Anthony Cristiano | Top Hair Stylist in Chicago | Hair Salon — Local services in Chicago

Since I moved to Chicago I have been to many salons in hopes of finding a place that would give me the natural highlights I used to get growing up in Florida and after 20 years I finally found a place; Anthony Cristiano.

I have been to Goran Coban, Michael & Michael, Maxine, Salon Buzz etc. most of the time the issue was putting highlights right at my root which is not natural and looked terrible or not lifting me enough which leaves me with an orange/yellow tint.

After my last highlight session fail (at an over rated salon) I was bummed out and one night saw Anthony on a random Chicago Instagram post, I decided why not try his salon. I was placed with Kelly for a consultation, in which she said for sure she could fix my issue so I decided to make an appointment. Important part here, she asked me to wait 3 weeks so she could see my base color, no one has ever cared about that before.

It's been almost a month since my appointment with Kelly and my highlights still looks great, this has been unheard of my entire time getting highlights here in Chicago. The salon is in the beautiful Trump Tower, and when you walk in it's not some loft with hair dye stained wood floors or walls that have 20 layers of paint over brick and ever piece of wood trying to be chic, or creaky old stairs, or the best being above/below someone that you hear thumping or music and yelling from a bar... this is a stunning real salon, that is immaculate and has the best natural light you will get in a salon. And what's funny, this is the most beautiful salon and zero pretentious behavior here, compared to most salons that act like they are in HS.

I knew where I went before was not the best when Kelly asked what was the pattern they gave for the highlights, I had no idea but the random white, yellow and orange pieces all over said no pattern just mess. Kelly applied foils in a pattern, then I went under the heat a couple times then they took the foils out and then did something NO ONE has ever done, touched my roots, blending so I didn't have obvious demarcation and to look natural so base and highlights blend seamlessly together, so much time was done with this step and I can say it's a key part. They then put on the toner and left that on for a bit and when I was done it looked great but the real part was once I washed my hair how would it look, every single time this happens, I wash 1x and it's terrible after. This time after milking it for 8 days I washed and there was no difference, my color was the same. I had the last place tell me I needed a new shower filter, so I bought a new shower head and a new filter yet my building was brand new, was also told to try washing my hair in cold water and it still did not help. Getting your hair done by a true color professional is a wake up call, it makes you wonder where others have got their training from.

Are the prices a bit more than other places yes, is there a reason Y-E-S! They don't rush your color, they don't scrub your head like they are washing a dog, they have expert colorist that know what they are doing.

I went in before I left for a 2 month stay here in Arizona to show Kelly my color and praise her work, I asked while in AZ what I might need done until I can see her in August, which will the be most minimal thing needed. I have since washed my hair 2 more times since being here in AZ and still awesome color, and that is without using any purple shampoos/conditioners, which is a shock for me. So all those times colorist telling me I pull warm or I won't ever lift correctly is a big lie for Kelly pointed out I had white pieces so that means I can lift, it's the colorist who's not doing their job right.

Trust Kelly with your hair, she can get you to the best blonde you've dreamed of and is so professional and kind. I am now forever a client and so mad I never came to this...

Overpriced and poorly coordinated. Came here months ago for a cut and color, but was so traumatized by the bad cut I haven't gotten a haircut ANYWHERE since. Have just been growing it out. Color was fine and colorist was great - however scheduled my haircut (which I communicated beforehand was basically just a gloss) with an hour and a half between that and my hair cut. Clearly because of the bad planning, they dried my hair and straightened it before my cut (I have curly hair as well so this didn't make sense to me). My cut was the worst hair cut I've ever gotten. Paid no attention to the shape of my face and what would suit me well nor did it look anything like I requested. The cut was a dry cut which turned out terrible. Left with all of the layers basically cut out of my hair and a hair fit for a middle aged woman...not a 26 year old. Staff were not super friendly, didn't even ask if I wanted to rescheduled . Felt rushed out of salon. I've always paid close to around $350 for a cut and color...however this was the worst cut and color I've ever gotten in my life and it was over $500. Ladies if you're young and want a fun flattering haircut and a stylist that will listen to you and respect you - avoid this place at...

Anthony makes my hair feel important. And as someone who has long hated her hair, that's an impressive feat. When doing both hair and color, he and his team of cutters always do a joint consultation with the colorist and you to discuss what you want to do and ensure that the color approach / techniques will complement the cut. For a more moderate price point than Anthony, Joseph is amazing and has worked with Anthony for over 10 years. On the color side of the house I have seen 3 people, my favorite is Anna - beautiful color, she and Darrin interpreted what I said I wanted into the perfect cut and color for me. I did have one instance when I wasn't happy with the color. I told the receptionist and received multiple calls from Anthony's wife to make sure the issue was addressed to my satisfaction. I had another instance where I went somewhere else and they did a frighteningly bad jump with my cut and color and Anthony and his team did what they could to quickly fix both for me before my first of work at a...