Reviews of Aveda Institute New Mexico (Hairdressing)

nae Carriaga

Ok normally I love this place but the past 2 times I've gone and taken my daughters its been pretty bad. My daughter went in yesterday (11/28/17) for just a hair cut nothing fancy just a cut no layer just a simple cut it usually takes them about an hour and half or less. We were there for 3 1/2 hours!! Like I said all she wanted was a simple CUT nothing fancy all one lanth. The girl who cut my daughters hair didnt start on time she kept leaving doing other things her appointment was at 430 she didn't get to washing her hair until 5:15!! 45 minutes later!! The teachers there are amazing. Normally its a good exsperance but the last few times I've gone has been very upsetting. Hopeful they will get things back to the way it use to be.

S Harris

Hit or miss. The big deal for me is that they do Not know how to wash hair. After hair color, the color is left on the scalp, they don't scrub the scalp! I always ask them to do it and the back of my head, even then it's never done properly. I love the products and the girls are friendly.

Debra Marmolejo

We were visiting Albuquerque last month. Wanted to treat my 82 year old mother to a pedicure. This one of our worst experiences we've had in a long time. We understand these are students, and are learning. We had one student who looked like she didn't want to do a pedicure on my sister. It took her about 10min to complete the whole procedure. When my sister wanted to talk to the instructor he gave a lecture that went like this, "Women who come in here expect to be pampered like other salons". It's not that we want to be pampered it's we expect to be serviced and not embarrassed. To our surprise the student wasn't the problem it was one of the instructors. He was very rude, and unprofessional to us. His rude remarks that were directed to us were uncalled for. Did talk to one the the upper staff and she had promised to have the director contact up. Well it's been a month and no contact as of today. WHAT A SURPRISE!!! If I had been contacted I wouldn't have posted this. They didn't take my concern seriously. I just wanted to give consecutive criticism so this wouldn't happen to another client. I had more to that happened but felt you get the picture. We are from San Antonio TX. So if you come to our city go visit the Aveda Institute you will get professional and best experience you've had in a long time.

VJ D

Visiting Albuquerque I scheduled an appointment for a trim. Ayesha was very friendly, fun to talk to and it's obvious she's going to be very successful in her career. There were a couple of instructors; Darlene Gallegos who was very friendly and honored misinformation that I was given when I scheduled my appointment. The other instructor I was told is Christine, who is relatively new. This person looks and behaves more like a prison guard (or prisoner) than a cosmetology instructor. She carries herself with an obvious attempt at intimidation. She is not friendly or friendly looking, she is not professional, nor professional looking. Not even a warm hello could thaw her cold heart... She is rude and makes it an uncomfortable environment. I love Aveda products and services and I love being part of helping these young girls develop their skill and if I'm ever in the area, I wouldn't mind visiting with Ayesha... Just not there or only if the callous prison guard is gone. It was a long service, but made longer under that hateful glare! Aside from that, my hair turned out great and the location and setup is really nice.

Nicole Holland

Megan did a great job cutting my hair, I've been to her twice and can't wait for her to put color on it this next time too.

Michael Ortiz

The director of this "institute" is very unprofessional and rude. While trying to speak with her on the phone she refused to speak with me and hung up on me. I called back and spoke to the manager who was supposed to have Mark the owner call me back. Its been over a week and I still haven't received a call. At this school you are paying for the name of the school not the quality. Multiple students and teachers have left this school due to the way that they have been treated by the director and others at this school. I would recommend checking into other schools if you are considering going to cosmetology school. Seems like a lot of Aveda students are going to The Avenue Academy.

