Sinead Salon & Spa

This had all the makings of awesomesauce. Halfway between work and home, within walking distance of the red line, and decent pricing. Then Groupon came along and sealed the deal — $ 65 for three eyebrow and bikini wax combos.
The first time I went was perfect. I called and they were able to fit me in quickly, Graciela was awesome, and I was pleased with the results. Hard wax was definitely my friend. Unfortunately, making my additional appointments was a bitch. It was a crapshoot getting someone to answer the phone, messages were never returned, and they were only willing to book appointment times convenient for them. As in, after telling me they were fully booked and squeezing me in for my second appointment, I found locked doors and the lights off when I arrived at 4:45PM for my 5PM appointment. And they were in no rush to start once they got there.
I get the vibe they prefer to book appointments grouped together, so they can lock everything up for hours in between. This sucked for me, because for my last appointment I was stuck burning through hours of leave since they were «all booked up for the whole week» when the groupon was due to expire. And, of course, I showed up to another dead salon. Also, during the last two visits, soft wax was used, so take note. Oh, and speaking of soft wax, thank god there are no trust issues between me and the bf, because the bruising I got from it was not pretty.

Went in using a Groupon for a Brazillian wax. It was my first time getting professionally waxed, so I was a little on edge to begin with. Unfortunately, the woman who waxed me (whose name I can’t remember) was of no help. At all. At any point during my visit.
I didn’t have an issue with her staying in the room like some people have mentioned, but I did have an issue with some bleeding in some very tender spots. Even now 3 weeks later I’m still healing.
The woman who waxed me used both hard and soft wax. OH my god it all hurt like hell! I’d like to think I have a fairly high pain tolerance, as I’ve waxed myself before, and yes it hurts, but it’s not unbearable. I expressed my discomfort, with tears welling in my eyes (unfortunately I’m not lying), and she just went faster. She globbed some lotion on the part that was bleeding at the end and told me to get dressed.
I wish I had looked before leaving because she missed quite a bit of hair. I left the salon visibly shaking, and was in shock for about an hour afterwards. From my conversations with other people, this is not how you should feel.
I can’t blame this woman for inflicting pain, because that just goes with the package, but I can blame her for not communicating with me about what was happening, causing me to bleed, hurrying through the situation thus missing hairs, and showing a general disinterest in being polite. Ugh.

I was pregnant and needed a place to get a brazilian. I didn’t want to go to my regular brazilian place because I live in the south side of chicago and the place I usually go to is all the way out in skokie. I wanted to find a place closer to my house. When I saw the coupon from living social, I bought it and though I should give this place a try. When I called them for an appointment, I told them I was 35 weeks pregnant and they told me that they don’t do brazilians if I’m that far along, they said they will only do a bikini. I was pissed off cuz now I feel like I just wasted $ 30 for the living social coupon.
I decided not to do the appointment with them. Instead I called my regular brazilian place, who had no problem at all with giving me a brazilian even though I was already 35 weeks pregnant.
So yes, I haven’t even gone to this place for an actual service but I’m giving one star anyway because if the other place can give me a brazilian at 35 weeks pregnancy, but Sinead Salon can’t, then that already tells you that their skill level does not match up to the other place I went to.

I found this place simply by searching for good Brazilians on Unilocal about 8 months ago and haven’t gone anywhere else since! I used to go to Benefit on Armitage but they are overpriced and always left me with terrible red bumps (a few is ok but having a whole area of bumps that don’t go away, definitely not…) so I decided to make the switch.
First off, I can always get in whenever necessary (last minute, late at night, etc) and they always give me a courtesy call to remind me of my appointment the day before which I love AND they are very accommodating if I sometimes miss the voice mail and have to reschedule day of… oops. Also, the salon is never full or busy which is surprising because it seems very well done and they have great reviews. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing but it always makes me feel very calm when I walk in.
I go to Graciela and I have never gone to anyone else. I’ve read on other reviews that it’s weird because she stands in the room while you are undressing but that has never happened to me. She is always very courteous and leaves and knocks on the door before she comes back in. She’s quick, easy to talk to and definitely make it as painless as possible. Sometimes she tweezes, sometimes she doesn’t… I prefer it when she does but have never asked her to do it and maybe I should.
The last thing is, you get 20% off for re-​booking for the next appointment. I have a standing appointment every 4 weeks for a Brazilian and eye brow wax and don’t think I’ll be changing that anytime soon! Thanks Graciela!

