Aveda Institute Tucson

They called back and offered to add some lighter pieces great and fast service

Aveda called me within days of my appointment attempting to fix the issue. While I think time is going to be the best fix for this haircut, Jackie was really great about trying to make it better. She offered me a chance to come back and try to get the haircut fixed or come back after a few weeks to smooth out the bangs, once they have grown in. I’m not sure if I’ll do that, but the offer was really great and it’s nice to have a company so willing to make amends when a mistake occurs. So while the original experience was less than pleasant, and my hair still looks pretty ridiculous, the follow up and care is worth five stars.

I cannot believe how unorganized they are– I came in for my appointment and had to wait over 35 minutes because they couldn’t find my hair stylist because apparently she just left and never told anybody (uh ok???). Then they gave me someone else who was very sweet and nice but it took her 5 hours to do my simple haircut (trimming 2 inches only) and paint my fingers and toes. I had to move my car twice because i parked in 2 hour spots (it was the only parking available in university area). It was a nightmare to miss that much time from work when I thought it wouldn’t run nearly that long.
The nail painting station is not even a station. It’s this odd setup where I had to put my feet on the top of a big metal bucket that was placed upside down. I could hear the students talking about all these unprofessional stories.
I would rather pay more and go somewhere else. Missing that much time for work for something so simple was ABSURD!!!

Aveda called me back and made things right by offering me a blow out and a proper hair washing, I definitely felt much better after my 2^nd experience

I really like this place, the staff is friendly, the facilities are clean and there is a nice atmosphere. I got my hair cut by Chloe, she did a great job and is very sweet. I recommend this place, ask for Chloe when you make reservations. Remember however that this place is a School and the services are performed by students and it may take a little longer than a normal salon.

I began going here when a friend recommended it. $ 15 for a professional cut, blow out, wash, and massage? Heck yes! Now this is my go to place.
Jessie C was amazing! She dyed my hair and was able to get the exact fashion colors I was going for. She took her time to make sure it was perfect. She educated me on how to care for the color and was not pushy on products when she recommended them. Turns out that Aveda offers the top rated products for color care. I’ll be going back for the products and for my next color as well.

I wanted to try something new and put some bright blue streaks in my hair, hidden a bit underneath so they kind of peak out. I went for an appointment and got paired with Ariana C. She was super sweet and listened to exactly what I wanted. She continuously consulted with instructors to make sure I would get what I wanted.
Started with the foil and bleach. She was very careful not to get the bleach on my skin and to check in to make sure I wasn’t feeling any scalp burning. We waited a while, and thankfully, my naturally dark hair lightened well. Then shampoo and conditioner time… both products smell fresh and natural! Next came the blue. Ariana put it all over, but again was careful not to get it on my skin (so i wouldn’t look like a smurf). After some time we washed out the dye and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. It was not as bright blue as I wanted but I had been hesitant with the amount of hair Ariana would bleach and dye, so I had instructed her to stay low and not do the top. Because of this, the blue was a bit too hidden. The parts that did get colored were just what I wanted.
Since it was my first visit, the amount of money I spent on products ($ 40ish) was noted and given back to me in the form of a gift certificate to use on my next visit.
About 5 weeks later my blue had faded and I went back for a touch up. This time I wanted it to be more noticeable and I wasn’t as afraid to bleach and dye more hair. I requested Ariana again and was happy that she remembered what I wanted. We discussed making the blue brighter, more noticeable, and covering a greater area. Once again she was very attentive and consulted well with instructors. This time we used a stronger bleach and my hair got even lighter. Because of this, the blue was even brighter, and I LOVE IT! It’s exactly what I wanted.
Even though it was my 2^nd visit, they still gave me a credit to use next time. I would go back in a heartbeat! The attention to detail, the learning environment, and the great price make the Aveada Institute a great choice for anyone.
Bonus goodies: they play good music, give a shoulder and neck massage with essential oils, and offer free water, coffee, or tea to all patrons.
I haven’t had any other stylists, but if you’re hesitant about getting assigned to someone random, then I highly suggest Ariana.

I get my hair cut here frequently (and highlights, one time), and overall I have always had really positive experiences. I am always recommending it to my friends (so affordable! and it feels so fancy!) — I even made my 1-​haircut-​a-​year boyfriend a regular visitor!
In particular, Nickol (I may have spelled it wrong — I know it’s a unique spelling!) is a fantastic instructor, and every time she is overseeing a student doing my hair, I am particularly pleased. For over 6 months now, she has been guiding me through the painful process of growing out a pixie cut… and if you are growing out a pixie, I strongly recommend her for her expertise and wisdom and everyone at the location in general. Estephanie has been cutting my hair the past few months, and I’ve been very happy — I always appreciate her consideration and care to make sure she is doing it right and asking just what I want. I had one bad haircut experience here with one student, over a year ago, and I think she was just a little too fixated on making my hair look «even» even though a big chunk of my head was shaved, and it was never going to look even.
If you have ever been to a beauty school or institute to have your hair done, you probably know that it takes a lot longer to get your hair cut. That’s normal. It’s okay — for me, I use it as an excuse to do nothing and relax.
Take advantage of the fact that students are there to learn/​practice all different kinds of techniques and styles, and you will have a better experience if you know what you want (a good picture is particularly helpful here). The students have someone there to tell them exactly what to do if they are unsure, and you also can benefit from listening to the conversations between instructors and students. It has helped me know what I like for my hair and what I don’t like, and even if I don’t remember the exact word, next time I can go in and make requests about what I want or don’t want — you learn pretty quickly it’s the little things that seem to make or break a haircut. Much easier than going to a salon and trying to see what the stylist is doing and then trying to describe that later when you’re not really sure what happened to your hair at all.

