BloOuts Blow Dry Bar

Double french braid, too loose, too bulky, felt apart right away… My teenage daughter does a much better job… $ 30 down the drain…

Found this place on Unilocal and had a great experience! Was able to get an appointment same day. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. I have very fine hair that doesn’t hold a curl but Sam did an amazing job! My hair now has volume and bounce and my blowout looks great! The prices were great too. Thanks Sam!

I guess I’m pretty much of a regular here now! First of all, I love the general vibe of the salon: the stunning white floors, walls & styling stations, and the cool, shapy mirrors; the great fun music — sometimes retro stuff and always upbeat. It’s a neat, comfortable space with lots of sunlight, which I will really appreciate when I need a Vit. D boost on winter afternoons. Making appointments is simple, and the usual blow-​out w/​shampoo is $ 35. However, get the $ 280 10-​pack. Worth it. Before the salon opened up last spring (?) in the sleepy Hubbard Woods section of Winnetka, I kept peeking in the windows as Vivian, the owner, and the contractors were busily building out the salon. I had visited the Highland Park location and been somewhat satisfied with the services, but I’ve been thrilled with the stylings I’ve received at the Winnetka location.
I also love how the stylists treat customers. As soon as you walk in, somebody always says «Hi!» in a chipper way, gets your info, and then offers to get you a coffee, tea or water. (I really like that, even if I don’t actually take anything.) Everyone from the owner, Vivian, who has a star-​studded resume, down to the hair washers are all very warm and solicitous. I have never had a negative experience there, and have probably experienced 17 blow-​outs since they opened up this past spring.
Probably the only suggestions I might offer would be the following: 1) they should keep that sparkling white floor absolutely clean & hair-​free. Sometimes there are big-​old fuzzy dust bunnies tucked into the corners under the styling stations and floating around the floor. I know it’s tough to keep cleaning the floors between each client, but the shiny white tile makes the tumbleweed very visible. 2) They should counsel all employees to PUT AWAY their cellphones and not be texting or checking their phones — even while styling I’ve noticed. 3) The stylists really need to «listen» to the clients when they are explaining what they are looking for in a style. It might take an extra minute, but it’s worth it for the stylists to look the customer in the eye when they’re talking, listen and then make sure they understand what it is the customer wants. I’m pretty assertive, so I almost always get the style I’m looking for. However, even I’ve had two experiences where stylists were staring dreamily out the window while asking me what I wanted. As we got going, I realized I needed to restate my wishes, after seeing them parting my hair on the opposite side and using the wrong tools for the style I requested. Not too bad, considering I’ve been there 17 times.
That being said, I have walked out of Blo-​outs with amazing looking hair every time I’ve been in there. And the stylings hold for days. Even if I go for long bike rides, with my hair tightly helmeted, my hair STILL LOOKS pretty darn good, so I’m loathe to wash it and let it look «normal.» ;-) Love this place. They just have to maintain their terrific styling standards and friendly atmosphere, keep up with the cleaning, be more discreet with the cellphones, and listen to the clients.

I’m a huge fan of BloOuts Blow Dry Bar in Winnetka. I truly love it there. I go twice a week (sometimes 3 times a week). Since discovering this truly awesome salon, I rarely do my own hair. Why would I? My very fine hair always looks outstanding after leaving BloOuts. I get a lot of compliments. The bottom line for me is when my hair looks great, I feel great. Vivian and all the stylist in Winnetka do outstanding work. Vivian and her staff are the best stylist in the burbs or the city. I often go to Vivian for my blow-​dry, but I’m very happy with any of the stylist at BloOuts.
Vivian also cuts my hair. Over the last 18 months, she has transformed my hairstyle in to a very cute bob. I wear it straight, wavy or curly, and it’s always ultra stylish. Sometimes I can’t even believe it’s my hair. I’m very particular about my haircuts. Before meeting Vivian I always went to top salons in the city for haircuts and blow dries, but after discovering Vivian she’s the only person I would let cut my hair. Without a doubt, a hair cut by Vivian is the best hair cut in the Chicago area.
My twenty-​year-​old daughters also love Vivian’s haircuts. BloOuts Blow Dry Bar in Winnetka is always their first stop when they come home from college.
I really appreciate the BloOut Blow Dry Bar in Winnetka. The salon is beautiful. Vivian is always on time (something I really appreciate). The hair wash is the best I’ve ever had. It’s an ultra relaxing 5-​minute head massage. The blow-​dry is always exactly how I like it, and I’m always 100 percent happy.
I highly recommend giving BloOuts Blow Dry in Winnetka a try. I promise you will be totally satisfied and hooked on the entire BloOuts Blow Dry Bar experience in Winnetka.

