Brilli Salon, A Style Lounge

Terrible business.
After purchasing and using a Groupon at Brilli, I was encouraged to purchase an additional 2 spray tans for $ 50. As the warmer weather approaches, I looked up the number to schedule a spray tan and the number is out of service. The website says that the owner retired and that the salon next door is servicing remaining packages (which they are no longer doing apparently).
First of all, if you are going to retire, please don’t offer new packages. Second of all, please take the time to call customers with a remaining balance and offer them use or a refund.
I am so upset that I am out $ 50. Shame on this business owner for stealing my money.

I love this salon! No egos or attitudes. Everyone here just wants to do good work, make their customers happy and comfortable. I’ve been going to Brenda for the last 6 months and am always happy when I leave. She’s definitely a perfectionist when it comes to her customer’s hair. She works on it until she thinks, and you agree, that your hair is perfect.
Love, love, love.

Monica has been my colorist for years and I will follow her wherever she goes, no matter what. Those of you who color or highlight your hair know how hard it is to find the perfect person. My search ended with Monica. I’ve never had a single complaint — perfect color, no roots, all around awesome job. I was thrilled when she joined Brilli, where she’s a colorist AND stylist (yay!). I’m hesitant to write this because I don’t want her to be too busy for me, but I had to spread the love and give her the credit she definitely deserves.
Brilli is warm and friendly, a great place to go for a day of pampering. Everyone that works there is so nice. Great place, great people, great all around experience.

I cannot help but give this 5 stars. I came here last night for a long awaited haircut and color. I have been dying to try ombré coloring (the look that celebrities are sporting now where the bottom half of your hair looks like last summer’s lightened growout). So I asked if Monica would be available to do it in order to get the Unilocal 50% off deal. I used their online scheduling system which led to one minor problem. The guy who booked my appointment didn’t know what ombré coloring was (I specifically asked for this in the «comments» section) and so he only booked enough time for a haircut. Monica could see that I was quite upset and so she arranged to have someone take her last client and even stayed 40 minutes past closing time to make sure that my hair looked fabulous.
So Monica was very knowledgeable about the whole process. She asked me questions to find out what I would like for the coloring and then expertly guided me through the process. She ended up doing highlights and a demi-​permanent color for the rest of my hair so that there would be a visible difference in coloration between light and dark. Then she cut my hair and showed me an easy way to style it at home.
The whole experience was very positive once we got over the shock of possibly not having enough time for my entire appointment. It did take 2.5+ hours but I am SO happy with the result. It’s a pricey procedure so I’m glad there was the 50% discount. But since it already looks like my hair is growing out highlights from last summer, there’s not a huge pressure to maintain the color every few weeks. I loved the way she cut my hair. I felt fabulous walking out of the salon. Plus, they give you white wine to drink while you’re getting beautiful!!!
I’ll definitely be back for my next cut. Thank you, Brilli Salon, for not screwing up my hair! I’m so happy with my look, it was worth every penny. Definitely go here for ombré coloring. You won’t regret it.

BEWARE! Spray Tan
My first spray tan at Brilli was great.
My second appointment was a different story. I wasn’t informed until I was at my appointment that the person performing the tan was a MAN! Completely inappropriate. I should have been asked before the appointment if I was comfortable with that. NEVER in a million years would I have thought to ask nor have I ever heard of anyone experiencing something similar. I would never recommend this place to a friend due to that uncomfortable experience.

I just happened to come across a free haircut on craigslist offered by Monica. She was interested in gaining some short hair experience, but still gave me the cut even though I have shoulder length hair.
I can not say enough about how well I was treated for a free haircut! I was offered coffee, attention, and in the end locked in the hair color deal with Monica. She listened to me complain about the lack of curl in my hair and by the time I walked out I had beautiful wave in my hair. I received a ton of compliments that night.
Anyhow, I went back for my color appointment and chatted with Monica how I didn’t want bimbo blonde, just a nice natural blonde. The girl is gifted, loved the color!
I have to say everything about this place rocks, the parking is easy, service is outstanding, the stylists know what they are doing, and they use bumble and bumble. Oh and too boot, I got a free spray tan on my last visit by a girl in training. It was just what I needed to show off my new color! They owner is ridiculously kind and is super stylish herself.
In a big city like Chicago, Brilli definitely makes you feel at home.

