Scott J. Aveda Salon – Upper West Side

Pros:
Good service
Nice facility
Good haircut
Seemingly professional
Cons:
Way overpriced
Bottom Line:
3x more expensive than an economical alternative. The staff is attractive, the facility is nice and the service is good. This is likely why you pay a 300% premium for a haircut here.

Chloe is AMAZING! I can not praise her enough. She made me feel like a million bucks and I had a wonderful experience with my appointment. I will gladly recommended her to anybody I know.

This review is for Charlie. I have been seeing her for years, so this review is long overdue. She is EXCELLENT at cutting hair and understanding your specific hair type, needs, issues, etc. when coloring she always has maintainence of heathy hair a main concern, which is not always found at salons. She is also conscious of your budget which is the trifecta. Book with her, you will love her!

My stylist saw me 40 minutes late. She was nice and did an ok job, but I rushed out of work to make it on time, and a 40 minute wait time to me, is ridiculous. Scott J. Aveda Salon on the UWS tries to appear like a nice salon, but it’s just another cheap spot. Then the plump woman with the really short, platinum hair at the cash register was really rude to me. I honestly don’t know how anyone would give this place a good review for the hair salon.

I visited NYC for an event at the Natural History Museum, and Juliet and Howell squeezed me in for a color touch up. They were incredibly nice and professional, the price was reasonable, and I’d go again in a heartbeat!

I wanted to give 3 ½ stars but don’t think that is an option. I was supposed to get a haircut with Sarah but she called in sick so Kristen was available. I liked Kristen and she did a god job. I just had her cut some length off so it was pretty quick which I appreciate and she was nice and was competent. The lower rating is really just the feel of the salon — it feels a bit like a factory. No one was really that friendly and I felt pretty anonymous. So, a bit of mixed bag.

Michael is the best! I’ve been coming for years but I just wanted to highlight (pun intended) how great he is with his coloring! I love the recent partial he did for me last weekend! The contrast is exactly what I wanted and it looks amazing! I’ve already gotten a ton of compliments! Definitely check him out !!

I’ve been going to this salon for 5 years and I see Charlie. She is just amazing. I have gone the full spectrum from blonde to brunette and my hair is so healthy and vibrant and ALWAYS looks natural! Great cut. Amazing color! So happy. Highly recommend. Ps the complimentary tea is seriously delicious –try it :)

DO NOT GET HAIR COLOR FROM MICHAEL!!!
Please save yourself from an absolute hair disaster! I naturally have dirty blond hair, and I asked Michael to add more blond highlights. I even brought in a photo of Jennifer Aniston’s highlights (see below). He absolutely BUTCHERED my hair color. I burst into tears in his chair and all he said was, «I used the picture you gave me; I don’t know why you’re upset.» My hair looked NOTHING like the photo (again, please see below). He agreed to add a few lowlights but my hair still looked horrific. I finally just swiped my card and ran out as fast as I could. I then spent the next 4 hours in the chair of a hair color specialist in an effort to do some kind of damage control (which cost an additional $ 500!!)
It has been 5 weeks since my visit to the Aveda salon and I’ve gone back and forth about writing this review. I did go back to the salon that day, and after showing the manager my photos, she fully reimbursed me. However, I called the salon today and Michael is STILL a hair stylist there. I also want to add that my hair is now so unhealthy because of the damage Michael did. I’m trying to use Coconut Oil and Deep Conditioners in an effort to try to get back the healthy hair I had, but sadly I think I’m just going to have to let it grow out and keep cutting it :(

I finally found someone who knows how to style and cut my son’s thick, coarse hair. Thank you Charlie for doing a fabulous job!

I received an email about getting a complimentary brow consultation from the new brow guru. Assuming it would involve me also getting a brow shaping, I tried to look online to see how much that would cost but it’s not listed on the online menu of services. I was offered brow tinting for $ 25 and politely declined, assuming (wrongfully) that a shaping would cost less than a tinting. My brows look great, but a surprise $ 50 charge for tweezing only was not so great. I am glad I did not purchase the package deal because I will not be back for this service.