I got a Brazilian done here because I had a Living Social voucher and it had decent reviews.
I was greeted when I arrived and waited no more than 5 minutes although I was early for my appointment. The lady who did my Brazilian (The owner I’m assuming) never introduced herself and was very difficult to understand with her Irish accent. She led me to the room and told me to undress and lay on the table. There was no towel to cover myself and my lady parts were facing the door, so I quickly grabbed a paper towel that was meant to go under my head.
She immediately got to work, not really making an effort to make small talk. She made me hold my stomach taut, which I’ve never had to do with my 3 previous waxes. She was MERCILESS. The wax was slightly too hot and she ripped away as hard as she could. To get my back side I had to roll onto my stomach and grab my butt, which I’m definitely not a fan of but have had to before. It was all over in less than 10 minutes. The receptionist was very pleasant and asked if I’d like to schedule my next wax for $ 45($ 15 Discount).
When I arrived home and inspected the work, there were TONS of strays and in-​growns, which other places usually pluck out.
I WOULD NEVER PAY $ 60 FOR A WAX FROM THIS PLACE AND I WILL NEVER GO BACK, EVEN IF IT’S FREE!

Worst brazilian wax experience I’ve had; this includes my first time at a student learning facility which took 2 hours.
I made my appointment for later in the day and felt very unsafe walking there and back from the Addison Red Line stop. Once I was in the salon, it seemed nice enough so I tried not to make my experience about the surrounding area. Janet promptly came out and was somewhat friendly so I kept my hopes up. She left while I got undressed but had given me no towel to cover myself so when she came in and opened the door wide, anyone passing by could have easily seen everything; I would have minded less had she just remained in the room while I undressed. I had a living social deal which I made them aware of previous to the experience but still tipped Janet $ 10 since she was quick (15 minutes) and got all the hair off. They don’t have a mirror in the room, so you can’t check yourself properly afterwards like most waxing salons I’ve been to. I went home and noticed I was having some pain so I went to change my underwear and there was blood staining it towards the front. She had completely cut the top of my vulva. Not worth saving $ 20 and overtipping her.
I’ve been getting waxed for almost 2 years now and I go about every 4 weeks which is what they recommend. I have sensitive skin, yes, but I also have very fine hair from going so often. I have never received any sort of cuts from other salons I’ve been to regardless of their use of hard or soft wax – I’ve been to several different salons ranging from artistic waxing to full body focuses; low priced to high priced; suburban to downtown Chicago. I am truly in disbelief that Allure Magazine voted her the «down there» expert.

I thought the waxing here was just fine — not amazing, not terrible, but fine. I had Graciella, and I was a bit peeved that she wouldn’t use hard wax (even though they must have it, because she said Janet uses hard wax, but I digress).
As to all the chatter about the way they stay in the room while you undress, I think I’ve figured something out about this. Graciella left the room for me, but I noticed that when she did, she had to open the door and if someone had been at one of the shampoo chairs, they would have had a clear view of a very nearly naked me. Perhaps they only stay in the room when opening the door to leave would do more harm than good.
Overall, I’ll be back at least once more because I took advantage of their Unilocal two for $ 80 deal, but I’ll try Janet next time in hopes that I’ll get hard wax. It was clean, very fast and they were very nice. Add hard wax and it would be a homerun.

I bought a Unilocal deal to try out a Brazilian wax for the first time back in November or December 2010. I’ve seen Graciela for my Brazilians two more times since then. I think she does a great job! She really does a good job of preparing you for the pain (as much as you really can prepare, I’m not certain…), and being realistic about the fact that it’s going to hurt no matter what.
I’ve always had really good customer service booking appointments (and rescheduling appointments as necessary). The salon has never been busy, and I always feeling like Graciela and staff are attentive.
Overall, I highly recommend if you’re looking for a good (and clean), kind waxing professional.
PS: During all of my visits, I’ve been given privacy to undress, enjoy a bottle of water, and situate myself before Graciela enters to begin the process.

I got the Unilocal deal during Hot on Unilocal time last year for the Brazillian. The spa/​salon is nice, very modern, clean. The receptionist took my coat and asked if I wanted anything to drink – I opted for water – figured wine and advil – not a good combo — but good to know for next time. Graciela was quick, efficient, and got the job done on my goodies! They do offer a lot of different specials from time to time so be sure to take advantage of those – if you book your next appointment before you leave, think you get 20 or 25% off.