I recently went to BloOuts for a last minute appointment and I was delighted when they were able to squeeze me in especially when they are always so busy. I had an event that night and wanted something simple but sleek and polished. When I walked into the salon, the staff was so welcoming and instantly took me to the back to get shampooed and was also offered water, coffee, or tea. It has been awhile since I’ve been offered a beverage at a salon, it was very refreshing. The lady that did my hair was so personable and friendly. I was done in exactly a half hour even though I have very thick and frizzy hair. She was able to tame it and do exactly what I wanted without me constantly having to tell her how because nobody can handle my hair. All in all I will definitely be recommending BloOuts to all of my friends and family. Vivian has done exceptionally well ! Can’t wait to see what other locations she will be opening up!

I have got to say I was very impressed with bloouts! I originally am from New York and moved to Skokie and have been trying to find a good salon to go to. Everywhere I went in Skokie I wasn’t always 100% satisfied. After one of my friends who was constantly telling me to check it out I decided to try it last Saturday. I had a wedding I needed to attend and wanted a nice bloout with curls at the end. From the moment I got to the salon, the receptionist was very nice I arrived a little early and she offered me something to drink while I wait. I then was directed to the shampoo area and it was a really nice RELAXING shampoo! After the shampoo, the girl directed me to my hairstylist and let me know that if I needed anything to just let her know. My stylist was very nice and gave nothing but honest opinions! At the end of my visit, I fell in love with my hair and got so many compliments that night. It was very nice to see a blodry bar in the suburbs I use to go to one in Manhattan that was good service but bloouts really has taken a gold title! The staff really cares about the client and gives nothing but honest opinions and is very accommodating. I will definitely return back to bloouts for another occasion in the near future.

Let me just start by saying that I am not one to ever brag about a place, but this time I just had to i was so happy with the whole experience from booking my appt to the end result this coming from a very difficult to please kind of customer or so I been told specially when it comes to my hair.
I called to make my appt Rafa was really nice, once I got to the place I was amazed for how nice the place was and was greeted by Rafa I told him was there for my appt and he mentioned Angel (whom they had booked me with) was just finishing up a client to please take a seat, I didn’t mind it as I was early for my appt anyway in the meantime I was waiting, Rafa asked if I wanted a coffee or something to drink, while I was waiting Vivian the owner of the place came to me introduced herself and asked if I was being taken care of I told her I was just waiting because I had come earlier than my booked appt she was so nice and actually engaged in a conversation asking if I’d ever been there before, if I had any idea about what I was looking to get etc something in most places I don’t see from the staff, time went by and Rafa told me I could be taken care of he took me to get my hair washed while sitting here he made sure I was comfortable asking if the water temperature was too hot or too cold, asked if I wanted a double wash and conditioner etc once I was done with that he took me to be seated.
Once at the chair Angel introduced himself and proceed to ask how I was doing? Trying to really interact with me while drying my hair he asked if the blow dryer temperature was ok or if it was too hot, he then started to work on what I had requested he did it differently than I had seen it before he dried my hair and then proceed to leave in the brushes in my hair then working on each section, he took his time and made sure I was happy with what he was doing not once did I see him rush to get me out of the chair which I have previously experienced else where. The finished result was unbelievable I couldn’t be happier with it got so many compliments at the party and it last me for about 5 days. I will definitely be coming back and spread the word with my friends, is not everyday you get that kind of customer service.

