If you have Asian hair and need to look professional, Severn is definitely the stylist for you. I have tried many other salons in Chicago and I keep running back to Severn to fix my hair. For the past three and a half years I have been going to him for cute, business-appropriate cuts and he always delivers. It's always the highlight of my week and I never cease to get compliments.

Posted on 01/24/2012 by Y W.

Capital L - Love Severn. I have been seeing S since 2004. Was with him at a previous salon and then had to track him down. Speaking of I am in a serious need of a hair cut!! And yes it's chichi - so what! You can find bad attitudes at haircuttery - and at any price level. It could be YOU that's the problem! You know the types, act like a cat that's been cornered, bad attitude because they feel inadequate. Everyone at Maxine's has been nothing but nice to me.

Posted on 04/06/2011 by Irene R.

I thought I wrote a review earlier about this place but looks like I'm going to have to do it now! I love Maxine! Severn is AWESOME! I have really thick asian hair but Severn knows how to get in there and chop it all off making my hair perfect. I wanted layers and so I got layers!! I had a great hairstylist back in CA and was so afraid I wouldnt be able to find anyone in Chicago that could do what she did, but then I found Severn. This place accepts all credit cards but the salon will only charge you for the services. If you'd like to give any tips, you'd have to pay cash for it.

Posted on 3/6/2009 by Janet E.

Yay! Getting my hair cut here was SO NOT SCARY! Seriously, when was the last time you went to a new stylist and a new salon without a little trepidation? From the initial call to make the appointment during which the person who answered the phone helpfully suggested Severn on account of his experience cutting Asian hair to the appointment itself, everything was easy and relaxing. The salon is clean, spacious, and modern and everyone I talked to there was friendly and helpful. It's the sort of place that probably could be snooty if they wanted to, and yet really really weren't. Severn is fantastic. He didn't offer the slightest reproach when I ashamedly told him I hadn't had a cut in 8 months because I don't trust new places, nor did he "tsk tsk" when I told him I only blow dry on special occasions. He listened to what I need and then made suggestions for what he thought would look good. It was great that he was really thinking about what would work for me. He gave me just what I need- a clean, simple cut that looks great and won't require much styling, and he did it with lots of care and attention to detail. He even spent a few minutes meticulously trying to discover which few strands on the left side were causing it to look unbalanced (in his eyes, that is. I couldn't even tell!) The cut was relaxed and unhurried, and it was fun talking to him- he's a super nice guy with lots of interesting stories. You may at this point be wondering whether a good salon review from me holds any water given that I'm the sort of person who can go 8 months without a haircut... if you don't believe me that this guy is great, there's a magazine clipping on the wall in front of Severn's chair from the July 2008 issue of Vogue which calls him a "rising star" stylist. Make your appointment while he's still got time for you! Oh yeah- and there's a 25% discount for new customers if you mention you found them on Yelp- great deal. But do tip your stylist based on the pre-discount price... they're still giving you full service!

Posted on 8/2/2008 by Elaine H.

OVERALL: The entire staff is extremely friendly and professional. I always had a great experience. CUTS: When I moved to Chicago I was nervous to find a good stylist. My hair is very fine and thin and I wear it so short one false move means I can't exactly go to another salon to get it fixed. A trusted co-worker recommended Severn at Art + Science on Armitage. After just one fantastic haircut, he moved to Maxine salon and I followed. Severn worked magic on my hair for two years before I moved to Austin. He was very concerned with making sure the cut looked great with my face shape, body type, personality, and styling habits. I'm to the extreme of hands-off, but he managed to give me cuts that looked amazing even on the days I bludgeoned the snooze button and walked straight out the door. Usually, short hair means really frequent haircuts, but I can't afford to go back that often. Even on very short hair, he built in so much structure that I could go nearly two months without a cut and still get asked for the the name and number of my stylist. Seriously, he gave me a discount for how many new clients I sent his way. He is that rave-worthy. On top of his amazing hair talent, he is a joy to be around. I wished I was one of those old-school Barbie dolls whose arm you could crank up and down to make her hair grow, just because he is so much fun. He's great at remembering what's going on in your life, and we found a lot of ground for interesting conversations. He always made me comfortable, even though I don't feel like I belong in fancy salons. It's pricey, but who isn't crotchety on bad hair days? 800 great hair days in a row, consistent compliments, zero stress come haircut-time, and Severn's company was worth every penny. COLOR: I had color done once by Stacey. We had some serious miscommunication about what I was looking for and it was so far off that before Severn even finished cutting my hair, it was clear something needed to be done. Stacey is very sweet and fixed it no questions asked. I was ecstatic with the results and her recommendation for a shampoo to prolong the vivid color. The only trouble I've had is that on part of my hair, she put in highlight color, and walked off to shampoo someone else. I didn't realize it for a while, but those parts of my hair were so damaged that when I colored next, it disproportionately absorbed the dye and my hair was a complete disaster. I had to go unnecessarily dark to cover it up. I believe she is normally very talented, and this was a mistake that was part communication and part carelessness on an overbooked Saturday. I would go to her again for a single process color or if she was not as busy.

Posted on 7/13/2008 by cat m.