Mariah Garcia

It’s been a year since I had a haircut so I decided to finally make an appointment to get one done. I had never been to the Aveda Institute before but I am really glad I decided to go. My hair was to the middle of my back, it constantly was getting tangled and was not manageable that’s when I decided to really make a dramatic change. The enviroment of this institute is wonderful, the stylist who cut my hair was very pleasant and she had a very professional demeanor. We went through the consultation and she listened to my concerns and took care of me properly. I showed her a picture of what I was wanting, I knew that the exact cut wasn’t possible but I asked for something similar and she actually got pretty close! My hair feels great, she used products that would hydrate and soften my hair, and recommended them at the end of the service as well which was helpful. The only thing I don’t really like is that you can’t request the same student for another service, it’s not easy to build a trust with someone behind the chair when you’ve had awful experiences in the past. Other than that, everything went really well!

Adrienne Renee

I'm really happy with the girl Claudia who worked on me for a cut, overseen by Dillon! Better than my experiencd at the salon ❤ will return

Elizabeth Ortega

WHAT A NIGHTMARE. Student, Mercedes should not be cutting hair at all. I showed her a picture of a Bob haircut, my hair was already shaped like a Bob, but needed a 1/4 inch trim. I got butchered!!! Mercedes layered all over and my original Bob is no longer a Bob. My husband said that you can tell where one side of my hair has more hair than the other side. The supervisor tried to fix what he could. Still looks terrible. I have been there twice before, showed a picture and came out very happy. Not this time. I literally came out crying. I have a wedding this weekend and have to go look for a wig. Before I could put my Bob in a pony tail. I can no longer put my hair in a pony tail!! The supervisor told her how to cut my hair and evidently she did not listen. The supervisors need to walk around more and pay closer attention to the students instead of talking among themselves. I realize they are students, but even if you show them a picture. I will never go back again!!!!!!!!!!! I also called and left a voice mail for the director, and still have not received a phone call back. They really don't care about their reputation or business.

Anne Fox- Piphany Stylist

Aveda Institute New Mexico strives to offer our guests a wonderful experience and service. The students have so much passion and it is a fun environment to be in. I work at the Institute and I absolutely Love it! Come see us!

Joshua Groves

I don’t know how the actual services are as I never actually got past scheduling. I made an appointment on a Thursday for Saturday, as I’m getting ready to leave for my appointment I conveniently get a “reminder call” for my appointment Tuesday. As I already had plans Tuesday, I never would have made that appointment. No apologies, no appointment available available for the day I actually scheduled my appointment for, the staff I spoke with was snotty and impatient. I asked to speak with a manager. Conveniently the only manager they have won’t be avail for two weeks. I was excited to try the school, but I will not be returning to a place that I can’t rely on to have my appointment when I actually scheduled it.

Monica Jones

Sad to hear that you can not request the same stylist again. Stelina was Great. She trimmed my processed blonde hair and did a professional quality job. She took off a minimal amount but still made it look thicker and healthier. So many times I've gone to a salon and paid far more to have the stylist ignore my requests and try to get artistic. (I'm grown. I need a trim, not asymmetrical head art.) She also took extra time to blow dry on a cooler setting because platinum hair can be fragile. If I can't request her then I'll just have to wait and see what lucky salon snaps her up.

Sarah Montoya

I had an appointment today at 330, I took off work early to get there and when I show up, the doors are locked. Big waste of time. I won't go back.

Carol Avery

Earlier this year, I attended an event in Albuquerque, but did not have enough time to get an appt with my usual hairdresser in Nob Hill. I decided that I would use the Aveda Institute NM because I had the formula for my color, so did not think things could go awry. My scalp started to itch into the coloring, but I thought it was just because the women doing my hair were taking a little long....after all, they were students. However, the itching did not stop. My scalp was burned, requiring a visit to my dr. in CO, who gave me a prescription for the burned scalp. It was 3 months before I could go to my Aveda hairdresser in CO for color. My letter sent to the Institute did not receive a response....neither an apology nor recommendations for further treatment. I will no longer use my wonderful Aveda hairdresser in CO, and she now knows the reason. I can't support a company which has such total disregard for its clients.

Eric Hooper

Enjoyed my service! Super friendly staff!

