Aveda Institute Austin

Go see Andrea Leal! She did wonders on my hair! Unfortunately I didn’t get an «after» picture, but both of her instructors gave her nothing but positive feedback about how she face framed and cut round layers perfectly. I went in for a cut and botanical deep conditioning totaling $ 28, but I bought some extra things including tip. All-​in-​all, I can’t recommend Andrea enough!

I am from regency beauty institute on ben white on Friday I made a call for a haircut and deep conditioner and at 4:15 I arrived at Aveda and wow it made me fill that I made the right choice about going into the beauty industry my hair cut was amazing and the message with the hot towel was the bomb the instructor and student was great but keep in mind Regency is the one

I just want to add my two cents about my experience, as I know it is a gamble to get your cut and color done at a school. I opted to go to the Aveda Institute for the convenience and to save a few bucks. I was able to book my appointment very easily online and had great customer service when I called with a few questions. My stylist, Amber, was delightful and very skilled. I had a few questions up front about her level of experience doing the kind of color I wanted as well as the cut, and she was very patient with answering my questions. I also asked to be out within 3 hours, as I know it can take a bit longer at a training school than a regular salon, and Amber was understanding and had me out in under 2.5 hours. I had a positive experience and would certainly recommend Amber.

I was SO thrilled with both my cut and highlights. The supervisor was always nearby in case the student had any questions. Would DEF go back. :)

Went for the first time today after several friends had good experiences. Got full highlights and a hair cut. Outstanding service and value. Katherine is very talented. My new highlights match my old color. My hair looks much healthier than it does after my regular (now former) salon. My hair is long so it took awhile but it was worth it.

The instructors are great and I’m always a fan of the salon institutes – with short hair, there’s no way i’m paying $ 60 for each haircut.
I’ve had consistent trouble with the students (even the ‘Masters’) being unable to cut short women’s hair (5 times so far – maybe it’s the straight asian hair?), but the instructors always fix it up, Willie is super cool.
It’s always really easy to schedule a cut – some of the salons in austin are way overpriced and terrible at scheduling. I’ve gotten some same-​day and they will call you by request if they have a cancellation. I tend to come here when i’m too busy and need a cut asap.

I went in for a trim for 2.5 inches and the «master stylist» Olivia cut 4 – 5 inches off!
My hair is now uneven with two strips of hair that is at my desired length! (The front tips where they «CHECK» your length)
I’M STILL CRYING OVER MY HAIR!!!
IT’S NOT WORTH IT!!!

Okay, so after my disaster of an appointment, I was going to leave a one star review. But I called them, and explained everything that was wrong, and they rescheduled me for a complementary make-​up appointment in 3 days, so that took them up to 2 stars. If the make-​up appointment actually fixes the problem, I’ll be back to change it to 3 stars, and to add the details of that appointment to the details of this one.
The problem is that I came in and asked for a low-​maintenance (no-​product) functional and professional haircut, and I came out with a high-​maintenance, trendy monstrosity that wasn’t at all functional. Also, it took two hours so I was late to work. (My normal haircuts take 10 minutes, so 30 – 40 for students would be a lot, but understandable. 120 minutes though? That’s too much.)
To elaborate on the haircut itself: I’m not picky. But my two specifications are (1) no product ever, and (2) short enough bangs that I can see, and that it takes a while for them to grow to cover my eyes again. The haircut I got (1) requires product because she cut the cowlicks wrong (it sticks up in a comical – not professional – way without product), and (2) has bangs that are maybe a couple of millimeters above my eyes. Maybe. It might last two days before my hair is in my eyes again, is what I’m saying. I’d have made them fix it in the salon before I left, but as I said, I was already late to work.
So that was an overall horrible experience, but as I said, they scheduled a complementary appointment for me in a few days to make up for it, so hopefully they will do better the second time.

So the receptionists have gotten LOTS better… more welcoming and real. But last week, I waited for over an HOUR before leaving because no one waited on me. No one bothered to update me, either. The gentleman sitting next to me had waited 45 minutes before being helped. I do not plan to EVER go back… too bad. I was a regular who tipped about 25−50%. I went to another beauty school where I was waited on in 10 minutes. My hair is better. And, after all these years of using the Aveda products, I’ve switched to Paul Mitchell (the straightening tonic to blow dry… not as slick and my hair doesn’t get dirty as fast as with the Aveda product — surprised me… I have loved the Aveda products for a long time) So THANKS, Aveda Institute!!! I not only get better service elsewhere, but I have better products for my hair because you ditched me!

