Ladies’ Night Glam Jam At Douglas J Aveda Institute

(Disclaimer: I received this treatment a month after having my newborn, as the first «night out». Self-​indulgence was received with heady delight. I am also woefully late with this review, which I swore I posted. I’m sorry!)
Once again, Annette J comes through with absolute wonders for the ladies of Unilocal.I come to Douglas J on occasion to change up my hair colour and style, since the advanced students receive in-​depth training on the latest trends and Aveda products make me happy. Besides, nothing matches the taste of their exquisite tea. Plus, you don’t need an appointment.
Oh my, this is indulgence at its finest with truly lovely Aveda-​trained students.
The ladies of Douglas J waited for us with coat check and mugs of that sublime heated beverage, like we were minor celebrities awaiting our stylists. Quite the welcome in the very impressive building. Soon enough I was whisked away with the first batch of guests, and we almost immediately raced off to the nail studio due to the limited seating. My helpful assistant, whose name I am completely drawing a blank on (mommy brain + happy relaxation = bliss and no memory), decided to go backwards on the checklist to ensure our stations would be open. I was more than pleased. She started with a pedicure, soaking my feet in hot water, then wrapped heated towels around my neck. «Relax,» became the mantra of the night. Trust me, I have no problem doing that. She painted my toes a shimmery shade of champagne, massaged my instep without setting off the insane tickle reflex (though she still got a wave of giggles — I’m terribly, terribly ticklish, despite her best efforts), and I tried not to doze. Point for her.
We swung around to the massage chairs as the pedi/​mani room filled up, and sadly, I had the advantage of several inches on her. The chair made some difference, but I can be difficult to reach and much pressure is needed to turn my muscles into putty. All the same, pet my head and knead my shoulders, I turn into a very content patron. We kept up conversation afterwards as I floated off to the real piece de resistance of the night. Did I mention I like massages and hair brushing? Yes. Yes, I do.
Once we settled on a style and a suite of products, we trotted off to her immaculately clean station near the windows overlooking the street. Douglas J gets top marks for cleanliness and presentation, and each student takes responsibility for a hygienic, attractive working environment. I appreciate that as a client and a regular of salons. My delightful student gave me a wonderful wash with good, strong hands and the finest smelling shampoos. Aveda’s eco-​friendly, natural products honestly smell so uplifting that you can use them in place of perfume and body lotions. She managed to tame my hair into an actual style instead of ‘knot at the back of my head secured with an elastic band, I think,’ that new moms come to wear.
TL, DR: For the first time in a month, I felt like a person and not a newborn’s caretaker.
We had to rush through the manicure due to the length of time my hair takes to dry (blowouts deserve really good tips from me, and I was saddened I couldn’t thank her more for dealing with my intensely thick tresses), and the nail polish didn’t cure completely. I had chipping and wearing away very soon, but I fault no one for time dwindling on us.
The final stage, icing on an already decadent cupcake, was a personalized gift bag full of Aveda goodies. Not just sample sizes, either, we got to formulate our very own personal body lotion with a number of fragrances to choose from. That slightly sweet, sensual base note I found now lives inside a bottle that I bring out for the days I need a mood boost or unwinding. I’m almost loathe to use it, and what a lovely addition to the goody bag.
I didn’t spend as much time among the vendors as I wanted, but I appreciate the array of sparkly glitters provided — and right before Christmas! Perfect timing for the people hard to shop for in your life.

This was a Unilocal event that truly checked all of my boxes. I love hair, nails and makeup and this was an event that catered to my greatest desires. When I arrived, I was immediately teamed up with my stylist for the evening (Hi Jaclynn!) and began with the hair portion of the evening. They washed my hair to start, which was sensational. I love having my hair petted, brushed and especially washed, so this was a wonderful indulgence for me. My hair was then dried and lightly curled and looked lovely. We then headed down to the manicure and pedicure station where I happily partook in both. As I was getting my mani and pedi, a staff member kindly brought me green tea to sip and the environment was so soothing and pleasant to experience. Afterwards, I got a bit of makeup and checked out the vendor offerings and received my glorious gift bag of Aveda awesomeness! Overall, this was a wonderful evening that felt like it was tailor made for me! I wish to thank the Aveda Institute, Annette, Chelcie and Jaclynn for giving me a wonderful and memorable evening to remember!