So, Janet is pretty much a goddess. Beautiful, talented, easy-​going, Irish… and at the time I saw her, about 9 months pregnant. Girl is a dynamo!
Not to mention, the owner of the illustrious Sinead Salon & Spa and hair removal «down there» expert. Allure Magazine says so, and I am inclined to agree. And, if you can really enjoy someone who has forcibly removed all of your macaroon muff (term stolen from Susan F)…well, she must be pretty damn good. Exactly the kind of woman you want doin’ the waxin’, I assure you.
So, pop a few ibuprofen… have a glass of wine somewhere nearby, then pop in to have Janet or Graziela shape ya up right good. I also indulged in a bit of brow shaping, and I have to say… I walked out there feeling pretty primped.
Because really, it’s winter and we have to work extra hard to feel beautiful in this gray, sweater-​and-​leggings-​for-​life weather, right? RIGHT.
*Regular price Brazillian: $ 60 (watch out for specials!)
*Eyebrow wax: $ 18
AND, they sell Moroccan Hair Oil. (small size: $ 15). I’m a believer, y’alls. Silky, shiny hair (on my head!), be mine.
Meow. TMI, sorry.
*easy metered parking (non-​Cubs days).

Look, I’m not going to go into every detail of my waxing experience at Sinead or how my lady bits felt and looked afterwards but know this:
Graciela was fantastic. She was quick, professional, courteous and left me in tip top shape for the date I had that evening.
I highly recommend her!
p. s. Some people might be creeped out by the way she stands in the room while you undress, but if you think about it, she is going to see you up and close and personal ANYWAY and this might be her way of getting her appointments in and out in a timely manner! Basically, she leaves you no time sit around in the robe that many salons give you while you have a mini-​meltdown about your impending wax job! Trust me, I’ve seen it. lol.

I bought the Brazilian deal on Unilocal a few months ago, deciding that it would force me to make an appointment and get to the salon! Based on her reviews, I scheduled my appointment with Janet.
I was so happy with the experience. Like I told her, I wasn’t expecting a massage. It’s waxing, so it’s really not that fun… but she is quick, easygoing, super nice, and does a great job. I made my next appointment on my way out. I’d totally recommend Janet to any of my friends!
And I agree about the receptionist/​salon manager… he is great!

Janet is fantastic. She’s the only girl who gets to go down there on the regular.
Seriously, she’s fast, efficient, professional, and friendly. Makes a Brazilian wax appointment pretty pleasant, which is saying something because let’s be honest, they are really not at all pleasant. The friendly part goes for everyone else I’ve talked with at this place. The salon is tidy, comfortable, and really nice-​looking. The great guy at reception/​salon manager is so nice and always chats with me and offers me coffee, tea, bottled water, or a glass of wine, and remembers stuff we talked about at the last visit (He offered my guy friend a beer once when he came in to wait with me. where’s my beer? lol). I’ve also met Janet’s charming dog while I was waiting once, and he is also really friendly and lovely. :)
Oh! And Janet was profiled in Allure magazine for her skills in the underparts arts! Well-​deserved!

When I saw the deal on Unilocal for a $ 30 brazilian wax I jumped on the opportunity. I don’t always have the $ 60 to spend on waxing and who would say no to 50% off?!
I had an appointment with Graciela and she did a good job. The wax took about 15 – 20 minutes. She was very quick which is definitely a good thing when it comes to waxing your peekachoo.
She stayed in the room while I undressed and there was no little towel to cover yourself up. Personnally I don’t really care — she’s going to be down there anywhere so no big deal if she sees you taking off your panties. But I know that all the other salons give you a little privacy and check that you are ready for them before they come in.
More importantly though, she didn’t do any tweezing after the wax. The salon I usually go to takes care of any ingrown hairs and cleans up any strays with some minor tweezing. This would have been appreciated here.