I went to BloOuts Dry Bar to have my hair braided; I will NOT be returning. I usually braid my own hair, but for events I like to go to a salon because with a blow out and the teasing my roots they can get my braid to look much thicker and chunkier. The stylist I was previously going to left the area, so I thought I would try BloOuts Dry Bar since they were new, the owner has a good reputation, and it looked like a nice atmosphere.
Scheduling online was easy and I got a confirmation call and email. When I arrived I was taken back to have my hair washed which was fine. The first stylist I was paired with didn’t think she was a skilled enough braider to do the style I wanted (which was a regular French braid, diagonally across the front to the middle of my head and then an upside down French braid up the back to meet the first braid). I appreciated her honesty and was moved to another stylist. Immediately upon sitting down, I felt attacked. The stylist kept telling me what I wanted could not be down (ummm, I do this to myself all the time). She wanted to braid it wet and I had to ask a couple times to dry it first because it wouldn’t have the volume I was looking for it is was braided wet (I booked a wash, DRY, and braid). Looking back I should have washed and dried my own hair before coming in. Besides ripping through my hair with the round brush, she just dried my hair. There was no volume. It was time for the braid and when we finally came to an understanding of what I wanted, she started to braid really tight and comb the braid instead of giving it a piece-​y/​chunky look. When she asked want I thought when she was half-​way through the first and I said it wasn’t what I was looking for she got upset and angry at me. She started again and didn’t say anything when I didn’t like it because I didn’t want a scene and figured I would fix it later. She completed the bottom the braid and was going to pin the braids in a bun (both were all ready banded). I asked her not to put them in a bun because it would be hard to sleep on and I just wanted it in a ponytail. When I went to put my larger hair band in the bottom braid fell apart. Of course (according to her) this was all my fault and I didn’t know what I was doing and she was the stylist and I should just listen. She also did not fail to mention a couple of times that I lost her clients by taking up so much of her time. By this time I felt like the whole salon was aware of what was going on and I am not someone who likes a scene. I felt humiliated. She took both braids out and said she was going to do it her way. At this point, I just wanted to leave, but did not know how to make a graceful exit so stayed. She did two basic braids (straight back down the front, and straight up the back on the bottom). I reason I do a diagonal braid in the front is because I have a strong cowlick in the front (with a widow’s peak) so the braid straight down the middle doesn’t look good and feels uncomfortable because it pulls my hair. And again, instead of braiding smoothing to start, she would just comb in the mistakes and create that ugly ridge along the braid. Again I had to fight for a ponytail instead of a bun at the end. I couldn’t get out of the chair fast enough. I wanted to say something there, but I was shaken up and just wanted to leave, so I paid and tipped (not because anyone deserved it but because it is the societal norm). I had the braid out within an hour and redone. I was really disappointed in the service and the salon. I will not be able to recommend them to my friends in the area. I am also mad that I spent $ 50 + tip on a demeaning experience.

As blow dry bars are becoming more and more popular in the north shore, I decided I would take part in the trend and go get a blow out. Hearing about this new blow out bar from so many people made it seem promising. I was surprised and glad to hear that they have recently expanded to Winnetka, so I decided to try it out. I have seen a few magazine articles about it and how the owner, Vivian Arpino, is a former stylist for the Oprah show. I called and requested her. I went in on a busy Saturday afternoon at 3:00. I walked into the salon and I was taken back at the beautiful all-​white décor. It was fresh and spotless. The vibe is urban, lively, and welcoming. There is also upbeat music playing constantly. When I walked in I was immediately welcomed by the receptionist, who told me I would be washed in 5 – 10 minutes and I had no problem waiting. In about 10 minutes, a shampoo boy came and introduced himself, and also introduced me to my hair stylist, Vivian. The shampoo was great, done by Sam. In the past, I have been completely drenched while getting shampooed; this was a good experience. I then sat in Vivian’s chair and was so pleased with how nice she was. I was a bit skeptical that a blow out would take only a half hour. Vivian was done in 30 minutes and made my hair look absolutely gorgeous! I asked for straight hair with a little bounce and movement and that is exactly what I got. Vivian was great and fun to chat with. I liked how they offer coffee, tea, or water during your blow out too. Overall, this experience was great and I would recommend BloOuts to everyone. Only $ 35 for the blow out (wash included), it was quick, and my hair looked beautiful! I was also interested to learn they have a membership program which is $ 280 for 10 blow dries. Will keep that in mind for the future as I will definitely be returning to BloOuts!

BURNED MY HEAD AND FRIED MY HAIR: This blow out fried my hair. They stylist used a super hot setting on the dryer and even after shouting in pain for her to turn down the heat because it was burning my scalp, she kept it up. I should have left mid-​blow dry because it ruined my hair. Stay AWAY!

