Aveda Institute Columbus-Neil Ave

Pretty good job for a teaching institute, I got partial highlights with amazing quality. The student was informative and worked professionally. tehy even gave me a free mini facial while washing/​toning my hair in a very comfy bed. The most remarkable part of y visit was actually the instructor. (Miss Cindy, I think) She was amazing. Completely understood and cared about what I wanted done (ombré-​styled highlights that look lived in) and she explained to the student how to properly do them. Definitely a great teacher and great stylist. If you are easy-​going and don’t mind the teaching environment, definetely go here.

I’m definitely a fan of Aveda’s teaching institute. I’ve had a few things done there, and they have all been very professional and friendly. I have VERY curly hair, so cutting it was a bit nerve-​wrecking for the student, but she worked with her supervisor’s guidance and I was really happy with the cut. I’m not very high strung about beauty, however, so if you are, you may want to go to a more professional site.
You have to go in knowing that it is a teaching facility, so things will probably take a little longer than elsewhere. However, the prices are so friendly, and if you go before 11am, you get 20% off. Also, since the students don’t get tips, you can leave a tip for a cause, which I think is a really nice thing.
I definitely give it a thumbs up!

I will give two stars because my student was friendly and competent, always checked on how I liked temperature and pressure, etc. I think she will be a great esthetician.
However, this is the worst Aveda Institute experience I have had, and I have gone to Aveda schools in two other cities for 4 – 5 years now. At those locations, I received a much higher caliber of service, and I always left relaxed, happy, and amazed that I was able to get such excellent treatment from students and for such bargain prices.
I had an early appointment and bussed in. Only 7 minutes before my appt., and a minute before I get off the bus, I receive a voice message explaining that the only scheduled student had called off. I walk in and continue the conversation. The receptionist was extremely apologetic, rebooked me in the afternoon, and said I would receive 30% off services. This was ok for me, since I didn’t have anywhere to be.
I putz around campus for 5 hours, check back in about 5 minutes before the appt, and am shown downstairs in a waiting area with forms and water. It is at least 10 – 15 minutes into my appt, and I have not been greeted by anyone else– just received some stares from students running in and out of the treatment room. I go back upstairs and report to receptionist that I have seen no sign of my student.
The receptionist goes back downstairs with me and returns with the instructor. The instructor says sorry, accompanied with «she’s setting up for your treatment» and an attitude that made me feel as if I was being unreasonable. After that, I only encounter the instructor during my facial skin analysis, and, unlike previous instructors who have supervised my appts, she doesn’t even greet or address me, or even seem happy at all.
The final straw was at the register. I pay and leave, but I quickly remember that I was supposed to receive 30% off! I had paid full price! I run back in to have this remedied, but the new receptionist tells me that there was no record put in to give me the discount. I was offered 20% after re-​explaining that I had had a morning appt. Phone was dead, so couldn’t access voicemail proof, and I was so aggravated that I decided to let it go and break up with this place.
I would not recommend this place. Do not plan to return unless they make some big changes in how they run things!

Decent for what it is. For some beauty services (leg waxing, maintenance hair cuts), I’m perfectly happy with something less than flawless but still good, but at an affordable price. I wouldn’t go here for things that require a lot of attention to detail and mastery (eyebrows, brazilian, any skin care), but it’s good for a basic trim/​cut, some highlights, and most body waxing I think.
What to expect:
*Students are hit or miss. Some are very friendly, others don’t say much. I’ve never had anyone downright unfriendly or rude, but some could be more welcoming or inviting in their manner to create a comfortable atmosphere.
*No frills. The room where you get waxed is literally made with a curtain so hear staff gossiping, joking, and moving around the whole time. Not a problem, just be aware this won’t be a sophisticated venue.
*Up to 2 hours even for a basic service. I definitely get impatient when a student takes nearly 2 hours to do a basic trim and style, but I remind myself that they are learning, and my hair is long. Definitely give yourself time, and sometimes you’ll be lucky and get someone who does a really efficient, quick job.
*The tea/​drink and complimentary ritual is a nice finishing touch.
I’ve had some highlights here that I love, and will probably have some more put in at some point. I love their products, always smell so delicious and fresh.
I believe that people have had bad experience here and it’s unfortunate. I’ll just stick to very basic services and hope I don’t get anyone awful.

This is the BEST cosmetology school I have ever been to. I’ve had color services, hair cuts, a manicure, and a facial at the Neil Ave location. All were outstanding, over several visits. Staff is always friendly, instructors always visible and helpful, and my hair LOVES Aveda products. Shout out to stylist Katelyn Williams, but she’s moved up to the Gateway location they tell me, so I will follow her there. I highly recommend it… But bring your own COLD water. Theirs is room temperature.