After attending Hot on Unilocal,I was glad to see a deal on a Brazilian. I believe any woman will jump on a deal for nether waxing because it can get oh so expensive for such an oh so painful experience. Why hurt your wallet and your macaroon simultaneously – so unfair!
Grazinia did my waxing. She was very quick, polite, and apologized for any of the pain. I was very surprised how quick it was, which is how it should be! The pain level was the same or alittle less than some other places I’ve been-​standard.
The atmosphere was cozy and very clean. I will book again for sure!
I was quite red for the entire day, but the next day, not one bit :) HA

After a friend of mine raved about how great Brazilian waxing was, I decided to give it a try. Being a first timer, and with no one to offer up recommendations as to where to go in my area, I turned to Unilocal.
Sinead seemed to have a pretty good reputation with Unilocal users so I decided to give it a try. I called and scheduled an appointment and was a little worried that it was with Graciela who wasn’t mentioned in any reviews, but I decided to keep it all the same.
Granted, this was my first Brazilian wax, but I’d read up on what to expect and talked with friends about how things should go down. I’m pretty sure things didn’t go the way they should.
The receptionist was very nice and offered me a glass of wine which was fantastic since I was quite nervous. Graciela was late though, and as her first appointment of the day, I feel like that’s irritating. The waxing itself seemed to go alright, I have no complaints there. Graciela was very nice and seemed to be quite efficient. My problem is with the follow up. There was no tweezing, which I thought was a little odd, but hey, what do I know? Well, I know that after paying 60 bucks for a wax I don’t think I should have to go home and break out the tweezers. Also, I don’t expect to go home and find a considerable amount of wax left behind. There are a few places where I feel like the hair may have broken off vs ripping out, but maybe this is normal? I guess I’ll know for sure in the next week or so. Finally, this soothing gel people speak of? I’m thinking I missed out on that entirely.

Disclaimer: I’ve only ever gotten my brows waxed here, so this is all my review pertains to.
First off, love the atmosphere in Sinead. The people are nice, but not too in your face. I’m always fit in quickly, even if I show up a few minutes early. Janet’s got it down to a science, because I’m in and out in 5 minutes or so, and my eyebrows always look great afterwards.
I’ve been to places that go too thin or don’t wax enough, but I’ve always had a consistently good shape from Janet — plus, with the constant deals they give for booking your next appointment, they’re much cheaper than other salons.

Thank you Sinead for offering a special on your Brazilians. If it had not been for that, I think I would’ve still been a walking hairy ape.
I took advantage of their $ 30 special on Brazilians and I could not be more pleased. It has actually been a few years since my last bikini wax and I don’t remember it even being a pleasant experience. That’s why I’ve avoided it for this long. The special price however, encouraged me to schedule an appointment.
I had Janet work on me and I must say that she was pleasant. She was really quick and before I knew it, she was working on my most sensitive areas. I started becoming tense in anticipation of the pain and Janet picked up on it and talked me through it.
I liked this wax job in comparison to the last ones I’ve had because it was definitely quicker and cleaner.

I’ve been robbed!!!
«Leave a strip» means leave a strip dammit!

Bikini waxes hurt. That’s just the ugly facts of it. It hurts a lot, and no «bikini stylist», no matter how masterful, will take that away.
That aside, I’d had a bad experience before this, and I was very very scared to go. And I was such a lucky girl! They did a great job, and I didn’t have any razor bumps or ugly after effects.
The spa is clean, and they were quick! 5 minutes later and I was hair-​free, and ready for my date!

Sorry Mom. Your daughter’s a hussy.
I admit it. I like it bare– «down there» (and back there too). And I mean the full monty. No cutesy little hearts, no landing strips, nothing! Cuz seriously, if whomever is down there doesn’t know where they’re going, that landing strip isn’t going to help your situation. =)
Sorry, tmi.
Janet and Holly at Sinead do a great job at making Brazilian waxing as comfortable as possible. It’s by no means fun, but having an easy experience and great results make it totally worth it. I love Janet because she’s all business. No fuss, no muss and you’re out the door in 10 minutes with thoroughly bald nethers. Holly is great too. She is so sweet and so funny and very good at distracting me while she’s working. Both are very professional and don’t make you feel weird that you’re laying there with your crotch exposed, legs spread open and trying not scream… or fart. (yeah, I said it!)
I’ll admit to have cheated on them a few times when I saw a deal at other places, but I always find myself coming back here because their service from start to finish is nothing short of awesome! On several occasions, I’ve been able to get a same-​day appointment and have been offered a generous glass of wine when I was finished. The pricing is fair and they offer several specials throughout the year.
And Mom, if it makes you feel better, my hairless cooter and I go to church every Sunday. And the only people who hang out ‘down there’ have a guest pass. =)