Barber Shop in Oak Park

Vidal Sassoon–trained Valerie Lopez turns manes into displays of art while working inside Cleo Hair Salon. Goldwell products help her bestow heads with new hues in the form of highlights, all-over color, or stenciled stars. She tames unruly strands with a Brazilian blowout formula—one of her specialties—and instantly adds length with partial weave services.

Paris Cut Hair Design's aestheticians deftly channel the ancient Middle Eastern practice of threading, a precise and speedy method of shaping brow bristles that has found popularity among many of today’s A-list celebrities. During the 15-minute threading treatment, a skilled thread tech twists a length of pure cotton thread and weaves it around overgrown brows, uprooting follicle squatters without chemicals or irritation. Ocular overscores emerge from the treatment looking sharp, streamlined, and ready to replace spit takes and eye rubbing as the preferred method of expressing disbelief.

Practiced stylist Christine Miller has been sculpting classic and contemporary hairstyles since 1985. At Studio Bijoux, she employs these decades of experience while carving out cuts for men, women, and children using Privé and Redken products. Christine also imbues locks with rich, deep Goldwell and Framesi hair color, which can perk up her guests just as much as the complimentary coffee and water she offers them.

Inside the casually elegant confines of Sweet 9 Flex Salon, stylist Shannon Halpert conquers unruly hair with her specially formulated hair-smoothing treatments. Formerly frizzy locks take on a newly sleek form thanks to a combination of Shannon’s dexterous expertise, the formaldehyde-free formula products, and each strand’s individual willpower. The salon itself—accented with polished black-and-silver styling chairs and a sunlit all-glass storefront—is helmed by husband-and-wife team Larry and Stephanie Cohen, who, alongside Shannon and the rest of the extensively trained staff, boast more than 30 years of hairstyling experience.

Leah Hagen Olsen, a Certified REDKEN Colorist, draws upon extensive training from the Vidal Sassoon and Toni & Guy academies when unleashing her shears at Sweet Nine Flex. After a consultation to determine the hair's type and demands, Leah laces vivid highlights, moody lowlights, or both into locks, which are then trimmed and transformed into a dependable ’do thanks to the vitalizing gust of a blow-dryer. This deal also includes a $25 gift certificate that clients can apply to future services, such as color touch-ups or partial weaves.

String lights twinkle above the salon's tall mirrors like miniature constellations, casting their glow on faux marble floor tiles and roman-style archways. Amid these classic accents, expert stylist and Redken colorist Gina Moreau draws on 30 years of experience to snip dead ends and splash bland strands with highlights. Clients may also request the salon's other beautifying services, such as facials and OPI mani-pedis, or retreat to a private room for a therapeutic bodywork session.