I went in for my first underarm + Brazilian waxing. I read up on what to expect. I took pain meds beforehand. The student was friendly, informative, and comforting, and her instructor seemed genuinely confident in her student’s abilities.
Both waxings together, from the time she made the first pull to the time I called it quits, took an hour and a half. I had to stop her because I couldn’t endure anymore, and there were still patches of hair left. And I know she was a student, and I know the first time is the worst, but instead of the pain fading, it got worse as time passed and my medication started to wear off. Twelve hours after she completed my underarms it was still incredibly painful. I got BLISTERS and BRUISES somehow? I couldn’t even rest my arms at my sides they burned so bad, even with the cooling cream I bought from them. I am pretty sure it was not supposed to take that long or hurt this bad.
I called to complain about he incident, had my info taken, and have yet to receive a call back.
She did an okay job tinting my eyebrows, though. And I guess she didn’t rip my labia open, because apparently that is a thing that can happen.
I am never going to see a student for a cosmetic service again.
I had uploaded pictures of how horrible my underarm looked but somebody seems to have taken them down. Not sure why, I don’t see how it’s very different from people posting pictures of their hairdos and manicures…
P. S. It totally didn’t last 4 – 6 weeks as they claimed. I had stubble again in just a few days.

For being a school the sure do a great job. Most of the time when you go a student service (to get the special pricing) you know what your getting yourself into. The risk is high but you save cash flow. I have to give it to the students this semester who have really impressed me.
I got my eyebrows waxed for the first time and the cashier clerk actually got me on a good facial cleansing line (which I normally could care less about it).
Overall I have to say I would love to come back but the student pricing isn’t actually as cost effective as you hope it will be bc all the Aveda Products are still regular price.
My only complaint was how they students ask if you want a message and you say no thanks bc you think they’re trying to sell you a service and as you are about to walk out the cashier asks how you enjoyed your free massage and you realize you by-​passed something you would have otherwise really enjoy had it been offered in a way that was communicated more effectively.
Anyways, eyebrows did a great job but probably not a necessary service-​but staff did a great job doing it.

I had my hair cut here once-​my stylist asked to borrow a round brush from her neighbor, who told her the only one she had was dirty. I then watched in the mirror as my stylist took the brush from a bin clearly marked ‘dirty’ and used it on my hair. Since I know every client has just had their hair washed, I let it go– but I cancelled the pedicure appointment I had there later that day!
That being said, I still go there for my brow waxes and they tend to a decent job for the price.

I went here with my two daughters to have some hair coloring and cuts while my daughter visited from New York. As others have said on Unilocal,instructors ask you in front of the poor scared students if you like the work as they un-​style and re-​cut your hair because its an exam of some sort. The young girl was very timid and did what they told her too but it was all wrong. One of my daughters paid $ 60. for four foils in the top of her hair only. My other daughter from new York wanted highlights and has brown hair, they told her they had to strip it and then color it again. She looked like they gave her white feathered wings over the top of her head (except for a cap size area on top) and then colored the whole thing over again. Very odd practice and my daughter is still trying to undo the damage. If you go in earlier in the day you can get a small discount but believe me they make up for that in over charging you. Also the girl let us know that if you tip them they cant keep it for themselves, it goes to the school. Terrible.

I received a bikini wax at Aveda this morning. I understand that it is a student performing the service and I should expect some sloppiness but my 1 star is mainly about the atmosphere. I had to sign another waiver each time I walked into another room. By the time I got to the bed I signed 5 different waivers. It made me pretty uneasy! Next, the gown that she handed me to put on was stained and ratty as was the sheet. There was no pillow at all. The overhead lighting was harsh and shown right in my face. There are no walls, only curtains which means you listen to the banter of everyone just hanging out right on the other side of the curtain. Overall, my appointment was at 9:15am and I didn’t leave until 10:45am. Way too long for this awful experience.

You’ll never see the same student twice for a wax, but at least they all do decent work for the price and skill level. They can be a little slow if you get em talking.

Some services are ok. My mani was terrible — sweet young lady. The problem is, instead of an anonymous eval, the instructor asks if you like the job done right in front of the student. If you say no, you have to have the same student redo it right then. Instructors only check in & check out. But they don’t really check it, and they don’t coach to help or correct them or check in throughout the process. Just once before they begin.
That said — this is a great place for skin services!

If you are like me and are more interested in getting a simple haircut at an affordable price than having a salon experience, then this is the place for you. I’ve gotten all my hair cuts here in the past couple of years, and will still continue going so long as Aveda doesn’t continue to increase their prices. Aveda increased it once in the past year, but if they continue to do so, I may as well go to a professional.
You get what you pay for. I’ve gotten a different student at each visit, with varying degrees of skill and friendliness. I always ask for long layers, and a visit can range from a little over an hour to more than two hours.