I’ve been here 2 times and always leave satisfied! Yes it takes a little longer but $ 12 for a haircut? I’m okay with that! They use great products on your hair and are super nice. I will be returning here because I love the people and you really can’t beat the price. Just be upfront about what you are expecting out of your haircut and don’t be afraid to give your opinion! Bring a picture if you want the best results.

Okay, you get what you pay for. But $ 18 for a «master stylist» (that moniker is a farce — that simply means the person may or may not graduate in the next three or four months, a reason to drive their prices up) is waaaaay overpriced for what you get. Better to pay full price at a salon with experienced stylists.
I went in two days ago, January 8, 2015, to get my shoulder-​length hair cut into a layered chin-​length bob. You be the judge: is this what I asked for? Posting three selfie-​pictures,
Now my hair is so short I can’t even go anywhere else to get it fixed until it grows out a little. And I’m cancelling the color appointment made for next week.
At least I’m a walking advertisement for what you get at the Aveda «Institute.»
“Institution” is more like it. As in mental.
By the way, my profile picture shows a haircut and color I received in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where we lived a few years ago.

I am giving this five stars because holy crap the price is amazing. $ 18 for a master level hair stylist. I had been going to a great place but it was so expensive and hard to get in, I began to look for an alternative. My experiences at Aveda have been mostly very positive. I have been going for 9 months now. My only minor quibble is they don’t seem to know how to do shaggy bangs and because they struggle with this, my bangs can end up shorter than I would like. However, I don’t notice a huge difference in the way my stylist cut my hair and the way they do at Aveda. Some of this is because I know very well what works for me and can explain it pretty well. I recommend this place to anyone a budget who also wants a good hair cut. I have saved at least $ 200 in nine months.

Ive been coming here for over a year with decent, sometimes great, yet inconsistent results. Today was my last… attempt.
I waited at that place for 45 minutes (past my appt time, almost an hour total because I arrived early) before they informed me they didn’t have anyone available to do my hair.
In that time I watched at least 20 people walk in and get checked in and almost immediately seen.
When they came over to «apologize» they actually had the gall to *blame me* for making my appt on a Saturday afternoon. Uh, yeah… weeks in advance though!
I finally walked out after waiting an additional 10 minutes just to get an answer for how much longer it would be until they could fit me in.
Add to this, another time they called to cancel my appointment while I was en route and on time. Same excuse then too. At least then they didn’t try to put the blame on me.

I booked an appt before a wedding and was told last minute (1 hour before the service) that they had to cancel and reschedule my appt because the student was running behind. I can’t comment on the skills of the hair stylists but I would not recommend this place if you have an important event or if you are in a time crunch. They offered a discount for the change so I give 2 stars!

So here’s the truth… these are all new cosmetologists (even if you get a Master student: meaning they are about to graduate)! It’s a year long program and its a crap shoot who you are going to get and once you find a student you like, they will graduate and you are back to square one.
I have a pixie cut and most of the time an instructor comes over and does the cut ;) This is great bc they have all been really talented (AJ, Willie, & Shannon are my favs)! They usually have a longer tenure than the student but not always.
If you go to get highlights, prepare to be there for at least 3 – 4 hours. Promise… never have gotten out earlier with really short hair, I can’t imagine long hair!
Everyone has been really nice and I’ve always been happy with my service! Once I wasn’t and they had me come back to have it fixed (my blonde highlights weren’t blonde). I went back, another 3 – 4 hours but they fixed it as promised free of charge!
The other perk is their prices are A LOT cheaper. I pay $ 65 for a partial highlight (2 colors) and cut! So for me I’ll give some of my time to save some $$!

Less than one star. Arrived ten minutes before my appointment. I waited for thirty minutes before finally asking when my stylist would be ready for me. Apparently she didn’t come back from her lunch break so I was left SOL and they didn’t even offer a voucher. Very unprofessional.

