I have been going to Maxine's Salon for more than ten years. Amy is AMAZING, and I will never leave her. Yes, the haircuts are expensive, but she is totally worth it. I tried going to another, less expensive salon once, and hated it. I will never stray from Amy again. I highly recommend her for Japanese straightening or a hair cut. She is also so sweet with a really great sense of style.

Posted on 07/04/2011 by Ivy L.

I have truly been blessed by the hair gods. Not in the sense that I was born with beautiful hair, but that I've been very lucky to sit in the chairs of some of Chicago's most talented, in-demand stylists and colorists. Maxine's Amy and Tina are as good as it gets IMO. About 10 years ago when I first moved to Chicago I randomly walked in a salon on Rush. Fortunately for me, the salon was Maxine, and the cut was fantastic. I would have been back, but soon thereafter I started working at Harpo Studios and using Oprah's employee spa, as well as taking recommendations from producers for stylists around town. Those ladies know their stuff--I ended up in the hands of some of the city's best hairdressers. For awhile I was going to Michael Jacobson at Michael & Michael, who is extraordinarily talented, and Shane Talbott for color, who is fantastic as well. I may have been with them forever if I hadn't decided to call up Amy to find out more about thermal straightening. I still remember our first phone conversation because she answered my questions about thermal straightening and the keratin/Brazilian treatment so frankly and honestly. It was like she had absolutely no vested interest in my patronage and just enjoyed answering all my questions as a public service or something. I think she even recommended I see someone in Florida instead (where I was vacationing at the time.) Possibly the best sales technique ever, because in an industry where you can encounter so much b.s., I knew I had to meet this woman and immediately called to schedule an appointment. Do you usually hear the Charlie Brown teacher noise whenever someone in a salon or spa starts talking about services or products? "Wahn wahn wahn wahn, here's some more junk for the drawers in your bathroom." This is not the case with Amy at all...you'll find yourself hanging on to her every word. I'm sure she's great to talk to about movies or vacation plans or whatever, too, but I love spending the time picking her brain about hair. There's a Picasso quote, "My mother said to me, if you're a soldier, you will become a general. If you're a priest, you will be Pope. Instead I was a painter, and I became Picasso." If Picasso had been a hairdresser, he would have grown up to be Amy or Tina at Maxine :)

Posted on 06/06/2011 by Anna S.

I went to Maxine as a last resort of Chicago salons. I had had some terrible experiences before, and was really looking for basically the best of the best to cut my hair. I read the different stylist profiles on their website, and actually wrote them a message describing my hair type and what I was looking for, as well as the stylists I thought might work best for me. they wrote me an email back and said that Amy would be a great match, and to schedule a free consultation. So I did. After having my appointment with Amy, I felt like I had finally arrived. Amy is very smart, and is very good at what she does. I don't like being told 'no' when it comes to my hair, and she took that very seriously. We talked extensively about my hair, what it does, what it doesn't do, the texture, the style, my style, and what I was looking for and how she could make that work for me. I scheduled my appointment for a week later, and I could hardly wait to get back in her chair and be transformed! I was brimming with excitement, and was very pleased with the style she gave me. I was absolutely glowing when I left the salon! When I first went to Amy, I was "just a girl with hair" always wishing I had a great haircut...now I'm the girl with an incredible haircut that receives countless compliments daily! I just got my second cut yesterday, and I went a little shorter. I let her do her thing and holy moly my hair is divine! I swear 8 people at work asked me where I got it cut and who did it and what was their phone number! EVEN the guys at my job noticed my hair!! now that's a sign of true haircutting and styling genius!!! I highly recommend Maxine to those in search of hair excellence. **I want to add one thing. I have to absolutely disagree with the reviews that talk poorly about the customer service! I have been there three times, one of them for tree, and have received nothing but great service...always help me with the robe, offer me a beverage, and are very friendly and courteous.

Posted on 08/27/2010 by Stacey C.

I am quite the cheapskate so when I saw the price list I kind of freaked. But I gave it a whirl after talking to a coworker about the difficult life of ladies with fine hair. My solution: Amy, the down-to-earth hair guru, who, instead of chatting you up about her drama, teaches you all things hair. I've adjusted my budget now to fit her into my beauty regimen. Thank you, Amy!

Posted on 1/5/2009 by andrea s.

Amy is an amazing stylist. You get EXACTLY what you asked for. I have had her cut my hair in three extremely different styles. They were all perfectly done. I usually come armed with several photos because I believe they convey more than my decriptive language would.

Posted on 1/27/2008 by Kera E.

I love Maxine! From the moment you walk in, you feel welcomed and at ease. This is not a snooty gold coast salon by any means! Everything I've had done...incredible haircuts from Amy, golden blonde highlights with Jasen has been a positive experience. They're so nice here and everyone seems to be the best at what they do. And I've checked out a lot of salons. I go here for everything now. * Pros: knowledgeable staff, evening hours

Posted on 11/23/2005 by salonaddict

I have been going to Maxine for my entire life. My mother started with Maxine about 20 years ago and we have followed her to over 3 locations. While it took me awhile to find my perfect stylist I am very very happy now. Robert is very good for my color, though if you're looking for something shocking you'd be better visiting a salon on Belmont. They aim for more natural looking color though I have gotten him to do pink streaks before. Amy is the best stylist I have ever had. I'll never forget my first time with her, I decided to cut my long hair very short. She was thrilled at the idea and it turned out amazing. She has a great personality and we always have a great time. The haircuts she gives me are always complimented by my friends, coworkers and even people on the street.

Posted on 4/3/2005 by kittychicago

I had a fabulous experience here. I got my color done by Tina and my hair cut by Aimiee. Both were unbelivable. Tina listened to every word that I had to say and worked with me to get exactly the look I wanted. Aimiee did not make one cut to my hair until she looked at exactly what I already had (layers, lenght, ect) and explained to me in full of what she wanted to do. Once I agreed to the plan she went on her way to giving me an excellent haircut. The place is clean and the people are so nice. I will be returning. * Pros: Nice Staff, Clean, Talented Individuals

Posted on 1/17/2003 by mweinstein

Amy is the best hair cut in Chicago. She is Sasoon trained and each cut is a work of art. I like the the salon. * Pros: nice atmosphere, friendly help * Cons: limited parking, use the valet at the door

Posted on 8/22/2002 by dlcontirn

I recently had my haircut by Amy, very sweet and listened to what I wanted. I am very pleased.

Posted on 6/30/2002 by xxmmdxx