Rory McNeill

Proprietor & Award Winning Colorist

Rory is also a monthly contributor in Austin Lifestyle Magazine, sharing tips and insights on how to live life large.

Growing up in the Hill Country, Rory spent plenty of time in Austin and remembers loving the blend of urbanism and nature. Needing to see what the rest of the world had to offer, Rory spent time in San Francisco before heading to Chicago where he lived for over seven years working as a top-booked colorist and salon owner.

While exploring the city of Chicago, Rory built a reputation with the successful opening of his own salon, Tousle. Hidden in the bustling streets of Chicago, the salon was one of the city's best-kept secrets. Tousle housed a talented group of stylists and loyal clientele that shared the address with only the best of friends. The buzz and free-flowing word-of-mouth campaign ensured that Tousle couldn't remain a secret for long.

Rory truly made a name for himself when Chicago Women Magazine voted him Best Colorist in the city and he was featured as a hair colorist on FOX's Ambush Makeover and TLC's A Makeover Story. Rory's work and salon were also featured in Time Out Chicago Magazine and Chicago Social Magazine. Rory's clients enjoy the perfection he learned from studying his skills with masters in the Vidal Sassoon method. He has extended his knowledge through courses from Sassoon (Toronto), Wella (NYC) and others in techniques. With the belief that hair is an art that requires embracing renewed skills, Rory puts time aside every year for taking in courses and encourages his employees to do the same. Rory prides himself on offering his clients the best quality products. This is seen in how he outfits his salon, along with his inclusion of Kerastase as the signature brand for ROAR.

With a passion for beautiful hair and beautiful cities, Rory couldn't stay away from the Texas Hill Country too long. After seven years away, Rory decided to make his way south from Chicago. As Austin was growing leaps and bounds, Rory anticipated the perfect opportunity to set the bar for the downtown salon scene by opening his own new, upscale, urban salon -- ROAR.

While ROAR does play off of his own name, Rory can't think of a better word to embody the bold, fresh attitude of the salon. "ROAR is all about hair and everyone should feel like there is an exclusive place they can go to have all of their hair needs met while receiving the highest quality of service and a unique salon experience," Rory says. "Hair can reveal a lot about a person, and everyone deserves a fabulous haircut, style and color that makes them feel confident."

"I'm thrilled to be back and delivering a salon experience that is naturally sophisticated and injected with glamour." When Rory is not styling hair, he can be found out and about in Austin seeking fabulous bands or gallivanting around the greenbelt. Frequent travel is key to Rory's inspiration: NYC and Miami are favorite destinations several times a year and exploring unique travel destinations is golden to his palate for fresh ideas.