and styled. My hair wouldn't look any different. Asides from the bad haircuts, the manager and the hairstylist have no bedside manners. There was no greeting, no smiles, no small talk or anything. They just cut away in silence. Many people don't mind that but it makes for an uninviting and sober environment. Honest to goodness, I just wanted a trim! Nothing special, nothing complicated. Wave of Lake doesn't know how to do such a simple style. I am very disappointed by my experience and the manager's lack of professionalism and integrity. After all, she uploaded photos from the internet to their social media pages. Fake fake fake. Avoid at all costs. Go somewhere else. Don't bother. Note: I don't dislike the hairstylists. They're just trying to do their job. The owner on the other hand... read more

Christina was very patient and gentle with detangling my hair and then shampoo and blowing it out ($20 service unless you have long hair, it is $30). The deep conditioning treatment will leave your hair very silky and smooth. She is good at threading too! read more

Had my first color and cut today, absolutely love it. The Owner Vivita definitely knows what she is doing. Her staff is very nice and diverse which I love, place is super clean which I absolutely love and prices are great which of course I love. If you live in the area check this place out! read more

I've gotten my hair cut here on multiple occasions, and also got it dyed a few times, and was always satisfied with the results. Their prices are very reasonable. Would recommend. read more

Overdue review. I had a great experience. I made a very last minute appointment with the owner Vivita the night before and she accommodated me without any problems. Without any doubt I'll be back. read more

Came in here to get my eyebrows threaded. These other reviews might be fake or maybe the owner is having an off day idk. She messed up my eyebrows a lot. I should never have gotten lazy and gone to some place close by instead of my original hair salon. I will also add that the owner is very rude. She couldn't handle me telling her that the shape is too straight and I want a curve. She stormed off and told me to get out.. lol. I was too tired to say anything or else I would've let her hear it. Never going back again and don't recommend to anyone. There's so many other places in Chicago. read more

This place was a great find! Vivita (sp) gave me an A-line bob cut that turned out great! She wasn't very talkative with me like another person commented that she is with him, but I don't really care for a convo with my haircut, so no harm done there. I would definitely return to have her maintain the cut. read more

Made a last minute appointment. Asked for full head of highlights. The owner made time for me and was super friendly and I had a great experience. I have high standards and I'm super picky. Despite my super last minute appointment she took her time with me and was: accommodating, patient, and pleasant. I enjoyed my experience. (and I hate getting my hair cut let alone colored). I am looking forward to returning. I love my hair. I am including before and after pics. I know that my look is intense and maybe even a little extreme but it is/was exactly what I asked for. I was really scared about how drastic my look is, but I have gotten soooo many compliments it's ridiculous. I highly recommend. read more

See all

Queen Bey was coming to Chicago, and the heavens poured down in gratitude. This meant, I needed a cute hairstyle that could withstand a torrential downpour. I called Wave of Lake the day to see if they were available to do a crown braid, and they fit me in the very next day. Cristina checked out a photo/video I found and quickly got to work. After 20 minutes or so, I had an awesome crown braid that even Bey would be proud of. And I totally rocked it the next day. Will definitely come back to see Cristina. And she threads eyebrows too! read more

Wave Of Lake - Crown braid by Cristina - Hair Salons Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Cristina is straight killin' the game! I visited this location twice so far with pictures of two different hairstyles and both times she completely nailed it. She has great attention to detail and made sure I was totally happy with my haircut. I wouldn't recommend coming in with a time constraint because it did take a little longer than I anticipated, but that is because she takes the time to perfect what she is doing. I will be returning for any future haircuts. :) read more

Wow.... Christina was absolutely wonderful and couldn't expect a more perfect haircut and eyebrow job!!!!! My original hairstylist that I have been going to for 8 years, retired. I am very picky about who cuts my hair and I went off a recommendation from someone in my building. I took a gamble and won. She asked me how I wanted it, I told her and she nailed it!!! I will be coming back as a permanent customer. Thanks again Christina!! read more

Great hair salon! The employees are great and are very good at remembering faces and haircuts. I go there routinely and they always know what I want. The location is convenient--right off the train--and the staff is so kind and skillful at their craft. They make it no pressure if you're not very sure, too. read more

This is my personal experience... The first time I went to this salon, Vivita asked me to choose hair style from couple of magazines.After that, she refused to pick the hair style I wanted, saying - the style looks good on BLOND girls or those who have straight hairs etc etc. Finally she picked a hair style of her choice and did the hair cut. I paid 20$ + 3$ tip to get the hair style of barbers choice (huh???) The next time I called them to book an appointment and check on prices. She said 20$ for haircut only (that does not include blow dry), I agreed. This time there was another lady who insisted on hair wash first(even though my hairs were washed @ home). then the same thing of showing magazines for hair style and then refusing to cut the way I wanted. She cut my hairs the way she wanted and then demanded me 25$. When I told her that, on phone they said 20$, she says that it was without hair wash. With hair wash its 25$ and the prices have been changed recently. I showed her the white board outside the salon that still has 20$ on it and she said they are going to change that soon. The credit card machine in store was also broken. She swapped my card 10/15 times and then finally I ended up paying 25$ + 2$ tip. read more