The irony is that I found this place 6 weeks before I moved away from Chicago. I lived in the city for 2 years and had never found the stylist that I felt could be «the one».
Brief hair background: first, I have thick curly hair. I rarely straighten it or do much to style it on a day-​to-​day basis as it would mean waking up far earlier than I’m usually willing to. But I love playing with color. About a year before this visit I decided to try blonde for the first time since I was a kid. My first try left me with unflattering yellow hair that I dyed back brown just to cover it up after 2 weeks. When I got the guts to go for it again the highlights were so subtle half my friends couldn’t even tell I had done anything. So this was my final shot.
I was working at the Whole Foods down the corner and asking any customer who’s blonde hair I wanted to emulate where she got her hair done. I happened to ask Pamela one day, who laughed and told me she was a hair stylist herself and gave me her card. A few days later I stopped in on my way to work. Pamela was busy with a client so I sat and talked to Brenda for a few minutes about what I was looking for. Unfortunately, as I went to make the appointment Brenda was going to be on vacation the entire week I was looking to have it done and I was going on vacation the week after that (which is why I wanted it done at that time). So she passed me off to Pamela, with no trace of territorial bitterness that I’ve occasionally seen when stylists trade clients.
First– Pamela changed her schedule around voluntarily to come in early and do my hair. I didn’t even know about it until the receptionist (who was also super nice) told me on accident. Secondly, even though we had already discussed what I wanted she spent a few minutes playing with my hair and talking about how we were going to get it done. I was getting full highlights with 2 – 3 shades of blonde and a trim to clean up my ends. She was friendly, professional, and very down to earth. Instead of blowing me out she put me underneath a dryer on super low heat so I could see what it was going to look like drying fairly naturally.
And wow. I was blown away. I neeeever thought I would look good as a blonde, and she proved me wrong. My hair looked absolutely incredible. I took a million pictures on my vacation and even in the most humid sweaty moments my hair looked great (not it’s greatest… but still pretty damn good!) She managed to make it look both pretty and spunky… so I could tone down my look for job interviews or spice it up when going out. Perfection. Fits my lifestyle fantastically.
I can’t say enough good things about Pamela or how good she made my head look.
I just wish she’d move to L.A. so I wouldn’t have to go through that kind of search all over again.
Definitely check these ladies out. They’re sweet, attentive, and mad talented.

On my quest to find the right hair stylist in Chicago, I ended up at Brilli (thanks to a Groupon certificate). I walked in and was introduced to Sophia. I went through my regular spiel, a plea for help actually, about how I really wanted a different haircut. I swear I have probably been to 10 salons in Chicago and always seem to end up with the same style, despite my begging for something different. It’s maddening!
Well, Sophia was on it. She said, «I think I know just the cut, and I even have a picture!» What she showed me was so cute and THANK GOD, it was different from my current boring cut. She went right to work and I ended up with a cut that I still love! I think she was just as excited as I was that I liked it so much. And you know what, I haven’t stopped getting compliments ever since.
I intentionally waited a little while before writing this review so that I could make sure that my happiness didn’t fade. It didn’t. Thank you Sophia for listening to me and giving me a great cut!

Ok, so I was finally able to cash in my Groupon spray tans (granted, I had to book about a month in advance) — The first time I waited an HOUR after my appointment time to get in. I would normally give them a bad rating for this, but they graciously extended the expiration date of my tan series upon request. Good save. The spray tan itself was good. Smellier than most places but good overall. No streaking or anything. 3 tans for $ 60 with the Groupon though? You can’t beat it at that price.
Overally, I think Spacio’s spray tan is better product and doesn’t smell as bad. If you are paying regular prices, Brilli and Spacio are about the same. If Brilli ran another great special like the Groupon, however, I would likely use them again. Other than that, I will likely not go there again.

Brenda knows what she’s doing!
I went in looking for a great, simple haircut and walked out thrilled with a new do. Brenda understood exactly what I was thinking and communicated her suggestions very well.
I definitely will be returning for a trim and maybe some color before summer arrives!

I went to Brilli last night for a haircut and Kate was my stylist. I had a wonderful experience while I was there! My hair is curly and coarse and Kate tamed it beautifully. First, she cut my hair while it was dry and curly, then washed me, and then cut it wet. She then straightened it for me to ensure that it would still look good straight. She also suggested some great products for me to try on my own.
I will definitely be going back!
UPDATE: I received a call from Kate telling me that she moved to Salon 1800 for personal reasons. I’ll probably be following her and her fabulous haircuts to her new location.

