Hi there, This past Christmas Mom gave my sisters and I a gc at West End Academy. In the last 2 months, I made use of mine 2x. I booked a waxing appt in Jan and what I thought would be a hydra facial in Feb, but turned out to be far better:) But first let me address the waxing appt. The waxing went quite well. Been trying to grow my brows in and was keen to emphasize I didn't want to lose the little that I currently had. Both the instructor and student listened patiently and reassured me they would take that into account and this they did do. They were also very careful, taking pains to wax n then shape the brows so that when hair did grow or when I did do them at home it would be a much easier task to groom them. My only issue was the temporary rash that broke out on my face. But that I attribute to not having waxed in 3 years [due to the lockdowns] and not being used to it like I once was. They recommended a remedy, and as promised the bumps disappeared:) Regardless, I was quite pleased with the service and found the instructor and her student very knowledgeable, enjoyable and attentive. Then last Friday I went for my facial. Like I said, initially I booked for a hydra facial. I had one 4 yrs ago and really loved it! But when I called to ask about it, I found out they no longer had the machine for the hydra facial, and that [unfortunately] their current price list hadn't been updated yet to reflect that. Instead, there was a new facial known as Oxygeneo now available. I asked about the Oxygeneo and discovered it was 50$ more than the hydra facial, but also encompassed more treatments and was said to be of greater value then the other. My gc had been for 160$. I had already used part of it and the remainder was supposed to be for the hydra facial. But now the facial available was MORE than what I had left on my gc and I was disappointed. I brought my concern to management and they agreed to accommodate not only myself, but my sisters as well...(!) for their marketing error. They were quick to acknowledge their mistake and to assure my family and I would not be penalized for it. I was really happy and relieved to hear that since I was not relishing arguing my way into getting what I was entitled to...[which happens frequently these days and is exhausting] or informing my family they would need to. The Oxygeneo facial itself was wonderrrful...like every aspect of it. For starters, it has many parts to it, and each part is normally a costly treatment in and of itself. They start off with some of kind of liquid micro-dermabrasion, then move on to an RF treatment, then ultrasound, and finally a relaxing facial massage with an eye towards lymphatic drainage. Luckily, I had the SAME seasoned instructor and student working in tandem on my skin for the facial as I did for the waxing, which made for a delightful little reunion :). Communication between the 2 and myself was lovely and constant so I knew what was happening every step of the way and they constantly checked in to make sure I was comfortable with everything. By the time they were through, my skin looked amazing...! :) Soft as a baby's bottom and glowing like a school girl's and I ...AM ...NOT...lol That said, I advise all women looking for a comprehensive anti-aging facial to consider the Oxygeneo and to book with West End Academy for it ASAP. Why? You would be foolish not to. It only costs 150$ there and is worth farrr more outside of it. Just micro-dermabrasion alone will run you anywhere from 160-180$, so the fact that you get not one but 4 TREATMENTS in 1 (!) should have you calling the Vatican, because it's nothing short of miraculous much like Samar's incredibly talented and caring hands and Jamie's gentle enthusiasm and focused client care. Beauty is empowering and there's nothing quite like finding just the right treatment of people to help you both look and feel good. Self-care is the secret to a happy and healthy life and West End Academy can get you on track to getting closer to both. Merciiiiiox/Shoukranox, Malika read more

Great way to #save #money getting your #hair cut at a hairstyling school. Only $11.30 for a mens cut and so far I have been very satisfied with the service. Sometimes it takes a little longer for them to finish the job or the instructor has to make some little corrections but other than that no problems. I think the students actually take more time and devote more attention to you than at a regular place. I have been back four times so far and I think that's a saving of $30 over regular barbers in total. If you like you can tip but it's not required. Located in Lincoln Fields Mall. read more

I'm a big fan of getting my hair done by passionate new stylists on the cheap, but my experiences are hit and miss. The lead guy here seems a bit creepy, and the students aren't taught much professionalism, so there's lots of chatting and gossip. Maybe that's a salon environment, but sometimes it's uncomfortable. Most of the time I walk out happy, and sometimes I wish I hadn't gone. read more