I was recently taken here for my birthday and had a facial, manicure, and pedicure. I was in a large group which they accommodated-​thank you!
I really enjoyed my facial-​I believe it was called the «pure». I realize that this is a school and not a regular salon so there is a bit of noise-​not as relaxing as a regular salon. The facial and massage were great. I also liked the steam. The only thing I was not happy with was the lotion bottle hitting my head when thrown on the table. I realize it was an accident and was the only con. The hand and arm massage were worth the minor mishap.
I loved being able to take the colors of the my choice home with me after having them applied with the mani and pedi. The students I had were really nice and I had a good time. I would go back and to anyone on a budget you should give it a try!

I went here for the Elemental Nature Facial. I don’t remember my esthetician’s name, but she was very friendly.
Atmosphere:
When I entered the staff was helpful. I did find the curtained-​off stall for my facial to be small. And the table was somewhat unsteady, which was noticeable for the massage portion of the service. There was a lot of outside noise. After changing I needed to use the restroom, and felt slightly awkward about running out to the one adjacent to the waiting room in my robe and bare feet (luckily there were only women there). It was somewhat cold, even under the blanket. I guess I could have complained, but it didn’t seem like an issue the esthetician could fix.
Service:
The esthetician’s manner helped me to relax, but I could definitely tell she was inexperienced. Having received a facial at a regular Aveda salon, I had certain expectations. I understand that it is a learning process for the students and they are practicing on customers, but I had to wait way longer than I thought reasonable between each part of the facial. That might have been less of an issue if the room was warmer. It might have been based on the way the institute was run rather than my particular service, but I would expect that everything would be set up anticipating what would be needed. I did appreciate the foot/​scalp/​hand massages offered while each mask set in.
Price:
The institute price for the facial is $ 45. It was easy to book, and I got the 20% early bird discount for making a morning appointment which was great. I found it interesting that they didn’t accept tips, instead suggesting that you ‘tip’ to charity. Definitely a good value for the service.
Overall, this was a ‘fine’ experience, but in the future I would hesitate to go back. The pauses in service kept me from being really blissed-​out, and that’s what I look for in a facial. It might work for a more functional service such as a haircut.

First, I realize these are students. Regardless, this was the worst pedicure I’ve ever had.
As someone else mentioned, they don’t have the usual pedicure massage chair and soaking tub. They fill up a metal bowl with warm water and put rocks in the bottom. Not sure what that is supposed to do for me. My technician, Rita, did not let my feet soak for more than 10 seconds before she started to work on the first foot.
Rather than trim my toenails with a clipper, she proceeded to file each of my nails into an uneven shape. It had been a month since my last pedicure, and I had trimmed two of the nails myself, but they definitely needed to be cut, not filed. She then asked me if each nail was the right shape. They were all pointy and uneven. I just wanted to take a clippers and file and do them myself, but let her keep going.
Maybe because it’s an Aveda place, they don’t use the softening chemical that most places use. So, when she exfoliated the soles of my feet, nothing really came off. And she didn’t rub very hard.
I had chosen a very light shade of polish which I have to admit, makes it a little more difficult to give the toes an even look. However, Rita just kept going over and over the nail, so that there was too much polish on the nail. It looked messy. I could barely keep a straight face at the end, because my toes looked so screwed up.
Two of my friends made appointments for 3:30 and were there during my pedicure that started at 3. Their pedicures were fairly normal and they finished theirs about 2 minutes after mine. So, if you want to get a pedicure at Aveda, just don’t get one from Rita.
At the end of your appointment, the «supervisor» comes over and asks how your experience was, and looks at your nails. Except that the person who just did your work is sitting right there. Am I supposed to tell the supervisor that I just had a crap pedicure while the girl is sitting right there? This process should not be done in front of the student, if you actually want accurate responses.
The funniest part is that the other girls doing pedicures said that Rita had already graduated. I guess if you fail enough times they’ll just give you a pass.
I had a 20% off coupon so my pedicure cost about 21 dollars. I would have paid 20 dollars to stay at home, do the pedicure myself, and not have wasted my time.

Great cheap haircut! I always get exactly what I want, for me that’s a razor cut! They always go above and beyond to really satisfy you and they are the best and funniest people! However, stay away from the waxing services– OWWW! and I don’t reccomend the chemical services either– too bad the products suck because the stylists are some of the most talented I’ve seen in a while– ANYWHERE!
I had a facial here too and don’t reccomend it either– the girl pulled and tugged on my face– it looked worse after it than when I got there! I had to do some serious light massage and Olay treatment to get it back to looking fresh and unlined.
Go for the haircuts though! And they do have a parking lot in back– just get a pass from inside. On street you will get a ticket if your meter exprires!