As a faithful client to this school I have been the old downtown location to the highland temporary (50% off services) and this location.
During this time I have done from short hair to long hair and back. I really enjoy the educator Jessica to check me in and out and helping out my student. She is also helpful when I always get masters students.
When I arrive early my student may finish up earlier than expected and sometimes later but overall the service people in the retail waiting area will always work with you. If you are so impatient in waiting my word of advice be patient and learn about the products and its benefits or the bring your smartphone or tablet for wifi access.
When you sign a consent form make sure you understand the agreement… if you have questions before you SIGN just ASK! =)

I always really like the student that I get but besides that the service is pretty unorganized. There always seems to be confusion with reception, miscommunication, and overall poor salon management.

I’ve had my hair cut at the Aveda Institute (both old and new locations) a handful of times. Some experiences have been better than others, nothing equal to a total train wreck. The last time I was there I did go through some of the dreaded customer service issues and long waits/​delays others have complained about.
With all that in mind, for this round I called and asked to make an appointment at their slowest time possible. I scheduled for 9:30am on a Wednesday. No confirmation the night before so I called and checked myself, everything was cool.
Showed up at 10min early. I think 9:30am is the first appointment time of the day. I was one of maybe 6 or so people. My stylist was a man, which was a first for me, but he was super laid back and one of the best I’ve had. I only book Masters students FYI. Wanted just a simple cut — all the dead ends off, a little bit of shaping/​long layers in the back, a little bit of subtle face framing. I have very long, curly hair that spends most of its time in a ponytail or bun. He totally understood what I wanted and why and delivered.
While washing my hair I mentioned that I was interested in a new product and he immediately ran over to grab it and use it on my hair for me. Basically he gave me a free deep conditioning. Nice! Arm and hand massage was wonderful.
It took almost 2 hours to get in and out, mostly because the educators were so busy it was difficult to get them to come back and check his work, but I always expect a long haul.
All in all a great experience. I hate that they use SO MUCH product in my hair as it leaves it feeling heavy and greasy, but that’s my only complaint for this visit.

I knew what to expect: longer than average time to get your hair done, potentially a different outcome than what you expect, lots of instructor/​student interaction while you’re sitting there. As a result, this experience was a «meets expectations» and not something lower. My roots are an entirely different color than the rest of my hair & the semi-​ombré I requested has little to no contrast.
Net/​Net: I would go here again for a simple all over color and cut but not for anything more complicated. This is not for people who are nervous about their hair.
What you should know:
+ It will take a long time. Mine was 5 hrs for cut and color. The cost was $ 90.
+ Do not get creative unless you’re sure you have a master. My stylist was really unsure about everything from how much color to mix to how to style my hair.
+ The botanical add on for $ 10 is not worth it
+ Eat before, take a bottle of water. Settle in for the long haul.
+ Bring your laptop, tablet, kindle for downtime. They have wifi.
+ Products there are not less expensive than anywhere else
My recommendations for the salon (should it be relevant):
+ Better inform your students about goings on and products. Mine had no clue why there was a show taping there, what cold water rinses do to your hair, etc. Her response about the botanicals was «It will do good stuff for your hair inside your hair.»
+ Ask how complicated the service will be and assign accordingly. Don’t sit an ombré client down in front of someone who seems like they’ve barely touched color.
+ This is picky but serve larger cups of water. Two or three people asked me if I wanted water or tea. The cup of water was smaller than a dentists cup.
Like I said, this is an inexpensive way to get a service done with quality products. Check in with yourself on your tolerance for potential mishap and plan accordingly.

I’ve been going to the Austin school since they’d opened. I really enjoyed it for a long time, but over the past year or so, it’s consistently gotten less and less impressive.
The instructors and students aren’t communicating enough. I think it would help out a lot if the same instructor did all the check-​ins throughout a service with a student. Students who are already nervous and trying to rush have to track down an instructor for the check-​ins, and if they can’t find the same instructor they started the service with, they have to re-​explain what they’re trying to do to a new one. It seems like it stresses the students out, especially when the new instructor tells them to do something that contradicts what the first one told them.
I’m all for giving the students a chance to practice on me, but I don’t feel very comfortable when they get stressed out and are in a hurry because that’s when things are more likely to go wrong.
Additionally, I’ve had more than 5 times when I’ve scheduled multiple services for a single appointment, but when I arrive they’ve only managed to book my haircut and not any off the accompanying services. They’ve made sure to fit me in, which I really appreciate, but once again, this puts stress on students to work faster.