My color and cut with Bree was incredible. I decided to make a leap from my natural dark brown hair to a caramel-​colored bayalage treatment. I brought in a photo for Bree and was thrilled with the results. The biggest plus: I find that most hairstylists put in so much product that it looks greasy the next morning, and knowing I’d be going into the work the next day I didn’t want this to be the case. Not so with Bree — I woke up with perfectly styled hair that I just had to a run a brush through and walked into work looking flawless. I’d recommend her to anyone I know!

After moving to the UWS a few months ago, I was in search of a new salon. After reading reviews for Scott J, I decided to book an appointment for a haircut with Sarah. She did a fantastic job! I have very fine, straight hair and she gave me subtle long layers that were just what I was looking for

I’ve been to Scott J twice and both times my hair looked nice. And I do love Aveda products. The thing with this salon is that’s it feels like they are pumping such a large numbers of clients through as quickly as possible, making the experience very impersonal. I was having a cut and color, and my stylist had another client she was working on at the same time as me.
The stylists do what you ask, but there’s no discussion about options, no tips or suggestions. If you’re fine with this, Scott J may be the place for you, but if you want to learn about your hair, or work with someone who might offer recommendations on your cut or style, I would recommend finding a spot with stylists who can take the time to focus on the client in front of them.

I just recently started going to Ostrey at Aveda and LOVE her! She does both cut and color and is fantastic at both. It saves so much time. I can be done in about 2 – 2.5 hours rather than spending the whole afternoon at the salon for my cut and highlights and being seen by 3 – 4 different people. Her assistants are top notch as well. The botanical treatment is fabulous and keeps my hair healthy as it does tend to dry out from the highlights after a while. When I walk in, Me and my hair are in definite need of pampering and when I walk out, I feel like a movie star!

I have been to different Aveda salons over the years and since moving to NYC decided to give this one a try. I figure I can always rely on ‘old faithful’! The stylist I booked with was sick, so I was put with someone else last minute. She was really nice and did a good job (I had a single process color to help correct some bad highlights from another salon). However, what I found strange was that once she put the color in, the assistant did everything else, including the blowout. When she was finished, she walked me over to my stylist, who was already working on someone else, to have a look. I would have liked to have had even just a couple of minutes with her, especially since I was concerned about fixing my highlights. However, it felt rushed and awkward standing there with another client in the chair! I am not sure if that is the standard protocol or maybe because they had to squeeze me in last minute. This is a huge and bustling salon, but the Aveda on 100^th street is much quieter and charming. I might try that next for a less rushed experience.

Aveda is a hit or miss… They have such a big turnover that you have to be really lucky to be able to get the same stylist twice… so sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it’s average. One this is sure, all the aveda products have the BEST smell!

I went to this salon after many failed attempts to get my color right at other salons. I went in for a consultation and met with someone that was really nice and seemed to know what she was doing. I ended up making an appointment with someone else due to my schedule. Betsy was amazing. She got the brassy color out of my blonde hair and was fun to chat with as well. I was in an out in under two hours which is quick compared to the long hours I spent at other salons. The highlights were expensive but pretty much on par with anywhere else in NY. I’ll be going back in about 6 – 8 weeks to see Betsy again. Did I mention that they are open late and on Sundays?!

I found the Scott J Aveda Salon a few months after moving to New York City in 2012. I tried a few different stylists @ Scott J before meeting Betsy – a total Godsend. Betsy is not only an amazing stylist but extremely personable. She knows how to make my thick, course, unmanageable Mexican hair look and feel beautiful. She provides me with various tips about how to keep my hair amazing based on the season, special event, or for everyday wear. In addition to keeping my hair nicely colored and freshly cut, Betsy ensures a very sophisticated blow out every time (when her assistants blow out my hair, she comes by to make sure it is being done exactly the way I want). I feel well taken care of and will continue going to Scott J to see Betsy. While I have been relatively happy with other stylists there, I would not be a regular if it weren’t for Betsy. I have also sent three friends her way who walked out extremely happy about the service and most importantly, who felt renewed and beautiful. I highly recommend the salon itself and if Betsy is available, see her.

I’ve been going to this salon for years. I never give reviews about blowouts because I usually get a good one because my hair is rather easy to style. Last night I had William do my hair for an event I have this evening. To say it looked awful is an understatement. While he did a nice job with the ends, he didn’t style my bangs and just left my hair parted & flat and frizzy. He didn’t dry the hair from the root so you could see where the curl was starting to form & left sections near the root frizzy. He had to restyle my hair when I got home. I wouldn’t pay $ 5 for my hair to be done like this, let alone $ 50. Very disappointed. Given this is the 2^nd time I’ve had a bad blowout there, I won’t be returning.