It’s been exactly three weeks since I attended my latest Elite event, and I’m amazed that my pedicure has held up this entire time. (My mani did not unfortunately, which is fine because I was ready for a color change a week later).
The students at Douglas J went above and beyond to make sure we were pampered. For two hours, I was serviced with the aforementioned mani/​pedi (I was surprised/​happy to find out Douglas J has switched their polish line from OPI to the vegan brand Spa Ritual), chair massage and makeup touchup.
As if that weren’t enough, we took home a full-​sized body cleanser and perfume (both with our fave Aveda oils), other samples and even discount cards, which I already used!
Thanks to Unilocal and Douglas J for a much needed night of relaxation.

I had a really nice time!
I thought initially we only chose one item but it was so nice to be able to choice a variety of things to test out!
I wish I would have known about the pedicures before getting there because I would have packed some flip flops but it was okay! I had a mini mani/​pedi, head and back massage, and chair massage. Loved the complimentary tea and treats. Random but I love the chap stick that was offered!
The best part was all the goodies at the end. I like the $ 10 off coupons and all the products!
The event was a lot longer than anticipated but I had a really nice time. Only complaint: my mini mani/​pedi lasted only for a day. I know they use organic nail polish so that may be why. Who knows, I probably wouldn’t get another mani there.
Overall this was a super fun event! Thanks Unilocal/​Aveda Institute.
** Everyone was super professional and accommodating! Made the whole night so much more enjoyable! **

I didn’t know what to really expect and left out HAPPY! We were treated to a list of services. I expected a complimentary short chair massage and some mini services. What I received was a great Monday evening treat of a manicure and massage. There was also students providing blow and go services, pedicures, and other services.
I felt special from the moment I arrived and everyone was so attentive and friendly. Douglas J Aveda senior instructors were around to check the students work that they provided us. I was impressed and enjoyed making my own scented body wash and body splash. It was much more than what I expected and I will go back for regular services.
I snacked, got pampered, and checked out a local vendor who creates jewelry from old typewriter parts. Pretty cool event. I tried tipping the young lady who performed my services and she said they didn’t take tips. So the service I received was genuine. I liked how she suggested I consider donating to the breast cancer fundraiser they were doing. Definitely a great Ladies Night out!

It was my birthday week so I needed to be spoiled. Boy, oh boy, did Unilocal and the Ladies’ Night Glam Jam really do a fantastic job! There was street parking and meters! Yuch — the only downside! Had a manicure, a pedicure, and then a blow-​out by Ciara. Four days later my nails still look spectacular. The pedicure was the best and then she filed off my dead feet skin!!! I was definitely pampered. The snacks provided were awesome, the local vendors were very cool. And, thanks Douglas J. Aveda Institute for the goodie bag which included lotions, shampoo, conditioner, the UnilocalERs were also treated to create our own scent fora cleaner and a spray. Wonderful as well as coupons for $ 20 off if we decide to go back, in which I definitely will. Even though I was 4 minutes late getting back to my car the meter maid had already been there with that ticket on my windshield.
Luckily this event was free and when I tried to tip Chelsea she said they were not able to accept tips, that coming back would be an awesome tip for her!!! So, the parking ticket was offset by all the goodies and even getting a ticket did not put me in a bad mood because of the pampering I received.
Thank you Unilocal and Annette as well as the Douglas J Aveda Institute for such a fabulous event! Everyone there was wonderful!

I don’t know who would complain about a free evening of pampering! Manis, pedis, chair massages, blow outs and more compliments of the students at Douglas J. Joelle was my student and she was a fun chick. I think I talked her into starting her own Unilocal account. There were some eats to enjoy, some cool local independent vendors, and a goodie bag! We got to choose our own scent fora cleaner and a spray, as well as some samples and coupons for return visits.
Thanks to Annette and Douglas J for a lovely ladies only night.

