Aveda Institute Denver

Very pleased both my hair cut and style and 60 min facial experiences.
Difference stylists are at difference levels. The higher the number the closer they are to graduation/​getting a license. Mine was a 3. If you want an and 8 or similar, expect a more difficult time booking.
This is a school. Not a professional salon. If you go in with this fact in mind, and understand what to expect, you will be happy. If you are looking change a look significantly I wouldn’t recommend. Start slow and add services as time progresses
If you want absolute perfection and getting in and out quickly, don’t come here. I liking trying various products that would potential work well with your hair or skin.
I do wish the front desk explained the process a bit more but they leave it to you. Here is no offering a choice of level, no estimate of time (a lot. Double customary times) or that you sign a document saying the stylist can majorly screw up and you accept liability.
If you are flexible and the outcome and have some extra time to spend, go for it. I cant speak for other more complex services and it seems hair color is a bit trickier.
Bottom line; I got a great haircut and blow out. Truthfully speaking my hair was a mess before the appointment so I had little to loose.

I was looking for a better than average spot for a highlight and haircut. I am currently between jobs, and was looking for somewhere I could go that would be better than Great Clips, but not as expensive as a typical salon in Denver. I thought this place would be a great compromise. Unfortunately, I will never return. I was there for FOUR hours to get a cut and color. I asked for a partial highlight (high and lowlights) and just the lowlight color underneath. I was quoted one price on the phone with this exact description. When I was in the chair, I was informed that in addition to a highlight, I would be charged for a «tint between» which was an additional $ 36 (+ $ 12 for any extra bowls of color if needed). I asked to speak to an «educator» and she explained the pricing to me (which still didn’t make sense). What is a «tint between»? Well… now I know. Instead of foiling every other one, high and low lights, the student foiled only highlights. She then hand painted the lowlight color over my ENTIRE head! So, now every strand of hair on my head had been colored — which I had not asked for, and never had done. :(Now to the haircut — I asked her not to dry and style it due to the time she had already taken doing my hair. I had my infant son with me and could not afford for him to miss his bedtime on top of everything else we had endured that day. I got home and looked at my hair. Not only was my hair wayyy darker than my natural color, but the back was completely jagged and uneven (I’d insert a pic if I could). So… I had to go BACK to the salon the next day to have it fixed. I was there an additional TWO hours! I would never recommend this place to anyone. It ended up costing me $ 100, + $ 28 for parking. Sooo not worth it. Will go to a high end salon next time.

I visited the Aveda Institute for the second time to get an all-​over color and a simple bang trim. It was a great experience overall, the students and educators are completely professional. I am fairly low-​maintenance with my hair, and I only get it colored once, possibly twice, a year. Explaining this to the stylist and educator, I felt like they took extra consideration making this a positive experience, since it’s something I rarely do.
Upon arrival, I was offered some water and jumped in line to check in. My appointment was scheduled for 9:00am. Considering I was at the salon for close to 4 hours, I would say the earlier you are able to schedule an appointment, the better.
My stylist was Jacquie and she was just lovely. She listened to everything I wanted and informed me that her hair was similar in texture to mine. It was a small gesture that made me feel assured that she would understand what I was looking for, as well as give me realistic expectations. She was meticulous and thorough with my bangs, which after one-​too-​many awful bang trims in the past, I can certainly appreciate. I really enjoyed chatting with her over the hours, she was extremely friendly and interesting.
The salon itself is an excellent source for people watching. All the students are so diverse with their different styles, it gives you plenty to view and kept me entertained.
The price is right, and the service is truly top notch. It’s not a place to go if you are in any type of hurry, as the services took quite a bit of time. But knowing this ahead of time, I made arrangements to make sure there would be no schedule conflicts with the rest of my Saturday! I would recommend booking an appt early or if you are walking in, prepare for at least 2 hours.

I was a little apprehensive after reading some of the reviews. Having never been here before I didn’t know what to expect, it met my expectations. I was assigned Chris a senior stylist, she was great. Asked questions, engaging we fell short when discussing color with the educator, the educator down played the color I wanted. Chris the student knew exactly what I wanted. The color came out better than a lot of high end salons at a fraction of the price. It was darker than what I wanted but still looks great. Aveda was more than happy to book me in again to redo it at no charge. You have to love that policy, most salons don’t have that policy. Definitely will be back. Thank Aveda.

I got a massage and I loved it! Great proce and the student was excellent. I love the energy and the people were fantastic. Will definitely be going back… soon!