I could not be more pleased. First time there, and decided to go platinum blonde and get my eyebrows done and tinted.
Valerie was my stylist and Noelle (spelled differently) was the manager. They took my hair from a home die blonde job to platinum expertly. They both were so pleasant and knowledgeable, I felt very comfortable. This was also my first time for getting my eyebrows tinted and they did a great job. I will be back and I will be referring people.

I had such an amazing experience! Kimberly Ripley was my hair stylist and she is heaven on hair! I wanted my hair to be dyed in baylage style, however my hair is very overprocessed and damaged so getting my black to blonde in one sitting without it falling out would be impossible. She really took the time to talk to her adviser to make sure whatever we did would not harm my hair to much, which was amazing. She didnt have to take the extra step to ensure my satisfaction but she totally did!
The cut was amazing and relxing because the saloon floor smells so luxurious with all the Aveda products they use, and her head massage made me want to just fall asleep! Could not believe she hasnt even graduated yet! She was so friendly and did everything she could to make me feel comfortable and happy. The hair coloring was just as special! The product this institute uses is wonderful and they did a great job teaching these students! Kim made sure that i was happy the whole time and got me to a great light brown without damaging my hair. She even helped me map out how soon i can get it lightened again to reach my desired shade. Cant express how happy and impressed I am. This girl will do great things and if you need an affordable way to get a great saloon experince come here and request Kim. You will not be disappointed!!!

I went in for a color and cut. I am a redhead by birth and so getting something that doesn’t look like Bozo can be difficult. I was pleasantly surprised at the results. The was also the mini neck/​shoulder massage prior and the mini facial after that made this an exceptional experience. I also like trying the different products each time I visit.

I had a great hair cut and it’s nice that my student Caitlyn was great at offering ways to cut my hair, gave advice about curly vs straight! I love my pedicure nice that you get to keep the nail polish I would have liked my legs massaged a little longer! But other than that it was a good 1^st time experience and can’t wait to return for some hair color!!!

These girls work hard to make you feel amazing! I needed a great look for my graduation pictures. Morgan Shonfelt (hair) and Sophia Monique (makeup) made that happen all while making me feel special. I will definitely be going back to see them.

Went in to get a cut. The student Brianna was a great help! The sensory experience was awesome.
For only being students they seemed very knowledgeable about the services they were giving.
All the other clients seemed to enjoy the service also with that price you can’t beat it!
All in all this is a great place to go and I will be back

I went here for the first time last week. I’d been to Gadabout before and was never really impressed with them, so I figured I’d give Aveda a try.
Krystal did a great job trimming my hair! She kept the length, like I asked, and fixed my layers. She also was really nice and even went and fed my parking meter for me when it was going to run out of time. I left with the front of my hair kind of wet still, that is my only complaint, but for the money, you can’t beat getting your hair trimmed here!

This is part one of the review. Part two will be next week when my hair is completed. First off… parking is a NIGHTMARE however there is free street parking on the weekend, so that helps. I was really quite impressed with this school after a bit of a bumpy start. My student hair dresser walked in to the lobby holding a scarf over her face and I couldn’t understand how she was pronouncing my name. I just thought to myself, «oh great, this woman is sick» then it turned out she was mine. I am having a complicated procedure done and it was important to me that I have confidence in the person doing it, so I set a consultation. She was ANYTHING but confident. But then I thought to myself again, «Well give her a break. How confident is ANYONE in their early 20’s that isn’t all bravado» so I sat with her. She had some great ideas, but was really hesitant in her delivery and we weren’t communicating well at first. Then she said, «I feel what you want» and I don’t know why, but I believed her. She did an AMAZING job of placing my streaks. I knew because my hair is naturally dark that I would have to have a double bleach process, and sure enough I was right. She got my hair to «golden» but it will need another run through next week before we place the vivid color. Seeing the placement of the streaks I’m SUPER excited to see the finished product. I’m not 20, or even 30 and I don’t want to look ridiculous. I think it will be EXACTLY what I want.
So…here are some tips. When you get there be sure to check in with Unilocal.You will get a 20% discount off your service. Also, if it’s your first time in and you purchase products they will give you $ for $ back on your next visit up to $ 50! That’s AMAZING!!! The prices are really decent and the shampoo chair MUST be experienced. I didn’t really notice the décor too much… it’s straight up Aveda. I did notice the shampoo chair itself had cracks in the upholstery. It was VERY VERY Busy. You have to call in for an appointment and it’s a call center in Denver, but just press 2 on your phone and you’ll get the Tucson school straight away.