This was the worst salon experience that I have ever had. If you don’t wish to read the long version– here is the short one– if you value your time and hair avoid this place at all costs. This is a classic example of you get what you pay for and in this case a cheap fast blow out got me horrible 80’s hair and a bad attitude.
My usual salon is downtown. Now that I live in Kenilworth its a pain to drive down there 1−2x a week just for blow outs so I have been looking for a place nearby that I can go to when I don’t feel like trekking to the city. I was skeptical of the whole 30 min. blow dry for $ 35 thing as my usual place takes 45 min-​1 hour and costs me nearly $ 100 each time. My hair looks great and stays great but I was looking for a new spot so I figured why not check it out.
I am very picky about how my hair looks and I have a fair amount of frizz. It takes a certain level of skill to do a great blow out on my hair so I purposely made an appt. with the owner, Vivian.
When I walked in there were no other clients in there on what should have been a busy time and I was not greeted by anyone. The owner was there texting on her phone and never bothered to even look up much less smile/​say hello. One stylist was there sitting and texting and also never looked up. So much for 1^st impressions.
The front desk girl tells me oh «so and so» will be doing your hair today. She never mentions to me oh I’m sorry i know you requested Vivian but we had to switch you to this other person.
At the type of salons I’m used to, when a client requests a stylist and something happens where they need to switch them they call the client ahead of time to let them know. I understand that things happen but its common practice to let the client know. I assume that there is a good reason for moving me even if no one says anything. Keep in mind that Vivian is just sitting and texting and never says a word to me but I want to give her the benefit of the doubt.
The girl shampoos my hair and the shampoo smelled like melted plastic. Do they keep the products by something hot and plastic was leeching into the product? Gross.
I get to the girl who is doing the blow dry and I knew i was in for a treat when she tells me to toss my soaking wet hair over my head so she can start blowing it dry that way. In all of the years that I have been getting my hair done I have never once been told to do that. Not to mention that is the WORST way to blow dry frizzy hair. All it does it make it frizzier!
Meanwhile the owner spends most of the time texting on her cell phone or staring at the computer. Never cracking a smile or saying hello or anything to the only paying client in this entire place.
The girl doing my hair also reeks of cigarettes so that was great– my hair stinks from the shampoo and now cigarette hands. I’m also watching as my hair is flying everywhere all over the floor.
See, this is the «trick» to getting hair «styled» in 30 min. Go as fast as you can with super hot air. So, its no wonder when she was done my hair was gigantic, frizzy, and I was covered in hair that had basically been ripped out of my head. With this «technique» you will leave with burned and broken hair.
Once I was completely done and I got up to pay I looked over and discovered the reason that the owner didn’t end up doing my hair. She was getting HER OWN HAIR DONE! Rather than treating a new (and what would have been a valuable since i get blow-​outs often) client well she chose to do her own hair. Wow…
Not surprisingly no one says thank you, goodbye, nothing once I paid/​left. Within 2 hours my hair was an even bigger disaster and I ended up having to go to another salon to get it re-​done.
I’m still in shock about my experience even after a few weeks. It doesn’t take a lot to be kind and pleasant to customers. Would it kill them to smile or say hello? Or how about hey i know you requested me to do your hair but unfortunately I can’t so this other person will take care of you. Or thank you for coming? Is that really so hard to do? This is the NORM at other salons but apparently not at BloOuts.
Granted, that would not have helped the complete lack of skill the stylist had who did my hair but I would have been willing to come and try another stylist. But after seeing the way the owner treats new clients I would never step foot in this place and after sharing my story with friends I learned I’m not the only person to have this issue here.
This place might be fine if you have really «easy» hair that someone in beauty school could handle and don’t mind wasting part of your day with people who are incredibly rude. But if that is not your cup of tea and you dont want to leave a salon looking ridiculous and feeling irritated– go spend a little more money elsewhere, save yourself the headache, and stay away from BloOuts.

I just moved to the suburbs from downtown last month and the first thing I thought about was «where am I going to get a blow out?» I checked on google and found out about this place! The owner has an impressive background and I made sure to check her out! Vivian did a great job, better then my girl at Blowtique, and the rest of the staff is very friendly. I have since been going regularly and highly recommend this place for my fellow blow dry fanatics!