After I moved to Chicago and lost my long time hairdresser in San Francisco I went to Brilli on a recommendation from a friend. Like a good car mechanic, a trusted hairdresser is hard to find.
The space is modern and clean, if not a bit chaotic — not too sure about the layout of the reception area, but it works. The owner’s dog is always hanging out and he is the mellowest, nicest dog and it brings a homey atmosphere while you wait for your stylist.
My stylist was Kattie and she has done an amazing job for me every time. My hair is quite curly and tough and she knew just how to handle it and gave me a cut that was well shaped, textured beautifully and one that I could grow into.
She also gave me a little color on my graying beard and matched and blended the color perfectly. Kattie was very attentive and really easy to talk to while my hair was being cut. Sometimes the stylist chit-​chat action can be a little awkward but with her it wasn’t at all.
The reception staff were exceptionally nice and professional — refilling my coffee and also easy to talk to while my beard color set.
I was in there just before Christmas and they have some cool jewelry and accessories for women which allowed me to pick up a few last minute pieces for my sister and mom for Christmas. The stuff was cool and really inexpensive.
Brilli is my new go to place to get my hair done and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a new stylist in a professional salon.

Yeah… I did the spray tan… I’ll admit it (and I don’t regret it)!
Really, before headed on vaca I figured to check out what I guess is the (not so) new and improved spray tan (i.e. air brush vs. machine). As I picked up the Groupon, I figured why not… right?
Well, there is seriously no doubt that it works, and you walk out with some major tan lines (or not, if you’re comfortable enough to «hang free» as it was referred to). I elected to maintain a bit of modesty and wore my banana hammock (j/​k).
Desiree did my application. She was very nice, and she did it fast and thoroughly, with the speed of someone that had clearly done it a lot. The whole intro, application, and then out the door was about 15 min. Quick indeed, and comfortable (but, cold).
The tan itself was certainly not my natural tan, but it looked it to anyone else generally. Then, it fades relatively quickly (4 – 6 days — with high friction areas first… ha). On day six, the tops of my feet /​ankle were still splotchy, with everything else faded.
I have two more applications, which I would use again prior to a trip to the sun, but otherwise, I will likely resign myself to the winter white.

Here’s my update now that my tan has lived out its life.
I had a healthy glow for about 6 days before I started to look like my pale self again. My face, arms and legs got Polish-​girl-​in-​winter-​colored again gradually. By the end of the week my chest had faded unevenly and was sort of blotchy, which wasn’t a problem since it’s December in Chicago, but if I were on vacation or it was August I would have looked a little silly.
In conclusion, I’m a fan of the Brilli spray tan experience. It could have turned out horribly but Brilli’s products seem high quality and Kali did an excellent job of making me comfortable and spraying me evenly. I’ll make the trek back there twice more to use up the rest of my Groupon without any hesitation.

Sigh. I was so excited when I made my appointment here, because the reviews are so positive. The actual experience, though, was… not great.
I have long hair with lots of layers (it’s thick), dark blond with some highlights. I went in for a trim/​reshape and color, and I asked to «brighten up the color» and go a little blonder. My stylist (I unfortunately can’t remember her name) seemed nice, but apparently had other ideas. She ended up darkening my hair to a pretty drab, very dark blond (maybe even into light brown territory) and cut off most of my layers. So basically, I left with incredibly dull, boring hair. She also spent most of the time having a personal conversation with one of the assistants and ignoring me, which isn’t a huge problem (I don’t need to be entertained or anything) but it made me feel a little awkward, almost like I was intruding on her conversation.
I can’t speak for any of the other stylists – and maybe I wasn’t clear on what I was looking for – but I can say that I was really disappointed, and won’t be going back.
Disclaimer: This was about a year ago. Hopefully things have improved!

emergency make-​up app — brilli to the rescue…
family photos over thanksgiving weekend. i gave up on the fact that the bloating after all the eating couldn’t be helped but after hosting thanksgiving and endless running around, i didn’t want to fret about my make-​up that morning. i researched salons/​spas in the ‘hood that would do a sunday morning make-​up app. brilli was the ONLY one to step up. thank you! a «special» appt was booked after some easy correspondence over email.
angelica did a FAB job and really listened to my needs/​wants and took into consideration my personality, etc. when choosing make-​up colors and styles.