Okichild 4life

I went yesterday First time, I Saw this girl "ALEX".... She is only 18- But she did a Really Good JOB AND Enjoyed being in her presence, everything felt calming & Secure in her hands- she will go far, I can see she will have great potential as she grows and would recommend her, for people to ask for-don't let her age fool you- she got this!

Lena Strickland

Very happy with the service and highlights I had done with ms. harley

Delaney McKee

Do not recommend!! Had the absolute WORST experience at this place. I waited for 45 minutes in the lobby for the girl at the front to find a pedicurist, but I got no updates from her and was left hanging. If I had known the wait would be 45 minutes, I would have left immediately but this fact was never made clear to me. When my pedicurist finally got around to coming to get me in the lobby, she let me know that they did not have time to do my nails because they were closing in 30 minutes. That would have been nice to know 45 minutes ago while I was waiting around in the lobby! Absolutely awful customer service, and the girl at the front was non-responsive and seemed like she could care less about letting me know what was going on. I will never be back, (even though I live right in the area) and I will make sure that none of my friends ever make the mistake of trying to be attended to at Aveda Institute New Mexico.

Arleen Standiford

This is a beauty school so all the prices are very reasonable and the supervision of the haircut is excellent so you get a good haircut and great service.

Alice Fox

Great staff that are willing to work with you for what your want. The teachers really know they're stuff and the products are amazing. Miki was fantastic.

Ivy Nguyen

The institute is BEAUTIFUL and everyone was very helpful.

Ryan Chavez

Super friendly staff!

Google Approved

I went here for a long time to get my haircut and colored. It's sort of a gamble on the results based on the student. The last three times I went I was a bit disappointed with the coloring, though the cuts were fine. I will still come here for a haircut, but I now color at home. The coloring process just takes too long and it fades within three weeks.

YM Troncoso

I've been there three times over the course of the last year. The first time I got a decent haircut. Nothing to write home about, but at least it didn't leave me angry. The second time I got an acceptable haircut but again nothing to write home about. I wasn't angry but neither was I completely satisfied. The young lady did what many hairdressers do when you tell them what you want done. They pretend to be listening and then go and do whatever they want. My recent experience was terrible. First they called me 15 minutes before my scheduled appointment to cancel because the young lady who was supposed to do my hair hadn't shown up because of snow. I checked on the news and turns out there was no snow where she was at, but..oh well, why should I be upset because some young lady decided to not come in to work and therefore ruin my schedule for the whole day. After all I'm only a customer. Since when does my time matter? At first they couldn't fit me in for another appointment on the same day. Then finally they got me in late in the afternoon. This third experience lasted 3.5 hours. They dyed my hair a horrible color. I didn't like it. I told them I didn't want it that dark, but according to them they couldn't do anything about that because my hair was dark so they couldn't make it any lighter without lightening it and "stripping" it. I've never been to any beauty salon and been told this before. Ever. At other places they have no problem dying my hair a lighter color. The highlights I requested can't even be seen. I should also point out that they dyed my hair and did the supposed "highlight" before cutting my hair, thereby raising the price because my hair was longer than shoulder length. Why not cut first and then dye? Do I detect price gouging? And the haircut. It was okay. It wasn't anything I couldn't have gotten somewhere else. When I left there I looked awful. Just awful. And to make matters worse it cost $140.00. What a rip off! I could have had the same end product by going to any Albuquerque Supercuts and then gone home and colored my hair with a $10 box of Clairol or L'Oreal hair color. Seriously! It would have looked no different. And to make the experience complete, the young lady that did my hair asked me if I wanted her to remove the dye from around my face and hairline. Really? You have to ask that? I thought that removing it would be the obvious thing to do and part of the finishing process. It's not something you need to ask the customer about. But apparently I was wrong. I made a sarcastic comment to the effect of "Really? You have to ask me that? Gosh, I was sorting of hoping that you'd leave it on so that others could enjoy the effect also." But it went over her head. Bottom line is if you want marginally acceptable work with people who don't seem particularly interested in customer service at a price that is higher than the quality level of the work, then this is a great place for you. And please, don't tell me that $140.00 is a reasonable price. That works out to $40.00/hour and they're not even paying the girl that did my hair. And I'm sure they buy their hair dye products wholesale. And I doubt the wholesale price is $140.00 for the products they used on me today. I just think that the end product I received was not worth $140.00, 3.5 hours of my time, and lots of frustration. I will not be returning to this place. But I have to pass in front of their building on my way to downtown, so every time I go I will be reminded of having paid $140.00 for a $30.00 product. That's galling. Oh, one good point in their favor. I got there 15 minutes early and one young lady did offer to do a hand massage while I waited. That was nice. Unfortunately, my appointment was not for a hand massage. If you are wondering why I went back after my second experience even though I wasn't completely satisfied, I went back because the students are different each time. Also, I try to give an establishment three chances before I write them off.