Literally had the BEST Monday night !! Totally started the week off the right way.
Parking was a bit of a problem — there is street parking, and an aveda staff was kind enough to keep going to out fill my meter — but it was 4 minutes short of receiving a parking ticket.
There was a welcome area — with food (not that healthy of options /​/​not gluten free /​/​not dairy free) and some drinks ! It was fun for a little socializing, but it was definitely an individualized event !
You select a menu bar of options from the Aveda/​Yelp list — so fun — I picked: a mini mani, arm/​back massage, shampoo style, and make up.
SO MUCH FUN — i got matched with the best girl ever Chelsea Barton. She totally took the time to walk me through the entire venue, show me whats where and what it is like to be a student there/​all the services Aveda offers.
We went to her chair and she took me on a «sensory journey» in smelling all these fabulous oils for a head massage. I picked the Blue Oil which is like Peppermint ! And an Invigorating one as well. She mixed um because I could not decide. We went over all the products she was going to use and, and kind of a run down on what I do to my hair/​how i treat it.
The blow out was fun and causal, we had a grand ol’ time chatting it up which she made my hair to perfection !!! so much so that I didnt want to ruin it and get my make up done (bc i knew i was going home shortly after and didnt want to risk the hair do while washing my face). LOL.
Then we went over to the manicure area, where she warmed up this amazing little neck pillow with beads in it. she really made an effort to have my nails look nice and not be like «a little kid sister «did the job.
At the end we went downstairs for the arm/​back massage in the chair, i wish that area was a lil more dimly lite, bc at the end i was soooo relaxed and chill than had to open my eyes to the BRIGHTEST lights.
It was cool to have our own fragrances made and scrub — but bc i did this i got a parking ticket which sucks. o well !! the night was so worth it.

I loved this Unilocal event! It is definitely one of my favorites that I’ve been to.
I’ve never been to the Douglas J Aveda Institute, and I was surprised at how big it is! It was also so clean and smelled amazing. I had Jessica as my student to pamper me, and she was super sweet and friendly. I had a manicure, a blow out, and a chair massage. All of the services were great. I loved the nail polish for my manicure so I ended up buying the color. Everyone was just so nice, I couldn’t believe it. I got compliments on my boots and my purse about 16 times. I might just go back to get complimented all night :)
I absolutely loved the bag of goodies that I got when I left as well. That little scented perfume smells so good, and someone told me they put it on their towels. I thought that was a good idea, but I stepped it up by spraying it on my pillow and comforter. Now it’s like going to bed in a spa. It’s so relaxing!
Thanks Annette for setting this up, it was a great time!

What a fantastic event! As a note, if you want to know what the benefits of being an Elite Unilocaler are, this event was a great indication!
I’d never made it to Douglas J. Aveda Institute before, but I was aware of the brand and liked their business practices. Their website does a much better job of talking about it, but essentially, they are eco-​friendly and focus on having a sort of peaceful balance in yourself. Their products support that mission of wellness. At Aveda and the Institute, you’re greeted with tea as you enter and obviously the focus is you as a customer. We felt pampered at this event, but I can assure you this is the treatment I’ve gotten at every store, so I was delighted to see that was also the case here.
I was eager to sample some of the services and products at the Institute. While familiar with their products, pretty much everything I experienced was new to me. I was familiar with the nail polish brand they use. SPAritual is a great eco-​friendly formaldehyde free polish brand and it lasts forever. Highly recommend and I was so excited to see it used here.
My senior stylist, Adrianne, was great and I highly recommend her to anyone who would stop by. She made my super wavy/​curl-​ish hair STRAIGHT. It was strange to see that happening on my head. I’ve never had straight hair!
All and all, a wonderful experience I was happy to be included in. If I had some extra cash, I would have picked up some jewelry as well, but alas, we’re still paying off our basement waterproofing. Thanks, Unilocal!And thanks to the Douglas J. Aveda Institute!

What is not to love about being pampered for a night all thanks to Annette and Unilocal!Got my hair and nails did. A quick massage and make-​up touch-​up. I walked out of there feeling like a movie star… right up to the point that I got to my car and saw the parking ticket. Oh well can’t blame Unilocal for my own stupidity.
Seriously though, great event. Yummy snacks, punch, and freebies. Thanks to Aveda for being very generous in having all of us there and sending all of us home with a nice goodie bag!

This was quite the event! A festive atmosphere to get a slew of services, treats and a good bag. It was awesome getting my chat on with my Unilocal-​elite ladies, new and old.
I was welcomed at sign in, shown to snacks and then met the student working on me.
I’m pretty forgiving with my expectations here. I’ve been to both the Ann Arbor and Royal Oak locations. The products are great, the students typically friendly, but may take 2−3x than at a salon for hair cut. This was my first time receiving a mani or pedi, and the timing took less than the 2x I’d expect an school service would take.
The one thing completely new I discovered was the scented neck cushion. I don’t know if you have to request it during normal service, but that was the BEST. Mine was warm and smelled like apple pie. That was relaxing.
They were extremely accommodating when my meter was running out. An instructor ran to put more money (I gave her money) in my parking meter so I could finish my service. Then the student helped me put on my shoes because I was silly and wore lace up sneakers. (Maybe this is not unexpected, but I’d be grateful to anyone who’d tie my shoes for me.) Anywho, this place was full service (while the services take longer), didn’t except tips (per usual) and everyone was enjoying themselves.
Oh and the grab bag was great. Among the many samples, we got to pick out our favorite of a handful of scents to add to a complimentary cleanser and body spray. Wow. Thank you Annette and Unilocalfor organizing and the Institute and the pop ups for participating. Fun experience. Will come back to see if there are other services I’ve overlooked in the past.