Had the 90 minute facial with one upgrade. It was the most relaxing facial I’ve ever had. Walking into the spa, you might be taken back by the bustle of the styling floor. Don’t be alarmed, you will be escorted past the chaos to the tranquil spa area.
Products are recommended by being placed in a shopping basket, but are not pushed upon you. Be aware that since this is a learning institute you are in a room behind curtains and not in a room with a door. Very professional atmosphere for a school. You won’t regret your time here.

Had a great cut by one of the students. They are very thorough and consult with their instructors multiple times throughout the cut. You’ll get a quick exit interview by two instructors to ensure that you are happy.
I was so ecstatic about my cut that I completely forgot to tell the instructor about an off-​color comment the student made right at the beginning of the appointment to me. Could’ve been misconstrued as racist. Maybe she just needed a little more cultural sensitivity? I’m guessing this is not the norm.
Because I liked the services I received, I’m willing to give them a second shot. Hopefully I won’t get that type of accidental (?) treatment again though.

Jordan, an old friend from CSU (GO RAMS) did a wonderful job on my partial highlight yesterday. She was friendly, as was every other member of the staff I encountered, and did a great job on my hair. I would definitely come back and I plan to when I need a touch up.
The building has a very convenient location to my office and it was spotless. They offer complimentary tea and water which is a nice touch and really made me feel welcome. Thanks Jordan!

Buyer beware! I scheduled an appointment for a single process. They said it starts at $ 36. If I need additional «foils» I would have to pay an additional $ 12. I was ok to do the whole thing for under $ 50…Also, I’ve never had a «foil» on a single process.
When the «senior student» went over the pricing with me while I was sitting in her chair, she said i would take three bowls of color so now the price is $ 62! I told her no way, then she offered to do the roots only, which is not why I went there. Waste of time.
I said that the girl on the phone did not explain to me that the color was «per diem». She said she can’t because she doesn’t have a license. I thought that was BS! They definitely left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
I have paid fifty or sixty dollars from a licensed hair colorist for a single process and they needed a lot of color, and I was not charged extra.

+
Fantastic color and blowout from Liz (Lizeth?)
I showed her a photo of Christina Hendricks and said I wanted that color red. Her educator and she consulted and they said since my hair was dark brown, it would not get that bright red, which made sense (unless I wanted to bleach it first) and I thought it was smart to manage expectations.
Liz was personable, engaging and focused and during the process showed me some styling photos she’d done on her iPad — I wish my hair was longer because she’s very talented at everything from blowouts to braids.
When my hair was done, not only did I love it, but I was surprised how much dimension it had. I knew she did something with the color (extra saturation at some points) but it makes it look like I have highlights which is pretty extraordinary. Liz listened to my concerns about my hair reacting to Denver’s very soft water and being very flat and gave me an incredible blowout with volume. I really enjoyed working with her!
A++++ experience.

Disappointing is an understatement.
Even before I scheduled the appointment, I asked twice, «can they do a reverse ombré»? I was assured that if I got a «master» stylist, they definitely could. Apparently, reverse ombré translated to: random chunks of hair with bleach, even though I showed up with a plethora of pictures of exactly what I wanted.
My hair is not remotely what I wanted, and when I asked to have it done right I was told: «we don’t have time.» Excuse me?!
But no luck, so now I have hair that looks like an eighties carpet mated with teenage Justin Timberlake’s chunky highlights. It looks just as depressing and frazzled as I feel everytime I look in the mirror. I hate it, it makes me very unhappy.
Update: although management did contact me to reach a resolution and I appreciate that, the experience left me with zero confidence in their team’s skills. I did not take them up on their offer for a redo. In my opinion, the corrections to make the hair color more like the technique I requested should have been done before I walked out the door. I understand the need to save face, but I stand by my critique. My visit was unpleasant and my stylist did not even attempt the style I asked for. In hindsight, my decision to go here was naïve. I was wrong to assume that the more experienced students had higher skill sets and could perform to the level of a pro.

Great haircut by an advanced student! As long as you know what you want (pictures to show are recommended), there are no issues. The place does really try to sell you on buying multiple products, but it is definitely not necessary. Bring cash to tip!
P. S. Instructor Melody was very kind and attentive — thank you!

This is my most favorite place ever! For $ 35 you can get an amazing facial, truly a better experience than any of the local Aveda places in town (and so much cheaper). Sometimes I splurge and pay $ 45 for 90 minutes, so so awesome!!!

