Studio Ritz

Studio Ritz has been located in Oak Brook, Illinois, since 2001. The salon sits in the Drake Oak Brook Office Plaza at 2215 York Road, Suite B2. Visitors take the building elevator to the lower level, labeled LL, and follow the hallway to reach the studio.

The salon says its team of industry educators has more than 30 years of combined experience, and that the team travels to train and teach other licensed professionals. Its stated aim is to help clients understand personalized hair and nail care. The salon reports five-star ratings on Yelp, Merchant Circle, Wahanda and Google reviews, and says Chicago readers voted it Best Hair Salon and Best Hair Designs.

Hair services cover full-head single process color, highlights, lowlights, balayage, ombre and toners, along with texture reformation, haircuts, styling and repair treatments. Hollywood Seamless Hair Extensions begin with a free consultation, and a non-refundable $250 deposit is required for every extension order. Tape extension removal after two to three months of wear is priced from $65.

Nail services use LED lamps to cure gel polish, and gel removal uses a professional-grade soak-off solution rather than pure acetone. Gel polish is offered in more than 200 colors. Pedicures use a pipeless foot spa and Footlogix foot care, which the salon describes as pharmaceutical grade, and the salon says its tools and spa are sanitized as a routine. Products used or sold include Morgan Taylor, CND, Gelish and Clean n Easy Sensitive Wax for nails and waxing, and Color Wow, GK Global Keratin, Tiger Pro Design and Tressa for hair. The salon says its products are never animal tested. Gift certificates are offered.

Services are by appointment only. Nail and waxing appointments can be booked online through the Book Now page with Ritzie Gonzalez, Monday to Thursday, 10am to 6pm. Hair appointments are arranged by contacting Lynda Gorecki directly by phone, text or email, Tuesday to Friday, 12pm to 7pm. Nail appointments are confirmed by text or email 24 hours ahead. Nail cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice are charged 50% of the reserved services, and nail no-shows are charged the full amount. Hair no-shows and cancellations with less than 48 hours' notice carry a $50 fee.

Education-first: the salon aims to teach clients about personalized hair and nail care, and its team travels to train other licensed professionals.