Maybe the best Unilocal event I’ve ever been to!
I had been to Douglas J Aveda before but a while back, for a manicure/​pedicure and I think one of their «stress-​relieving treatments» as well.
They immediately offer you coffee/​tea/​water and we also had cookies, mini sandwich rolls, and drinks since it was a Unilocal event. I was assigned to Julia, who ended up doing all of my treatments, and she was great — my nails came out nice and the massage and makeup were good too.
We got a great goody bag to take home too, including Aveda «purefume» and body lotion/​crème, and $ 10 off our next Aveda trip. All of the times I’ve been to Douglas J has been great and this time was the icing on the cake. :)

What an incredible event! I felt so rejuvenated and beautified after a full 3+ hours of pampering. Thanks Annette and Unilocal!
The evening kicked off with a table full of drinks and hors d’oeuveres and two pop-​up jewelry/​clothing set-​ups. I was swiftly greeted by Chelsea, the great Aveda student who provided my royalty treatment services for the evening. She gave me a quick tour of the Aveda institute, which was nice, open, airy and glassy. Then we went straight for the kill: hair blowout, head and neck massage, and manicure.
The service was wonderful, keep in mind the cosmetologists are currently in training, so the pace is understandably slower than you’d expect from an experienced stylist/​nail technician. However, Chelsea was really good about figuring out exactly what I wanted for my hair style and nail shape. She also made a mad dash to renew my meter when it expired while I had half my hair clipped up in the middle of my blow out. This lady is not kidding about her customer satisfaction! I felt really bad when she refused any tip, apparently students cannot accept tips. :(
Anywho, as I walked out of the building feeling like a million bucks I was called back because they had a goody bag for me. EXTRA WIN.

This night was SO fun! It was set up so well, and there were just more and more fun surprises as the night went on.
I had never had a blow out before and was not even really sure of what one consisted of, but I feel like Cosmo is always talking about how great they are so I signed up for one and it was so nice!
I got a tour of the place, and the facilities are beautiful. I would totally get a massage here — they have an awesome spa section. I did end up getting a chair massage which was great, but felt like it was over in like 30 seconds. The hand massage was nice too — I loved the rosemary and mint hand cream they use.
My manicure was lovely — they had warm, scented shoulder pillows! I felt so pampered!
I absolutely LOVED getting to make custom scented perfume. I have always wanted to do that!
The food and drinks were really nice as well.
Overall it was a fantastic event!

Best night ever! Okay, well best night of pampering ever. The staff was extremely nice and friendly. I walked in and was immediately welcomed by like 3 people. I was a bit early but I got to say Hi to Annette before being given a tour of the shop. I have only been to the Douglas J in Lansing, but this one is amazing. such a nice set-​up for all the students there. My Senior Stylist, Courtney, set me up with an amazing manicure, then my first blow-​out experience. I also had a make-​up touchup. everything from the staff, to the food/​drink, and organization was great. I am already getting a reservation set-​up for another appointment at this location due to having such a great time.
MAJOR KUDOS to Annette. This was an amazing event full of great experiences and surprises, and it couldn’t have happened without the outstanding staff at the Royal Oak Aveda Institute. THANK YOU!

Nails, hair, make up, massage… what more could a girl want? Oh right, food and swag. We each got our own cosmetology student that serviced us with any of the things we desired from the aforementioned list. First I got a quick tour of the premises, showing me the restroom (most importantly) and then was ushered to the main pedi station.
All the students who were there were in varying stages of the 5 stage program of the Aveda institute, putting in their hours. Since they were students, not everyone got THE top treatment, but each person was treated like a queen, just that the quality was not guaranteed. I was satisfied with my main & pedi, but probably would not have paid for it.
The swag bag that was provided by Aveda however was really quite nice. It included a body wash, body mist, and samples of some hair products, a line of which I think I will like very much to help fill out my thinning hair. :(
The two popups they had, lilacpop and ennelle were nice but since we were all ushered into various stations pretty quickly they made a few sales. I did help them however and bought myself a pair of nice earrings.
Despite the quality of my mani, I hope this happens quite often! The event itself was a straight up awesome.