Benefit Cosmetics Boutique & Brow Bar

Came here about a week ago because the brows needed some serious tlc. Having lived here only since May of 2016, I had been searching high and low for a great brow stylist, stopping women and men on the street asking who they had gone to. After finally getting super frustrated with trying to sculpt my own, I decided to try this place as its not too far from my house. I was greeted immediately, by almost everyone working. I was as walk in and thought I would have to wait long, but I was in a chair in less than a minute. Anna asked me what I liked/​wanted, and I showed her a picture but told her I wanted something more rounded at the arch and not so evil looking. She nodded and went to work, and a few painless minutes later I had EXACTLY what I asked for.
I think she had an appointment client, so I was passed to a petite brunette (Danielle?) who filled in my brows for me. She did AWESOME! They looked super full, but not fake and oily. She was very helpful in talking her way through it, and even gave me some eyebrow primer and pencil to go home with. And if that wasn’t enough, she even let me test out a matte finish primer on my face (which I LOVED!).
I will definitely come back here again and again!

I know many Unilocalers rave about their brow service (which with no doubt I can agree with), but their makeup line is absolutely INCREDIBLE for NATURAL looks!!! I went here today and i had the most amazing and positive shopping experience I could ever ask for, and it was all thanks to Brad! If you ever have the chance to meet him, he is a doll! So passionate and informed about the brand! I see benefit in a completely different light now! To ANY makeup lover out there in Evanston, this is a must!

Jessica is awesome! I had definite brow shock but once I got home and get the tint off my skin — WOW! I love my brows! I could do without the ‘touch up’ at the end where they use that to try and sell you more stuff. I’m very much a ‘I’m here for a reason’ type of shopper, but it was my first time there and I went with it. Everyone was friendly — but I feel way to low maintenance compared to the people who work/​typically go there. I will most definitely be back… even thinking about a lash tint. :)

I absolutely love this Benefit location. Jessica has done all of my waxing for a little over a year now. She’s fantastic! The girls, and Brad, whom work at this location are so nice and always do a little extra for their clients. I will not go anywhere else for waxing, and that says a lot because I drive from the South Loop. A little FYI– making an appointment online is easier than calling.

I have been going to Benefit in Evanston exclusively for brows and other services for years. I do not feel burned or get ridiculously red or irritated after waxes. The space is clean and hygienic. The wax is not too hot. Jessica is amazing. Erin is great. Also, the touch-​ups afterwards make you feel special. I am sure the purpose is to sell products but not once have I felt pressured to purchase a thing.
I receive compliments on my brows even weeks after my service. The reason is Benefit is just that good.

They do a great job on brows! Of course after the brow job they go straight to the sales job. For a while I resisted but one day I saw weak and they got me! I left with the mascara and the liquid black eyeliner which are now my favorite cosmetics so it all turned out OK in the end.

3 stars is strictly on the price. I liked that she told me what she was going to do before she started. However, I didn’t see a difference between the $ 21 I spent there and the $ 5 I spend on devon for a thread. I like that they filled in my brows after.

I chose this place based on Unilocal reviews, and I’m glad I did. Jessica did a wonderful job on my brow wax, being especially careful to keep my brows nice and thick (while still cleaning up the stragglers and unibrow), per my request.
I appreciated the time that Jessica took pre-​waxing to discuss with me what I wanted. I was also comforted by the «mapping» that they do here to determine the best shape for your face.
Also, I was a few minutes (less than 10) late for my appointment, and everyone at the shop was totally cool about it. (Sorry again, guys!)
After my wax, I was sent to another person for a makeup demo. I mentioned that I don’t like to put a lot of product on my dry/​sensitive skin, and they were completely okay with that. I had been worried since some previous reviewers mentioned the sales people were pushy, but I found that not to be the case at all. I’m looking forward to trying their products (little by little, to screen for any potential skin reaction) to see if any of it will work for me.
The only negative about the experience was that I specifically called ahead to make sure that debit was okay to use for both the waxing and the tip. When I paid, I was told that cash is actually preferred for the tip. Had I known, I would have been happy to bring cash (I just have to know ahead of time, since I’m not a huge cash user.)

I came in here to get my eyebrows done monthly when I was a Northwestern student. I never had a bad experience. My brows always looked great when I was finished, and they’d always fix my makeup afterward. They asked you if you wanted to purchase products, but weren’t pushy about it. Overall, a great option for waxing in Evanston!

I had an appointment last Friday for an eyebrow wax. Over the past week I have received so many compliments on my eyebrows. All of the staff was friendly and Jessica did a great job!

Go see Marie for your waxing needs! My first time today and she was friendly and I was actually calm the entire process. I am not new to waxing but this was virtually pain free. Will be back to see her!

I’ve visited for a bikini wax and really enjoyed the service. The staff was friendly while I waited and we played with the different makeup products. My wax was average pain wise and she gave good advice to avoid any ingrown hairs or bumps.