Move over Penzone’s, forget you Kenneth’s, I’ve been bitten by the Aveda Institute bug and I’m not going back. Thanks to my heck of a deal Groupon offer I took advantage of ($ 50 worth of services for $ 25) I tried the Aveda school today for the first time and I was not disappointed. So let me break down the good, the bad and the ugly:
The Good
I got the 90 minute facial and it was hands down THE best facial I have ever had. Why??? Well it’s all due to my fabulous esthetician Faith Walker. Seriously this girl ROCKS!!! I have never had a person pay so much attention to and take their time as Faith did. She explained everything as she went along, was super gentle and again most importantly to me, she took her time. I did not feel rushed like I do typically at the big time Columbus salon’s I mentioned above. The facial itself starts with a foot soak where you receive a foot scrub and wash. This was a really nice touch. Then througout the facial I received a phenomenal arm and hand massage 2 times during the facial. I could have opted to do a foot massage, but chose the hand and arm again. I was so relaxed and it was such a great stress reliever. The rooms in the spa area are sectioned off with curtains. Almost reminds me of the booth the wizard sits behind in the Wizard of Oz, or a voting booth. I really didn’t care for this and prefer being in a room because you can hear people walking past outside of the curtain and their talking/​conversations, etc. Once your skin gets evaluated by the esthetician she/​he then will bring in their instructor so they can examine and make sure the esthetician is recommending the proper mask/​cleanser for your skin type. This was the only time anyone else came in to check the facial, which was nice.
The Bad was that parking around here stinks. The lot in the back is gravel and super tiny and packed so you nine times out of ten will have to park on the street.
The Ugly part about this visit was that I got a flippin ticket for an expired meter. No lie that meter was not empty for more than 7 minutes and I had a ticket, so they pay close attention and must watch the meters like a hawk.
Bottom line is that this place is great if you’re budget concious and want to treat yourself to a nice relaxing service. I HIGHLY recommend asking for Faith, cause this girl is the bomb. So much so that I asked for her card, because once she graduates I definitely want to follow her to wherever she ends up working, it was THAT good.

The worst pedicure I’ve ever had. The only thing I got out of it was a free bottle of OPI polish. I guess not every student is meant to be in the biz.
First things first, you have to be OK with a student doing your toes, fingers, hair, face, etc. I was. I was also ok with the $ 25 price tag. I hadn’t been to the institute before, but thought it’d be a good idea to go and support students. I had no problem signing the waiver form. The institute did a nice job setting a professional atmosphere as best it could.
I was totally disappointed that they do your pedicure in a large metal bowl. There’s really not enough room in there for a good soak and the water is stagnant and gets cool quickly. Not relaxing at all. So, anyway, the girl is reading over my sheet and examining my feet and calls her instructor over to look at my foot to make sure it was ok to work on. It was a scar and the instructor told the girl it was nothing to worry about. I felt embarrassed at that point.
Moving on. The girl gets started. She’s nice and funny. However, she tells me right off the bat she doesn’t like giving pedicures and proceeds to be mediocre. Then the instructor makes her do the polish over. I was there for two hours. When leaving they tried to sell me a bunch of products I wasn’t interested in. I paid my $ 25 and left.
I really just regretted my whole experience here even though everyone was nice and friendly. My pedi only lasted about 5 days.

When my hair regrowth got so bad that you could almost see more brown than red, I called Aveda. At 4pm on a Friday they were able to schedule me for 8:30am the following Saturday. Thank jeebus.
Things I got from this that I didn’t expect:
— A hand and arm massage while my color processed
— A LAY DOWN SINK! Getting my hair washed at the salon is one of the most painful things — that is not an angle that the human neck is meant to be in. But you can LAY DOWN on a bed here while they wash your hair! Mmmm comfy naptime.
— A mini facial while the conditioner processed
— My hair properly thinned out, and the charge for a haircut removed because «we didn’t do enough cutting to charge you for a haircut.»
Things I didn’t get that I expect:
— My hair properly flat-​ironed. I have thick, unruly hair, but my favorite part of any salon visit is that I have shiny, sleek, straight hair for 3 – 4 days. Ah well, the girl who did it apologized, citing that she herself had short, poker-​straight hair.
— To be out of this place in less than 4 hours. Thus is the sacrifice of going to a cosmetology school.
Total cost: $ 50. But I had a Groupon. $ 25. FTW.