Sonja Codding

The students at this salon are so friendly and inviting. The instructors are a bit less so, but they still know what they're doing, and are experienced. I love coming in and being given a full salon experience. The free scalp massage and tea is amazing.

Robin Molly

I went to Aveda for what should have been a super simple haircut, one that I've had many, many times from other places. It usually takes about 10-15 minutes at most. It took about 2 1/2 hours at Aveda. Much of that was just because the student who was working on my hair was really new and very unsure of herself. But I noticed that the instructor (who was an arrogant jerk, truth be told) was confusing the heck out of both of us. He gave her the most convoluted way to do the cut (seriously, I've had this cut at least 20 times, and I've NEVER seen anyone do it the way he told her to), and he kept talking to me as if I was a nuisance. He used an extremely condescending tone, didn't really listen to me at all, insisted on using only jargon and not telling me what any of the words he was using actually meant when asking/telling me what I wanted, and "corrected" what I wanted, since the cut apparently didn't meet his approval. He never actually picked up on what I was saying. I would blame myself for that, except that I've literally asked for this particular haircut many times in the past at different places and never had anyone get confused by what I was saying before. But this guy was a total jerk and just wanted to brag about his expertise and tell me what I wanted was something different. Luckily, the student actually did listen to me and respected my wishes. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite experienced enough yet to know quite how to do it. She kept kind of cutting the same area over and over instead of doing the whole head.... Anyway. There's a huge chunk missing on one side, weird layering in the back, and it's much longer in the back and shorter in the front than I requested... It's not *absolutely* horrible, but I will have to wait a few months for it to grow out some before I can even get it corrected somewhere else. On the plus side, their products are great, and the haircuts are super cheap. Unless you consider the time factor and the fact that I'll have to get it re-done into the equation....

Kristen Martinez

When I went in I had Harley she was friendly and easy to talk with, she made me feel very welcomed and I loved the cut and color .. Great job

Richard Mansfield

Every girl I know that comes from this school is amazing.

Brianna Chavez

I have been to actual aveda hair salons in the past and had an amazing experience. So, I figured that the school would be similar since they are being trained the aveda way. I thought I would try it out since they were offering a teacher discount. WOW it was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had while getting a haircut. Every minute of it hurt. I think she pulled out more hair from my head than she actually cut. I even told her I have a sensitive head and she continued to rip through my hair with the brush and the thinning tool. I have very long thick hair but have NEVER experienced that before. My haircut wasn’t bad but usually haircuts are a relaxing experience, this one was very painful. I understand this is a school so I am simply posting this for improvements. I appreciate the discount for teachers and will continue to go to aveda...probably not the institute though.

deb g

I went in for a set of gel nails and was so disappointed with the whole experience,Harley had no idea what she was doing,and constantly told me how much she did not want to be there! because I went to cosmetology school I know you do not apply hand cream first! The bottles of gel were empty and she was struggling to get some out! I hated every moment in her chair,on top of that the instructor causally passed by but never addressed the lack of gel polish! Therefore it was a sloppy sticky mess! As I walked out the door I was peeling the gel off my nails! Again I hated every moment there! I will never return or recommend!

Cris Abbott

Best beauty bargain in ABQ