I’ve been going to the Upper West Side location for over a year now and all of my experiences have been excellent. I regularly schedule all of my appointments with Lela and she always does an amazing job. I typically get a single process (white blonde), a gloss, a deep conditioning treatment, and a trim. Every time I leave their salon I get a million compliments about my hair. Lela is extremely personal and pays so much attention to detail. I’ll never let anyone else touch my hair again. I strongly recommend her!

Brandi is the best stylist! She has been cutting my hair for years and I won’t go anywhere else! And the receptionists are always so friendly!

I was not happy that just a haircut cost $ 80 (I was given a senior stylist without being asked if I wanted a junior one). Meanwhile, while giving me a haircut, the hairstylist kept shoving hair products down my throat, e.g., you can buy this product, then this product, then this product, and she even walked upstairs with me to insist I buy the products. In the end, she said when you post on your social media, make sure to hashtag us so everyone knows where you got your haircut. Definitely not value for your money, would not go back.

Just got my haircut today with Sarah and it was perfect! While I only got my hair trimmed, nothing dramatic, the cut looks beautiful and the blow out was amazing as well. The price was extremely reasonable for nyc. The salon was clean and my stylist was on time. I will definitely be back for my next cut!

I was a little hesitant to book an appointment here because the reviews were so mixed. A couple of friends recommended the salon, so I decided to give it a try. Mikaela was great. She listened to me and then gave me a great cut. Everyone else was friendly and very professional as well. I will definitely be returning.

I was a regular customer of this salon for 2 years. I had platinum blonde bleached hair so I went to the salon frequently and spent (literally) thousands of $$ over those 2 years for haircuts and color.
I am sad to write this review, but I experienced such bad customer service from this salon that I felt I had to.
I wanted to change my color, and specifically showed the stylist several photos of exactly what I wanted, plus several photos of exactly what I did NOT want. When she colored my hair, she said that the new mixing bottle had not worked, and the front of my hair was a COMPLETELY different color than the back. She then proceeded to totally re-​bleach my entire head (without discussing with me what she was planning to do) which of course seriously damaged my already bleached hair, especially since I had just had my roots bleached during that appointment. Even then, she did not manage to color my hair a color I wanted at all.
Over the course of this, my poor hair was bleached multiple times and shampooed probably about 8 times, and even blow dried twice = DAMAGE.
After having spent over 4 hours in the salon, I was frazzled and stressed about the experience and was running extremely late for dinner plans. I told the front desk what happened when I was paying, assuming I would at least get a discount, and the response was «ohh, yaaa… I’m sorry.» Nothing.
I tried for WEEKS to speak to a manager about a refund, but they just kept bouncing me around, saying they needed the regional manager who apparently is «never available» and kept offering me «free damage treatments» which honestly was not going to fix the fact that my hair had broken off pieces everywhere, and that I didn’t even like the color I ended up with.
It is an embarrassment to this salon that they care more about taking someone’s money for a horrible, damaging experience than keeping a loyal customer of 2 years.
I will never be back and I cannot recommend this salon.
Plus, the blow-​dries here always look awful. They make you look like a soccer mom from 2005.

I come up her to avoid crazy west village salon prices. It is pretty good! I love my stylist Chloe. The staff can be impersonal but the facility is nice and you get a hand massage. They only let you tip in cash which can be really annoying.

Good Evening,
I received your post on Unilocal.Thanks for the offer but I’m not interested. Why did it take you THREE MONTHS to get back to me? I’m guessing it’s bad customer service! It’s funny how your offering me a free service to get my hair done, but when I made the appointment
NO ONE WAS ABLE TO HELP ME!!! So how would u help me? I’m so disgusted with your customer service. U really don’t know how it feels I’m sitting there crying and no one even seemed to care that they can’t accommodate me with another stylist. And this is «Scott J» like really! All of my friends from my cancer center are so baffled about my experience. You all should be ashamed. And maybe u need to recruit New Managers!
Good Day!
Sent from my iPhone