I have been coming to this place for three years and consistently receive a great haircut by Cristina, who is meticulous in trimming my beard and giving me a great cut. She and the owner are down to earth, friendly and always welcoming. The price can't be beat ($20 for a great cut AND beard trim), and the location is conveniently located 30 feet from the Thorndale red line stop. HIGHLY recommended. read more

Last Saturday afternoon I was able to walk in around 1pm and got seated at a chair right away. Charles did a great job. I did a double take when he told me the price was $10 for a haircut and a shampoo. I felt like I was robbing the place. I'll be back here for my next haircut for sure. read more

I went into the salon last night hoping I could get my eyebrows cleaned up. well I sure got them cleaned up, so cleaned up that I ended up with only 30% of my eyebrows. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go in for your eyebrows, especially for a wax. The young Caucasian lady told me that eyebrows are SUPPOSED to be a certain way (???) excuse me! I didn't ask you to do them this way! and she said that they way she did it was to make my face look less round! ((????) excuse me! I like my round face! I swear if I was a b***h, I wouldn't have paid, I would've asked for the owner, and I would've told her to give me free unlimited treatment to get my eyebrows to grow back. Stick to your own eyebrow people, don't try this place as a new one. read more

Very good place, nice hair stylists! I did my haircut with Mexican woman Kristina, if I'm not wrong, and she was very careful, I haven't even felt like somebody was touching my hair she was very gentle with it. And she did make sure before cut if that's long is good, which I did like a lot because in many place they overcut! So I was really happy with my haircut, the price was really good too. I brought my step daughter here to paint her ends in blue color as well. This people know what they r doing! They keep place clean, and use professional products! read more

This place is a great. Everyone is very friendly and the prices are cheaper than even the inexpensive chains. Vivita, the owners, is wonderful -- friendly and gives an outstanding haircut. She is meticulous! My wife has her highlights done with the owner and loves the result. Highly recommended. read more

Vivita is an excellent barber. Her prices are great and she is very talkative and friendly and is very meticulous with her work. I was so sad that I had to move out of town. read more

Christina is great! Quick and easy haircut, no unnecessary frills and just what I needed. Showed her a picture of mid-length layers and she did a wonderful job giving me exactly what I wanted. I dread the maintenance of getting my hair cut, but the affordable prices, quick appointments and ease will make me do this more often! read more

I went in for a fairly large change. I had a giant curly mop and I wanted it shortened a lot, but not too short. I am terrible at describing what I want, so I took in a couple pictures. They gave me exactly what I wanted. This is the best my hair has looked in a long time. And the price was so reasonable. read more

Always a consistent and quality experience here. I always walk in and appreciate their flexibility getting me seen quickly. I will say my haircuts are fairly straightforward but I have witnessed more complicated styles and they pull it off with finesse. And for a guys cut its $15 which is crazy inexpensive. Small businesses in this neighborhood are so rewarding to give patronage to in a world of mega chains. Thanks. read more

I only visited once, but I got a fantastic stylist. They really take their time and pay attention to details. Loved my cut and will be back!

The stylists truly listen to you and do everything they can to make sure you're happy with your style. They work fast but with careful precision and have some of the friendliest staff I've ever met. The prices are agreeable ($20 a cut) and the service is superb. You really couldn't ask for more. read more

Awesome place. Really friendly staff - I started going here because I lived a block away. Now that I live on the Southside I make the trek north because Christina cuts my hair exactly the way I like it. Highly recommend. read more

Great haircut. I've been going to downtown salons for years- last night on the way home I decided I wanted a cut - was able to get an appointment for later that evening. I'm very pleased with the cut and was extremely pleased with the reasonable price and service. read more

Came here for a blow out. I was a walk in and they took me right away. It definitely wasn't the best blow out I've ever had, but it was pretty good and it was relatively inexpensive. I will be back when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to flat iron my own hair :) read more

She does such a great job shampooing and cutting hair. It's cheap! I left her a good tip because she did the shampoo twice!

DO NOT GET YOUR EYEBROWS DONE HERE! Seriously PLEASE!! Save your time and money!!!! I went to get my eyebrows done, called in before, scheduled an appointment. At no point on the phone did she say she charges a $10 minimum on a debit card. I went in 5 minutes before my appointment and still had to wait. As soon as she started doing my eyebrows I knew she was inexperienced. But I stupidly decided to stay. As soon as she "finished" I almost cried. There were patches in my eyebrows and she completely reshaped them. I told her to cut a little more down on one side and she got frustrated and cut on both sides! Making the other one way worse. I was so upset, and when I got up to pay she told me there was a $10 charge minimum on the card, I told her she never told me about that. She apologized and swiped my card, it's $10 so I don't care but HOW UNPROFESSIONAL! I attempted to walk out but not before she asked me to write down my phone number for "a list". I was so upset I just wrote down a number and left. As soon as I got home i filled in my eyebrows with makeup. I'll be putting eyebrow makeup on everyday for a while now thanks to her. DO NOT COME HERE FOR EYEBROWS. read more

Very good, simple and cheap salon. Good local place for a haircut.

I love Christina, she does the best threading. Everyone is always very nice and welcoming.

This place is as average as it could get. Nothing special so the price fits the work. I am surprised they don't use water to soak hair before cutting. Not sure their reasoning behind it. I did not notice any license or certificate for hair stylist. Not sure if she had any training beside being self thought. I could be wrong but it shows in her work. If I need quick average haircut I would definitely go back. read more