$ 15 haircut by a student fixes a $ 50 haircut from a high-​end place. Champagne all around!!! All during my lunch hour! I couldn’t handle the chop job given to me recently, so one day I called from my office, and bam, I was in.
These are students, this is a school. It is an opportunity to learn! I myself now know how to layer and texturize hair! Still, lets leave the haircutting to the pros.
It took about an hour and a half for the shampoo, cut and blow out as there were checkins and teaching moments with the roaming hair professors.
I went to Samantha and I am pleased!!!

I come from a small town and have only had a trusted friend cut my hair before coming in to Aveda. Wanting to play around and needing a hair cut I went in to see the girls at Aveda.
My hair turned out beautiful! I had asked for a natural looking ombré and that’s exactly what I got. But not only did I get exactly what I wanted I got a massage and little «finishing touch» as well.
They take the time and explain to you exactly what products they’re using so you know how to take care of your hair later once you leave. It’s a true spa experience, I wi definitely be going back.

My spa services recently have been amazing! Kyler is fabulous! I’m shocked that she is a student and hasn’t been a pro for years!
Book her before she graduates in a month!
I also had a facial recently that was quite good. Kudos to the spa staff and educators. This school is far beyond most schools!

I went to the institute as a student and did the aesthetics and massage programs. I had wonderful teachers and enjoyed my experience at the school as a student. I was even placed in a job in my field before I graduated.
Now, as an Alumni, I still come back here to get my hair cut, manicures and pedicures, and massages. I know how good the education is and I trust the students to do a good job for a very reasonable price. I’m never disappointed.
Just go in knowing that it’s a school and expect to be there for about three times as long as you would for a normal service because they have educators check all their work and sometimes the students go slower because they are still learning. But if you have the time, it’s worth it. I’ve had better services here then I have at actual salons and hair places with licensed professionals.

Yay for Happy Hour Fridays!
I took advantage of the special happy hour prices and got an hour-​long elemental facial ($ 15 instead of $ 35!~) They start by taking you down to the calm-​but-​creepy basement and placing you in one of the dark, curtained-​off areas. A student asks you a few typical questions about your skin, such as what type of skin do you have (dry/​oily/​combination) and what you’re looking for in the facial but also questions you about where and how you feel stress. You then sniff some little bottles — whoo! — and the student tells you what «element’ you are (I’m a fire, which I think means that my skincare regimen should focus on evening my skin tone). In the meantime, you sit back in a little wicker chair and get a hot towel wrapped around your feet.
Then you get nekkid and climb onto the table under the hopefully clean sheets — I’m going to be optimistic and say they are clean — and your student mixes up whatever gunk goes on your face. You get your face cleaned, especially if you’re stupid like me and show up to your facial wearing makeup — durr — take a whiff of whatever little bottle you chose (I chose lavender, apparently) and then settle in for some facial-​y stuff, like a scalp massage (oil optional), an arm and hand massage, and some steam to open up your pores. I got a second face mask as well as a nice hot towel wrapped around my neck.
Then you go back upstairs and are given a bunch of products in a basket that you can sneak back onto the shelves once your student leaves you. (Or buy, I guess.)
Mine was pretty nice! Very relaxing. Probably not something I would do all the time, but for the $ 20 discount I could see myself potentially doing this on a monthly basis.
I think they also offer happy-​hour pricing on massages and other spa services. Worth checking out!

This is the school I went to for cosmetology. They introduced me to the Aveda lifestyle and as far as cosmetology schools go, it’s incredibly high end and clean. People complaining about this place have no idea the work and money that goes into it. This is a learning environment and trust me when I say the students there do a much better job than at Empire or somewhere else. The educators deal with a lot on a daily basis and I’m sure I have a bias for going to school there but it’s been 7 months since I graduated and I still go there to get my hair done.

I think it is important to preface this review by saying that first and foremost, this is a school. The students here are learning and training to be professional cosmetologists. You also sign off on a waiver acknowledging you are being practiced on by a student. The experience can seem a bit questionable, but that’s the risk you are willing to take when you walk through the doors.
I have been here three times and I have never had a bad experience. Each time an instructor will supervise the service being requested and will instruct what kind of steps to take to achieve the service. I have mostly had hair coloring done here, but each time it has looked just like a professional salon has colored it. The color has always been flawless. I know that it can take up to twice as long for a service, but these are students and they are taking their time to make sure the service is being done correctly.

No.