I suggest making an appointment online beforehand, as the Benefit brow bar can get somewhat busy during the afternoons. I’ve been here a few times for a brow wax ($ 21 + 10% off with a NU student ID), which is actually something quite new to me (even at 23 years old, shh ._​_​.) since I’ve always had relatively full, straight brows. However, the aesthetician that did my wax (Jessica, I believe) was very attentive when I told her I wanted to keep the general outline of my straight brows and just clean up the stray hairs + define the ends a little. She then mapped out the areas she was planning on shaping for me, and got straight to work. The process didn’t take long at all, and I was quite happy with the results.
What I really like about this salon is that they put a little bit of their concealer/​foundation on you afterwards to cover up the redness so you don’t have to leave looking like a huge red blob. They also freshen up your look a little bit, with a little blush or highlighter, which is a way for them to show you their many products. However, they don’t pressure you into buying their products, so it’s only if you’re interested!
Benefit offers a variety of waxes, threadings, as well as tints (brow & lash). It’s a little on the pricey end compared to some other places, but they do a good job!

Saw the great Unilocal reviews, knew you guys wouldn’t let me down!
Such a fun and inviting boutique-​y place! The staff was so welcoming and fun, and I felt right at home. I hate trust it new people with my brows (they make or break your face, let’s be honest), so I was kind of skeptical. The girl doing my brows immediately started waxing, though I signed up for a tweezing appointment. I was kind of annoyed, but she tweezed the other brow and apologized profusely. I wish she talked to me a bit beforehand to get an idea of what I wanted, because even when I told her I just wanted a clean-​up and to keep them fuller, she trimmed a lot and thinned them too. This makes my uneven brows even more noticeable, though each shape looked good on it’s own. She did keep washing her hands which was a good sign.
Afterwards, someone else applied makeup to my brows and face (I came in with no makeup on) which I understand is done to kind of sell products. However, she didn’t pressure me to purchase anything, just made sure I knew a bit about their different products. And for $ 23, it wasn’t a bad price either.

I started going to benefit evanston and I have never thought about going anywhere else. The staff is wonderful and always super helpful. I usually book with Erin; she always has me leaving looking and feeling the best. I get daily compliments on my eyebrows, especially from my high school students! The products at benefit are amazing — I wouldn’t recommend anything else. I will be a life long customer.

I go toBenefit in Evanston for my brows, makeup, and spray tan, and would never consider going any place else. They are simply the best in every department. I’ve never received such amazing and friendly service. The manager is always smiling and he always has fantastic makeup suggestions. I get compliments on my eyebrows all the time now! I highly recommend benefit in Evanston for all of your beauty needs!

Rude staff. Not professional at all. Not worth the money we spent. We bought the «Beauty Bash» party at a silent auction, and spent including a few purchases in the store, over $ 500. But in the eyes of the manager and the other staffer — this was a «Donation» since they donated the event at a silent auction.
Only ONE out of 3 of the staff was welcoming. The other two, were very rude, manager included. At first, the manager did not even want to talk to me (I’m the host), but I did not want to make a stink so I «worked» on getting him to give me some attention, which he did, towards the end — and surely because it was time to push their products.
I could have complained right there and then but did not want to ruin our get together. I told my OTHER friends about our less than mediocre service experience. Would NEVER go to that location again.

I have been a long time customer of this store. Been through a couple managers and various estheticians. I love the idea, of coming in a getting your brows waxed in record time. However, the new manager and one of the estheticians are very catty. They eyeroll behind your back. One specific esth. insists that thick brows are the way to go and rarely listens to the way you want it.
The products are decent and they usually try to sell you something that you don’t
need, but thats their job.
The shop overall is in desperate need of a facelift. Walls are dirty and the music is generally too loud. The old manager Melissa is now at the Armitage store. She kept the place running great. Too bad she is gone.
Probably won’t be returning any time soon. Its great for the students to get a quick clean up on the go, but other clients, maybe seek out a nicer salon.

I love Benefit and don’t think I’ll ever go elsewhere to get my eyebrows done. I get the trio (brow wax, brow tint, lash tint) and Jessica is the esthetician that I see at this location. Not only does she do a phenomenal job, but she really takes into consideration the look that I’m going for and doesn’t just wax my eyebrows however she wants or thinks would look best. I end up leaving completely blown away every time!
Lastly, I love Benefit in general because unlike many beauty boutiques that are often mainly focused on selling their product, the vibe in Benefit is different. Their main focus definitely seems to be making their clients happy, which I find to be a rarity nowadays!