Raemie has graduated and I was very sad because Aveda didn’t let me know till the day of my appointment (how about some more advanced noticed Aveda?) that I switched to another student. I was leery; it’s a crapshoot going to beauty schools. The girl at the desk had only positive things to say about the other student stylist so I went in for my appointment, just a little worried. I had a friend who went in for balayage and got what looked like someone dipping the ends of her ponytail in lightener. Fail.
Turns out Nayaana Aguirre ROCKS! She is AMAZING, a balayage genius! Seriously, she is so competent, she doesn’t seem like a student at all. I showed Nayaana some photos of different celebrity balayage looks and she told me she had a lot of experience with balayage. We talked, I showed pictures, I told her wanted honey blonde highlights not brassy streaks and a bit over TWO HOURS later Nayaana was blowdrying my hair!
Her supervisor came by after she was done and asked me how I liked it (they always do that customer service check at the end) and I gushed about Nayaana.
I LOVE my hair, it looks GREAT! I was so happy with it that I took my bf out to dinner because I HAD to go out in public with the fabulous new color! Nayaana only has a week left in school, but I will seek her out after she graduates-​she is that good! My bill for root touch up (grays) and balayage and botanic conditioning treatment was $ 105. Cheap by retail standards.
Nayaana is a great colorist! She did an incredible job with my ethnic, mixed hair!

I hadn’t been here in many years and decided to check up on the current reviews before I ventured back. I was a little offset by so many people getting upset by this place! I went this past week and had an absolute fab spa night! Btw if you check in here you get 20% off your service!
First and foremost this is a teaching salon. All your work is done by students and you even sign a waiver acknowledging and the fact that you will meet with an instructor throughout your experience. But for the prices they’re offering on a Aveda services, it cannot be beat! Just know you’ll be spending some time here sometimes upwards of an hour or two to get one service done. The quality of your service does really depend on the student you get. But this is a place where you can voice your concerns before during and after a service to let them know how things are going even before you meet with their instructor.
They offer everything from haircuts to waxing too. on the evening I went me and a girlfriend got a pedicure and a facial. Let me tell you how awesome an aveda experience is! With the pedicures all their products are all natural non-​harmful and this is the most relaxing pedicure you’ll ever get. My facial lasted well over an hour and included a sensory experience an upper body massage and a foot massage. My student was Rachel for my pedicure and she was wonderful! For the pedicure you get to keep your bottle of nail polish to bring home with you. They do let you know all the products they use throughout the service so you can purchase them afterwards if you want.
The salon is very welcoming you were offered tea and water when you walk in the door just be prepared for a little bit of a wait sometimes. Everyone was welcoming and always were asking how the service was and how your experience was.
I felt at home in the spot and it was one of the better experiences here in Tucson. You can’t beat the price.
Just remember be patient these are students they’re trying their best and if you want an inexpensive spa experience try this place out!

Oh dear. I tried coming here a few times and found that the stylists were not always very professional. Cuts were hit or miss and you weren’t always going to be fixed by the instructor before you walked out the door if you had a bad trim. Also, my hair color would change from time to time and one time my light brown roots ended up black. Black! I must have looked like a freak altho my friends were kind enough to tell me it wasn’t «so bad.»
I know that this is a school but the students should remember that clients are not being difficult when they point out mistakes or when they are unhappy with the work you are doing. Maybe the school could remind the students that customers are paying the bill? Just be nice and professional and listen to your customers. That should make a big difference right there. You might save some money coming here but it takes a long time for a cut and color (2 – 3 hours) and in the end you might wish you had just paid a little more and had it done right in a friendly environment.
I had really wanted to like the place but in the end I just gave up.

Run, don’t walk! Go this summer for incredible deals! If you purchase a Connect in the City card, you get 50% off your services here! The connect cards are only $ 5, and you could save a ton of money! I went for a waxing and pedicure, and saved $ 15! But wait, there’s more! If you are a first time customer only: if you purchase any products, up to $ 50, they will give you a gift certificate for a future visit in that same amount. So, I bought $ 49 worth of product (that I needed anyway), and got a $ 49 gift certificate! Oh, and with your pedicure, you get to keep the bottle of polish!
I’m gonna keep bragging about my amazing deal: I paid $ 67 and got: my eyebrows done, a pedicure, an OPI bottle of nail polish, two huge bottles of hair product and a $ 49 gift certificate. Yes, it is amazing. Plus they take incredible, incredible care of you. I’ve never had such extraordinary customer service!