I called today to make an appointment to get my back waxed. It’s right next to my gym, and super convenient. Also, only about 5 – 7 minutes from my house. Got the appointment set up, no problem. And the person on the phone was friendly and helpful.
Someone else called back 45 minutes later and said they’d run out of wax, and that they’d need to reschedule me for next week. I told them I didn’t know my schedule for next week and that I’d have to reschedule later.
This was my first experience with their establishment. It will probably be the last.

I have never had a bad haircut at Aveda.
I have had my haircut 5 times here in the past 2 years and they have all been great experiences. Pleasant, enjoyable staff and great no-​issue cuts. In addition, this last time I went… I was given the BEST haircut of my life. Perfect layers, perfect body, perfect cut –thanks Brittany P! Bring in pictures to show what you’re looking for and be overly descriptive.
What I recommend:
1) Make time for your appointment — this is not a quick process. It took about two hours for my latest haircut. Between the consultation, washing, drying, cutting, blow-​out and style — beauty takes time!
2) Make your appointment over the phone. When I make it with the online system, I end up getting a time I cannot make or get an appointment time that ends up being different than what is in the system – it’s a little weird.
3)They offer water, hot tea, shoulder/​hand massages. If offered, take advantage – it’s apart of the experience!
4) You have the option to work with a ‘master’ stylist who is a student who is graduating within the next week or two. There is a slight price increase for their services but if you’re worried about the ‘student level’ then just ask for a master! (Ironically, my best cut here was with someone who had 12 weeks left, not just 1 or 2!)
Also –they have some sort of guarantee where you can come back within a certain amount of time (two days, I think) and they will fix whatever is wrong (cut, color –anything) for free.
So thankful for these students and their services!

I hate giving poor reviews, especially to Aveda, because I have been a brand evangelist for years. I love supporting eco friendly products & businesses but the Austin Aveda Institute really needs to get its act together.
I was a loyal customer of the Chicago Aveda Institute — which I gave a 4 star review after my 1^st visit in 2010 & promptly became a regular — before moving back to Austin so I get the drill. You work with student stylists & sometimes it takes a bit longer than a regular salon bc it’s an educational experience. That is fine. My issue is with the salon management. I always found the Chicago Aveda Institute to be an extremely professional well-​oiled machine whereas its Austin counterpart is a hot mess.
In the last six months I’ve had two appointments at the Austin Aveda Institute completely screwed up by the customer service desk. Zero accountability for their mistakes and little effort to make things right for wasting my time. One of those occasions was during a customer appreciation weekend, no less, so I missed out on other salon benefits. Extremely disappointing. The management here clearly does not care about its customer experience which is a real shame. I used to shout from the rooftops about what a great place Aveda Institute was to have my hair done but I’m not sure I want to try again. Maybe that’s unfair and I should allow for «three strikes» but I don’t think it’s fair to be cancelled on twice.
TL;DR: I will continue to shop for Aveda hair products but will be seeking another place for haircuts.

Hello Beautiful World, this is the place I love to go when I’m saving my pennies, the staff and the students are very nice and helpful and will listen to what your trying to accomplish with your hair and other concerns you might have Awesome place. Their products simply adore live by them as well.
Oh, when you buy your products make sure you have your Aveda card to get points there’s cool stuff online when you collect your points .
Also make sure you give them your email address so you can be in their Awesome Invites they have GREAT SAVING ;) Love the their peppermint tea it’s complimentary very enjoyable.
Thank you. AVEDA!!!
HAPpY HAIR, HAPpY CLIENT,
WE LOVE KEEPING AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL !!!