I basically come here to get my brows waxed because I’ve never taken the time to find a good salon in Evanston, and I at least know that because it’s a chain, the employees are all going to be consistent. A brow wax costs $ 21, and they do a good job, but I wouldn’t say that it’s twice as good as a $ 10 wax you’d get at a salon.
The staff are super friendly, and the service is fast, which I love. I came in (without an appointment) and was out the door again in less than 20 minutes. The person doing my brows asked me how I wanted them done, showed me where she planned to wax in a mirror, and then quickly got the job done.
The drawback of coming here, as many reviewers have noted, is that the staff will spend your entire visit trying to sell you their products. I actually own some Benefit makeup, and it’s good quality, but like the wax is also rather expensive. After they do your brows, they sit you down and apply some makeup (if you ask for something specific they’ll focus on that, otherwise they’ll just do basic foundation and blush). Afterwards they’ll show you all the products they used and ask if you want to buy them. To their credit, they ask once for each product, and are respectful if you politely decline, but the whole process is somewhat tiresome. When you go to pay, they do their best to get your email address, which I have a policy of never giving out to store clerks.
All in all, this is a good place to go if you want consistently well-​done eyebrows and are willing to pay extra for them (to be fair, botched wax jobs do take a long time to grow back, and your eyebrows are right in the middle of your face, so if you’re going to splurge on something, a brow wax isn’t a bad choice). My advice would be to decide ahead of time if you want to buy any products or not. If you do, the staff are very knowledgeable about everything they carry and will happily spend as long as it takes with you to get you what you want. If you don’t just keep politely declining everything, and they’ll get the picture. If you waver, it’s just going to cause them to pressure you more, and neither of you will be happy in the end.

Updated review for their makeup application and fake lashes!
I had my wedding makeup and lashes done here, and so did the rest of my bridesmaids and the two moms. Everyone looked so beautiful! My makeup stayed the whole night, and I loved the way it looked. Also, Erin, as always, was fantastic and took special care to make sure that each lash for my individual lash application was perfect. She even redid one lash four times to make sure it was exactly right! They looked so natural and I loved them. The staff here are the best!
This is definitely the best deal you can get for makeup application. For bridesmaids, it’s free with a $ 50 product purchase, and $ 75 for the bride. You will probably end up buying more though, since their products are amazing. They also gave us some free deluxe samples to try, which was so nice of them.
Thank you Benefit!

A few months back I had a terrible experience at another eyebrow establishment. It took months to grow out the absurdly thin lines that this stylist thought would somehow look good on my face (I looked like a painted on doll) but it scared me from trying a new place months after I was in need of a wax.
Thankfully, a friend from Florida suggested I find a Benefit Boutique and trust them with the monstrosity. She assured me each stylist goes through extensive training and understands that one size does not fit all.
I was able to make a same-​day, Friday afternoon appointment with Bridget using their online system and anxiously headed over after work. Even though Bridget was admittedly anxious to make sure I loved my brows, she walked me through what she was going to do in the mirror and then quickly and easily gave me beautifully natural brows again. I can’t tell you how much better I feel knowing I look at least a little bit better!
She didn’t try and sell me anything but she did offer the makeup service and to test out any products they had. It was a hot summer day and walking to and from trains has me less than enthusiastic about trying things on my skin and she totally respected that.
I am SO thankful for the recommendation that I received and I would 100% recommend Bridget and presumably the entire Benefit stylists for an eyebrow wax!

My daughters love benefit cosmetics and came while in a visit to Evanston. We got our eye brows waxed and they did a really good job. It was $ 21.00. They helped my daughters with some products and showed us some of there newest items. Very helpful.

I honestly don’t know why this place is so highly rated. The sales ladies are always really pushy about customers buying something, and pushy for booking reappointments for brow wax. I’ve noticed they’re always really polite to their regulars though, so maybe I just don’t come enough. In addition, they never have the newest Benefit items in stock, always only a few weeks later.
The brow wax itself is pretty good, however I didn’t like the original shape that the esthetician went with, and when I asked for my brows to be waxed more, the esthetician kept insisting on her way even though it clearly looked too thick.
I now buy my Benefit makeup from
, and return it to the store at Old Orchard, since they have a great return policy.

This review is for Jessica only. She was great. She gave me a clean, fast, and virtually painless eyebrow wax. She did a great job, my eyebrows are perfect thanks to her.
The sales associates are too chatty for my liking and they kept double and over booking Jessica. I made an appointment and when I got there I realized I was being taken in between a lash tinting, which was fine but then a woman walked in and they tried to squeeze her in for an eyebrow wax as well. When Jessica stated that she couldn’t take the additional squeeze in the associates then asked Jessica to talk to the customer about her brows. Mind you Jessica had literally only finished one of my brows and was also doing a lash tint. The customer was at least 45 years old, obese, and had one question, how often should she get her eyebrows waxed. Are you kidding me? You are 45 years old and don’t know how long it takes for your eyebrows to grow from perfectly arched face shapers to out of control weeds growing down your eyelids and up your forehead? Moron.