MAVEN ESTHETICS®

It calls itself a leading Chicago destination for microblading, a claim the salon makes about itself. Recognition includes a feature from iHeartRadio Brilliantly Black and a listing in Chicago Tribune's Beauty Places on Your Lunch Break. Voyage Magazine labeled the business a Chicago hidden gem in 2017 and a trailblazer in 2018.

Microblading is the core of the studio. It is a cosmetic tattooing method that deposits pigment under the skin in fine, hair-like strokes, and it can either add fullness to brows that are already there or create a more natural-looking brow. Every brow is customized in shape, color and texture. Each microblading visit starts with a consultation on the day of the appointment to settle the design, and clients receive an aftercare plan at the appointment. Refreshers are suggested every one to two years to keep the shape, color and detail looking fresh.

The rest of the menu covers brow shaping and lamination, lash lifting, custom-blended lash and brow tinting, threading, tweezing, and face and body waxing. Brow shape is planned in consultation around each client's natural brow and personal style, whether that means thicker or thinner, arched, archless or natural. Waxing begins with a custom consultation in a boutique studio, and threading is offered in place of waxing when waxing is not possible.

Booking is by appointment only and runs through the Booksy platform, which is also where cancellations and rescheduling are handled. Appointments need 48 hours' notice to cancel; changes made within 48 hours are charged in full to the card on file, and arriving more than 10 minutes late or not showing up results in a full charge for booked services. Some bookings require a non-refundable deposit that is applied to the balance when policies are followed. First visits are booked as a first session. Single-use needles and disposable supplies are used, and each station is disinfected before opening and after every procedure. Phone and email inquiries may take up to 48 hours for a reply, and text is the preferred way to reach the studio.

The studio's approach draws on high fashion and on the particular contours of each client's features. Its stated mission is to offer expert services that enhance natural beauty, beginning with brows.

The studio describes itself as an independent, concept-driven brow studio.