I have been going to Scott J, now, for about two years and have had my hair styled by Chloe each time. She is truly remarkable. Prior to Chloe, I had been bouncing around from a few stylists (not at Scott J) — sometimes leaving with a decent haircut, but incredibly inconsistent. I feel lucky to be a client of Chloe’s because that has never been the case. I’ve had literally dozens of haircuts from Chloe, and each one has been perfect — she makes me feel like a million bucks (as they say!) each time. She is attentive, very careful, accommodating, and takes her time, and have never gotten complacent even though I’ve been a client for a while now. This latter point is something that is so often the case these days. She checks mid-​way that the cut is going as planned, and just does an amazing job each time.
While the haircut is most important, of course, Chloe is also a wonderful person and I enjoy seeing her to chat. The rest of my experiences at Scott J have generally been good — nice at the front desk, good shampoo and complimentary massage, and fair enough price considering it’s the Upper West Side — but I come here because of how amazing (and consistently awesome!) Chloe is and will continue to do so no matter where I live in NYC.

My first time in to this salon was a disaster. I emailed their guest services team on their website afterwards expressing my disappointment in my level and service and in the haircut I got (I walked out with The Rachel including an exaggerated flip out. No joke. Who even asks for something like that today?! To make things worse, she didn’t even give me a chance to look at it after she’d finished drying it, just whisked back upstairs to pay). Anyway, within two hours I’d received an email back apologizing for my experience and a phone call from the General Manager offering me a new appointment at my convenience to remedy it.
I went back the next day and saw Sarah who is a hair goddess. Go. See. Her. (especially if you need help fixing The Rachel). She spent a long time going over my hair, even asking to see pictures of what I’d be hoping for in the first place. Then she very meticulously cut my hair and offered to curl it for me as an added bonus.
I’m giving the salon 4 stars because of the level of service I received after expressing my concerns. They were apologetic, accommodating, and made sure I left happy. I’ll definitely be going back to see Sarah again.

I went here to get my hair fixed after a horrible dye job the day before. My hair looked streaked, damaged, and just trashy. I called this salon and was seen right away with a stylist for a consultation, and they were able to fit me in for an appointment with Charlie only 2 hours later. She was super helpful and genuinely seemed to care about making sure my hair looked healthy instead of just trying to convince me to do all these expensive treatments. She also made my hair look wayyy better and I could not be more pleased with my results. I really recommend going to this salon, and ask for Charlie if you’re looking to get highlights or a color treatment. She’s really great!!!

I’ve been going to Scott J Aveda for years, seeing Juliette and a variety of assistants. I’m always more than pleased with the outcome and with the entire experience. I’ve never had to wait more than 10 minutes from arrival to be seated in the chair, and I’m always offered freshly brewed coffee or tea. I usually get a trim and a half-​head of highlights, and I’m in and out within two hours. Juliette is amazing — very professional and calm, and always listens to what I want (which is usually super convoluted). As for the assistants, it does depend who you get, though — the best assistants I’ve worked with give you hand and shoulder massages, and work in a glaze into my hair during the shampooing. Their products are great too — I have their anti-​frizz serum that works like a miracle. I’m always coming back every couple of months, and I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for an incredible salon experience.

Chloe is great! I’ve been going to her for a few years now for a basic cut. I just had her color my hair for the first time this year and she did a phenomenal job! I highly recommend her, as well as the salon as a whole.

See it is also depend who is helping. The stylists are generally nice but the assistants, really depend. Some always skip my hand massages and some skip an extra shampoo. But since the stylists do a very good job, I always like to go back to get my hair color. So I have been a customer for a few years now and I like the color they come up for my hair and also Martha (one of the stylists) added artificial sugar to the mix so I will not get burn. I have sensitive scalp!

Astrid was my stylist (cut & color) for five years, until I moved to California. I cannot find a hairstylist as good as her in LA and it’s made me appreciate her on a whole new level. I’ve recommended her to SO many people. I went back to visit NYC and first thing I did was book an appointment with her. She was just as amazing as I remembered. Not only does she have a true gift, but I love how she keeps it professional by not being too «chatty». It’s nice to let her work her magic in peace. She is so calming and relaxing, but works efficiently too. I’m an actress and needed my hair to always look it’s best. I’ve had a lot of hairstylists in my life from cheap to spendy couture and she is THE BEST. I’m kind of a cheapskate, but she is totally worth the price. I wish she were in LA!!!