I love the vibe in this place, it’s bright, airy and clean. I live in River North, which is flooded with blow out bars, but booked one here as I had an event on the North Shore. I loved my blow out, so much so that I’ve made the trek up north ever since discovering this gem. I have thick, wavy Mediterranean hair which intimidates some stylists but not here. I can honestly say that it was one of the best blow outs that I’ve ever had. You can’t beat the price, it’s worth the drive to me if I get the results that I did. I’ve had blow outs from Blowtique in River North that were horrendous, I could have done a better job in my sleep. Other salons in Chicago that offer comparable quality for a blow out (Maxine, Gold Coast) are double the price of BloOuts and still not as polished looking as the results I’ve had here.
I recently also had a Keratin treatment there, something I was reluctant to get again after a bad experience at another salon a few years back. I went ahead and tried it at BloOuts Winnetka and am so glad I did. The treatment that they used was gentle and more importantly, the results were the best I’ve had with this treatment. Everyone here is polished, professional and polite, all attributes that matter to be when I go to a salon.
I really wish that they’d open a location in River North or the West Loop. Here’s hoping!

I have been to the Highland Park location before and was so thrilled when I heard about the Hubbard Woods location opening near me! The first few times I came in I was with Janet and Kathy, both did a great job and most recently I came in with Vivian the owner. I am happy to say BloOuts Winnetka has measured up to the fabulous HP location! I am now a member and will be coming here regularly!

So, visiting from Los Angeles and had no idea where to get my hair blown out. Called a friend who lives in the area and she sent me here. Luckily I got a spot with fairly short notice. I was impressed as soon as I walked in. The place was aesthetically pleasing and very clean and I left with a beautiful blow out. Will defiantly come back when I’m in town.

A no-​fuss, well-​executed Blow Outs salon.
I recently had a botched hair cut (at Mixed Co. in River North), that no salon has managed to disguise with a fabulous blow out… until, I sat in Vivian’s chair. Wow! She masked every imperfection from the cut than I even deemed possible. I usually have to assist a stylist with the look I believe suits me, along with the tools to use (brush-​type, product-​type, etc.), but with Vivian, I sat in her chair comfortably, as she told me what would work best for me, my cut, and my hair texture. She finished with a sleek blowout that fell nothing short of fabulous. Never would have thought I’d actually like my hair post-​botched cut, but I unabashedly loved her work, and her personable demeanor!
As I waited for a girlfriend to finish her blowout, I couldn’t help but notice how great the other stylists’ work appeared. I’d feel comfortable in any of their chairs.
The layout of the salon is narrow, sleek, and well-​organized (similar to that of her Highland Park location, with slightly more space). The space is very clean, and enlivening, possibly from all the natural sunlight the windows permit.
The staff is incredibly cordial: hospitable; welcoming; and energetic. Bobby, at Highland Park location, makes a salon visit worthy in and of himself!
She uses/​offers a line here from Amsterdam: one of which I’ve never come across, and whose finishing touch was on point!
I really wished she snagged Rachel Zoe’s location in Lincoln Park; She would’ve attracted much greater business/​service than DreamDry’s amateurish standards. Here’s to hoping Vivian branches out, again, to the city!

I try not to play favorites since I think anyone who owns a small business rocks, but if I had to choose a favorite from the millions of small biz owners I know Vivian ranks high.
I’ve been going to Vivian’s highland park location, BloOuts* for 2 years now. I’m there so often that she must have known I needed another location just a few minutes closer because there’s now a BloOuts in Winnetka. Hooray! I celebrated by being Vivian’s very first appointment in her gorgeous new space.
Other BloOut fans will feel like they’ve been transferred back into the HP location because it looks very similar, although it’s more spacious, which will be nice during their soon to be very busy days.
Vivian can do wonders with my crazy curls and her blowouts literally last an entire week (with a little help from oribe dry shampoo). Everytime I leave her salon I get compliments on my hair & it’s all because of her! She’s also an absolute joy to chat with and makes the 30 minutes in her chair go by so fast. Even my 4 year old daughter begs me to come along because she’s a huge Vivan fan as well.
You can find all the pricing on their website, but it’s basically $ 35/​blowout. Or if you’re a blowout addict like myself I recommend a buying the $ 280 membership for 10 blowouts ($ 28/​blowout if you do the math).
Vivian books up quickly and will be splitting her time between the 2 salons, but the good news is that she’s very picky about who she hires. If she’s not available I recommend Janet or Angel at the Winnetka location. And Bobby at the front desk can make even a hair appointment fun.
I’ve already hinted at a 3^rd location near my River North based office, but in case Vivian didn’t get it… hint hint.
*