1.)Schedule appointment thru the phone. I stopped by in person and the receptionist gave me an appointment two weeks away. I called once I got home and got an appointment the NEXT DAY! Hmmm?
2.) Main entrance area looks great from the outside, but once clients arrive inside, if it’s really busy it can seem a bit chaotic and stressful. Suggest the Aveda management team find a way to improve the chaotic feel during busy hours by having a seating area right behind the entrance wall, this way main entrance is not overcrowded.
3.) Mixed reviews on the receptionists… some were really nice, friendly, personable and others well could use some guidance…
4.) My student stylist (Vic — shortened his name) was great. He introduced himself, asked me what I had in mind for my highlight appointment. Showed me a book to look thru, I showed him a picture I wanted and once we settled on a plan he called one of the more seasoned stylist for a consult and discussed the coloring plan with him. I have a lot of hair so for the next 2 hours my student stylist colored and foiled my hair. I thought he did a great job and was SUPER patient, when he needed feedback about his foiling strategy he consulted the seasoned stylist. On the 3^rd — 4^th hour the foils came off, hair was washed, color was toned downed, and he and a colleague gave my hair an awesome blowout.
Highlights came out great and perfect for spring and summer! From past experience The 3 – 4 hour highlight process done at the school is actually the same time it took my professional hair dresser to highlight my hair but at half the price!
Vic did a great job of listening to what I wanted but he also had a good vision of a color and style goal in mind which he shared with me. Happy to recommend Vic! I was happy with the outcome.
Overall I was happy with my experience. I took away one star because the receptionist area really needs improvement! It’s a school so be prepared to speak up when your starting to feel uncomfortable about something otherwise your student stylist will learn after the fact! While I was there I saw some really great work being done by the students. They were all busy and seem to enjoy what they were doing.

I had some really good experiences at the old location and was a fan. I was there from their grand opening celebration all the way until their last night in the location. I even visited the temporary summer location several times while all services were half price. The new location is a totally different story. I am not impressed.
Although the old location was really close to my house, I was willing to drive a little further for what they promised was going to be an «amazing» new building. Now I know that the new location is hard to get to and doesn’t live up to the promises.
The reception area is as chaotic as it was in the temporary location. It’s almost comical to me how the receptionist always asks if I want a complimentary hand massage, but rarely delivers. I always say yes, just to see if she actually will do it. It’s only happened once. Why even offer a service if you have no intention of following through or have enough staff available to make it happen?
After I checked in, I was left waiting for almost 30 minutes with no explanation and no apology. The receptionist was making every effort to avoid eye contact or acknowledge that I had been sitting there for half an hour.
During the consultation with my student, it quickly became obvious she was d-​o-​n-​e. She was about a week or so away from graduation AND I was the last cut of the day, so she only did the bare minimum of everything. I didn’t get any of the famous Aveda head massage or sensory experience stuff that is supposed to happen before the wash. No massage during the shampoo. It was all very perfunctory.
Then — the worst part — the actual haircut. I guess she was so close to graduating that she didn’t feel the need to consult with an instructor. She just started cutting. I asked for long layers, which I thought was pretty standard. The cut wasn’t good.
I mentioned my bangs in the consultation and you could tell she wasn’t comfortable with cutting them because she totally avoided the topic. After she finished drying my hair and was attempting to walk me to the check-​out, I had to ask again about my bangs. She brought over an instructor who did nothing to inspire confidence. The student had already taken off my cape, so the instructor proceeded to hack and hack away at my bangs, completely covering my clothes in cut hair. I frequently get my hair cut at schools, so I often recognize some of the techniques used during hair cuts. I didn’t recognize anything either of these two did.
The only good part of the student half-​assing the entire experience was that she didn’t make me do the sales gauntlet to load me up with products that I have to refuse before I can check out.
A few weeks later, I asked some hair stylists from a different place to look at my layers and bangs. They said, «Man, we don’t know who cut this, but yikes.» They asked me what had I asked for with the cut and then showed me how the layers were not at all cut for the long layers I had requested. Thank goodness, they were able to fix the bangs for me and it was so much better. I’m still growing out the long layers errors.
I would only be willing to return in the future if they offer a really good special on blow outs or facials, but it would have to be pretty significant to make it worth it a visit to the crazy location. I wouldn’t get a manicure or pedicure here since they can’t actually cut anything. And definitely no more hair cuts here for me!