Call me a smart girl but when this girl needed a little «color» to make her holiday dress shine– she dug around and found a Groupon she had bought months ago for a South Sea spray tan at Brilli.
Now back in the day– I probably would have gone to my local tanning salon and a few sessions later I would have a «perfect tan». But fast forward to today and we all know the horrors of tanning so an alternative method of bronzing was in short order.
Brilli takes appointments on line (super simple) and even sends you a reminder email. Even easier was parking on Ashland on the day I was there. I was pleasantly greeted, filled out the needed paperwork and introduced to Kate, the woman who was going to get «up close and personal» with me during the next 20 minutes.
While I won’t go into all the details– modesty needs to be left at the door as this air brush tanning gets all your «parts» except for those covered with the disposable thong. And be prepared– that first jolt of spray is COLD! (thus the heaters in the spraying room)
Within 20 minutes you are bronzed and smelling faintly of cucumber melon– far better than some of the old spray tans that I’ve had. And that slightly chemical smell that develops after about 6 hours goes away when you wash the bronzer off (the tan stays– just the bronzer that shows the sprayer where she’s been)
While the on line instructions say loose clothes, no bra, etc after tanning I, of course, had somewhere to be that required me to be dressed appropriately afterwards. I mentioned my concern to Kate and she said that the bronzer was dry and regular clothing would not be a problem (she was right)
The best news? The regular price of a spray tan is $ 55. But the Groupon was 3 for $ 55 so I’ve got a couple of more «tans’ on credit.
As I was leaving– they did encourage me to purchase some tan mist and lotion to extend the life of my tan beyond the normal 5 days. I tried it and have to say that it works. The bouncer at a club the other night asked me where I had gone on vacation and I just smiled and kept on walking. A girl has to keep a few secrets to herself!

Finally, I complete the use of a Groupon!
$ 55 for 3 spray tans? Don’t mind if I do…(regular price is $ 55 for one spray tan, so this is a good deal).
Spray tanning = the solution to the pale conundrum. No more looking sickly in that sleeveless dress or pasty in that party frock. Spray yourself!
Brilli is GREAT for online scheduling. Just hop on their web site, go to online scheduler, pick your time, and they’ll email to confirm. Anytime I don’t have to call, leave voicemails, call again, etc… I am happy! Never had a problem getting an appointment…(spray tans take approx 25 minutes from start to finish).
So, here’s the drill, fellow palesies:
1. EXFOLIATE prior, shower, scrub.
2. DO NOT wear makeup, lotions, hair stuff, etc.
3. Enter room, put on shower cap and fake thong.
4. Drop your modesty, this is up close and personal… for real.
5. In enters spray tan ninja.
6. Back– front, arms up, hold ‘em up! Stay still.
7. Dry.
8. Try NOT to have to wear a bra or anything tight fitting.
9. Let bronzer develop, don’t freak if you look like an oompa loompa at first.
10. Shower, wash off bronzer… VOILA, you’re hot.
Staff was friendly and sweet, tans are fairly consistent and the VERY light color I usually get looks pretty natural and lasts about 5 – 6 days. I went darker on Halloween and happen to look more like a Bermuda Baby, but that was my choice… and I don’t regret it.
NOW, if we could just work out a way to get spray freckles… I’d be set to jet. Hmmmmm.
Street parking relatively easy, Paulina Brown stop within walking distance. Ashland or Belmont bus!
Just say no to fake baking, girls.

I was so happy with my visit to Brilli! This was my first time there.
I wanted to go back to my natural color, so I was going from a really light brown to a fairly dark brown.
I had an all over color done by Kali and she was so nice to chat with. She took the time to match the right color. She’s a sweetheart!
They made sure I was comfortable with drinks, magazines, etc.
And she even trimmed my bangs for free! I know that’s fairly normal, but I didn’t get my cut from Brilli. So I was glad she wasn’t against touching it.
I’ll definitely be back!

I gambled on Fringe last year. Chick majorly messed up my hair. I came back in to complain. Sanjoy fixed it to the best of his ability — it was far too short, so he salvaged what he could. Despite the length, it laid nicely.
I called to make an appointment with him last month at Fringe. He was gone.
I followed Sanjoy to Brilli.
Haircut was phenomal. He knows what he’s doing. There are not many stylists you can trust, but Sanjoy is one that you can.
I have thick, wavy hair and he knows how to cut it.